Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - The Solving of Dilemmas IV
The Debate of King Milinda
edited by Bhikkhu Pesala
Chapter 11
The Solving of Dilemmas (IV)
31. The Murder of Moggallàna
“This was said by the Blessed One, ‘Mog-
gallàna is the chief of those among my dis-
ciples who possess supernormal power.’
136
Yet he was beaten to death with clubs.
137 Why did his pow-
ers fail him?”
“That, O king, was because he was then overwhelmed
by the greater power of kamma. Even among things that are
beyond the scope of the imagination one may be more pow-
erful than the others. Among things that are unimaginable
kamma is the most powerful. It is precisely the effect of
kamma that overcomes and rules the rest, for no other influ-
ence is of any avail to the man in whom kamma is working
out its inevitable result. Just as a man who has been found
guilty of a crime will be punished and there is nothing his
relatives may do to prevent it.”
32. Secrecy of the Vinaya
“It was said by the Blessed One, ‘The Dhamma and Vinaya
proclaimed by the Tathàgata shine forth when they are dis-
136.A. i. 23.
137.DhA. iii. 65f. Commentary on Dhp. vv 137 140
played and not when they are unrevealed.’
138 So why is the
recitation of the Pàtimokkha done only in the presence of
bhikkhus139 and why is the Vinaya Piñaka closed and privy to
bhikkhus?”140
“O king, the reason for the Pàtimokkha being open
only to bhikkhus is that it is a custom of all previous
Buddhas, secondly out of respect for the Vinaya and thirdly
out of respect for the bhikkhus. Just, O king, as the traditions
of warriors are handed down among warriors alone so it is
the tradition of the Tathàgatas that the recitation of the
Pàtimokkha should take place only among bhikkhus. The
Vinaya is venerable and profound. He who has reached
proficiency in it may exhort others thus, ‘Let not this
profound teaching fall into the hands of those who are
unwise where it would be despised and condemned,
treated shamefully, ridiculed and found fault with’.
141 Just
as there are priceless possessions of kings that should not
be used by men of the world, so too, the training and
138.A. i. 283.
139.Vin. i. 115, 135.
140.There is no prohibition against teaching the Vinaya to lay people. A wise lay person
should learn the Vinaya to avoid corrupting the monks.
141.T.W. Rhys Davids had this to say about esoteric Buddhism; “The fact is that there has
never been any such thing as esoteric teaching in Buddhism, and that the modern so
called esoteric Buddhism is neither esoteric nor Buddhism. Its tenets, so far as they are
Indian at all, are perfectly accessible, are well known to all those who choose to study
the books of Indian mysticism, and are Hindu, not Buddhist. They are, indeed, quite
contradictory to Buddhism, of which the authors of what they ignorantly call Esoteric
Buddhism know but very little —- that little being only a portion of those beliefs which
have been the common ground to all religious teachers in India. If one doctrine, more
than any other, is distinctive of Buddhism, it is the ignoring, in ethics of the time-
honoured belief in a soul — that is, in the old sense, in a separate creature inside the
body, which flies out of it, like a bird out of a cage, when the body dies. Yet the
Theosophists, who believe, I am told, in seven souls inside the human body (which
would be worse according to true Buddhism than seven devils), still venture to call
themselves Buddhists, and do not see the absurdity of their position!”
traditions of the Blessed One for bhikkhus are their priceless
possessions. That is why the recitation of the Pàtimokkha
takes place only among bhikkhus.”
33. Intentional Lying
“It has been said by the Blessed One, ‘Intentional lying is an
offence involving expulsion.’
142 Yet he also said, ‘Intention-
al lying is a light offence that must be confessed to another
bhikkhu.’
143
How can both of these be right?”
“If a man were to strike another with his hand what
punishment would you give him?”
“If the victim refused to overlook the matter we would
fine the assailant.”
“But if a man were to strike you, what punishment
would you give him?”
“We would cut off his hands and feet, scalp him,
plunder all his wealth and uproot his family up to the
seventh generation.”
“Just so, O king, the offence is light or heavy according
to the subject matter. Intentional lying about the attainment
of superhuman states such as the absorptions, supernormal
power or the paths of spiritual attainment is an offence in-
volving expulsion. However, intentional lying about other
matters is only an offence involving confession.”
142.Vin. iii. 94ff.
143.Vin. iii. 59, 66; Vin. iv. 2
34. Investigations of the Bodhisatta
“It was said by the Blessed One in the discourse on natural
law, ‘Long ago had the Bodhisatta’s parents, chief disciples,
etc., been predestined for the Bodhisatta.’
144 Yet it was also
said, ‘While still in the Tusita heaven the Bodhisatta makes
eight investigations: whether the right moment has come
for him to be reborn, the continent, the country, the family,
the mother, the time in the womb, the month of the birth,
and the time of the going forth.’
145 If his parents were
already predestined why was it necessary for him to
consider these things?”
“Both these statements, O king, are correct. With
respect to eight things the future should be investigated be-
fore it comes to pass. A merchant should inspect goods be-
fore he buys them, an elephant should try a path with his
trunk before he treads it, a carter should survey a ford be-
fore he crosses it, a pilot should plumb a shore he has not
seen before, a physician should assess the remaining life-
span of a patient before treating him, a traveller should in-
spect a bridge before he walks on it, a bhikkhu should know
the time before he starts his meal, and a Bodhisatta should
investigate the family before he is born.”
35. On suicide
“It has been said by the Blessed One, ‘A monk should not
try to commit suicide [throw himself down from a preci-
144. Mahàpadhàna Sutta, D. ii. 17-20.
145.Jà. i. 48; DA. 428, (only 5 mentioned).
pice]; whoever does so should be dealt with according to
the rule.’
146 Yet, on the other hand, you say that on what-
ever topic he was addressing the monks, he always, and
with various similes, exhorted them to bring about the des-
truction of birth, old age, disease and death, and whoso-
ever overcame them he honoured with high praise.”
“O king, it is because an arahant is of great benefit to
beings that he laid down that prohibition. One who has
reached the goal is like a boat to carry people over the
floods of sensuality, desire for rebirth, personality belief
and ignorance; like a mighty rain-cloud he fills their minds
with satisfaction and he is a guide to those who are lost. Out
of compassion for living beings the Blessed One said, ‘A
monk is not to commit suicide.’ And what is the reason the
Blessed One urged us to put an end to birth, old age and
death? Because of the limitless nature of the suffering of the
round of rebirths the Blessed One, out of compassion for
beings, urged them in many ways, with various similes to
free themselves from the round of rebirths.”
36. Protection by Loving-kindness
“It has been said by the Blessed One, ‘These eleven advan-
tages may be expected by one who practises and makes a
habit of loving-kindness towards all beings: he sleeps in
peace; he wakes in peace; he dreams no evil dreams; he be-
comes dear to human beings and to non-human beings; the
gods protect him; neither fire, nor poison, nor weapons can
146.Vin. iii. 74, 82 (an offence of wrong doing).
harm him; his mind is quickly concentrated; his counten-
ance is serene; he dies unconfused; and if he attains no
higher he is reborn in the Brahmà realm.’
147 Why then was
the youth Sàma, who dwelt full of loving-kindness, hit by a
poisoned arrow fired by King Piliyakkha?”148
“O king, these eleven virtues of loving-kindness are
dependent on love itself and not on the character of the
person who practises it. Sàma practised the meditation on
loving-kindness all the time. However, while he was
collecting water, his mind lapsed from the meditation and
at that moment King Piliyakkha shot him, so the arrow was
able to hurt him.”
37. Why Did Devadatta Prosper?
“Although you say that good deeds lead to rebirth in heaven
or fortunate human births and that evil deeds lead to rebirth
in states of misery or unfortunate human births; Devadatta,
who was full of evil qualities, was often born in a position of
superiority over the Bodhisatta,
149 who was full of good
qualities. Thus, Nàgasena, when Devadatta became the fam-
ily chaplain of Brahmadatta, the king of Benares, then the
Bodhisatta was a wretched outcaste. This is one case in
which the Bodhisatta was inferior to Devadatta in birth and
reputation. Again, when Devadatta became a king, a mighty
monarch of the earth, the Bodhisatta was an elephant. In that
147.A. v. 342, Jà. 1 61; Vism. 311f.
148.Jà. No. 540 (Jà. vi. 76).
149. cf. Jà. Nos. 72, 122, 222, 241, 313, 358, 477, 438, 472, 474, 482, 492, 514, 516, 518
case too, the Bodhisatta was inferior to Devadatta; and in
many other cases too.”
“It was as you say, O king.”
“Then it follows that good and evil bear equal fruit.”
“Nay, not so, O king. Devadatta was opposed by every-
body but no one was hostile to the Bodhisatta. Yet, when he
was a king, Devadatta protected and served the people and
gave gifts to recluses and brahmans according to his inclina-
tion. Of no one can it be said, O king, that without generosity,
self-restraint, observance of precepts and other virtues, he can
reach prosperity. Nevertheless, all beings who are swept
along in the endless round of rebirths meet with pleasant and
unpleasant companions just as water whirled along in a river
meets with pure and impure things. However, the compari-
son between the Bodhisatta and Devadatta should be regard-
ed in the light of the unimaginable length of the round of
rebirths; and it should also be remembered that the Bodhisatta
was in heaven for aeons while Devadatta boiled in hell.”
38. The Weakness of Women
“It is said that a woman will always commit adultery if she
finds a suitable lover.
150 Yet Mahàsodha’s wife refused to
do any wrong even though offered a thousand pieces of
gold.”151
150.Jà. No. 542 (Jà. v. 435). One should not overlook the fact that if a woman does commit
adultery, at least one man is usually involved too. So one should not infer that men are
any more virtuous than women. If one finds a passage about women that seems
derogatory, one should remember that such exhortations were given to celibate monks
to restrain their natural inclinations. Nuns who wish to practise the holy-life should
reflect similarly on the wickedness of men.
“Amaradevã was virtuous. Through fear of censure in
this world and through the fear of suffering in purgatory
and because she loved her husband, and despised immo-
rality and treasured virtue — for all of these reasons the
opportunity seemed not fit to her. Her husband, Mahà-
sodha, was an ideal man, so she found no other man com-
parable to him; so for this reason too, she did no wrong.”
39. ânanda’s Courage
“It was said by the Blessed One that arahants have laid aside
all fear.
152
Yet when the intoxicated elephant Dhanapàlaka
was charging towards the Buddha five hundred arahants
fled, leaving ânanda alone to protect the Buddha.
153 If
arahants are free from all fear why did they flee?”
“They did not flee because of fear, O king, the arahants
are free from fear. They only moved aside so ânanda’s
devotion to the Buddha would be manifested. They
realised that if they didn’t move the elephant wouldn’t be
able to approach. ânanda, who was not yet an arahant,
remained by the Buddha’s side to protect him and thus his
courage and devotion were displayed. Because of this
event great masses of people were emancipated from the
bondage of defilements. It was because they foresaw these
advantages that they moved aside.”
151.Jà. vi. 367.
152.Dhp. v 351; Sn. 621.
153.Vin. ii. 194; Jà. v. 33ff. The ferocious elephant was known as Nàëàgiri but after he was
tamed by the Buddha’s mettà he bowed down and worshipped him. The crowd was
thrilled to see this transformation and heaped ornaments upon the elephant’s back.
Henceforth he was known as Dhanapàlaka, bearer of wealth.
0. The Buddha’s Change of Heart
“You say that the Buddha is omniscient, yet when the
company of monks led by Sàriputta and Moggallàna had
been dismissed by him the Sakyans of Càtumà and Brahmà
Sahampati placated the Buddha with similes.
154 Did he
then not know those similes? If he did then why did he
need to be placated?”
“The Tathàgata, O king, was omniscient yet he was
conciliated by those similes. It was by means of similes that
he himself had first preached that he was conciliated, and it
was being thus won over that he signified his approval. It
was, O king, as when an attendant novice serves his teacher
with almsfood brought by the teacher himself and thereby
pleases him and wins him over.”
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