[556] Then, bhikkhus, Māra the Evil One, having taken possession of a certain member of Brahmā's assembly, said this to me: "If, good sir, you understand thus, if you have awakened thus, do not lead disciples, do not lead those gone forth; do not teach the Dhamma to disciples, do not teach it to those gone forth; do not create longing (gedhi) in disciples, do not create it in those gone forth. Bhikkhu, there were before you ascetics and brahmins in the world claiming to be Arahants, Perfectly Self-Awakened Ones; they led disciples and those gone forth, they taught the Dhamma to disciples and to those gone forth, they created longing in disciples and in those gone forth; and having led disciples and those gone forth, having taught the Dhamma to disciples and to those gone forth, with minds that had created longing in disciples and in those gone forth, at the breaking up of the body, at the cutting off of the life-breath, they were established in an inferior body. But, bhikkhu, there were also before you ascetics and brahmins in the world claiming to be Arahants, Perfectly Self-Awakened Ones; they did not lead disciples nor those gone forth, did not teach the Dhamma to disciples nor to those gone forth, did not create longing in disciples nor in those gone forth; and not having led disciples nor those gone forth, not having taught the Dhamma to disciples nor to those gone forth, with minds that had not created longing in disciples nor in those gone forth, at the breaking up of the body, at the cutting off of the life-breath, they were established in a superior body. Therefore, bhikkhu, I say this to you: come, good sir, dwell unconcerned, devoted to a pleasant abiding here and now; for what is left undeclared is good, good sir — do not instruct another."
When this was said, bhikkhus, I said to Māra the Evil One: "I know you, Evil One; do not think, 'He does not know me.' You are Māra, Evil One. It is not out of compassion for my welfare, Evil One, that you speak thus to me; it is without compassion for my welfare, Evil One, that you speak thus to me. For you think thus, Evil One: 'Those to whom the ascetic Gotama will teach the Dhamma will pass beyond my range.' Those ascetics and brahmins, Evil One, being not perfectly awakened, claimed, 'We are perfectly awakened'; but I, Evil One, being perfectly awakened indeed, claim, 'I am perfectly awakened.' Whether the Tathāgata teaches the Dhamma to disciples, Evil One, he is just the same; whether the Tathāgata does not teach the Dhamma to disciples, Evil One, he is just the same. Whether the Tathāgata leads disciples, Evil One, he is just the same; whether the Tathāgata does not lead disciples, Evil One, he is just the same. Why is that? Because, Evil One, the Tathāgata has abandoned those taints (āsava) that defile, that lead to renewed existence, that bring distress, whose ripening is suffering (dukkha), that make for future birth, aging, and death; he has cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, brought them to non-existence, so that they are of a nature not to arise in the future. Just as a palm tree whose crown has been cut off is incapable of growing again, even so, Evil One, the Tathāgata has abandoned those taints that defile, that lead to renewed existence, that bring distress, whose ripening is suffering, that make for future birth, aging, and death; he has cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, brought them to non-existence, so that they are of a nature not to arise in the future."
Thus, because Māra was left with nothing to say, and because of the Brahmā's invitation, the designation of this exposition (veyyākaraṇa) is therefore "The Brahmā Invitation" (Brahmanimantanika).
The Brahmanimantanika Sutta, the ninth, is finished.
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The Māratajjanīya Sutta
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.