​MN 49 Brahmanimantanika Sutta: The Invitation of a Brahma 

Thus have i heard. 

On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Park. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus, on one occasion I was living at Ukkattha in the Subhaga Grove at the root of a royal sala tree. Now on that occasion a pernicious view had arisen in Baka the Brahma thus: 'This is permanent, this is everlasting, this is eternal, this is total, this is not subject to pass away; for this neither is born nor ages nor dies nor passes away nor reappears, and beyond this there is no escape.'"

"I knew with my mind the thought of Baka the Brahma, so just as quickly as a strong man might extend his flexed arm or flex his extended arm, I vanished from the root of the royal sala tree in the Subhaga Grove at Ukkattha and appeared in that Brahma-world. Baka the Brahma saw me coming in the distance and said: 'Come, good sir! Welcome, good sir! It is long, good sir, since you found an opportunity to come here. Now, good sir, this is permanent, this is everlasting, this is eternal, this is total, this is not subject to pass away; for this neither is born nor ages nor dies nor passes away nor reappears, and beyond this there is no escape.' "

"When this was said, I told Baka the Brahma: 'The worthy Baka the Brahma has lapsed into ignorance; he has lapsed into ignorance as he proclaimed the impermanent as permanent, of the transient as everlasting, of the non-eternal as eternal, of the incomplete as total, of what is subject to pass away as not subject to pass away, of what is born, ages, dies, passes away, and reappears, that it neither is born nor ages nor dies nor passes away nor reappears; and when there is an escape beyond this, he says that there is no escape beyond this.' "

"Then Mara the Evil One took possession of a member of the Brahma's Assembly, and he told me: 'Bhikkhu, bhikkhu, do not disbelieve him, do not disbelieve him; for this Brahma is the Great Brahma, the Overlord, the Untranscended, of Infallible Vision, Wielder of Mastery, Lord Maker and Creator, Most High Providence, Master and Father of those that are and ever can be. Before your time, bhikkhu, there were recluses and brahmins in the world who condemned earth through disgust with earth, who condemned water through disgust with water, who condemned fire through disgust with fire, who condemned air through disgust with air, who condemned beings through disgust with beings, who condemned gods through disgust with gods, who condemned Pajapati through disgust with Pajapati, who condemned Brahma through disgust with Brahma; and on the dissolution of the body, when their life was cut off, they became established in an inferior body.

Before your time, bhikkhu, there were also recluses and brahmins in the world who lauded earth through delight in earth, who lauded water through delight in water, who lauded fire through delight in fire, who lauded air through delight in air, who lauded beings through delight in beings, who lauded gods through delight in gods, who lauded Pajapati through delight in Pajapati, who lauded Brahma through delight in Brahma; and on the dissolution of the body, when their life was cut off, they became established in a superior body. So, bhikkhu, I tell you this: Be sure, good sir, to do only as the Brahma says; never overstep the word of the Brahma. If you overstep the word of the Brahma, bhikkhu, then, like a man trying to deflect an approaching beam of light with a stick, or like a man losing his hold on the earth with his hands and feet as he slips into a deep chasm, so it will befall you, bhikkhu. Be sure, good sir, to do only as the Brahma says; never overstep the word of the Brahma. Do you not see the Brahma's Assembly seated here, bhikkhu?' And Mara the Evil One thus called to witness the Brahma's Assembly."

Buddha: "When this was said, I told Mara the Evil One: 'I know you, Evil One. Do not think: "He does not know me." You are Mara, Evil One, and the Brahma and the Brahma's Assembly and the ​members of the Brahma's Assembly have all fallen into your hands, they have all fallen into your power. You, Evil One, think: "This one too has fallen into my hands, he too has fallen into my power"; but I have not fallen into your hands, Evil One, I have not fallen into your power.' "

"When this was said, Baka the Brahma told me: 'Good sir, I say of the permanent as permanent, of the everlasting as everlasting, of the eternal as eternal, of the total as total, of what is not subject to pass away as not subject to pass away, of what neither is born nor ages nor dies nor passes away nor reappears that it neither is born nor ages nor dies nor passes away nor reappears; and when there is no escape beyond this, I say that there is no escape beyond this. Before your time, bhikkhu, there were recluses and brahmins in the world whose asceticism lasted as long as your whole life. They knew, when there is an escape beyond, that there is an escape beyond, and when there is no escape beyond, that there is no escape beyond. So, bhikkhu, I tell you this: You will find no escape beyond, and eventually you will reap only weariness and disappointment. If you will hold to earth, you will be close to me, within my domain, for me to work my will upon and punish.  If you hold to water...to fire...to air...to beings...to gods...to Pajapati...to Brahma, you will be close to me, within my domain, for me to work my will upon and punish.'

Buddha: "'I know that too, Brahma. If I will hold to earth, I shall be close to you, within your domain, for you to work your will upon and punish. If I will hold to water...to fire...to air...to beings...to gods...to Pajapati...to Brahma, I shall be close to you, within your domain, for you to work your will upon and punish. Further, I understand your reach and your sway to extend thus: Baka the Brahma has this much power, this much might, this much influence.' "

Brahma: "Now, good sir, how far do you understand my reach and my sway to extend?' 
Buddha: "As far as moon and sun revolve Shining and lighting up the quarters, Over a thousandfold such world Does your sovereignty extend. And there you know the high and low, And those with lust and free from lust, The state that is thus and otherwise, The coming and going of beings. " 

Buddha: "Brahma, I understand your reach and your sway to extend thus: Baka the Brahma has this much power, this much might and influence. But, Brahma, there are three other bodies, which you neither know nor see, for which I know and see. There is the body called 'the gods of Streaming Radiance', from which you passed away and reappeared here. Because you have dwelt here too long, your memory of that has lapsed thus you do not know or see it, but I know and see it. Thus, Brahma, in regard to direct knowledge I do not stand merely at the same level as you, how then could I know less? Rather, I know more than you"

Buddha: "There is the body called 'the gods of Refulgent Glory' and there is the body called 'the gods of Great Fruit' which you do not know or see that, but I know and see it. Thus, Brahma, in regard to direct knowledge I do not stand merely at the same level as you, how then could I know less? Rather, I know more than you.  Brahma, having directly known earth as earth, and having directly known that which is not commensurate with the earth-ness of earth, I did not claim to be earth, I did not claim to be in earth, I did not claim to be apart from earth, I did not claim earth to be "mine," I did not affirm earth. Thus, Brahma, in regard to direct knowledge I do not stand merely at the same level as you, how then could I know less? Rather, I know more than you."

'"Brahma, having directly known water as water...fire as fire...air as air...beings as beings...gods as gods...Pajapati as Pajapati...Brahma as Brahma...the gods of Streaming Radiance as the gods of Streaming Radiance...the gods of Refulgent Glory as the gods of Refulgent Glory...the gods of Great Fruit as the gods of Great Fruit...the Overlord as the Overlord...all as all, and having directly known that which is not commensurate with the all-ness of all, I did not claim to be all, I did not claim to be in all, I did not claim to be apart from all, I did not claim all to be "mine," I did not affirm all. Thus, Brahma, in regard to direct knowledge, I do not stand merely at the same level as you, how then could I know less? Rather, I know more than you.' "

Brahma: "Good sir, if you claim to directly know that which is not commensurate with the all-ness of all, may your claim not turn out to be vain and empty!'" 
"'The consciousness that makes no showing, Nor has to do with finiteness, Not claiming being with respect to all:
that is not commensurate with the earthness of earth, that is not commensurate with the waterness of water...that is not commensurate with the all-ness of all.'"
​
"Good sir, I shall vanish from you.' '
"Vanish from me if you can, Brahma.' "
Then Baka the Brahma said: 'I shall vanish from the recluse Gotama, I shall vanish from the recluse Gotama,' but he was unable to vanish. Thereupon I said: 'Brahma, I shall vanish from you.' '
Brahma: "Vanish from me if you can, good sir.' "
Then I performed such a feat of super-normal power that the Brahma and the Brahma's Assembly and the members of the Brahma's Assembly could hear my voice but could not see me. After I had vanished, I uttered this stanza: 
'Having seen fear in every mode of being and in being seeking for non-being, I did not affirm any mode of being, Nor did I cling to any delight in being.'

At that moment, the Brahma and the Brahma's Assembly and the members of the Brahma's Assembly were struck with wonder and amazement, they said: 'It is wonderful, sirs, it is marvellous, the great power and great might of the recluse Gotama! We have never before seen or heard of any other recluse or brahmin who had such great power and such great might as has this recluse Gotama, who went forth from a Sakyan clan. Sirs, though living in a generation that delights in being, that takes delight in being, that rejoices in being, he has extirpated being together with its root.'

Then Mara the Evil One took possession of a member of the Brahma's Assembly, and he said to me: 'Good sir, if that is what you know, if that is what you have discovered, do not ​guide your lay disciples or those gone forth, do not teach the Dhamma to your lay disciples or to those gone forth, create no yearning in your lay disciples or in those gone forth. Before your time, bhikkhu, there were recluses and brahmins in the world claiming to be accomplished and fully enlightened, and they guided their lay disciples and those gone forth; they taught the Dhamma to their lay disciples and to those gone forth; they created yearning in their lay disciples and in those gone forth; and on the dissolution of the body, when their life was cut off, they became established in an inferior body. Before your time, bhikkhu, there were also recluses and brahmins in the world claiming to be accomplished and fully enlightened and they did not guide their lay disciples or those gone forth; they did not teach the Dhamma to their lay disciples or to those gone forth; they created no yearning in their lay disciples or in those gone forth; and on the dissolution of the body, when their life was cut off, they became established in a superior body. So, bhikkhu, I tell you this: Be sure, good sir, to abide inactive, devoted to a pleasant abiding here and now; this is better left undeclared, and so, good sir, inform no one else.'"

When this was said, I told Mara the Evil One: 'I know you, Evil One. Do not think: "He does not know me." You are Mara, Evil One. It is not out of compassion for their welfare that you speak thus, it is without compassion for their welfare that you speak thus. You think thus, Evil One: "Those to whom the recluse Gotama teaches the Dhamma will escape from my sphere." Those recluses and brahmins of yours, Evil One, who claimed to be accomplished and fully enlightened, were actually not accomplished and fully enlightened. But I, who claim to be accomplished and fully enlightened, am indeed accomplished and fully enlightened. If the Tathagata teaches the Dhamma to disciples he is such and if the Tathagata does not teach the Dhamma to disciples he is such. If the Tathagata guides disciples he is such and if the Tathagata does not guide disciples he is such. Why is that? Because the Tathagata has abandoned the taints that defile, bring renewal of being, give trouble, ripen in suffering, and lead to future birth, ageing, and death; he has cut them off at the root, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to future arising. Just like a palm tree whose crown is cut off and is incapable of further growth, so too, the Tathagata has abandoned the taints that defile.. .cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to future arising.'"

Thus, because Mara was unable to reply, and because it began with the Brahma's invitation, this discourse is entitled "On the Invitation of a Brahma." 

Summary: The Buddha ascends to a high heavenly realm to visit to Baka Brahmā, who holds the pernicious view that this world is eternal and all phenomenons are permanent. Baka also believed with the wrong view that there is no higher state beyond brahma-attainment. The Buddha told Baka that his view is false, whereupon Māra (the evil one), having taken possession of one of the Brahmās, protests and urges the Buddha not to be recalcitrant. Mara wanted to keep Baka under his power by allowing Baka to maintain his deluded opinion and he also tried to prevent the Buddha from sharing his awakened knowledge with others.

​To overcome Baka's and Mara's antagonists, the Buddha asserts the superiority of his knowledge through a thorough description of his awakened knowledge and through a display of psychic powers that baka the brahma could not perform. In the end Baka the brahma was convinced by the Buddha and Mara was defeated. 

​By WHH

References: 
1. www.accesstoinsight.org
2. https://suttacentral.net/
3. The long discourses of the Buddha (Bhikkhu Bodhi)