Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - Memory

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - Memory

The Debate of King Milinda
edited by Bhikkhu Pesala

Chapter 7
Memory
1.“In how many ways, Nàgasena, does
memory spring up?”
“In seventeen ways,
51 O king. That is to
say; by personal experience, as when one
like ânanda can recollect his previous lives
(without special development); by outward aid, as when
others remind one who is forgetful; by the greatness of
some occasion, as when a king remembers his coronation or
as one remembers attaining the stage of a stream-winner;
by the impression made by benefit, as when one remem-
bers that which gave him pleasure; by the impression made
by detriment, as when one remembers that which gave him
pain; by similarity of appearance, as one remembers one’s
mother or father or brother or sister on seeing someone like
them; by dissimilarity of appearance, as one remembers
someone on seeing one unlike them; by the knowledge of
speech, as when one is reminded by others; by a sign, as
when one recognises a draught bullock by seeing a brand
mark; by effort to recollect, as when one is urged again and
again; by knowledge of spelling, as one who knows how to
write remembers that such a letter follows another; by
arithmetic, as when accountants do large sums by their skill
51.Rhys Davids and I.B. Homer have sixteen here but the Burmese edition of the text has
‘sattarasa’ (17) and 17 ways are listed.

with figures; by learning by heart, as reciters of scriptures
recollect by their skill in reciting; by meditation, as when a
monk recalls his previous lives; by reference to a book, as
when kings call to mind a regulation made previously by
reference to a book; by a pledge, as when a man recollects
by the sight of goods deposited the circumstances under
which they were pledged; or by association, as when on
seeing or hearing something one remembers other things
associated with it.”
2.“You say that a man who has lived an evil life for a
hundred years can, by thinking of the Buddha at the
moment of his death, be reborn among the gods; and that a
good man can, by one bad deed, be born in hell. These two
things I do not believe.”
“What do you think, O king. Would a tiny stone float
on water without a boat?”
“No.”
“But even a cartload of stones would float in a boat.
So you should think of good deeds as a boat.”
3.“Do you monks strive after the removal of past,
present and future suffering?”
“No. We strive so that this suffering should cease and
no other suffering should arise.”
“But is there now, Nàgasena, such a thing as future
suffering?”
“No.”
“Then you are extremely clever to strive after the
removal of it!”

“Have rival kings ever risen up to oppose you, O
king?”
“Yes they have.”
“Was it only then that you made preparations for
battle?”
“Not at all. All that had been done beforehand in
order to ward off future danger.”
“But is there now, O king, such a thing as future
danger?”
“No, venerable sir.”
“Then you are extremely clever to strive after the
removal of it!”
“Well answered, Nàgasena, you are dexterous in
reply.”
4.“How far is it to the Brahmà realm?”
“Very far, O king; it would take a rock four months to
reach the earth from the Brahmà realm even though it fell
48,000 leagues each day.”
“So how can a monk travel there so quickly even by
supernormal power?”
“Where were you born, O king?”
“There is an island called Alasanda; I was born there.”
“How far is it from here?”
“About two hundred leagues.”
“Do you recall any business you did there?”
“Yes I do.”
“So quickly you have gone two hundred leagues! Just
so, the monk can reach the Brahmà realm at once by
supernormal power.”

5.The king asked, “If one man were to die and be reborn
in the Brahmà realm and at the same moment another
man were to die and be reborn in Kashmir which man
would arrive first?”
“How far is your home town from here?”
“Two hundred leagues.”
“And how far is Kashmir?”
“Twelve leagues.”
“Which of them did you recall more quickly?”
“Both the same venerable sir.”
“Just so, O king, those men who died at the same
moment would be reborn at the same moment.”
6.“How many factors of enlightenment are there?”
“Seven, O king.”
“By how many factors does one awaken to the truth?”
“By one, investigation of truth, for nothing can be
understood without that.”
“Then why is it said that there are seven?”
“Could the sword that is in your scabbard cut any-
thing if it was not taken up in the hand?”
“No venerable sir.”
“Just so, O king, without the other factors of enlighten-
ment, investigation of truth could not awaken to the truth.”
7.“Which is the greater, merit or demerit?”
“Merit, O king. One who does wrong feels remorse
and realises his mistake, thereby demerit does not increase.
However, one who does merit feels no remorse; and glad-
ness and joy arise, and so rejoicing he will be at ease, being

relaxed he will feel contented, being content his mind will
be easily concentrated, being concentrated he will see
things as they really are. In that way merit increases. So
merit is much greater. Demerit is relatively insignificant.”
8.“Which is the greater demerit, conscious or uncon-
scious wrongdoing?”
“Unconscious wrong-doing, O king.”52
“Then we should doubly punish those who do wrong
unconsciously.”
“What do you think, O king, would a man be more
seriously burned if he seized a red-hot iron ball not
knowing it was hot than he would be if he knew.”
“He would be burned more severely if he didn’t
know it was hot.”
“Just so, O king, it is the same with the man who does
wrong unconsciously.”
9.“Is there anyone who can physically go to the Brahmà
realm or to another continent?”
“Yes, O king, there is. As easily as you can jump a
short distance by determining in your mind, ‘I will land
there’, so too one who has developed absorption (jhàna) can
go to the Brahmà realm.”
10. “Are there bones 100 leagues long?”
“Yes there are fish in the ocean 500 leagues long
(about 3,500 miles!) who have such bones.”53
52.All wrong-doing is rooted in ignorance, so one who does wrong knowingly will feel
remorse and correct himself sooner than one who is deluded (Editor’s Note).
53.The one that got away! cf A. iv. 200.

11.“Is it possible to suppress the respiration?”
“Yes it is. As it is possible to stop the snoring of one of
undeveloped mind by bending his body, so it is possible for
one of well developed mind to suppress the respiration.”
12.“Why is the ocean so called?”
“Because it is a uniform mixture of salt and water.”
(Sama = even, Udda = water, Samudda = ocean).
13.“Why is the ocean all of one taste?”
“Because it has stood for so long.”54
14.“Is it possible to dissect even the most subtle thing?”
“Yes, O king. Wisdom is able to dissect every subtle
thing.”
“What is meant by every subtle thing?”
“Dhamma55 is everything subtle. However, not all
dhammas are subtle, some are coarse. Subtle and coarse are
only concepts. Whatever is divisible can be divided by
wisdom. There is nothing else that can dissect wisdom.”
15.“These three, Nàgasena, consciousness (vi¤¤àõa),
wisdom (pa¤¤à) and the soul (bhåtasmiü jãvo); are they
different in essence or only in name?”
“Knowing, O king, is the mark of consciousness and
discrimination56 is the mark of wisdom. A soul cannot be
found.”
54. cf. A. iv. 203 “Just as the ocean is of one taste, the taste of salt; so the Dhamma is of one
taste, the taste of freedom [from suffering].”
55.Dhamma here is a technical term meaning phenomenon or state. Elsewhere it also
means truth, law, doctrine.
56.As well as cutting off and illuminating already given above.

16.The elder said, “A hard thing has been done by the
Blessed One; the distinguishing of all those mental condi-
tions that depend on an organ of sense, showing such and
such is contact, such is feeling, such is perception, such is
intention and such is the mind (citta).”
“Give me an illustration.”
“If a man were to take a handful of water from the
ocean and tasting it could say, ‘This water is from the
Ganges, this from the Jumna, this from the Gandak, this
from the Sarabhu, and this from the Mahi.’ More difficult
than this is the distinguishing of those mental states that
accompany any one of the senses.” Since it was midnight
the king made offerings to Nàgasena and the king said,
“Like a lion in a golden cage longs only for freedom, so do
I long for the monk’s life but I would not live long, so many
are my enemies.”
Then Nàgasena, having solved the questions put by
King Milinda, arose from his seat and returned to the
hermitage. Not long after Nàgasena had gone, King
Milinda reflected on the questions and answers and
concluded, “Everything was rightly asked by me and
everything was properly answered by Nàgasena.” Back at
his hermitage, Nàgasena reflected and concluded in a
similar manner.