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delicate householder women, eat hard foods and meats?" "Yes, venerable sir, they eat them." "And do those, having entered their stomach, dissolve?" "Yes, venerable sir, they dissolve." But does the embryo in their womb also perish? No, venerable sir. For what reason? I believe, venerable sir, it does not perish due to the power of kamma. Just so, great king, due to the power of kamma, beings in hell, even when burning for many thousands of years in hell, do not perish. And this was spoken, great king, by the Blessed One: 'He does not die until that evil kamma is exhausted.' You are clever, venerable Nāgasena. The Sixth Question: The Heat of Hellfire. 7. The Question of the Earth's Support 7. The king said: "Venerable Nāgasena, you say: 'This great earth rests on water, water rests on wind, wind rests on space.' I do not believe this statement." The elder, taking water with his water-strainer, convinced King Milinda: "Just as, great king, this water is supported by wind, so too is that water supported by wind." You are clever, venerable Nāgasena. The Seventh Question: The Earth's Support. 8. The Question of Cessation and Nibbāna 8. The king said: "Venerable Nāgasena, is cessation Nibbāna?" "Yes, great king, cessation is Nibbāna." "How, venerable Nāgasena, is cessation Nibbāna?" "All foolish ordinary people, great king, delight in, welcome, and cling to internal and external sense bases. They are carried away by that current. They are not freed from birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair. They are not freed from suffering, I say. But the well-instructed noble disciple, great king, does not delight in, welcome, or cling to internal and external sense bases. For him, not delighting, not welcoming, not clinging, craving ceases. With the cessation of craving, there is the cessation of clinging. With the cessation of clinging, there is the cessation of becoming. With the cessation of becoming, there is the cessation of birth. With the cessation of birth, there is the cessation of old age and death... where sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair cease, thus there is the cessation of this entire mass of suffering. Thus, great king, cessation is Nibbāna.” “You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena.” The eighth question on Cessation and Nibbāna. 9. The question on Attaining Nibbāna 9. The king said, “Venerable Nāgasena, do all attain Nibbāna?” “No, great king, not all attain Nibbāna. But, great king, whoever practices rightly, who understands the things to be understood, who comprehends the things to be comprehended, who abandons the things to be abandoned, who develops the things to be developed, who realizes the things to be realized, that one attains Nibbāna.” “You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena.” The ninth question on Attaining Nibbāna. 10. The question on Knowing the Happiness of Nibbāna 10. The king said, “Venerable Nāgasena, one who does not attain Nibbāna, does that one know ‘Nibbāna is happiness’?” “Yes, great king, one who does not attain Nibbāna, that one knows ‘Nibbāna is happiness’.” “How, Venerable Nāgasena, does one who has not attained it know ‘Nibbāna is happiness’?” “What do you think, great king, those whose hands and feet have not been cut off, would they know, great king, ‘cutting off hands and feet is suffering’?” “Yes, Venerable sir, they would know.” “How would they know?” “By hearing the lamenting sound of others whose hands and feet have been cut off, Venerable sir, they know ‘cutting off hands and feet is suffering’.” “Just so, great king, by hearing the sound of those who have seen Nibbāna, one knows ‘Nibbāna is happiness’.” “You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena.” The tenth question on Knowing the Happiness of Nibbāna. The Fourth Chapter on Nibbāna. In this chapter, ten questions. 5. The Chapter on the Buddha 1. The question on the Buddha’s Existence or Non-existence 1. The king said, “Venerable Nāgasena, have you seen the Buddha?” “No, great king.” “Then, have your teachers seen the Buddha?” “No, great king.” “In that case, Venerable Nāgasena, there is no Bud he said. "But, great king, have you seen the Ūhā river in the Himalayas?" "No, venerable sir." "Then, has your father seen the Ūhā river?" "No, venerable sir." "Then, great king, there is no Ūhā river." "There is, venerable sir. Although I have not seen the Ūhā river, and my father has not seen the Ūhā river, yet there is an Ūhā river." "Even so, great king, although I have not seen the Blessed One, and my teachers have not seen the Blessed One, yet there is a Blessed One." "You are clever, venerable Nāgasena." The first question on the existence or non-existence of the Buddha. 2. The question on the Buddha's unsurpassed nature. 2. The king said, "Venerable Nāgasena, the Buddha is unsurpassed?" "Yes, great king, the Blessed One is unsurpassed." "How, venerable Nāgasena, do you know 'the Buddha is unsurpassed' when you have not seen him before?" "What do you think, great king, would those who have not seen the great ocean before know, great king, that the great ocean is vast, deep, immeasurable, difficult to fathom, where these five great rivers constantly and continuously flow in, namely, the Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Aciravatī, Sarabhū, Mahī, yet no decrease or increase in it is perceived?" "Yes, venerable sir, they would know." "Even so, great king, by seeing the great disciples who have attained final Nibbāna, I know 'the Blessed One is unsurpassed'." "You are clever, venerable Nāgasena." The second question on the Buddha's unsurpassed nature. 3. The question on knowing the Buddha's unsurpassed nature. 3. The king said, "Venerable Nāgasena, is it possible to know 'the Buddha is unsurpassed'?" "Yes, great king, it is possible to know 'the Blessed One is unsurpassed'." "How, venerable Nāgasena, is it possible to know 'the Buddha is unsurpassed'?" "Once upon a time, great king, there was a scribe named Thera Tissa. Many years have passed since his death. How is he known?" "By his writings, venerable sir." "Even so, great king, whoever sees the Dhamma, he sees the Blessed One." sees, for the Dhamma, O great king, was taught by the Blessed One." "You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena." The third question on knowing the Buddha's supreme state. 4. Question on seeing the Dhamma 4. The king said: "Venerable Nāgasena, has the Dhamma been seen by you?" "Indeed, O great king, by the Buddha's guidance, by the Buddha's teaching, it should be practiced by disciples throughout life." "You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena." The fourth question on seeing the Dhamma. 5. Question on not transmigrating and reconnecting 5. The king said: "Venerable Nāgasena, does it not transmigrate but reconnect?" "Yes, O great king, it does not transmigrate but reconnects." "How, Venerable Nāgasena, does it not transmigrate but reconnect? Give an analogy." "Just as, O great king, some man might light a lamp from a lamp, has that lamp, O great king, transmigrated from the other lamp?" "No, Venerable sir." "Even so, O great king, it does not transmigrate but reconnects." "Give a further analogy." "Do you recall, O great king, when you were a young boy, having learned some verses from a teacher of verses?" "Yes, Venerable sir." "Has that verse, O great king, transmigrated from the teacher?" "No, Venerable sir." "Even so, O great king, it does not transmigrate but reconnects." "You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena." The fifth question on not transmigrating and reconnecting. 6. Question on the knower of the Vedas 6. The king said: "Venerable Nāgasena, is a knower of the Vedas found?" The Elder said: "Indeed, O great king, in the ultimate sense, a knower of the Vedas is not found." "You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena." The sixth question on the knower of the Vedas. 7. Question on transmigration to another body 7. The king said: "Venerable Nāgasena, is there any being who transmigrates from this body to another body?" "No, O great king." "If, Venerable Nāgasena, there is no one who transmigrates from this body to another body, then surely one will be freed from evil deeds?" ‘‘Yes, great king, if one were not to be reborn, one would be freed from evil deeds. But because, great king, one is reborn, therefore one is not freed from evil deeds.’’ ‘‘Make a simile!’’ ‘‘Just as, great king, if a certain man were to steal another man’s mango, would he be liable to punishment?’’ ‘‘Yes, venerable sir, he would be liable to punishment.’’ ‘‘But, great king, he did not steal those mangoes which he himself had planted. Why would he be liable to punishment?’’ ‘‘Venerable sir, they grew dependent on those, therefore he would be liable to punishment.’’ ‘‘Even so, great king, with this mind-and-body one performs deeds, good or bad. By that deed, another mind-and-body is reborn. Therefore one is not freed from evil deeds.’’ ‘‘You are clever, venerable Nāgasena!’’ The seventh question on the transmigration of another body. 8. The question on the existence of the results of deeds. 8. The king said: ‘‘Venerable Nāgasena, deeds, skillful or unskillful, are done with this mind-and-body. Where do those deeds remain?’’ ‘‘Those deeds, great king, would follow him like an inseparable shadow.’’ ‘‘But, venerable sir, is it possible to show those deeds, ‘Here or here do those deeds remain’?’’ ‘‘It is not possible, great king, to show those deeds, ‘Here or here do those deeds remain’.’’ ‘‘Make a simile!’’ ‘‘What do you think, great king, these trees whose fruits have not yet appeared, is it possible to show their fruits, ‘Here or here do those fruits remain’?’’ ‘‘No, venerable sir.’’ ‘‘Even so, great king, while the continuity is unbroken, it is not possible to show those deeds, ‘Here or here do those deeds remain’.’’ ‘‘You are clever, venerable Nāgasena!’’ The eighth question on the existence of the results of deeds. 9. The question on knowing when one arises. 9. The king said: ‘‘Venerable Nāgasena, does one who arises