senses are like sharp blades

Once the Blessed One was dwelling at the Jetavana monastery of Anāthapiṇḍaka. Then Bhikkhuni (nun) Ālāvikā dressed up, took her begging bowl and robe and entered Sāvatthi for fore-noon alms. Having gone on alms round, she took her meal, and while returning she, being one who seeks seclusion, entered the Andhavana forest. Then Māra, the evil one, approached Bhikkhuni Ālavikā to arouse fear, stupefaction, and horripilation in her so that she’d recede from her seclusion. Approaching near her, Māra said the following in a verse –

“There is no release in the world,

what would you accomplish with this seclusion?

Enjoy the sensual pleasures,

you won’t regret afterwards.”

Hearing these words, Bhikkhuni Ālāvikā thought “who is this indeed, human or non-human, that speaks this verse?” She realized “it must be the Māra, the evil one”.  Bhikkhuni Ālavikā thought ” He must have come to arouse fear, stupefaction, and horripilation in me so that I would recede from this seclusion”.  Then realizing “it is Māra, the Evil one” she replied as follows, in a verse –

“There is a release in the world,

which I happily touched with wisdom.

You do not know that feat,

being the Evil one, a friend of indolence.

 

The senses are like sharp blades,

the excessive pounding of the aggregates.

What you call sensual pleasures,

that I call as displeasure.”

Then Māra, the Evil one, realizing “oh, Bhikkhuni Ālāvikā knows it is me”, disappeared then and there, sad and despondent.

(The above is a translation of the Ālavikāsutta from the Bhikkhunīsaṃyutta section of the Saṃyuttanikāya. There are other translations also here and here)