English
a Wheel-turning monarch might say to his sons, 'This great kingdom, my sons, surrounded by the ocean on all sides, is difficult, my sons, to maintain with so much power. Come, my sons, after my passing, abandon the territories in the outlying regions.' Would those princes, great king, after their father's passing, abandon all those outlying territories in the kingdom they had in hand?" "No, venerable sir. The princes, venerable sir, being more greedy for the kingdom than the king, would seize a kingdom twice or thrice as large. How could they abandon the kingdom they had in hand?" "Even so, great king, the Tathāgata, while testing the bhikkhus, said this: 'Ananda, if the Saṅgha wishes, after my passing, it may abolish the minor and lesser training rules.' For liberation from suffering, great king, the sons of the Buddha, out of love for the Dhamma, would protect even an additional one hundred and fifty training rules. How then could they abandon the training rules originally laid down?" what should they abandon? “Venerable Nāgasena, that which the Blessed One said, ‘minor and sub-minor training rules,’ concerning this, this populace is confused, arisen in doubt, greatly fallen into perplexity. Which are those minor training rules? Which are the sub-minor training rules?” “A wrong-doing, O great king, is a minor training rule; an ill-spoken word is a sub-minor training rule. These are the two minor and sub-minor training rules. Even by the former great elders, O great king, doubt was raised concerning this. Even by them, it was not made clear how this question was taught by the Blessed One in the context of the establishment of the Dhamma.” “Long-hidden, Venerable Nāgasena, is the secret of the Victor, today revealed and made manifest in the world.” The first question on minor and sub-minor rules. 2. The question on what should not be declared. “Venerable Nāgasena, this was also said by the Blessed One: ‘There is no teacher’s closed fist, Ānanda, in the Tathāgata’s teachings.’ Yet again, when questioned by the elder Mālukyaputta, he did not declare the answer. This question, Venerable Nāgasena, must be based on one of two extremes: either not knowing, or keeping it secret. If, Venerable Nāgasena, it was said by the Blessed One, ‘There is no teacher’s closed fist, Ānanda, in the Tathāgata’s teachings,’ then he did not declare it to the elder Mālukyaputta out of not knowing. If he did not declare it while knowing, then there is a teacher’s closed fist in the Tathāgata’s teachings. This two-horned question has also come to you; it must be resolved by you.” “This was also said, O great king, by the Blessed One, ‘There is no teacher’s closed fist, Ānanda, in the Tathāgata’s teachings.’ And the question asked by the elder Mālukyaputta was not declared, but that was neither from not knowing nor from keeping it secret. There are these four ways of answering questions, O great king. Which are the four? A question to be answered categorically, a question to be answered analytically, a question to be answered by a counter-question, is a question to be set aside. “And what, great king, is a question to be answered categorically? ‘Form is impermanent’ is a question to be answered categorically. ‘Feeling is impermanent’… ‘Perception is impermanent’… ‘Formations are impermanent’… ‘Consciousness is impermanent’ is a question to be answered categorically. This is a question to be answered categorically. “What is a question to be answered analytically? ‘Is form impermanent?’ is a question to be answered analytically. ‘Is feeling impermanent?’… ‘Is perception impermanent?’… ‘Are formations impermanent?’… ‘Is consciousness impermanent?’ is a question to be answered analytically. This is a question to be answered analytically. “What is a question to be answered by counter-question? ‘Does one know everything with the eye?’ This is a question to be answered by counter-question. “What is a question to be set aside? ‘The world is eternal’ is a question to be set aside. ‘The world is not eternal.’ ‘The world is finite.’ ‘The world is infinite.’ ‘The world is both finite and infinite.’ ‘The world is neither finite nor infinite.’ ‘The soul is the same as the body.’ ‘The soul is one thing, the body another.’ ‘Does the Tathāgata exist after death?’ ‘Does the Tathāgata not exist after death?’ ‘Does the Tathāgata both exist and not exist after death?’ ‘Does the Tathāgata neither exist nor not exist after death?’ is a question to be set aside. This is a question to be set aside. “The Blessed One, great king, did not answer that question to be set aside for the elder Mālukyaputta. And why is that question to be set aside? There is no reason or cause for its explanation. Therefore, that question is to be set aside. There is no utterance of the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, that is without cause or reason.” “Excellent, Venerable Nāgasena, I accept it thus, just so.” The second question on what is not to be answered. 3. The question on fearing and not fearing death 3. “Venerable Nāgasena, it has been said by the Blessed One: ‘All tremble at punishment, all fear death.’ Again it has been said: ‘The Arahant has overcome all fear.’ Now, Venerable Nāgasena, If an Arahant fears the rod, or if beings in hell, burning, boiling, heated, scorched, escaping from that great hell with its blazing net of fire, fear death, then, Venerable Nāgasena, if the Blessed One said: ‘All tremble at the rod, all fear death,’ then the statement ‘An Arahant has overcome all fear’ is false. If the Blessed One said: ‘An Arahant has overcome all fear,’ then that statement too: ‘All tremble at the rod, all fear death’ is false. This two-horned problem has come to you; you must resolve it. “This statement, great king, ‘All tremble at the rod, all fear death,’ was not spoken by the Blessed One with reference to Arahants. The Arahant is excluded from that matter; the cause of fear is uprooted for the Arahant. Those beings, great king, who are defiled, and who have excessive self-view, and who are elated or dejected by pleasure and pain— with reference to them the Blessed One said: ‘All tremble at the rod, all fear death.’ For the Arahant, great king, all destinations are cut off, birth is destroyed, re-linking is eliminated, the ribs are broken, all abodes of existence are uprooted, all formations are cut off, wholesome and unwholesome karma are slain, ignorance is dispelled, consciousness is made seedless, all defilements are burnt, the ways of the world are overcome. Therefore, an Arahant does not tremble at any fear. “Here, great king, there might be four chief ministers of a king, trusted, renowned, placed in a position of great authority. Then, if some royal duty arises, the king might command all the people throughout his kingdom: ‘All of you must pay tribute to me; you four chief ministers, accomplish that duty.’ Would fear of tribute arise in those four chief ministers, great king?” “No, Venerable Sir.” “For what reason, great king?” “They are placed, Venerable Sir, by the king in the highest position.” There is no tribute for them; they are beyond tribute. Concerning the rest, the king commanded: "Let all pay tribute to me!" Just so, great king, this word was not spoken by the Blessed One concerning Arahants. The Arahant is excluded in that matter; the cause of fear is uprooted for the Arahant. Those beings, great king, who are defiled, and who have excessive self-view, and who are elated and dejected by pleasure and pain— concerning them the Blessed One spoke: "All tremble at punishment, all fear death." Therefore, the Arahant does not tremble at all fears. "This word, venerable Nāgasena, is not partial; this word 'all' is absolute. Tell me a further reason there to establish that word." Here, great king, in a village, the village head might command a herald: "Come, O herald, as many villagers as are in the village, gather them all quickly before me!" He, assenting, "Yes, master!" standing in the middle of the village, would announce three times: "As many villagers as are in the village, let them all gather very quickly before the master!" Then those villagers, by the herald's word, gathering very quickly, would report to the village head: "All the villagers, master, have gathered. Do what you need to do!" Thus, great king, the village head, gathering the householders, commands 'all' the villagers. But those commanded do not all gather; only the householders gather. And the village head accepts it thus: "These are all my villagers." Many others who did not come— men and women, male and female slaves, hired workers, laborers, villagers who are sick, cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep, dogs— all those who did not come are not counted. Because the command "let all gather" was given concerning only the householders. Just so, great king, this word was not spoken by the Blessed One concerning Arahants. The Arahant is excluded in that matter; the cause of fear is uprooted for the Arahant. Those beings, great king, who are s without defilements, and those who have excessive self-view, and those who are elated and dejected in pleasure and pain— concerning them, it was said by the Blessed One: 'All tremble at the rod, all fear death.' Therefore, an Arahant does not tremble at any fear. "There is, O great king, a statement with a remainder and an meaning with a remainder. There is a statement with a remainder and an meaning without a remainder. There is a statement without a remainder and an meaning with a remainder. There is a statement without a remainder and an meaning without a remainder. By that, the meaning should be accepted. "O great king, the meaning should be accepted by five kinds of reasons: by the direct statement, by the flavor, by the tradition of teachers, by intention, by the superiority of the reason. Here, 'direct statement' means a Sutta. 'Flavor' means conformity with the Suttas. 'Tradition of teachers' means the teaching of the teachers.