A comparison of the Pāli and Chinese versions of the 'Māra Samyutta', a collection of early Buddhist discourses on Māra, the Evil One

This article first briefly examines the textual structure of the 'Māra Samyutta' of the Pāli 'Samyutta-nikāya' in conjunction with two other versions preserved in Chinese translation in Taishō vol. 2, nos 99 and 100. Then it compares the main teachings contained in the three versions. These three versions of this collection on the subject of Māra represent three different early Buddhist schools within the Sthavira branch. This comparative study of these three different versions of the 'Māra Samyukta' focuses on some shared images of Māra and on disagreements on some of the teachings presented. It reveals similarities and significant differences in structure and doctrinal content, thus advancing the historical/critical study of early Buddhist doctrine in this area.