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Just so, O great king, here... born right here, he dies; died here, he arises elsewhere; born there, he dies right there; died there, he arises elsewhere; Thus, indeed, great king, is saṃsāra. You are clever, venerable Nāgasena. The Ninth Question on Saṃsāra. 10. The Question on Remembering What Was Done Long Ago 10. The king said, "Venerable Nāgasena, by what does one remember what was done long ago?" "By mindfulness, great king." "But, venerable Nāgasena, does one remember by mind, not by mindfulness?" "Do you recall, great king, having done something and then forgotten it?" "Yes, venerable sir." "Were you, great king, without mind at that time?" "No, venerable sir, mindfulness was not present at that time." "Then why, great king, do you say, 'one remembers by mind, not by mindfulness'?" You are clever, venerable Nāgasena. The Tenth Question on Remembering What Was Done Long Ago. 11. The Question on Remembering Mindfulness 11. The king said, "Venerable Nāgasena, does all mindfulness arise as remembering, or is there also 'rough' mindfulness?" "Both remembering, great king, and 'rough' mindfulness." "Then, venerable Nāgasena, all mindfulness is remembering; there is no 'rough' mindfulness?" "If there is no 'rough' mindfulness, great king, then there is nothing for artisans to do with their crafts, or their skills, or their fields of knowledge; teachers are useless. But because, great king, there is 'rough' mindfulness, therefore there is something to do with crafts, or skills, or fields of knowledge; and there is a purpose for teachers." You are clever, venerable Nāgasena. The Eleventh Question on Remembering Mindfulness. The Sixth Chapter on Mindfulness. In this chapter, there are eleven questions. 7. The Chapter on the Operation of Immaterial Phenomena 1. The Question on the Arising of Mindfulness 1. The king said, "Venerable Nāgasena, in how many ways does mindfulness arise?" "In seventeen ways, great king, mindfulness arises." "Which are these seventeen ways?" "Even from remembering, great king, mindfulness arises..." Mindfulness arises from reflection, Mindfulness arises even from painful effort, Mindfulness arises even from significant experience, Mindfulness arises even from pleasant experience, Mindfulness arises even from unpleasant experience, Mindfulness arises even from similar signs, Mindfulness arises even from dissimilar signs, Mindfulness arises even from knowledge of narratives, Mindfulness arises even from characteristics, Mindfulness arises even from recollection, Mindfulness arises even from impressions, Mindfulness arises even from counting, Mindfulness arises even from retention, Mindfulness arises even from cultivation, Mindfulness arises even from written records, Mindfulness arises even from suggestion, Mindfulness arises even from what has been experienced. "How does mindfulness arise from knowing? Just as, O great king, the Venerable Ānanda and the laywoman Khujjuttarā, or any others who recall past births, remember their births, thus does mindfulness arise from knowing. "How does mindfulness arise from painful effort? One who is naturally forgetful, and others urge him to remember, thus does mindfulness arises from painful effort. "How does mindfulness arise from significant experience? When one is anointed in kingship, or has attained the fruit of stream-entry, thus does mindfulness arise from significant experience. "How does mindfulness arise from pleasant experience? When one has been made happy, one remembers, 'I was made happy in such a way by such a one,' thus does mindfulness arise from pleasant experience. "How does mindfulness arise from unpleasant experience? When one has been made unhappy, one remembers, 'I was made unhappy in such a way by such a one,' thus does mindfulness arise from unpleasant experience. "How does mindfulness arise from similar signs? Seeing a similar person, one remembers one's mother or father or brother or sister; seeing a camel or an ox or a donkey, one remembers another similar camel or ox or donkey, thus does mindfulness arise from similar signs. "How does mindfulness arise from dissimilar signs? The color of such a one is like this, the sound is like this, the smell is like this, the taste is like this, the touch is like this he remembers the sign, thus, even from a dissimilar sign, mindfulness arises. How does mindfulness arise from knowing speech? Whoever is naturally forgetful, others remind him, by that he remembers, thus, from knowing speech, mindfulness arises. How does mindfulness arise from a mark? Whoever naturally knows by the limb of oxen, knows by the mark, thus, from a mark, mindfulness arises. How does mindfulness arise from reminding? Whoever is naturally forgetful, whoever repeatedly reminds him, 'Remember, sir, remember, sir!', thus, from reminding, mindfulness arises. How does mindfulness arise from writing? Having learned writing, one knows, 'after this letter, this letter should be made', thus, from writing, mindfulness arises. How does mindfulness arise from counting? Having learned counting, counters count much, thus, from counting, mindfulness arises. How does mindfulness arise from memorizing? Having learned memorizing, memorizers memorize much, thus, from memorizing, mindfulness arises. How does mindfulness arise from development? Here, a monk recollects his manifold past abodes, that is, one birth, two births... (and so on)... thus he recollects his past abodes with their details and circumstances, thus, from development, mindfulness arises. How does mindfulness arise from a bound book? Kings, not recollecting their instructions, say, 'Bring that book!', by that book they recollect, thus, from a bound book, mindfulness arises. How does mindfulness arise from a deposit? Seeing deposited goods, one remembers, thus, from a deposit, mindfulness arises. How does mindfulness arise from experience? Having seen, one remembers form, having heard, one remembers sound, having smelled, one remembers odor, having tasted, one remembers taste, having touched, one remembers tangible objects, having cognized, one remembers mental objects, thus, from experience, mindfulness arises. By these, indeed, O great king, seventeen aspects, mindfulness arises. You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena. The first question on the arising of mindfulness. 2. The question on obtaining mindfulness of the Buddha's qualities 2. The king said, Venerable Nāgasena, you say this: "Whoever performs unwholesome deeds for a hundred years, and at the time of death obtains mindfulness of a single quality of the Buddha, he will arise among the devas." This I do not believe. And you also say this: "By this taking of life, he will arise in hell." This too I do not believe. What do you think, O great king, would even a small stone float on water without a boat? No, Venerable sir. What then, O great king, would even a hundred loads of stones, placed on a boat, float on water? Yes, Venerable sir. Just as, O great king, the boat, so should wholesome deeds be regarded. You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena. The second question on obtaining mindfulness of the Buddha's qualities. 3. The question on striving for the abandonment of suffering 3. The king said, Venerable Nāgasena, do you strive for the abandonment of past suffering? No, O great king. But do you, Venerable sir, strive for the abandonment of future suffering? No, O great king. But do you strive for the abandonment of present suffering? No, O great king. If you do not strive for the abandonment of past suffering, nor for the abandonment of future suffering, nor for the abandonment of present suffering, then for what purpose do you strive? The Elder said, So that, O great king, this suffering may cease, and other suffering may not arise. For this purpose we strive. But do you have, Venerable Nāgasena, future suffering? No, O great king. Indeed, Venerable Nāgasena, you are exceedingly wise, you who strive for the abandonment of non-existent future sufferings! But do you have, O great king... O King, are there some rival kings, enemies, adversaries, who are present? “Yes, venerable sir, there are.” “Now then, O King, would you then have a moat dug, have a wall built, have a gatehouse made, have watchtowers made, have grain brought in?” “No, venerable sir, that is prepared beforehand.” “Would you, O King, then train in elephants, train in horses, train in chariots, train in archery, train in swordsmanship?” “No, venerable sir, that is trained beforehand.” “For what purpose?” “For repelling, venerable sir, future dangers.” “Now then, O King, is there a future danger?” “No, venerable sir.” “But you, O King, are very wise, who prepare for repelling non-existent future dangers.” “Give a further simile.” “What do you think, O King, when you are thirsty, would you then have a well dug, have a pond dug, have a tank dug, thinking, ‘I will drink water’?” “No, venerable sir, that is prepared beforehand.” “For what purpose?” “For repelling, venerable sir, future thirsts, it is prepared.” “But, O King, is there a future thirst?” “No, venerable sir.” “You, O King, are very wise, who prepare that for repelling non-existent future thirsts.” “Give a further simile.” “What do you think, O King, when you are hungry, would you then have a field plowed, have rice sown, thinking, ‘I will eat food’?” “No, venerable sir, that is prepared beforehand.” “For what purpose?” “For repelling, venerable sir, future hungers.” “But, O King, Are there, future hungers? No, Venerable Sir. Indeed, great king, you are very wise, you who prepare to ward off non-existent, future hungers. You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena. The third question on the effort to abandon suffering. 4. The Question on the Brahma-world 4. The king said, "Venerable Nāgasena, how far is the Brahma-world from here?" Indeed, great king, the Brahma-world is far from here. A rock the size of a gabled house, falling from there,