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right there on that seat, the dust-free, stain-free Eye of Dhamma arose: "Whatever is of the nature to arise, all that is of the nature to cease." And the venerable Nāgasena, having given the blessing to that great laywoman, he himself departed. Reflecting on that Dhamma, having established insight, sitting on that very seat, he was established in the fruit of stream-entry. Then, the venerable Assagutta, sitting in the circular hall, knowing the attainment of the Dhamma-eye by both, uttered a cry of approval: "Excellent! Excellent, Nāgasena! With one arrow shot, two great bodies have been pierced!" And many thousands of deities also uttered cries of approval. 17. Then, the venerable Nāgasena, rising from his seat, approached the venerable Assagutta. Having approached and saluted the venerable Assagutta, he sat down to one side. To the venerable Nāgasena, sitting to one side, the venerable Assagutta said this: "Go, Nāgasena, to Pāṭaliputta. In the city of Pāṭaliputta, in the Asoka Park, the venerable Dhammarakkhita resides. Learn the word of the Buddha from him." "How far, venerable sir, is the city of Pāṭaliputta from here?" "A hundred leagues, Nāgasena." "Far, venerable sir, is the path. Along the way, alms are difficult to obtain. How shall I go?" "Go, Nāgasena, along the way you will obtain alms-food: boiled rice of fine grain, without black specks, with many curries, with many sauces." "Yes, venerable sir," said the venerable Nāgasena, and having saluted the venerable Assagutta, and circumambulated him, taking his bowl and robe, he set out on his journey towards Pāṭaliputta. 18. Now at that time, a householder from Pāṭaliputta was on the road to Pāṭaliputta village with five hundred carts. The householder from Pāṭaliputta saw the venerable Nāgasena approaching from afar. Having seen him, he approached the venerable Nāgasena. Having approached and saluted the venerable Nāgasena, he said: "Where are you going, young sir?" "To Pāṭaliputta, householder." "Good, young sir. We too are going to Pāṭaliputta. Go comfortably with us." Then, the householder from Pāṭaliputta, seeing the deportment of the venerable Nāgasena, Having been pleased with the venerable Nāgasena, having satisfied and invited him with choice food and drink with his own hands, when the venerable Nāgasena had eaten, and put down his bowl and hands, taking a low seat, he sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the merchant of Pāṭaliputta said to the venerable Nāgasena: "What is your name, dear one?" "I, householder, am named Nāgasena." "Do you know, dear one, the word of the Buddha?" "I know, householder, the Abhidhamma sections." "It is our gain, dear one! It is our good fortune, dear one! I too, dear one, am an Abhidhammika, and you too are an Abhidhammika. Speak, dear one, the Abhidhamma sections!" Then the venerable Nāgasena taught the Abhidhamma to the merchant of Pāṭaliputta. As he was teaching, the pure, stainless Dhamma-eye arose in the merchant of Pāṭaliputta: "Whatever is of the nature to arise, all that is of the nature to cease." Then the merchant of Pāṭaliputta, having sent ahead five hundred carts, and himself following behind, stood at a crossroads not far from Pāṭaliputta, and said to the venerable Nāgasena: "This, dear Nāgasena, is the path to the Asoka Monastery. This, dear one, is our precious woolen blanket, sixteen cubits in length, eight cubits in width. Please accept, dear one, this precious woolen blanket, out of compassion." The venerable Nāgasena accepted that precious woolen blanket, out of compassion. Then the merchant of Pāṭaliputta, delighted, elated, joyful, filled with joy and happiness, having saluted the venerable Nāgasena, and circumambulated him respectfully, departed. 19. Then the venerable Nāgasena approached the Asoka Monastery, where the venerable Dhammarakkhita was. Having approached, and having saluted the venerable Dhammarakkhita, and having explained the reason for his coming, he learned the Tipiṭaka, the word of the Buddha, from the venerable Dhammarakkhita, by a single recitation, in three months. Having learned it thoroughly, again in three months he pondered the meaning. Then indeed the venerable Dhammarakkhita said to the venerable Nāgasena: "Just as, Nāgasena, a cowherd guards the cows, while others consume the milk products. Even so, Nāgasena, though you hold the Tipiṭaka, the Buddha's word, you are not a partaker of monkhood." "So be it, venerable sir, enough of this." In that very day part, in that very night part, he attained arahantship together with the analytical knowledges, together with the penetration of the truths. All the devas gave a cry of approval for the venerable Nāgasena, the earth roared, the Brahmās clapped their hands, divine sandalwood powders and divine Mandārava flowers rained down. 20. At that time, a hundred million arahants, having assembled on the protected plateau of the Himavanta mountain, sent a messenger to the venerable Nāgasena, saying: "Let Nāgasena come, we wish to see Nāgasena." Then indeed the venerable Nāgasena, having heard the messenger's words, vanished from the Asoka park and appeared before the hundred million arahants on the protected plateau of the Himavanta mountain. Then indeed the hundred million arahants said to the venerable Nāgasena: "Indeed, Nāgasena, King Milinda harasses the community of bhikkhus with debates and questioning. Good, Nāgasena, go you and subdue King Milinda." "Let King Milinda alone be, venerable sirs; if, venerable sirs, kings from the entire Jambudīpa were to come and question me, I would resolve all of it and satisfy them. Go forth, venerable sirs, fearlessly to Sāgala city." Then indeed the elder bhikkhus made Sāgala city glow with saffron robes, like a powerful wind. 21. At that time, the venerable Āyupāla was residing in the Saṅkhyeyya monastery. Then indeed King Milinda said to his ministers: "Indeed, sirs, a delightful moonlit night it is! Whom might we approach today, a recluse or a brahmin, for discussion?" for questioning, "Who is able to converse with me to remove my doubt?" When this was said, five hundred Yonakas said to King Milinda, "There is, great king, an elder named Āyupāla, who is a Tepiṭaka, very learned, and has mastered the traditions. He now resides in Saṅkhyeyya Pariveṇa. Go, great king, and question the venerable Āyupāla." "Then, friends, inform the venerable one." Then the soothsayer sent a messenger to the venerable Āyupāla, "The king, venerable sir, Milinda, desires to see the venerable Āyupāla." The venerable Āyupāla also said, "Then let him come." Then King Milinda, surrounded by some five hundred Yonakas, mounted an excellent chariot and went to Saṅkhyeyya Pariveṇa, to where the venerable Āyupāla was. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with the venerable Āyupāla. Having exchanged courteous and memorable talk, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, King Milinda said to the venerable Āyupāla, "For what purpose, venerable Āyupāla, is your going forth? And what is your ultimate goal?" The elder said, "Our going forth, great king, is for the purpose of living by Dhamma and living in equanimity. The fruits of recluseship, great king, are our ultimate goal." "Is there, venerable sir, any layperson who lives by Dhamma and lives in equanimity?" "Yes, great king, there are laypersons who live by Dhamma and live in equanimity. When the Blessed One, great king, was setting in motion the Wheel of Dhamma in Isipatana at Migadāya in Bārāṇasī, eighteen koṭis of Brahmās attained comprehension of the Dhamma. The comprehension of the Dhamma by devas, however, exceeded calculation. All of them were laypersons, not renunciants. "Furthermore, great king, when the Blessed One was teaching the Mahāsamaya Sutta, when teaching the Mahāmaṅgala Sutta, when teaching the Samacittapariyāya Sutta, when teaching the Rāhulovāda Sutta, when teaching the Parābhava Sutta, the comprehension of Dhamma by devas exceeded calculation. there was no direct realization, all of them were householders, not renunciants.” “In that case, Venerable Āyupāla, your renunciation is useless. It is due to the result of evil deeds done previously that Sakyan ascetics renounce and observe the dhutaṅga practices. Those monks, Venerable Āyupāla, who are one-sitting eaters, surely they were formerly thieves who stole others' property. Having seized others' possessions, as a result of that karma, they are now one-sitting eaters. They cannot eat at their own convenience. There is no virtue for them, there is no ascetic practice, there is no holy life. And those monks, Venerable Āyupāla, who are open-air dwellers, surely they were formerly village-destroying thieves. Having destroyed others' houses, as a result of that karma, they are now open-air dwellers. They cannot enjoy dwellings. There is no virtue for them, there is no ascetic practice, there is no holy life. And those monks, Venerable Āyupāla, who are sitters, surely they were formerly highway robbers. Having seized and bound travelers, and made them sit, as a result of that karma, they are now sitters. They cannot lie down. There is no virtue for them, there is no ascetic practice, there is no holy life,” he said. When this was said, Venerable Āyupāla remained silent, he did not respond at all. Then the five hundred Yonakas said to King Milinda: “The elder is wise, great king, but he is not confident, he does not respond at all.” Then King Milinda, seeing Venerable Āyupāla silent, clapped his hands, uttered a shout of triumph, and said to the Yonakas: “Empty indeed is Jambudīpa, worthless indeed is Jambudīpa! There is no ascetic or brahmin who dares to converse with me and resolve my doubts.” 22. Then, as King Milinda looked over that entire assembly, seeing the Yonakas who were fearless and unashamed, it occurred to him: “Surely, I think, there is Is there any other wise monk, who is able to converse with me, so that these Greeks are not disappointed?''