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know that one arises? Does he know "I shall be reborn"? Yes, great king, he who is reborn knows "I shall be reborn." Give an analogy. Just as, great king, a farmer, a householder, having sown seeds in the earth, when the rain falls properly, does he know "The grain will grow"? Yes, venerable sir, he would know. Even so, great king, he who is reborn knows "I shall be reborn." You are clever, venerable Nāgasena. The ninth question on knowing rebirth. 10. The question on showing the Buddha. 10. The king said, "Venerable Nāgasena, does the Buddha exist?" "Yes, great king, the Blessed One exists." "But, venerable Nāgasena, can the Buddha be pointed out here or there?" "The Blessed One, great king, has attained final Nibbāna with the Nibbāna-element without remainder; the Blessed One cannot be pointed out 'here or there'." Give an analogy. "What do you think, great king, when a great mass of fire is burning, and its flame has gone out, can that flame be pointed out 'here or there'?" "No, venerable sir, that flame has ceased, it has gone beyond designation." "Even so, great king, the Blessed One has attained final Nibbāna with the Nibbāna-element without remainder, he has gone out; the Blessed One cannot be pointed out 'here or there'. But, great king, the Blessed One can be pointed out by the Dhamma-body. For, great king, the Dhamma was taught by the Blessed One." You are clever, venerable Nāgasena. The tenth question on showing the Buddha. The fifth chapter on the Buddha. In this chapter, ten questions. 6. The chapter on Mindfulness. 1. The question on cherishing the body. 1. The king said, "Venerable Nāgasena, is the body dear to renunciants?" "No, great king, the body is not dear to renunciants." "Then why, venerable sir, do you tend to it, do you cherish it?" "But, great king, does it sometimes happen to you, when you go to battle, that you receive an arrow-wound?" "Yes, venerable sir, it happens." "Then, great king, is that wound smeared with ointment and is smeared with oil, and is wrapped with a fine cloth strip?" "Yes, venerable sir, it is smeared with ointment, and is smeared with oil, and is wrapped with a fine cloth strip." "Now then, great king, is that wound dear to you, that it is smeared with ointment, and is smeared with oil, and is wrapped with a fine cloth strip?" "It is not, venerable sir, that the wound is dear to me, but for the sake of the flesh growing, it is smeared with ointment, and is smeared with oil, and is wrapped with a fine cloth strip." "Just so, great king, the body is not dear to renunciants, yet renunciants, unattached, maintain the body for the support of the holy life. Moreover, great king, the body has been called a wound by the Blessed One, therefore renunciants, unattached, maintain the body as if it were a wound. And this was said, great king, by the Blessed One – 'Covered with moist skin, A great wound with nine openings; It oozes all around, With impure, foul-smelling things.'" "You are skillful, venerable Nāgasena." The first question on the body being dear. 2. The question on the state of being all-knowing 2. The king said, "Venerable Nāgasena, is the Buddha all-knowing, all-seeing?" "Yes, great king, the Blessed One is all-knowing, all-seeing." "Then why, venerable Nāgasena, did he lay down the training rules for his disciples gradually?" "Is there, great king, any physician who knows all medicines in this world?" "Yes, venerable sir, there is." "Now then, great king, does that physician give medicine to the sick person at the appropriate time, or at an inappropriate time?" "At the appropriate time, venerable sir, he gives medicine to the sick person, not at an inappropriate time." "Just so, great king, the Blessed One, all-knowing, all-seeing, does not lay down training rules for his disciples at an inappropriate time, he lays down training rules for his disciples at the appropriate time, to be unbroken throughout life." "You are skillful, venerable Nāgasena." All-knowing The second question on the nature of things. 3. The Question on the Marks of a Great Man 3. The king said: "Venerable Nāgasena, is the Buddha endowed with the thirty-two marks of a Great Man, adorned with eighty minor characteristics, of golden hue, with skin like burnished gold, and a fathom-wide aura?" "Yes, great king, the Blessed One is endowed with the thirty-two marks of a Great Man, adorned with eighty minor characteristics, of golden hue, with skin like burnished gold, and a fathom-wide aura." "But, Venerable Sir, were his mother and father also endowed with the thirty-two marks of a Great Man, adorned with eighty minor characteristics, of golden hue, with skin like burnished gold, and a fathom-wide aura?" "No, great king, his mother and father were not endowed with the thirty-two marks of a Great Man, adorned with eighty minor characteristics, of golden hue, with skin like burnished gold, and a fathom-wide aura." "If that is so, Venerable Nāgasena, then a Buddha endowed with the thirty-two marks of a Great Man, adorned with eighty minor characteristics, of golden hue, with skin like burnished gold, and a fathom-wide aura, does not arise. For a son is either like his mother, or of his mother's lineage, or like his father, or of his father's lineage." The Elder said: "Is there, great king, any lotus with a hundred petals?" "Yes, Venerable Sir, there is." "And where does it originate?" "It is born in mud, and stands in water." "Now, great king, is the lotus like the mud in color, or in scent, or in taste?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Then is it like the water in color, or in scent, or in taste?" "No, Venerable Sir." "Just so, great king, the Blessed One is endowed with the thirty-two marks of a Great Man, adorned with eighty minor characteristics, of golden hue, with skin like burnished gold, and a fathom-wide aura, but his mother and father were not endowed with the thirty-two marks of a Great Man, adorned with eighty minor characteristics, of golden hue, with skin like burnished gold, is a fathom-long radiance.” “You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena.” The third question on the marks of a great man. 4. The Question on the Buddha’s Celibacy 4. The king said, “Venerable Nāgasena, was the Buddha celibate?” “Yes, great king, the Fortunate One was celibate.” “Then, Venerable Nāgasena, was the Buddha a disciple of Brahmā?” “Do you have, great king, a leading elephant?” “Yes, Venerable Sir.” “Does that elephant, great king, sometimes make a trumpet sound?” “Yes, Venerable Sir, it trumpets.” “Then, great king, is that elephant a disciple of the koñca bird?” “No, Venerable Sir.” “Is Brahmā, great king, intelligent or unintelligent?” “Intelligent, Venerable Sir.” “Then, great king, Brahmā is a disciple of the Fortunate One.” “You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena.” The fourth question on the Buddha’s celibacy. 5. The Question on the Buddha’s Ordination 5. The king said, “Venerable Nāgasena, is ordination excellent?” “Yes, great king, ordination is excellent.” “Did the Buddha, Venerable Sir, have an ordination, or not?” “The Fortunate One, great king, was ordained at the foot of the Bodhi tree with omniscience; the Fortunate One did not receive ordination given by others, as is the case for disciples. Great king, the Fortunate One lays down precepts that are not to be transgressed as long as life lasts.” “You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena.” The fifth question on the Buddha’s ordination. 6. The Question on Tears as Medicine or Not Medicine 6. The king said, “Venerable Nāgasena, of one who weeps when his mother dies, and one who weeps out of love for the Dhamma, for which of these two weeping ones are the tears medicine, and for which are they not medicine?” “The tears of one, great king, are defiled and hot with lust, hatred, and delusion; the tears of the other are pure and cool with joy and happiness. That which is cool, great king, is medicine; that which is hot is not medicine.” “You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena.” The question on tears as medicine or not medicine. Sixth. 7. The Question on the Difference between the Passionate and the Dispassionate 7. The king said, "Venerable Nāgasena, what is the difference between the passionate and the dispassionate?" "One, O great king, is attached; one is unattached." "What is this, venerable sir, 'attached' and 'unattached'?" "One, O great king, is desirous; one is not desirous." "I see, venerable sir, that both the passionate and the dispassionate, all of them desire only what is good, whether it be food or drink; no one desires what is bad." "The not-dispassionate, O great king, experiences the taste and experiences the craving for the taste when eating food. But the dispassionate experiences the taste when eating food, but does not experience the craving for the taste." "You are clever, venerable Nāgasena." The Question on the Difference between the Passionate and the Dispassionate, the seventh. 8. The Question on the Abode of Wisdom 8. The king said, "Venerable Nāgasena, where does wisdom dwell?" "Nowhere, O great king." "Then, venerable Nāgasena, there is no wisdom." "Where does wind dwell, O great king?" "Nowhere, venerable sir." "Then, O great king, there is no wind." "You are clever, venerable Nāgasena." The Question on the Abode of Wisdom, the eighth. 9. The Question on Saṃsāra 9. The king said, "Venerable Nāgasena, what is this 'saṃsāra' that you speak of? What is that saṃsāra?" "Here, O great king, one is born and here one dies. Having died here, one arises elsewhere. Born there, one dies there. Having died there, one arises elsewhere. Thus, O great king, is saṃsāra." "Give an analogy." "Just as, O great king, some man, having eaten a ripe mango, might plant the seed. From that, a large mango tree would grow and give fruit. Then that man, having eaten a ripe mango from that, might plant the seed. From that, a large mango tree would grow and give fruit. In this way, the end of these trees is not known.