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# SN 5:8 · Sister Sīsupacālā (Sīsupacālā Sutta)
- URL: https://www.journal.ninthheaven.co/civilisation/trad-buddhism/sn-5-8/
- Published: 2026-06-01T01:15:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-13T16:48:28.000Z
- Description: Saṁyutta Nikāya · SN 5:8. Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu.
- Author: Ninth Heaven Literature & Arts Association (NHLAA)
- Tags: Buddhism, Sutta Piṭaka, Text, Indian, The Buddha, Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu, Saṁyutta Nikāya, Verse, Pali, Early Buddhist, Library, #Import 2026-07-06 03:31

Near Sāvatthī. Then, early in the morning, Sīsupacālā the nun adjusted her robes and, taking her bowl & outer robe, went into Sāvatthī for alms. When she had gone for alms in Sāvatthī and had returned from her alms round, after her meal she went to the Grove of the Blind to spend the day. Having gone deep into the Grove of the Blind, she sat down at the foot of a tree for the day’s abiding.

Then Māra the Evil One approached her & said, “Whose philosophy do you approve of, nun?”

“I don’t approve of anyone’s philosophy, my friend.”

Māra:

“For whose sake

have you shaved your head?

You look like a contemplative

but don’t approve of a philosophy,

so why are you wandering here

confused?”

Sister Sīsupacālā:

“Outside philosophers place

their confidence in views.

I don’t approve

of their teaching.

They’re not adept

in the Dhamma.

But there is

the Awakened One,

born in the Sakyan clan,

a person without peer:

all-conquering,

Māra’s subduer,

everywhere undefeated,

everywhere freed, independent;

endowed with an Eye

all-seeing, reaching the end of

all kamma—

with the ending of acquisitions,

released.

He, that Blessed One,

is my teacher.

It’s in his Dhamma

that I delight.”

Then Māra the Evil One—sad & dejected at realizing, “Sīsupacālā the nun knows me”—vanished right there.

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*Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. © 2014 / rev. 2017 Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu — released under the [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co) licence, for free distribution only. Source: [dhammatalks.org](https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/SN/SN5%5F8.html?ref=journal.ninthheaven.co) (Metta Forest Monastery).*