Showing posts with label Khuddaka Nikaya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Khuddaka Nikaya. Show all posts

Monday, May 23, 2011

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - The Solving of Dilemmas VIII

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - The Solving of Dilemmas VIII

The Debate of King Milinda
edited by Bhikkhu Pesala

Chapter 15
The Solving of Dilemmas (VIII)
71. The Gift of Vessantara
“Venerable Nàgasena, do all the Bodhi-
sattas give away their wives and children,
or was it only Vessantara?”205
“All of them do.”
“But do those wives and children consent to it?”
“The wives do but the children do not due to their
tender age.”
“But was it then a meritorious deed if the children
were terrified and cried at being given away?”
“Yes it was. As a man desiring merit might take a crip-
ple wherever he wanted to go in an ox-cart and thereby the
oxen would be made to suffer; or as a king might levy a tax in
order to perform a great meritorious deed; so too, giving,
though it may cause anguish to some, is conducive to rebirth
in heaven. Is there, O king, any gift that should not be given?”
“Yes, Nàgasena, there are ten kinds of gifts that should
not be given, the giving of which leads to rebirth in states of
woe: a gift of intoxicants, of a festival, of a woman, of a
man,
206 of suggestive designs, weapons, poisons, chains or
205.Jà. No. 547 (Jà. vi. 479ff).
206. Usabha, according to the PED, is a bull which is the leader of the herd or a very strong
man. Ven. Ledi Sayàdaw (Bodhipakkhiya Dipanã p.99, Manuals of Buddhism p.200)
describes usabha as a very special bull, which can protect the whole herd and even the
village from disease. However, in the above context a gift of a man (for sex) would be
more consistent with a gift of a woman, neither of which would be meritorious.

instruments of torture, fowls and swine, or false weights
and measures.”
“I am not asking about gifts that are not approved of
in the world. I am asking if there is any gift that should not
be given when there is someone worthy of it.”
“Then, Nàgasena, there is no gift that should not be
given. When satisfaction in Dhamma has arisen, some people
give a hundred thousand, or a kingdom or even their life.”
“Then why do you criticize the gift of Vessantara so
harshly? Is it not sometimes the case that a man in debt may
sell his son or leave him as a pledge? Just so, Vessantara
gave his son as a pledge against his future attainment of
omniscience.”
“Nevertheless, why did he not give himself instead?”
“Because that was not what was asked for. To offer
something else would have been ignoble. Furthermore, O
king, Vessantara knew that the Brahmin would be unable
to keep the children as slaves for long since he was ad-
vanced in years. Anyway, he knew their grandfather
would pay a ransom for their return.”
“Skilfully, Nàgasena, has this puzzle been unrav-
elled. The net of heresy has been torn to pieces. Well has the
letter of the scriptures been maintained while you have
thus explained the spirit. This is so and I accept it as you
say.”
72. Austerities
“Do all Bodhisattas practise austerities or was it only the
Bodhisatta Gotama?”

“It was only the Bodhisatta Gotama.
207 In four
respects there are differences between Bodhisattas. As to
family (either warrior or priestly caste), length of time to
develop the perfections, life span, and height. However,
there is no difference between the Buddhas in respect of
their virtue or wisdom. It was in order to bring his know-
ledge to maturity that he had to practise the austerities.”
“Why then, Nàgasena, did he go forth while his
knowledge was still immature? Why didn’t he first mature
his knowledge and then renounce the world?”
“When the Bodhisatta, O king, saw the women of his
harem sleeping in disorder, then he became disgusted and
discontented. On perceiving that his mind was filled with
discontent, Màra said, ‘Seven days from now you will
become a Universal Monarch’. Yet, as if a red-hot iron bar
had entered his ear, the Bodhisatta was filled with alarm
and fear. Furthermore, O king, the Bodhisatta thought, ‘Let
me not incur blame among gods and men as being without
occupation or means. Let me be a man of action and con-
stant in earnestness.’ Thus did the Bodhisatta undertake
the austerities to bring his knowledge to maturity.”
“Venerable Nàgasena, when the Bodhisatta was un-
dergoing austerities it occurred to him ‘Might there not be
some other path to higher knowledge worthy of noble
men?’ Was he then confused about the correct way?”
“There are twenty-five conditions, O king, that cause
weakness of mind: wrath, enmity, contempt, arrogance,
envy, meanness, deceit, hypocrisy, obstinacy, contention,
207.M. Sta. 81, Ap. 301. As a result of abusing Buddha Kassapa in a former birth.
See Dilemma 46.

pride, conceit, vanity, heedlessness, sloth, drowsiness, lazi-
ness, evil friends, sights, sounds, odours, tastes, sensations
of touch, hunger and thirst, and discontent. It was hunger
and thirst that seized hold of his body and thus his mind
was not rightly directed to the destruction of the floods
(àsava). The Bodhisatta had sought after the perception of
the Four Noble Truths for many aeons so how could there
arise any confusion in his mind as to the way? Nevertheless,
he thought, ‘Might there not be some other way to wisdom?’
Formerly the Bodhisatta, when he was only one month old,
had attained the four absorptions while meditating under
the rose-apple tree while his father was ploughing.”208
“Very good, Nàgasena, I accept it as you say. It was
while bringing his knowledge to maturity that the Bodhi-
satta practised the austerities.”
73. The Power of Evil
“Which is more powerful, wholesomeness or unwhole-
someness?”209
“Wholesomeness is more powerful, O king.”
“That is something I cannot believe, for those who do
evil often experience the result of their deeds in this very
life when they are punished for their crimes,
210 but is there
anyone who, by offering alms to the Order or by observing
the Uposatha has received the benefit in this very life?”
208.M. i. 246, Jà. i. 57.
209. cf. Question 7 in Chapter Seven.
210.The king is jumping to conclusions to say that criminals are experiencing the results of
their evil deeds when they are punished. See Dilemma 8; “Without a Buddha’s insight
no one can ascertain the extent of the action of kamma.”

“There are, O king, six211 such cases. The slave
Puõõaka,
212 on giving a meal to Sàriputta, attained on the
same day to the dignity of a treasurer. Then there was the
mother of Gopàla, who sold her hair and therewith gave a
meal to Mahà Kaccàyana and as a result became the chief
queen of King Udena. The pious woman Suppiyà, who cut
flesh from her own thigh to provide meat for a sick monk
but on the very next day the wound healed. Mallikà, when
a slave girl, gave her own gruel to the Blessed One and
became, that very day, the chief queen of Kosala. Sumana
the florist, who presented eight bunches of jasmine to the
Blessed One, came into great prosperity and Ekasàñaka the
Brahman who gave the Blessed One his only garment and
received that day the gift of ‘All the Eights’.”213
“So then, Nàgasena, for all your searching have you
found only six cases?”
“That is so, O king.”
“Then it is unwholesomeness that is more powerful
than wholesomeness. For I have seen many men impaled
on a stake for their crimes, and in the war waged by the
general Bhaddasàla in the service of the Nanda royal family
against Chandagutta there were eighty Corpse Dances, for
they say that when a great slaughter has taken place the
headless corpses rise and dance over the battle-field. All of
those men came to destruction through the fruit of their evil
211.Seven, including five of these six, are referred to in Dilemma 4; the extra ones are Puõõa
the worker and Puõõà the slave-girl. The one here not referred to above is Puõõaka the
slave.
212. Dàso and dàsi refer to slaves; bhàtako was one who worked for a wage.
213.Eight elephants, eight horses, eight thousand kahàpaõas, eight women, eight slaves, and
the proceeds from eight villages.

deeds. Yet when King Pasenadi of Kosala gave the unpar-
alleled alms-giving did he receive wealth or glory or happi-
ness in the same life?”
“No, O king, he did not.”
“Then surely, Nàgasena, unwholesomeness is more
powerful?”
“Just, O king, as an inferior grain ripens in a month or
two but the best grain ripens only after five or six months,
good deeds ripen only after a long time. Furthermore, O
king, the results of both good and evil will be experienced
in a future life, but because evil is blameworthy it has been
decreed that those who do evil will be punished by the law,
yet they do not reward those who do good. If they were to
make a law to reward the good doer then good deeds
would also be rewarded in this very life.”
“Very good, Nàgasena, only by one as wise as you
could this puzzle be so well solved. The question put by me
from the ordinary viewpoint has been made clear by you in
the supramundane sense.”
74. Sharing of Merit
“Is it possible for all deceased relatives to share in the merit
of a good deed?”
“No. Only those who are born as hungry ghosts who
feed off the merit of others are able to share in the merit.
Those born in hell, those in heaven, animals, and hungry
ghosts who feed on vomit, or hungry ghosts who hunger
and thirst, or hungry ghosts who are consumed by craving,
do not derive any profit.”

“Then the offerings in those cases are fruitless, since
those for whom they were given derive no profit.”
“No, O king, they are not fruitless nor without result
for the givers themselves derive benefit from it.”
“Convince me of this by a reason.”
“If some people prepared a meal and visited their
relatives but those relatives did not accept the gift, would
that gift be wasted?”
“No, venerable sir, the owners themselves would
have it.”
“Just so, O king, the givers derive benefit from their
almsgiving.”
“Is it then possible to share demerit?”
“This is not a question you should ask, O king. You
will be asking me next why space is boundless and why
men and birds have two legs whilst deer have four!”
“I do not ask you this to annoy you, but there are
many people in the world who are perverted214 or who lack
common sense.”215
“Though it is possible to ripen a crop with water from
a tank it is not possible to use seawater. An evil deed cannot
be shared with one who has not done it and has not con-
sented to it. People convey water long distances by means
of an aqueduct but they cannot convey solid rock in the
same way. Unwholesomeness is a mean thing but whole-
someness is great.”
“Give me an illustration.”
“If a tiny drop of water were to fall on the ground
214. Vàmagàmino; pàpagàhino Evil-minded, who take hold of things wrongly.
215. Vicakkhukà — literally without eyes, (or perhaps just plain stupid).

would it flow over ten or twelve leagues?”
“Certainly not, it would only affect the spot where it
fell.”
“Why is that?”
“Because of its minuteness.”
“Just so, O king, unwholesomeness is a mean thing
and because of its minuteness affects only the doer and can-
not be shared. However, if there was a mighty cloudburst
would the water spread around?”
“Certainly, venerable sir, even for ten or twelve leagues.”
“Just so, O king, wholesomeness is great and by
reason of its abundance can be shared by gods and men.”
“Venerable Nàgasena, why is it that unwholesome-
ness is so limited and wholesomeness so much more far-
reaching?”
“Whoever, O king, gives gifts, observes the precepts
and performs the Uposatha, he is glad and at peace, and be-
ing peaceful his goodness grows even more abundantly.
Like a deep pool of water from which as soon as water
flows away on one side it is replenished from all around.
Just so, O king, if a man were to transfer to others the merit
of any good he had done even for a hundred years the more
would his goodness grow. This is why wholesomeness is so
great. However, on doing evil, O king, a man becomes
filled with remorse and his mind cannot escape from the
thought of it, he is depressed and obtains no peace, miser-
able and despairing he wastes away. Just, O king, as a drop
of water falling onto a dry river-bed gains not in volume
but is swallowed up on the very spot where it fell. This is
why unwholesomeness is so mean and minute.”

75. Dreams
“What is this thing that people call a dream and who
dreams it?”
“It is a sign coming across the path of the mind. There
are six kinds of dreams. A person affected by wind sees a
dream, a person affected by bile, by phlegm, by a deity, by
their own habits, by a premonition. It is only the last of
these that is true, all the others are false.”
“When one dreams a dream is one awake or asleep?”
“Neither one nor the other. One dreams when one
sleeps ‘the monkey’s sleep’, which is midway between sleep
and consciousness.”
76. Premature Death
“Venerable Nàgasena, do all living beings die when their
life-span comes to an end or do some die prematurely?”
“Both, O king. Like fruits on a tree that fall sometimes
when ripe and sometimes before they are ripe due to the
wind, or insects or sticks, so too, some beings die when
their life-span ends but others die prematurely.”
“But Nàgasena, all those who die prematurely,
whether they are young or old, have reached the end of
their predetermined life-span. There is no such thing as
premature death.”
“O king, there are seven kinds of premature death for
those who, though they still have some life-span remaining,
die prematurely: starvation, thirst, snake-bite, poison, fire,
drowning, weapons. Death come about in eight ways:

through wind, bile, phlegm, a mixture of bodily fluids,
change of temperature, stress of circumstances, outside
agent, and kamma.
216 Of these, only that through kamma can
be called the end of the life-span; the rest are all premature.”
“Venerable Nàgasena, you say there is premature
death. Give me another reason for that.”
“A mighty fire, O king, that is exhausted and goes out
when its fuel has been totally consumed and not before that
by some other reason, is said to have gone out in the full-
ness of time. Just so a man who dies in old-age without any
accident is said to reach the end of the life-span. However,
in the case of a fire that is put out by a mighty cloudburst it
could not be said that it had gone out in the fullness of time;
so too whoever dies before his time due to any cause other
than kamma is said to die a premature death.”
77. Miracles at Shrines of Arahants
“Are there miracles at the shrines (cetiya) of all the arahants
or only at some?”
“Only at some. By the volitional determination of
three kinds of individuals there is a miracle: by an arahant
while he is still alive, by deities, or by a wise disciple who
has confidence. If there is no such volitional determination
then there is no miracle even at the shrine of an arahant who
had supernormal powers. However, even if there is no
miracle one should have confidence after knowing about
his pure and blameless conduct.”
216. See Dilemma 8.

78. Can Everyone Understand the Dhamma?
“Do all those who practise correctly attain insight into the
Dhamma or are there some who do not?”
“There can be no attaining of insight for those who,
though they practise correctly, are animals, hungry ghosts,
holders of wrong views, frauds (kuhaka), matricides,
patricides, murderers of arahants, schismatics, shedders of
the blood of a Tathàgata, in the robes by theft,
217
gone over
to another sect, violators of nuns, concealing an offence
entailing a meeting of the Order,
218 eunuchs (paõóaka), and
hermaphrodites. Neither is a child under seven years of age
able to realise the Dhamma.”
“What is the reason that a child under seven years of
age is unable to attain insight? For a child is pure in mind
and should be ready to realise the Dhamma.”
“If a child under seven, O king, could feel desire
for things leading to desire, hatred for things arousing
hatred, could be fooled by misleading things and could
distinguish between wholesomeness and unwhole-
someness then insight might be possible for him. How-
ever, the mind of a child under seven, O king, is feeble
and the unconditioned element of nibbàna is weighty
and profound. Therefore, Oking, although he practised
correctly, a child of under seven could not realise the
Dhamma.”
217.Vin. i. 86. Putting on the robe himself he pretends to be a monk.
218.Oddly, no mention is made in this list of those guilty of Pàràjika offences, but they could
be included as frauds.

79. The Bliss of Nibbàna
“Is nibbàna entirely blissful or is it partly painful?”
“It is entirely blissful.”
“But that I cannot accept. Those who seek it have to
practise austerity and exertion of body and mind, absten-
tion from food at the wrong time, suppression of sleep,
restraint of the senses, and they have to give up wealth, fam-
ily and friends. They are blissful who enjoy the pleasures of
the senses but you restrain and prevent such pleasures and
so experience physical and mental discomfort and pain.”
“O king, nibbàna has no pain; what you call pain is not
nibbàna. It is true that those who seek nibbàna experience pain
and discomfort but afterwards they experience the unalloyed
bliss of nibbàna. I will tell you a reason for that. Is there, O
king, such a thing as the bliss of the sovereignty of kings?”
“Yes there is.”
“Is it mixed with pain?”
“No.”
“But why is it then, O king, that when the frontier
provinces have revolted kings have to set out from their
palaces and march over uneven ground, tormented by
mosquitoes and hot winds, and engage in fierce battles at
the risk of their lives?”
“That, venerable Nàgasena, is not the bliss of sover-
eignty. It is only the preliminary stage in the pursuit of that
bliss. It is after they have won it that they enjoy the bliss of
sovereignty. That bliss, Nàgasena, is not mixed with pain.”
“Just so, O king, nibbàna is unalloyed bliss and there
is no pain mixed in it.”

80. Description of Nibbàna
“Is it possible, Nàgasena, to point out the size, shape or
duration of nibbàna by a simile?”
“No it is not possible; there is no other thing like it.”
“Is there then any attribute of nibbàna found in other
things that can be demonstrated by a simile?”
“Yes that can be done.
“As a lotus is unwetted by water, nibbàna is unsullied
by the defilements.
“Like water, it cools the fever of defilements and
quenches the thirst of craving.
“Like medicine, it protects beings who are poisoned
by the defilements, cures the disease of suffering, and nour-
ishes like nectar.
“As the ocean is empty of corpses, nibbàna is empty of
all defilements; as the ocean is not increased by all the
rivers that flow into it, so nibbàna is not increased by all the
beings who attain it; it is the abode of great beings [the
arahants], and it is decorated with the waves of knowledge
and freedom.
“Like food, which sustains life, nibbàna drives away
old age and death; it increases the spiritual strength of
beings; it gives the beauty of virtue, it removes the distress
of the defilements, it relieves the exhaustion of all suffering.
“Like space, it is not born, does not decay or perish, it
does not pass away here and arise elsewhere, it is invin-
cible, thieves cannot steal it, it is not attached to anything,
it is the sphere of ariyans who are like birds in space, it is
unobstructed and it is infinite.

“Like a wish-fulfilling gem, it fulfils all desires, causes
delight and is lustrous.
“Like red sandalwood, it is hard to get, its fragrance
is incomparable and it is praised by good men.
“As ghee is recognisable by its special attributes, so
nibbàna has special attributes; as ghee has a sweet fragrance,
nibbàna has the sweet fragrance of virtue; as ghee has a
delicious taste, nibbàna has the delicious taste of freedom.
“Like a mountain peak, it is very high, immovable, in-
accessible to the defilements, it has no place where defile-
ments can grow, and it is without favouritism or prejudice.”
81. The Realisation of Nibbàna
“You say, Nàgasena, that nibbàna is neither past, nor
present nor future, neither arisen, nor not arisen, nor pro-
ducible.
219 In that case does the man who realises nibbàna re-
alise something already produced, or does he himself
produce it first and then realise it?”
“Neither of these, O king, yet nibbàna does exist.”
“Do not, Nàgasena, answer this question by making it
obscure! Make it clear and elucidate it. It is a point on which
people are bewildered and lost in doubt. Break this dart of
uncertainty.”
“The element of nibbàna does exist, O king, and he
who practises rightly and who rightly comprehends the
formations according to the teachings of the Conqueror, he,
by his wisdom, realises nibbàna.
219.Untraced. However, cf. Dilemma 65

“How is nibbàna to be shown? By freedom from dis-
tress and danger, by purity and by coolness. As a man,
afraid and terrified at having fallen among enemies, would
be relieved and blissful when he had escaped to a safe place;
or as one fallen into a pit of filth would be at ease and glad
when he had got out of the pit and cleaned up; or as one
trapped in a forest fire would be calm and cool when he had
reached a safe spot. As fearful and terrifying should you
regard the anxiety that arises again and again on account of
birth, old age, disease and death; as filth should you regard
gain, honours and fame; as hot and searing should you
regard the three-fold fire of desire, hatred and delusion.
“How does he who is practising rightly realise
nibbàna? He rightly grasps the cyclic nature of formations
and therein he sees only birth, old age, disease and death;
he sees nothing pleasant or agreeable in any part of it.
Seeing nothing there to be taken hold of, as on a red-hot
iron ball, his mind overflows with discontent and a fever
takes hold of his body; hopeless and without a refuge he
becomes disgusted with repeated lives. To him who sees
the terror of the treadmill of life the thought arises, ‘On fire
and blazing is this wheel of life, full of suffering and
despair. If only there could be an end to it, that would be
peaceful, that would be excellent; the cessation of all mental
formations,’ the renunciation of grasping, the destruction
of craving, dispassion, cessation, nibbàna!’
“Therewith his mind leaps forward into the state
where there is no becoming. Then has he found peace, then
does he exult and rejoice at the thought, ‘A refuge has been
found at last!’ He strives along the path for the cessation of

formations, searches it out, develops it, and makes much of
it. To that end he stirs up his mindfulness, energy and joy;
and from attending again and again to that thought [of
disgust with mental formations], having transcended the
treadmill of life, he brings the cycle to a halt. One who stops
the treadmill is said to have realised nibbàna.”
82. Where is Nibbàna?
“Is there a place, Nàgasena, where nibbàna is stored up?”
“No there is not, yet it does exist. As there is no place
where fire is stored up yet it may be produced by rubbing
two dry sticks together.’
“But is there any place on which a man might stand
and realise nibbàna?”
“Yes there is; virtue is the place;
220 standing on that,
and with reasoning, wherever he might be, whether in the
land of the Scythians or the Bactrians, whether in China or
Tibet,
221 in Kashmir or Gandhàra, on a mountain top or in
the highest heavens; the one who practises rightly realises
nibbàna. “
“Very good, Nàgasena, you have taught about nibbàna,
you have explained about the realisation of nibbàna, you
have praised the qualities of virtue, shown the right way of
practice, raised aloft the banner of the Dhamma, established
the Dhamma as a leading principle; not barren nor without
fruit are the efforts of those with right aims!”
220. cf. above Question 9 in Chapter One.
221. Cilàta is possibly Tibet. See Geography of Early Buddhism, B.C. Law.

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - The Solving of Dilemmas VII

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - The Solving of Dilemmas VII

The Debate of King Milinda
edited by Bhikkhu Pesala

Chapter 14
The Solving of Dilemmas (VII)
61. Be Without Impediments
“The Blessed One said, ‘Live devoted to
and delighting in that which is without
impediments.’
198 What is it that is without
impediments?”
“The four fruits of the path and nibbàna are without
impediments.”
“But, Nàgasena, if that is so why do the monks con-
cern themselves with learning the Buddha’s discourses and
with building repairs and offerings to the Order?”
“Those monks who do these things need to free their
minds from impediments before they can attain the four
fruits but those who are pure by nature have done such pre-
paratory work in former births and can easily attain the
fruits without such preparations. Just as in some areas a
farmer can successfully grow crops without a fence but
elsewhere he must first build a fence or a wall before he can
grow a crop; or as one with supernormal powers can easily
pick the fruits at the top of a tall tree but others have to con-
struct a ladder first. Likewise, learning, enquiry, and other
works are like a ladder and are helpful to those monks to
reach the fruits of the four attainments. So long as there is
need of discipleship, when even those like Venerable
198.Untraced, but cf. M. i. 65.

Sàriputta find it impossible to attain arahantship without a
teacher, so there will be a use for recitation of the scriptures
and thus will those disciples become free from obstructions
and attain arahantship.”
62. The Lay Arahant
“You say that if a layman attains arahantship he must either
enter the Order that very day or die and attain
parinibbàna.
199
Yet if he is unable to find a robe and bowl
and preceptor then that exalted condition of arahantship is a
waste, for destruction of life is involved in it.”
“The fault does not lie with arahantship but with the
state of a layman, because it is too weak to support
arahantship. Just as, O king, although food protects the life
of beings it will take away the life of one whose digestion is
weak – so too, if a layman attains arahantship he must,
because of the weakness of that condition, enter the Order
that very day or die.”
63. The Offences of Arahants
“You say that an arahant cannot be of confused mind-
fulness.
200 Can he then commit any offence?”
“He can O king, as regards the size of his hut, by
acting as a go-between, eating at the wrong time, eating
what is not offered or in thinking he has not been invited
when he has.”
199.Untraced, but a layperson can attain arahantship.
200.cf. Pts. contr. 114.

“But you say that those who fall into an offence do so
either from ignorance or disrespect. If an arahant can fall
into an offence and there is no disrespect in an arahant then
is there confusion of mindfulness?”
“No there is no confusion of mindfulness in an
arahant. There are two kinds of offence. There are those
things that are blameworthy in the eyes of the world, such
as killing, stealing, etc., and there are those things that are
only blameworthy for a monk, such as eating at the wrong
time, damaging trees and plants or playing in the water,
and many other things of a similar kind. These things, O
king, are not wrong in the eyes of the world but they are
wrong for a monk. An arahant is incapable of transgressing
the former type of precept but he may break the other kind
because he doesn’t know everything. He may not know the
time of day or the name and clan of some woman but every
arahant knows about freedom from suffering.”
64. What is Not Found in the World
“There are many different things found in the world,
Nàgasena, but tell me what is not to be found in the
world.”
“There are three things, O king, that are not to be
found in the world: anything, either conscious or uncon-
scious, that does not decay and perish, that formation
(saïkhàra) or conditioned thing that is permanent, and in
the ultimate sense there is no such thing as a being.”201
201.Untraced

65. The Uncaused
“Nàgasena, there are things in the world that have come
into existence through kamma, others are the result of a
cause, and others are produced by season. Tell me, is there
anything that does not fall into either of these three
categories?”
“There are two such things, O king; space and nibbàna.”
“Do not, Venerable Nàgasena, corrupt the words of
the Conqueror, or answer a question without knowing what
you are saying!”
“What have I said, O king, that you speak to me thus?”
“Venerable sir, it is right what you say about space
but with hundreds of reasons did the Blessed One proclaim
to his disciples the way to the realisation of nibbàna and yet
you say that nibbàna is not the result of any cause.”
“It is true, O king, that in many ways did the Blessed
One point out a way to the realisation of nibbàna but he did
not point out a cause for the arising of nibbàna.”
“Here, Nàgasena, we go from darkness to greater
darkness; from uncertainty to utter confusion. If there is a
father of a child we would expect to find a father of the
father. Just so, if there is a cause for the realisation of nibbàna
we would expect to find a cause for its arising.”
“Nibbàna, O king, is unconstructed, therefore no cause
has been pointed out for its production. It cannot be said of
nibbàna that it has arisen or can arise; that it is past, present or
future; or cognizable by the eye, ear, nose, tongue or body.”
“Then, Nàgasena, nibbàna is a condition that does not
exist!”

“Nibbàna does exist, O king, and can be cognized by
the mind.
A noble disciple whose mind is pure, lofty, sincere,
unobstructed and free from craving can attain nibbàna.”
“Then explain by means of similes what nibbàna is.”
“Is there such a thing as the wind?”
“Yes there is.”
“Then explain by means of similes what the wind is.”
“It is not possible to explain what the wind is by
means of similes but it exists all the same.”
“Just so, O king, nibbàna exists but it is impossible to
describe.”
66. Modes of Production
“What is it that is kamma-born, what cause-born, and what
season-born? What is it that is none of these?”
“All beings, O king are kamma-born. Fire, and all things
growing out of seeds are cause-born. The earth, water and
wind are season-born. Space and nibbàna exist independent-
ly of kamma, cause and season. Of nibbàna, O king, it cannot
be said that it is perceptible by the five senses, but it is per-
ceptible by the mind. The disciple whose mind is pure, and
free from obstructions, can perceive nibbàna.
67. Demons
“Are there such things as yakkhas (demons) in the world?”
“Yes, O king, there are.”

“Then why aren’t the remains of dead yakkhas seen?”
“Their remains are to be seen in the form of insects,
such as maggots, ants, moths, snakes, scorpions, centipedes
and other wild creatures.”
“Who else, Nàgasena, could have solved this puzzle
except one as wise as you!”
68. Laying Down of Rules for Monks
“Those who are famous doctors are able to prescribe suit-
able medicine for a disease before the disease has arisen
even though they are not omniscient. Why then, did the
Tathàgata not lay down the rules for monks before the
occasion arose but only when an offence had been commit-
ted and a great hue and cry was heard.”
“The Tathàgata, O king, knew beforehand that all one
hundred and fifty202 rules would have to be laid down but
he thought, ‘If I lay down all of these rules at once there will
be those who will not enter the Order for fear of the many
regulations to be observed, therefore I will lay down the
rules as the need arises’.”203
69. The Heat of the Sun
“Why is the heat of the sun sometimes fierce and some-
times not?”
202.Mentioned also in Dilemma 54. Perhaps 150 rules were referred to as the 75 training
rules are common to novices as well and hence there were 152 rules exclusively for
monks.
203. cf. Vin. iii. 9, 10

“Obscured by four things, O king, the sun does not
shine fiercely; by storm clouds, by mist, by dust clouds, or
by the moon.”204
“It is remarkable, Nàgasena, that the glorious sun,
mighty though it is, could be obscured; how much more
then, other beings!”
70. The Winter Sun
“Why is the sun more fierce in winter than in summer?”
“In the winter the sky is clear so the sun shines
fiercely but in the summer dust rises up and clouds
accumulate in the sky so the heat of the sun is reduced.”
—}{—
204. cf. Vin. 1295, A. 153. “Obscured by four things, O monks, the sun does not shine fiercely;
by storm clouds, by mist, by dust clouds, or by eclipse. Obscured by four things recluses
do not shine; by drinking intoxicants, by sexual relations, by accepting gold and silver,
by wrong livelihood.” Hence this dilemma is not at all out of place here

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - The Solving of Dilemmas VI

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - The Solving of Dilemmas VI

The Debate of King Milinda
edited by Bhikkhu Pesala

Chapter 13
The Solving of Dilemmas (VI)
52. Two Buddhas Cannot Exist Together
“The Blessed One said, ‘It is impossible that
in one world two Perfectly Enlightened
Buddhas could exist at the same time.’
182
Yet, Nàgasena, if all the Tathàgatas teach the same
teaching, why shouldn’t they exist together? If there were
two they could teach at ease and the world would be even
more illumined.”
“O king, if two Buddhas were to exist simultaneously
this great earth could not bear the weight of their combined
goodness, it would tremble and shake and break up.
183
Suppose, O king, a man had eaten as much food as he
wanted so that he had no room for any more. Then, if he
were to eat the same amount of food again, would he be at
ease?” “Certainly not, venerable sir, if he were to eat again
he would die.”
“Likewise, O king, this earth could no more bear a
second Tathàgata than that man could bear a second meal.
Also, if there were two Buddhas, disputes would arise be-
tween their disciples and, moreover, the statement that
says the Buddha is supreme and has no equal would be-
come false.”
182.M. iii. 65; A. i. 27; Vbh. 336.
183.At the birth of the Bodhisatta the earth shook seven times

“Well has this dilemma been explained. Even an
unintelligent man would be satisfied, how much more a
wise one.
184 Well said, Nàgasena, I accept it as you say.”
53. Gifts to the order
“When Mahàpajàpatã Gotamã offered a bathing robe185 to
the Buddha he told her, ‘Give it to the Order, Gotamã. If you
give it to the Order I will be honoured and the Order too.’
Was it because the Order is more important than the
Buddha?”
“O king, it was not because an offering to him would
not bear great fruit, but in order to show the greatness of
the Order so that in times to come the Order might be
esteemed. As, sir, a father praises his son in the royal court
thinking, ‘If he is established here now, he will be honoured
by the people after I am gone’. Or suppose, O king, some
man should bring a present to a king and the king present-
ed that gift to someone else — to a soldier or a messenger
— would that man therefore become superior to the king?”
“Certainly not, venerable sir. That man receives his
wages from the king and it was the king who placed him in
that position.”
“Just so, O king, the Order did not become superior to
the Tathàgata merely by the fact of a gift. There is not, O
184.Both Rhys Davids and I.B. Horner have translated the Pali: kiü na màdiso mahàpa¤¤o.
“…how much more then a wise man like me.” This makes Milinda seem conceited and
I can’t see any reason for translating the passage like that.
185. Vassikasàtikaü, see Pàcittiya 91. In the Dakkhiõavibhaïga Sutta (M iii 254), Mahàpajàpati
offers a pair of cloths (dussayugaü) that she made herself.

king, any being more worthy of gifts than the Tathàgata,
186
for this was said by the Blessed One himself:
“There is one being; monks, who is born into
the world for the good and benefit of many, out of
compassion for the world, for the advantage and
benefit of gods and men. Who is that being?
A Tathàgata, an arahant, Buddha supreme.”187
54. The Advantages of a Recluse’s Life
“The Blessed One said, ‘I would praise either a layman or a
monk who has practised rightly and attained the right
method.’
188 If a layman, enjoying the pleasures of the senses,
dwelling with wife and children, and using scents and
accepting gold and silver, can attain arahantship, what is the
advantage of being a monk with a shaven head, dependent
on alms, fulfilling one hundred and fifty precepts189 and
adopting the thirteen ascetic practices? Your austerity is
without effect, your renunciation is useless, your observance
of the precepts is barren, your taking of the vows is vain.
What is the use of heaping up hardship for yourselves if bliss
can be reached in comfort?”
“It is true what you say, that the one who is practising
rightly is best whether he is a monk or a layman. If a rec-
186.The author seems to have missed the point here. cf. M. iii. 256: “But when I, ânanda, say
that an offering to the Order is incalculable and immeasurable I by no means say that a
gift graded as to individuals is of greater fruit than an offering to the Order.
187.A. i. 20.
188.M. ii. 197, A. i. 69.
189.Excluding the 75 training rules there are 152.

luse, thinking ‘I am a recluse’ does not practice rightly, then
he is far from recluseship. How much more then a house-
holder in a layman’s clothes! Nevertheless, the benefit of
being a recluse is too great to measure. Being of few desires
he is easily contented, he is aloof from society, strenuous,
homeless, he fulfils the precepts, he is austere and skilled in
the practice of shaking off defilements. That is why he can
quickly accomplish any task that he undertakes; just, O
king, as your javelin, because it is smooth and straight, can
quickly reach its target.”
55. The Practice of Austerities
“When the Bodhisatta was practising austerity with the
utmost exertion he did not reach his goal, so he abandoned
that practice thinking, ‘Might there not be some other way
to liberation?’
190
Yet when instructing his disciples he said:
“Bestir yourselves, renounce,
Exert yourselves in my teaching,
And destroy death’s army
As an elephant a house of reeds.”191
“Why then did the Tathàgata instruct his disciples to follow
a course that he himself had abandoned?”
“Because then, O king, and still now too, that is the
only path and it is along that path that the Bodhisatta
attained Buddhahood. Although the Bodhisatta, exerting
190.M. i. 246.
191.S. i. 156, Kvu. 203, Thag 256.

himself strenuously, reduced the food he was taking to
nothing at all, and by that lack of food became weak, yet
when he returned to the use of solid food, it was by exertion
that he attained Buddhahood. There was no fault in
exertion itself but it was due only to the lack of food that
exertion failed to bring its result. If a man, through too
much haste, were to become exhausted and fall down,
unable to go on, it would not be the fault of the earth that
he fell down but due to his excessive exertion. If a man
were to wear a robe and never have it washed, the fault
would not lie with the water but with the man. That is why
the Tathàgata exhorted and led his disciples along that very
path; for that path is always ready, and always right.”
56. Reverting to Laylife
“Is it right to admit laymen to the Order before they have
attained to the path of stream-entry? If such men give up the
monk’s life people might think that the religion is fruitless.”
“If, O king, there was a pond of pure water and a man
in need of a bath went there but turned back without
bathing would the people blame the man or the pond?”
“They would blame the man.”
“Even so, O king, the Tathàgata has constructed the
pond full of the pure Dhamma thinking, ‘Those who have
defilements but are intelligent can remove their defile-
ments here.’ However, if anyone should revert to the
household life without having removed his defilements,
then the people would blame him, there would be no rea-
son to find fault with the teaching. If only stream-winners

were allowed to go forth then going forth would not be for
the sake of purification. If a man, having had a bathing
pond dug, said, ‘Let only those who have already bathed
make use of it’ would that be of any use? Moreover, those
who revert to the household life thereby show up five
special qualities of the conqueror’s teaching. They show
how glorious it is, how pure it is, how free from association
with evil, how difficult it is to penetrate the Dhamma and
how many are the restraints of the holy life.
“How do they show its glory? Just, O king, as a man
of low birth, poor and unintelligent, who comes into pos-
session of a mighty kingdom, will soon be overthrown and
deprived of his glory. So too, those who are without wis-
dom and have little merit, when they renounce the world,
are unable to carry out the teaching of the Conqueror and
revert to the lower state.
“How do they show its purity? Just, O king, as water,
when it falls onto a lotus, slips off and cannot adhere to it;
so too, those who are impure by nature, crafty and holders
of wrong views; when they have been admitted to the
religion of the Conqueror, it is not long before they disperse
from that pure and faultless religion, unable to adhere to it.
“How do they show its freedom from association
with evil? Just as the ocean does not tolerate the presence of
a corpse but quickly brings it ashore and casts it on dry
land; so too, O king, those who are evil-minded and lazy
are unable to remain in the Order in association with the
arahants who are free from stains.
“How do they show how hard the Dhamma is to
penetrate? Just, O king, as those archers who are clumsy

and unskilled are unable to perform feats of archery like
hair-splitting but miss the target; so too, those who are dull
and stupid and renounce the world are unable to grasp the
Four Noble Truths of the Conquerors, which are extremely
subtle, and missing them, turn back to the lower state.
“How do they show the manifold restraints of the
holy life? Just, O king, as a coward, when he has gone to a
battle and is surrounded by the forces of the enemy on all
sides, will turn back and take flight for fear of his life; so
too, whoever are unrestrained, shameless, impatient and
fickle, when they renounce the world they are unable to
carry out the manifold precepts and revert to the lower
state.”
57. The Mastery of the Arahants
“You say that the arahant feels only one kind of feeling;
physical feeling but not mental feeling.
192 How can this be
so? The arahant keeps going by means of his body. Has he
then no power over his body? Even a bird is the ruler over
the nest in which it dwells.”
“O king, there are ten conditions inherent in the body
over which the arahant has no control: cold, heat, hunger,
thirst, excrement, urine, fatigue, old age, disease and death.
Just as all beings living on the great earth depend on it but
have no control over it, so the arahant depends on his body
but has no control over it.”
“Why, Nàgasena, does the ordinary man feel both
192.Untraced

bodily and mental feeling?”
“Because of the untrained state of his mind. Like a
hungry ox tied up by a weak grass rope would easily break
free, so an ordinary man’s mind becomes agitated by pain,
so he feels mental pain too. However, the arahant’s mind is
well trained, so when his body is affected by pain he fixes
his mind firmly on the idea of impermanence. His mind is
not agitated and he feels no mental pain, just as the trunk of
a great tree is unmoved by the wind although its branches
may sway.”
58. Heinous Crimes
“If a layman had committed a heinous crime193 before he
entered the Order but was unaware of it, would he be able
to attain the path of a stream-winner?”
“No, he would not, because the basis for understand-
ing the Dhamma has been destroyed in him.”
“But you say that to him who is aware of an offence
there comes remorse, which causes an obstruction in the
mind, and so he cannot comprehend the truth.
194 Yet in him
who is unaware of his offence there is no remorse and he
remains with peace of mind.”
“If, O king, a man had eaten poison but was not aware
of it, would he still die?”
193.The Pali has Pàràjika (offence of defeat) but a layman cannot commit these offences.
What is meant is: killing one’s mother, one’s father, an arahant, drawing blood from a
Tathàgata or violating a nun (the Sinhalese also gives damaging a bodhi tree). One
guilty of these offences should not be ordained. If they are ordained they should be
expelled.
194. cf. A. iii. 165, “One who does amiss is dejected and knows not the mind’s release.”

“Yes, venerable sir.”
“Just so, O king, even though a man was not aware of
his offence he would not be able to comprehend the truth.”
“Surely, Nàgasena, this must be the word of the
Conqueror and to look for any fault in it is vain. It must be
as you say; and I accept it thus.”
59. The Unvirtuous
“What is the difference between a layman who has done
wrong and a monk who has done wrong?”
“There are ten qualities that distinguish a monk of
poor moral habit from a layman of poor moral habit: he is
full of reverence for the Buddha, Dhamma and Saïgha; he
recites the scriptures and asks about the meaning, he has
heard much, he enters an assembly with dignity because he
fears reproach, he guards himself in body and speech, he
sets his mind on exertion, he is in company with the monks,
and if he does any wrong he is discreet. Furthermore, in ten
ways he purifies gifts of faith. By wearing the robe of the
Buddhas, by his shaven head he bears the mark of sages, by
being in company with other monks, by his having taken
refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Saïgha, by his dwell-
ing in a lonely place suitable for exertion, by his quest for
the wealth of the Dhamma, by preaching the excellent
Dhamma, because he takes the Dhamma as his guiding
light, because he regards the Buddha as supreme, and by
his observance of the Uposatha.
195 For all these reasons he is
195.The full moon and new moon days on which the monks recite the disciplinary rules.

worthy of offerings even though he has fallen from virtue.
Just as hot water extinguishes a fire, a monk of poor moral
habit purifies the gift of benefactors, for this was said by the
Tathàgata in the Majjhima Nikàya:
“Whoever is virtuous and gives to the unvirtuous,
A gift rightfully acquired, The mind well pleased,
Firmly believing in the rich fruit of kamma,
This is an offering purified by the giver.”196
“Wonderful, Nàgasena, though I asked you an ordinary
question you have given me an extraordinary answer, as a
skilled cook would take an ordinary piece of meat and
make with it a meal fit for a king.”
60. Is Water Alive?
“There are some followers of other sects who say that you
harm life by making use of cold water.
197 When water is
heated in a vessel it makes various sounds; is this because
it has a soul and is alive?”
“No great king, it is not alive. Water that is lying in
shallow pools gets dried up by the heat of the sun and wind
but it does not make any sound. Drums make a sound but
they do not contain any life or living principle.”
—}{—
196. cf. MLS. ii. 41 n 4; D. i. 167.
197.M. iii. Sta. 142

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - The Solving of Dilemmas V

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - The Solving of Dilemmas V

The Debate of King Milinda
edited by Bhikkhu Pesala

Chapter 12
The Solving of Dilemmas (V)
41. On Dwelling Places
“It was said by the Blessed One:
“Fear is born from intimacy,
Dust is from a house arisen.
Homeless, free from intimacy,
This is the sage’s vision.”155
“Yet he also said:
“Let the wise man have dwellings built and lodge
learned men therein.”156
“If the former statement was made by the Blessed One then
the latter must be wrong.”
“Both statements were made by the Tathàgata, O
king, but the first was an inclusive statement as to the
nature of things and as to what it is proper for recluses to
desire. However, the second statement was said concern-
ing two matters only. The gift of a dwelling place has been
highly praised by the Buddhas because those who have
made such a gift will be delivered from birth, old age, dis-
ease and death. Secondly, if there is a dwelling place it is
easy for those who wish to listen to the Dhamma to visit the
155.Sn. v 207.
156.Vin. ii. 147; S. i. 100

bhikkhus, whereas if they stayed in the forest it would not
be. However, it does not follow that the bhikkhus have a
longing for a dwelling place.”
42. Restraint of the Stomach
“The Blessed One said, ‘Do not be heedless in standing for
alms, be restrained regarding the stomach.’
157
However,
he also said, ‘There were times, Udàyi, when I ate a full
bowl of food or even more.’
158 This too is a double-edged
problem.”
“Both statements are correct, O king, but the former
statement is inclusive and cannot be proved wrong. He
who has no restraint as regards the stomach will kill living
beings or steal for the sake of his stomach. It was bearing
this in mind that the Blessed One said, ‘Do not be heedless
in standing for alms, be restrained regarding the stomach.’
He who has self-control gains a clear insight into the Four
Noble Truths and fulfils the life of a recluse. Didn’t a mere
parrot, O king, by his restraint as to his stomach shake the
heaven of the thirty-three and bring down Sakka to wait on
him?159
However, when the Blessed One said, ‘There were
times, Udàyi, when I ate a full bowl of food or even more’
it was concerning himself. He had accomplished all that
can be accomplished by restraint, and like a perfect gem
that needs no more polishing, he needed no more training.”
157.Dhp. v 168. When the Buddha returned to his birth place, he went for alms since his
relatives had not yet invited him for the meal.
158.M. ii. 7.
159.Jà. No. 429

43. The Best of Men
“The Blessed One said, ‘I, monks, am a Brahman, one to ask
a favour of, always ready to give; this body that I bear will be
my last, I am the supreme healer and physician.’
160 Yet on
the other hand he said, ‘The chief among my disciples as re-
gards physical health is Bakkula.’
161 Now it is well known
that the Blessed One suffered several times from diseases
whereas Bakkula was always healthy. If the first statement is
true then why was the Buddha less healthy than Bakkula?”
“Although it is true that Bakkula surpassed the Buddha
in the matter of health and other disciples also surpassed
him in other aspects yet the Blessed One surpassed them all
in respect of virtue, concentration and wisdom; and it was
in reference to this that he spoke the verse, ‘I, monks, am a
Brahman, one to ask a favour of, always ready to give; this
body that I bear will be my last, I am the supreme healer
and physician’.”
“The Blessed One, O king, whether he is sick or not;
whether he is practising the ascetic practices or not — there
is no other being comparable to him. For this, O king, was
said in the Saüyutta Nikàya, ‘Just as, monks, of all creatures;
whether footless, or having two, four or many feet; whether
having form or formless; whether conscious or uncon-
scious, or neither conscious nor unconscious — of these the
Tathàgata, the arahant, the Fully Enlightened One, is reck-
oned as the chief…’.”162
160.Iti. 101.
161.As a result of treating Buddhas Anomadassã and Vipassã. A. i. 24.
162.S. v. 41.

44. The Ancient Path
“It was said by the Blessed One, ‘The Tathàgata is the
discoverer of a way that was unknown.’
163 Yet he also said,
‘Now I perceived, O monks, the ancient path along which
the previous Buddhas walked.’
164 This too is a double-
edged problem.”
“It was because the path shown by previous Buddhas
had long since disappeared and was not known by anyone,
man or god, that the Buddha said, ‘The Tathàgata is the dis-
coverer of a way that was unknown.’ Though that way had
disintegrated, become impassable and lost to view — the
Tathàgata, having gained a thorough knowledge of it, saw
by his eye of wisdom that it was the path used by previous
Buddhas. Therefore he said; ‘Now I perceived, O monks, the
ancient path along which the previous Buddhas walked.’ It
is as when a man clears the jungle and sets free a piece of
land it is called his land, though he did not make the land.”
45. The Bodhisatta’s Weakness
“It was said by the Blessed One, ‘Already in former births
when I was a man I had acquired the habit of not inflicting
harm on living beings.’
165 However, when he was an
ascetic called Lomasa Kassapa he had hundreds of animals
killed and offered as a sacrifice.
166 Why was he not com-
passionate then?”
163.S. iii. 66; cf. S. i. 190.
164. i.e. The Path leading to nibbàna. S. ii. 105.
165.D. iii. 166

“That sacrifice, O king, was done when Lomasa
Kassapa was out of his mind through infatuation with
Princess Candavati; not when he was conscious of what he
was doing. Just as a madman, when out of his senses, will
step into a fire or catch hold of a venomous snake or run
naked through the streets, so it was only because the
Bodhisatta was out of his mind that he performed the great
sacrifice. Now an evil act done by a madman is not
considered a grievous offence, nor is it grievous in respect
of the fruit that it brings in a future life. Suppose, O king,
that a madman had been guilty of a capital offence, what
punishment would you inflict upon him?”
“What punishment is due to a madman? We should
order him to be beaten and set free, that is all.”
“So then, O king, it follows that the offence of one
who is mad is pardonable.
167 Just so was it in the case of
Lomasa Kassapa who, after he regained his senses, re-
nounced the world and became assured of rebirth in the
Brahmà realm.”
46. Respect for the Robe
“Even when the Bodhisatta was an elephant he had respect
for the yellow robe168 but you also say that when he was the
Brahman youth Jotipàla, even though he was then
endowed with the discernment of a human being, he
166.Jà. iii. 30ff, 514ff. In the Jàtaka story, Kassapa ordered the animals brought for slaughter
but when they were all tied down at the stake he came to his senses and set them free.
167. cf. Vin. iii. 32, where there is no offence for one who is mad.
168.Jà. v. 49.

reviled and abused the Buddha Kassapa, calling him a
shaveling and good-for-nothing monk.
169 How can both of
these statements be true?”
“O king, the Bodhisatta’s rudeness when he was the
Brahman youth Jotipàla was due to his birth and upbring-
ing; all his family were unbelievers who worshipped Brah-
mà and thought that Brahmans were the highest among
men. Just, O king, as even the coolest water will become
warm when in contact with fire so, Jotipàla, though he was
full of merit, yet when he was reborn into a family of un-
believers he became as if blind and reviled the Tathàgata.
However, when he went to the presence of the Buddha Kas-
sapa he realised his virtue and became his devoted disciple.”
47. The Merit of the Potter
“It was said by the Blessed One, ‘For three whole months
the dwelling place of Ghatãkàra the potter remained open
to the sky but no rain fell on it.
170 Yet it was said that rain
fell on the hut of Buddha Kassapa.
171
Why did the hut of the
Tathàgata get wet? If rain fell on the hut of the Buddha,
who had so much merit, then it must be false that no rain
fell on the hut of Ghatãkàra because of his great merit.”
“O king, Ghatãkàra was a good man, full of virtue and
rich in merit, who supported his blind parents by his
humble trade. While he was away from the house, the
monks, having confidence in the unstinting generosity of
169.M. ii. 47, Sta. 81.
170.M. ii. 53.
171.M. ii. 54

Ghatãkàra, took away some thatch from the roof of his house
to repair the hut of Buddha Kassapa. When Ghatãkàra
returned he was neither angry nor disappointed but was
full of joy because he had gained so much merit by giving
something to the Tathàgata and ecstatic at the thought, ‘The
Blessed One has full confidence in me.’ So great was his
merit that it brought forth its result in this very life. The
Tathàgata on the other hand, was not short of merit because
the rain fell on his hut but he had considered, ‘Let people
not find fault saying that the Buddhas gain a livelihood by
the use of supernormal powers.’ Therefore the rain fell on
his hut as it did on all the others except that of Ghatãkàra.”
48. King or Brahman?
“The Blessed One said, ‘I, monks, am a Brahman, one to ask
a favour of.’
172 However, he also said, ‘A king, Sela, am I.’
173
If, Nàgasena, he was a king, then he must have spoken
falsely when he said he was a Brahman, for he must have
been either a Khattiya (a warrior) or a Brahman, he could
not have belonged to both castes.”
“It was not on account of his birth that he called him-
self a Brahman but because he was free from defilements,
had attained to the certainty of knowledge and because he
was one who maintained the ancient traditions of teaching
and learning by heart, self-control and discipline.
174
As a
172.Iti. 101.
173.Sn. v 554.
174. See Dhp. Bràhmaõavagga.

king rules the people with the law, the Buddha rules the
people by teaching Dhamma; bringing joy to those who live
rightly and reproving those who transgress the noble law.
Like a king who rules justly rules for a long time, the
Buddha’s religion endures for a long time because of his
special qualities of righteousness.”
49. Right Livelihood
“You say that the Blessed One did not accept alms received
by chanting verses175 but when preaching to laymen he
generally spoke first of the benefits of giving and accepted
the gifts offered.
176 If the first is true then why did he accept
gifts gained by preaching?”
“It is the custom of the Tathàgatas to preach first of the
benefits of giving to soften men’s hearts before going on to
preach of morality and higher matters but not on account of
that could they justly be accused of hinting to get gifts. There
is hinting that is improper and there is hinting that is blame-
less. Herein, if a bhikkhu begs for alms standing in an in-
convenient place or making signs this is improper hinting;
177
but if he stands in the proper place where there are people
who want to give and moves on if they do not want to give
then this is proper and does not amount to hinting. That meal
of the ploughman was offered in order to refute the subject of
the verse recited, therefore the Tathàgata rejected it.”
175.S. i. 167, Sn. v 81.
176. cf. D. i. Sta. 5.
177.Vism. 28.

50. The Reluctance of the Buddha
“You say that for four aeons (asaïkheyya) and 100,000 world-
cycles (kappa) the Bodhisatta practised the perfections in
order to gain omniscience,
178 yet after he had gained omnis-
cience his mind inclined to not teaching the Dhamma.
179
Like an archer who had practised for many days might hesi-
tate when the day for battle had come, even so did the Bless-
ed One hesitate to teach the Dhamma. Was it then because
of fear, or lack of clarity, or weakness, or because he was not
omniscient that he hesitated?”
“No, great king, it was for none of those reasons. It
was due to the profound nature of the Dhamma and to the
exceedingly strong passion and delusion of beings that the
Blessed One hesitated and considered to whom he should
teach it and in what manner so that they would under-
stand. Just, O king, as a king when he calls to mind the
many people who gain their livelihood in dependence on
him — the body-guards, courtiers, merchants, soldiers,
messengers, ministers and nobles — he might be exercised
at the thought; ‘How can I conciliate them all?’ Just so,
Oking, when the Tathàgata called to mind the strong pas-
sion and delusion of beings that he inclined rather to inac-
tion than to preaching. It is also in the natural order of
things that the Buddha should teach the Dhamma at the re-
quest of Brahmà, for at that time all men were worshippers
of Brahmà and placed their reliance on him. Therefore, if
one so high and mighty as Brahmà should incline to hear-
178.M. 1 53.
179.M. ii. 54.

ing Dhamma then the whole world of gods and men would
become inclined to it and so for that reason too the Buddha
waited to be asked before preaching the Dhamma.”
51. The Buddha’s Teachers
“The Blessed One said, ‘I have no teacher, one like me does
not exist. In the world with its gods no one equals me.’
180
Again he said, ‘In this way, monks, did âëàra the Kàlàma,
being my teacher, set me, his pupil, on exactly the same
level as himself and honour me with the highest honour.’
181
This too is a double-edged problem.”
“O king, when the Blessed One spoke of âëàra the
Kàlàma as his teacher he referred to the time when he was
still a Bodhisatta and before he had attained Buddhahood.
He was merely a teacher of worldly wisdom. It was in
regard to transcendental matters such as knowledge of the
Four Noble Truths and nibbàna that he said, ‘I have no
teacher, one like me does not exist. In the world with its
gods no one equals me’.”
—}{—
180.Vin. i. 8; M. i. 171.
181.M. i. 165.

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - The Solving of Dilemmas IV

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.”

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - The Solving of Dilemmas III

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - The Solving of Dilemmas III

The Debate of King Milinda
edited by Bhikkhu Pesala

Chapter 10
The Solving of Dilemmas (III)
19.Dhamma is Best
“It was said by the Blessed One, ‘For it is the
Dhamma, O Vàseññha, which is the best in
the world.’
109
Yet you say that the devout
layman who has gained stream-entry ought to pay respect
to a novice even though he has no such spiritual attain-
ment. If the Dhamma is indeed best then that custom is in-
appropriate.”
“O king, there is a reason for that custom. There are
twenty personal qualities110
and two outward signs that
entitle a recluse to respect. He rejoices in the excellent
Dhamma, he has the highest kind of self-control, he has
good conduct, because of his mode of living [on alms], he
is abstemious, he restrains his senses, he is patient, he is
gentle, he lives alone, he delights in solitude, he delights
in meditation, he is endowed with shame and fear of
wrong-doing, he is energetic, he is earnest, he undertakes
the precepts, he recites the scriptures, he questions the
learned about the meaning, he delights in virtue, being
homeless he is free from worldly attachments, he fulfils
the precepts, and he has the two outward signs — a shav-
109.D. iii. 93.
110.Untraced, see also Dilemma 62.

en head and the yellow robe. In the practice and develop-
ment of all these things a recluse lives. By undertaking this
training and developing the virtues of a recluse he is pro-
gressing towards arahantship. Thus, because he sees him as
in the company of the most worthy ones, the devout lay-
man thinks it right and proper to revere the recluse though
he may be just an ordinary person. Moreover, O king, be-
cause he sees him as one who is maintaining the monastic
traditions, so too does the devout layman pay respect to
the recluse. If a layman attains arahant-ship, only two des-
tinations await him; either he must enter the Order that
very day or else he must attain parinibbàna. Immovable, O
king, is the state of renunciation, glorious and most exalt-
ed the condition of being a member of the Order of the
Blessed One.”
20. The Compassion of the Buddha
“You say that the Tathàgata protects beings from harm and
blesses them with goodness,
111
yet when the Blessed One
was preaching the discourse on the simile of the great mass
of fire112
to the monks, hot blood was ejected from the
mouths of sixty monks. By his delivery of that discourse
they came to harm and not good so that statement of yours
is wrong.”
“What happened to them was of their own doing.”
“But, Nàgasena, if the Tathàgata had not delivered
111.Untraced but cf. A. i. 20.
112.A. iv. 128-135.

that discourse would they have vomited hot blood?”
“No. When they took wrongly what was said the
burning was kindled within them.”
“Then it must have been that the Tathàgata was the
chief cause to destroy them. If a snake were to crawl into an
anthill, and a man in want of earth were to break into it and
take the earth away, and so the snake was to die for want of
air, would not the snake have been killed by that man’s
action?”
“Yes, O king. Nevertheless, when the Tathàgata de-
livered a discourse he never did so with malice but
preached totally free from malice. Those who were practis-
ing rightly were enlightened, but those were practising
wrongly, fell. Just, O king, as when a man shakes a mango
tree, those fruits that are strongly fastened to it remain un-
disturbed but those that have rotten stalks fall to the
ground.”
“Then did not those monks fall because of the dis-
course?”
“Could a carpenter by doing nothing to a piece of
timber and simply laying it aside, make it straight and fit
for use?”
“No venerable sir.”
“Just so, O king, the Tathàgata could not, by merely
watching over his disciples, have opened the eyes of those
who were ready to see. However, by getting rid of those
who took his words wrongly he saved those who were
prepared to be saved, and it was because of their own
defects that the evil-minded, fell.”

21. The modesty of the Buddha
“This too was said by the Blessed One:
“Control of the body is good,
Good is control of speech,
Control of the mind is good,
Good is control is everything.”113
“Yet when the Tathàgata was seated in the midst of the four
congregations [monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen] he
showed to Brahman Sela what should not be shown in
public — the male organ concealed in a sheath.
114 If he did
so then the first statement is false.”
“The Blessed One did show to Sela the Brahman what
should not be shown in public but it was by means of
supernormal power that he created an image of it and only
Sela saw that image. To him, in whom doubts had arisen
about the Tathàgata, the Master showed the male organ
concealed in a sheath by means of supernormal power for
the sake of awakening him to the truth. Skilled in means, O
king, was the Tathàgata. For the sake of scorning physical
beauty the Master took Venerable Nanda to the celestial
realm to see the lovely maidens there115 and by means of a
piece of clean white cloth did he awaken Venerable Cåëa-
panthaka to the impurity of the body.”116
113.S. L 73; Dhp. v 361.
114.M. ii. Sta. 92; Sn. 103. This refers to one of the marks of the Buddha predicted by
astrology. Not being able to see this, Sela was still in doubt.
115.Jà. ii. 92-94.
116.Jà. i. 116ff

22. The Perfect Speech of the Buddha
“Sàriputta the chief disciple said, ‘The Tathàgata is perfect
in speech, there is no fault of speech in the Tathàgata con-
cerning which he should have to take care that no one else
should know it.’
117 So why did the Buddha use harsh and
abusive words to Sudinna the Kalanda and call him a
stupid fellow?”118
“That was not out of rudeness, O king, but merely to
show him the foolish and contemptible nature of his con-
duct in a way that would do him no harm. If any man in
this birth does not attain to perception of the Four Noble
Truths, his life has been in vain. The Blessed One used
words of truth, they were no exaggeration. He admonished
others only to destroy the disease of unwholesomeness. His
words, even when stern, softened men’s pride and made
them humble. They were full of compassion and aimed at
benefit as the words of a father to his children.”
23. The Talking Tree
“The Tathàgata said:
“Brahman! Why do you ask an unconscious thing,
which cannot hear you, how it is today?
117.D. iii. 217.
118.Vin. iii. 20. The rule forbidding sexual intercourse was laid down because Sudinna was
persuaded by his former wife to preserve the family line. Notably, because he was the
first offender, he was allowed to remain a monk after his offence.

Active, intelligent and full of life, how can you speak to
this so senseless thing, this wild Palàsa tree?”119
“Yet, on the other hand, the Tathàgata said:
“And thus the aspen tree made reply,
‘I, Bhàradvàja, can speak too. Listen to me.’
120
“If, Nàgasena, a tree is an unconscious thing then this latter
statement must be false.”
“When the Blessed One said, ‘aspen tree’ it was just a
conventional way of speaking, for though a tree being un-
conscious cannot speak, the word ‘tree’ was used as a des-
ignation for the deity who dwelt in it and this is a well
known convention. Just, O king as a wagon laden with corn
is called a ‘corn-wagon’ though it is not made of corn, it is
made of wood. The Tathàgata, when expounding the
Dhamma, did so by means of the common mode of speech.”
24. The Last Meal
“It was said by the elders who convened the First Buddhist
Council, ‘When he had eaten Cunda the smith’s food, thus
have I heard, the Buddha felt a dire sickness, a sharp pain
even unto death.’
121
Yet the Blessed One also said, ‘These
two offerings of food, ânanda, are of equal merit and are
much more effective than any others: that, after which the
119.Jà. iii. 24.
120.Jà. iv. 210.
121.D. ii. 128.

Tathàgata attains to supreme enlightenment; and that, after
which the Tathàgata attains to parinibbàna’.
122
“If severe pains fell upon him after taking that last
meal then the latter statement must be wrong.”
“The last offering of food is of great advantage be-
cause of the Tathàgata’s attainment of parinibbàna. It was
not because of the food that the sickness fell upon the Bless-
ed One but because of the extreme weakness of his body
and the proximity of his death. These two offerings of food
were of great and incomparable merit because of the attain-
ment of the nine successive absorptions in forward and re-
verse order, which the Tathàgata gained after partaking of
that food.”
25. Adoration of Relics
“The Blessed One said, ‘Do not hinder yourselves, ânanda,
with honouring the remains of the Tathàgata.’
123
Yet on the
other hand he said, ‘Honour the relics of him who is worthy
of honour, acting in that way you will go from this world to
heaven.’
124 Which of these statements is right?”
“It was not to all men, O king, but to the sons of the
conqueror [monks] that the first advice was given. Paying
reverence to relics is not their work, but rather grasping the
true nature of all formations, reasoning [paying attention to
122.D. ii. 135.
123.D. ii. 141.
124.Vv. 75 v 8

impermanence etc.], insight meditation, getting hold of the
essence of the meditation object, devotion to their own
spiritual welfare, that is the work of the monks. Just, O
king, as it is the business of princes to learn the arts of
warfare and the laws of property while husbandry, trading
and care of cattle are the business of householders.”
26. The Buddha’s Foot is Injured
“You say that when the Blessed One walked along, the
great earth, unconscious though it is, filled up the hollows
and levelled the ground before his feet.
125 Yet you say that
a splinter of rock grazed his foot.
126
Why then didn’t that
splinter of rock turn away from his foot?”
“O king, the splinter of rock did not fall by itself, but a
rock was thrown down by Devadatta. Two rocks came
together and intercepted it but a splinter of rock broke off and
grazed the Blessed One’s foot. A thing intercepted can easily
slip through just as water taken up in the hands can easily slip
through the fingers.”
27. The True Recluse
“The Blessed One said, ‘A man becomes a recluse by the
destruction of the floods [sensuality, desire for rebirth,
125.Untraced, but cf. DA. 45.
126.Vin. ii. 193.

personality belief and ignorance].’
127 Yet he also said, ‘He
is known in the world as a recluse who has these four
qualities: patience, moderation in food, relinquishment and
being without possessions.’
128 Now these four qualities are
also found in those who are still imperfect, in whom the
defilements have not yet been totally rooted out. This too is
a double-edged problem.”
“Both these statements, O king, were made by the
Blessed One but the first is an inclusive statement whereas
the second was said of the characteristics of recluses in
general.”
28. The Boasting of the Buddha
“The Blessed One said, ‘If anyone should speak in praise of
me, my teaching or the Order you should not on account of
that be elated.’
129 Yet he was so delighted when Sela the
Brahman praised him that he magnified his own virtue and
said, ‘A king, Sela, am I, the king supreme of righteousness.
The royal chariot wheel of righteousness do I set rolling on
— the wheel that no one can ever turn back.’
130
This too is
a double-edged problem.”
“Both statements, O king, are correct but the first was
made to set forth truthfully and exactly the real nature of
the teaching. The second passage was not spoken for gain,
127.A. ii. 238, Pug. 63.
128.Jà. No. 441.
129.D. L 3; cf. M. i. 140.
130.M. ii. Sta. 92; Sn. v 554

fame, nor in a biased way, nor for the sake of winning over
followers but was spoken with compassion and the know-
ledge that thereby three hundred brahmins would attain to
knowledge of the truth.”
29. Who Deserves Punishment?
“The Blessed One said, ‘Doing no injury to anyone, dwell
full of love and kindness in the world.’
131 Yet he also said,
‘Restrain him who deserves restraint and encourage him
who deserves encouragement.’
132 Now, restraint means the
cutting off of hands and feet, imprisonment and so forth. If
the first statement is correct then the second cannot be
right.”
“O king, to do no injury is a doctrine approved of by
all the Buddhas; the second injunction however was used
figuratively. It means restrain the agitated mind, encourage
the slothful mind; restrain the unwholesome mind, encour-
age the wholesome mind; restrain unwise reflection, en-
courage wise reflection; restrain wrong practice, encourage
right practice; the ignoble should be restrained, the noble
encouraged; the thief [the evil-minded monk who desires
gain, praise and fame] should be restrained and the honest
man [the sincere monk who desires only to destroy defile-
ments] should be encouraged.”
“Now you have come round to the sense in my question.
For how, venerable Nàgasena, is a robber to be subdued?”
131.Jà. No. 451 (Jà. iv. 71) v 9.
132.Jà. No. 521 (Jà. v. 116) v 19

“Thus, great king: if deserving rebuke let him be
rebuked, if deserving a fine let him be fined, if deserving
banishment let him be banished, if deserving death let him
be put to death.”
“Is then, Nàgasena, the execution of robbers part of
the doctrine laid down by the Tathàgata?”
“Certainly not, O king. Whosoever may be put to
death, he does not suffer execution by reason of the opinion
put forward by the Tathàgata. He suffers by reason of what
he himself has done.”133
30. Dismissal of the order
“It was said by the Blessed One, ‘I harbour not anger nor
sulkiness’.
134 Yet he dismissed Sàriputta and Moggallàna
with their disciples.
135 Was it then not in anger that he did
this?”
“The Tathàgata did dismiss the monks but not in
anger. It was due to what they themselves had done that
they were dismissed. As the great earth does not feel anger
if a man stumbles and falls. It is the man’s own fault that
he stumbles. So too the Blessed One does not feel ill-will of
any kind. He sent them away knowing, ‘It will be for their
good, happiness, purification and deliverance from
suffering’.”
133.Capital punishment was the norm and severe corporal punishment was also practised
in the Buddha’s time.
134.Sn. v 19.
135.M. ii. Sta. 67.

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - The Solving of Dilemmas II

Khuddaka Nikaya - Milinda Panha - The Solving of Dilemmas II

The Debate of King Milinda
edited by Bhikkhu Pesala

Chapter 9
The Solving of Dilemmas (II)
11. The Minor and Lesser Precepts
“It has been said by the Blessed One, ‘It is
from higher knowledge, O monks, that I
teach Dhamma.’
90 Yet he also said, ‘When I
am gone, ânanda, let the Order, if it should
so wish, abolish the minor and lesser precepts.’
91
Were then
those precepts laid down in error and without due cause?”
“When the Blessed One, O king, said, ‘Let the Order
abolish the lesser and minor precepts’, it was said in order
to test the monks. As a king on his death bed would test his
sons saying, ‘The outer regions of my kingdom will be in
danger of falling after my death.’ Then, would his sons on
the death of their father give up those outlying districts?”
“No indeed, venerable sir. Kings are grasping. The
princes might, in their lust for power, subjugate an area
twice what they already had but they would never willing-
ly give up what they possessed.”
“Just so, O king, the sons of the Buddha, in their
enthusiasm for the Dhamma might keep even more than
one hundred and fifty92
regulations but they would never
give up any that had been laid down.”
90.A. i. 276 cf. M. ii. 9.
91.D. ii. 154; Vin. ii. 287.
92.Excluding the 75 minor training rules there are 152 precepts.

“Venerable Nàgasena, when the Blessed One referred
to the ‘Minor and Lesser Precepts’ people might be in doubt
as to which these were.”
“Those acts of wrong-doing93 are the lesser precepts,
and wrong speech94 refers to the minor precepts. The elders
who convened the First Buddhist Council were also not
unanimous about this matter.”
12. The Esoteric Teaching
“The Blessed One said to ânanda, ‘In respect of the
Dhamma the Tathàgata does not have the closed fist of a
teacher who holds something back.’
95
Yet when he was
questioned by Màlurikyàputta he made no answer.
96 Was
it because of ignorance that he did not reply or did he wish
to conceal something?”
“O king, it was not because of ignorance, nor for the
sake of concealing anything that he did not answer. A ques-
tion may be answered in one of four ways: directly, with an
analysis, with a counter-question or by setting it aside.
“And what sort of question should be answered
directly?
‘Is matter impermanent? Is feeling impermanent? Is per-
ception impermanent?’ These should be answered directly.
“And what should be answered with an analysis?
‘Is what is impermanent, matter?’
93. Dukkaña: Transgressions against the 75 training rules and other minor regulations.
94. Dubbhàsita: Frivolous or sarcastic speech that does not amount to lying or abuse of a
monk.
95.D. ii. 100; S. v. 153.
96.M. ii. Sta. 63.

“And what should be answered with a counter-
question?
‘Can the eye perceive all things?’
“And which should be set aside?
‘Is the world eternal? Is the world not eternal? Does
the Tathàgata exist after death? Does he not exist after
death? Is the soul the same as the body? Is the body one
thing and the soul another?’ It was to this sort of question
that the Blessed One gave no reply to Màlurikyàputta.
There was no reason to answer it. The Buddhas do not
speak without reason.”
13. The Fear of Death
“The Blessed One said, ‘All tremble at punishment, all are
afraid of death.’
97 Yet he also said, ‘The arahant has passed
beyond all fear.’
98 How is it then? Do the arahants tremble
at the fear of death? Or are the beings in hell afraid of death
by which they may gain release from torment?”
“O king, it was not with regard to arahants that the
Blessed One said, ‘All tremble at punishment, all are afraid
of death.’ An arahant is an exception to that statement for all
cause of fear has been removed by him. Suppose, O king, a
king had four chief ministers who were faithful and trust-
worthy; would they be afraid if the king were to issue an
order saying, ‘All the people in my realm must pay a tax’?”
“No, Nàgasena, they would not be afraid because the
tax does not apply to them, they are beyond taxation.”
97.Dhp. v 129.
98. cf. A. ii. 172

“Just so, O king, the statement, ‘All tremble at punish-
ment, all fear death’, does not apply to arahants because
they are beyond the fear of death. There are these five ways,
O king, in which the meaning of a statement should be
established: by comparison with the text quoted; by ‘taste’
i.e. is it in accordance with other texts?; is it in accordance
with the word of the teachers?; having considered his own
opinion, i.e. is it in accordance with my own experience?;
and, fifthly, by a combination of all these methods.”
“Very well, Nàgasena, I accept that arahants are an
exception to that statement, but surely those beings in hell
cannot be afraid of the death by means of which they will
gain release from that torment?”
“Those in hell are afraid of death, O king, for death is
a condition that all those who have not seen the Dhamma
are afraid of. Suppose, O king, a man kept prisoner in a dun-
geon were to be sent for by the king who wished to set him
free. Wouldn’t that prisoner be afraid of meeting the king?”
“Yes he would.”
“Just so, O king, those beings in hell are afraid of death
even though they will attain release from their torment.”
14. Protection from Death
“It was said by the Blessed One, ‘Not in the sky, not in the
ocean’s midst, not in the most secluded mountain cleft, not
in the whole wide world is found the spot where
remaining one could escape the snare of death.’
99 Yet, on
99.Dhp. v 128.

the other hand, the protection verses (paritta) were
prescribed by the Buddha for the protection of those in
danger. If there is no escape from death then the Paritta
ceremony is useless.”
“Paritta verses, O king, are meant for those who have
some portion of their life remaining. There is no ceremony
or artificial means for prolonging the life of one whose life-
span has come to an end.”
“But, Nàgasena, if he who has a term of life yet to run
will live, and he who has none will die, then medicine and
Paritta are alike useless.”
“Have you ever seen or heard of a case of a disease
being cured by medicine?”
“Yes, hundreds of times.”
“Then your statement as to the ineffectiveness of
Paritta and medicine must be wrong.”
“Venerable Nàgasena, is Paritta a protection to every-
body?”
“Only to some, not to all. There are three reasons for
the failure of Paritta: the obstruction due to past kamma, that
caused by present defilements, and the obstruction caused
by lack of confidence. That which is a protection to beings
loses its power through their own blemishes.”
15. The Power of Màra
“Although you say that the Tathàgata was in constant
receipt of alms100 yet when he entered the Pa¤casàla
100. cf. A. ii. 87. “I, monks, enjoy a plentiful supply of alms when invited.”

village he received nothing due to the intervention of
Màra.
101 Is the power of Màra greater than the power of the
Buddha or the power of demerit greater than the power of
merit?”
“Great king, although what you said is true it is not
enough reason to prove your assertion. Consider a gate-
keeper at a royal palace. He might prevent someone from
bringing a present for the king out of jealousy yet the king
would not thereby be less powerful than the gatekeeper.
There are four modes of obstructing a gift: to a gift not in-
tended for any particular person, to one set aside for some-
one, to one being prepared for someone and to the enjoy-
ment of a gift given to someone. In the case you mentioned
the gift was not intended specifically for the Blessed One: if
it had been no one could have obstructed it.
“There are four things, O king, connected with the
Tathàgatas, to which no one can do any harm: the alms
intended for him, the halo that surrounds him for one
fathom, his omniscience and his life. These things are free
from defect and unassailable by other beings and cannot be
harmed. When Màra possessed the householders of Pa¤ca-
sàla village it was as when robbers, by hiding in inaccess-
ible places, beset the highways. However, if the king caught
sight of them do you think they would be safe?”
“No, sir, he might have them cut to pieces.”
“Just so, O king, if Màra had raised any obstruction to
alms intended for the Blessed One his head would have
split into a thousand pieces.”
101.S. i. 113 f; DhA. iii. 257. Màra, as well as being the personification of evil, is a being who
was an antagonist of the Buddha and appeared several times during his life to taunt him.

16. Knowledge of Wrong Doing
“This was said by the Blessed One, ‘Whoever ignorantly
deprives a living being of life accumulates great demerit.’
102
Yet in the training rule for monks concerning killing living
beings he says, ‘There is no offence if he does not know.’
103
How can both of these statements be true?”
“There are offences where there is no escape for one
who does not know and there are offences where there is an
escape.
104 It was in regard to this second kind of offence that
the Blessed One said there is no offence if he does not know.”
17. The Buddha Is Not Possessive
“The Blessed One said, ‘The Tathàgata does not think that
he should lead the Order or that it is dependent upon
him.’
105 Yet regarding Metteyya Buddha he said, ‘He will
be the leader of an Order of several thousands as I am now
the leader of an Order of several hundreds’.”106
“O king, the sense in one passage is inclusive, in the
other it is not. It is not the Tathàgata who seeks after a fol-
lowing but the followers who seek after him. It is merely a
102.The quotation given is taken out of context. There is no demerit at all in killing living
beings unknowingly (as a blind man walking on ants). Hence I have said ‘ignorantly’
meaning he kills not knowing it is an unwholesome act which has evil results.
See,Question 8, Chapter Seven.
103. Vin. iii. 78; iv. 49, etc.
104.Compare, for example, Pàcittiya 51; in which taking intoxicants is an offence even if one
does not know; to Pàcittiya 62 where using water with living organisms in it is an offence
only if he knows.
105.D. ii. 100; cf. M. i. 459 (MLS. ii. 132).
106.D. iii. 76

common opinion that ‘This is mine’, it is not an ultimate
truth. Affection is a frame of mind put away by the Tathà-
gata; he has put away possessiveness, he is free from the
delusion ‘This is mine’, he lives only to help others. Just as
a mighty rain cloud, O king, pours out its rain, and gives
sustenance to grass and trees, to cattle and to men, and all
living things depend on it, but the cloud has no feelings of
longing with the idea that ‘These are mine’ — so too, the
Tathàgata instructs all beings in good qualities and main-
tains them in goodness, and all beings depend on him but
he has no concept of possession because he has abandoned
all wrong views of self.”
18. The Unity of the Order
“You say that the Order of the Tathàgata could never be
broken up.
107 Yet Devadatta was able to lead away five
hundred monks from the Blessed One”.
108
“It was due to the power of the schismatic that the
schism occurred, for even a mother can be disunited from
her son where there is one to make a rift. However, it was
said in a special sense that the Order of the Tathàgata could
not be broken up. It is an unheard of thing that his follow-
ing could be disunited by anything done or any unkind
word, wrong action, or injustice whatsoever of the Tathà-
gata himself. In that sense his following is invulnerable.”
107.D. iii. 172.
108.Vin. ii. 198