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B0102052002(2 3)milindapañho (milinda questions)

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with these five root-medicines'?" "No, venerable sir, enough with those five root-medicines, what use are those five root-medicines?" "Just as, O great king, the five root-medicines, so should the five faculties be seen: the faculty of faith, the faculty of energy, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, the faculty of wisdom. Just as the physician, so should the meditator be seen. Just as illness, so should defilements be seen. Just as the sick person, so should the ordinary person be seen. Just as by the five root-medicines the humors of the sick person are expelled, and when the humors are expelled, the sick person becomes healthy, so by the five faculties defilements are expelled, and defilements, though expelled, do not arise again. Even so, O great king, wisdom, having done its work, ceases right there, but what was done by that wisdom – 'impermanent' or 'suffering' or 'not-self' – that does not cease. "Give another simile." "Just as, O great king, a warrior skilled in battle, taking five arrows, might enter battle to conquer the enemy army, and having gone into battle, he might shoot those five arrows, and by them the enemy army might be broken, does it occur to that warrior skilled in battle, O great king, 'Shall I make use of these arrows again for the purpose of arrows?'" "No, venerable sir, these arrows are enough, what is the use of these arrows?" "Just as, great king, there are five arrows, so should the five faculties be seen: the faculty of faith, the faculty of energy, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, the faculty of wisdom. Just as, great king, there is a warrior skilled in battle, so should the yogi be seen. Just as there is an enemy army, so should defilements be seen. Just as the enemy army is shattered by five arrows, so are defilements shattered by the five faculties, and shattered defilements do not arise again. Even so, great king, wisdom, having done its work, ceases right there. But what was done by that wisdom, such as 'impermanent' or 'suffering' or 'non-self,' that does not cease." "You are clever, venerable Nāgasena." The third question on knowledge and wisdom. 4. The question on the person who does not reconnect and feels. 4. The king said: "Venerable Nāgasena, does one who does not reconnect feel any painful feeling?" The elder said: "He feels some, he does not feel some." "What does he feel, what does he not feel?" "He feels, great king, bodily feeling, he does not feel mental feeling." "How, venerable sir, does he feel bodily feeling, how does he not feel mental feeling?" "Because the cause, the condition for the arising of bodily painful feeling does not cease, he feels bodily painful feeling. Because the cause, the condition for the arising of mental painful feeling ceases, he does not feel mental painful feeling. And this, great king, was spoken by the Blessed One: 'He feels one feeling, bodily, not mental.'" "Venerable Nāgasena, why does one who feels painful feeling not attain final Nibbāna?" "There is not, great king, any affection or aversion for an Arahant. And Arahants, being wise, do not cause the unripe to ripen; they await its full ripening. And this, great king, was spoken by the elder—" by the Elder Sāriputta, the General of the Dhamma— “I do not delight in death, I do not delight in life; I await the time, like a hired worker for his wages. “I do not delight in death, I do not delight in life; I await the time, mindful and with full awareness.” “You are skilled, Venerable Nāgasena!” [See Theragāthā 654]. The fourth question: The person who experiences rebirth. 5. The Question on Feeling 5. The king said, “Venerable Nāgasena, is pleasant feeling wholesome, unwholesome, or indeterminate?” “It may be wholesome, great king, it may be unwholesome, it may be indeterminate.” “If, Venerable sir, it is wholesome, it is not painful; if it is painful, it is not wholesome. Wholesome and painful do not arise together.” “What do you think, great king? If a man were to have a hot iron ball placed in one hand, and a cold lump of ice placed in the other hand, would both of them burn him, great king?” “Yes, Venerable sir, both of them would burn him.” “Are both of them hot, great king?” “No, Venerable sir.” “Are both of them cold, great king?” “No, Venerable sir.” “Understand the refutation: if the hot burns, and both are not hot, then it does not arise. If the cold burns, and both are not cold, then it does not arise. Why then, great king, do both burn, and yet both are not hot, and both are not cold? One is hot, one is cold, and both burn; therefore it does not arise.” “I am not able to converse with you, the speaker. Please explain the meaning.” Then the Elder enlightened King Milinda with a discourse connected with Abhidhamma— “There are these six, great king, pleasures rooted in household life, six pleasures rooted in renunciation, six displeasures rooted in household life, six displeasures rooted in renunciation, six equanimities rooted in household life, six equanimities rooted in renunciation. These are the six sets of six, making thirty-six in the past. there are thirty-six kinds of feeling, future feelings are also thirty-six kinds, present feelings are also thirty-six kinds. Gathering these together, collecting them, there are one hundred and eight feelings.” “You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena.” The fifth question is on feeling. 6. The Question on the Unity and Diversity of Name-and-Form 6. The king said, “Venerable Nāgasena, what is it that is reborn?” The Elder said, “It is name-and-form, great king, that is reborn.” “Is it this very name-and-form that is reborn?” “No, great king, it is not this very name-and-form that is reborn. But by means of this name-and-form, great king, one performs kamma, good or bad. By that kamma, another name-and-form is reborn.” “If, Venerable sir, it is not this very name-and-form that is reborn, then will he not be freed from evil deeds?” The Elder said, “If it were not reborn, he would be freed from evil deeds. But inasmuch as, great king, it is reborn, therefore he is not freed from evil deeds.” “Give an illustration.” “Just as, great king, if a certain man were to steal another man’s mango, and the owner of the mango, having caught him, were to show him to the king, saying, ‘By this man, O king, my mangoes have been stolen.’ And he would say, ‘O king, I did not steal this man’s mangoes. Those mangoes that he planted are different, and those mangoes that I stole are different. I am not liable to punishment.’ Would that man, great king, be liable to punishment?” “Yes, Venerable sir, he would be liable to punishment.” “For what reason?” “Even though he might say so, Venerable sir, that man would be liable to punishment because he did not deny the former mango, but the latter mango.” “Even so, great king, by means of this name-and-form one performs kamma, good or bad. By that kamma, another name-and-form is reborn. Therefore he is not freed from evil deeds.” “Give a further illustration.” “Just as, great king, if a certain man he would steal another man's rice... or he would steal sugarcane... Just as, great king, some man in the winter season might light a fire, and having left it without extinguishing it, he might go away. Then that fire might burn another man's field. The owner of the field would seize him and show him to the king: 'By this man, O deva, my field was burned.' He would say: 'I, O deva, did not burn his field. That fire which I left unextinguished is one thing; that fire which burned his field is another. I am not liable for punishment.' Would that man, great king, be liable for punishment?" "Yes, venerable sir, he would be liable for punishment." "For what reason?" "Even though he might say so, that man, venerable sir, would be liable for punishment by the latter fire, without denying the former fire." "Just so, great king, by this name-and-form one performs deeds, good or bad. By that deed, another name-and-form is reborn. Therefore, he is not freed from evil deeds." "Give another simile." "Just as, great king, some man might take a lamp, ascend to an upper chamber, and eat. The burning lamp might set fire to grass. The burning grass might set fire to a house. The burning house might set fire to a village. The villagers would seize that man and say: 'Why, good sir, did you burn the village?' He would say: 'I, good sirs, did not burn the village. That lamp-fire, by the light of which I ate, is one thing; that fire which burned the village is another.' If they, disputing, were to come to you, whose side, great king, would you take?" "The villagers', venerable sir." "For what reason?" "Even though he might say so, yet that fire originated from that." "Just so, great king, even though one name-and-form is mortal, and another the mind-and-body at rebirth, but it is born from that very one. Therefore, he is not freed from evil deeds.” “Give me another simile,” he said. “Just as, great king, some man might betroth a young girl, give a dowry, and depart. Later, she would be grown up, of age. Then another man might give a dowry and marry her. The first man would come and say, ‘Why, sir, did you take my wife?’ He would say, ‘I did not take your wife. That young girl, who was betrothed by you and for whom a dowry was given, was another. This grown-up girl, of age, betrothed by me and for whom a dowry was given, is another.’ They, disputing, would come to you. Whose side would you take, great king?” “The first man’s, venerable sir.” “For what reason?” “Although he might say that, she was born from that very one.” “Even so, great king, although the mind-and-body at death is one, and the mind-and-body at rebirth is another, yet it is born from that very one. Therefore, he is not entirely freed from evil deeds.” “Give me another simile,” he said. “Just as, great king, some man might buy a pot of milk from a cowherd, deposit it in his hands,