Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - Prologue

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - Prologue

The Debate of King Milinda
edited by Bhikkhu Pesala

Prologue
Milinda was the king in the city of Sàgala. He was learned
in the arts and sciences and was of an inquiring disposition.
He was skilled in debating and no one could resolve his
doubts about religious matters. Though he questioned all
the famous teachers none could satisfy him.
Assagutta, one of a large number of arahants living in
the Himalayas, knew of the king’s doubts by means of
supernormal power. So he convened an assembly to ask if
there was anyone who could answer the king. There was no
one, so the whole assembly ascended to the heaven of the
thirty-three and requested the god Mahàsena to take birth
as a man in order to protect the religion. One of the monks,
Rohaõa, agreed to go to Kajangalà where Mahà-sena had
been reborn and wait for him to grow up. The boy’s father,
Brahman Sonuttara, had the boy educated in the three
Vedas but the boy, Nàgasena, declared:
“Empty are these three Vedas and as chaff.
There is in them neither reality,
worth nor essential truth.”
Realising that the boy was ready, Rohaõa appeared and the
parents consented to their son becoming a novice. So,
Nàgasena studied the Abhidhamma. After gaining perfect
knowledge of the seven books of the Abhidhamma, Nàga-
sena was admitted to the Order of monks and Rohaõa sent
him to Vattaniya Hermitage to study with Assagutta. While
spending the rainy season there, Nàgasena was asked to
preach a sermon to the pious lady who was Assagutta’s
supporter. As a result of the discourse both the lady and
Nàgasena attained the Eye of the Dhamma, the knowledge
that whatsoever has a beginning also has the inherent qual-
ity of passing away. Assagutta then sent Nàgasena to
Dhammarakkhita at the Asoka Park in Pàñaliputta where,
within the space of three months, he mastered the remain-
der of the Tipiñaka. Dhammarakkhita admonished his pupil
not to be content with mere book knowledge and the very
same night the diligent pupil Nàgasena gained arahantship.
He then went to join the other arahants who were still stay-
ing in the Himalayas. Having completed his education
Nàgasena was ready to meet anyone in debate.
Meanwhile, King Milinda continued his spiritual
quest by visiting the bhikkhu âyupàla at the Saükheyya
Hermitage and asked him why the monks renounced the
world. The elder replied, “It is for the sake of being able to
live in righteousness and in spiritual calm.” Then the king
asked, “Is there, venerable sir, any layman who lives so?”
The elder admitted that there were many such laymen, and
the king retorted:
“Then most venerable âyupàla, your going forth is of
no use. It must be in consequence of sins committed in
some former birth that recluses renounce the world and
even subject themselves to the added constraints of one or
other of the ascetic practices such as wearing only rag-
robes, eating only one meal a day, or not lying down to
sleep. There is no virtue therein, no meritorious abstinence,
no righteousness of life!”
When the king had spoken thus the venerable
âyupàla was silenced and had not a word to say. Then the
five hundred Bactrian Greeks who accompanied the king
said, “The elder is learned but he is also diffident, so he
makes no reply.” To this the king replied by exclaiming: “All
India is an empty thing, it is like chaff. There is no one who
is capable of debating with me and dispelling my doubts!”
However, the Bactrian Greeks were unmoved so the
king asked, “Is there then, my good men, any other learned
sage who is able to discuss things with me and dispel my
doubts?”
Then the minister Devamantiya said, “There is, Great
King, an elder named Nàgasena who is learned, of subdued
manners yet full of courage; he is capable of discussing
with you. He is now staying at this Saükheyya Hermitage,
you should go and put your questions to him.” At the mere
mention of the name ‘Nàgasena’ the king became alarmed
and the hairs of his body stood on end. Then the king sent
a messenger to say that he was coming. Attended on by the
five hundred Bactrian Greeks, the king mounted his royal
chariot and went to the place where Nàgasena was staying.