English
'Intention' means one's own understanding. 'Superiority of the reason' means a reason consistent with these four. Indeed, O great king, by these five reasons the meaning should be accepted. Thus, this question is well-resolved." "So be it, Venerable Nāgasena, I accept it thus. Let the Arahant be established in that matter; let the remaining beings tremble. But in hell, the hell-beings, experiencing suffering, intense, bitter feelings, with all their limbs and minor parts burning and blazing, with faces crying, wailing, lamenting, weeping, babbling, overwhelmed by unbearable, intense suffering, without protection, without refuge, having become without refuge, afflicted by immense sorrow, having their final and ultimate destination, wholly devoted to sorrow, possessing hot, sharp, fierce, harsh, burning energy, with terrifying, fear-generating, roaring great sounds, entangled in six kinds of intertwined fiery nets and garlands, with fiery surges spreading a hundred yojanas all around, (those) miserable, burning great hells, do they, when passing away, fear death?" "Yes, O great king." "Is it not, Venerable Nāgasena, that hell is exclusively for experiencing suffering? Why then do those hell-beings, who are exclusively experiencing suffering, fear death when passing away from hell? Why do they delight in hell?" "They do not, O great king..." , the beings in hell delight in hell, yet they wish to be freed from hell. That is the power of death, O Great King, by which terror arises in them.” “This, Reverend Nāgasena, I do not believe, that terror arises in those who wish to be freed, when they are about to die. That is a laughable point, Reverend Nāgasena, that they obtain what they desire. Explain it to me with a reason.” “Death, O Great King, is a terrifying thing for those who have not seen the truth. Here, this populace trembles and is agitated. And whoever, O Great King, fears a black snake, fears the black snake fearing death. And whoever fears an elephant… …a lion… …a tiger… …a leopard… …a bear… …a hyena… …a buffalo… …a wild ox… …fire… …water… …a stump… …a thorn. And whoever fears a spear, fears the spear fearing death. That is the inherent power of death, O Great King. By its inherent power, beings with defilements tremble and fear death. Even those who wish to be freed, O Great King, the beings in hell, tremble and fear death. “Here, O Great King, a fatty tumor might arise in a man’s body. Suffering from that disease, wishing to be freed from the affliction, he would summon a physician, a surgeon. That physician, that surgeon, accepting his word, would prepare the instruments for removing the disease, sharpen a knife, put a pair of tongs into the fire, grind caustic salt with a pestle. Would terror not arise, O Great King, in that patient from the cutting with the sharp knife, the burning with the hot tongs, the insertion of the caustic salt?” “Yes, Reverend.” “Thus, O Great King, even in that patient who wishes to be freed from the disease, terror arises from the fear of pain.” Just so, O King, even for beings in hell who wish to be freed from hell, fear arises from the terror of death. "Here, O King, a man guilty of an offense against the king, bound in chains, thrown into prison, might wish to be freed. Then the king, wishing to free him, might summon him. Would not, O King, that man, guilty of an offense against the king, knowing 'I have committed a fault,' feel terror at the sight of the king?" "Yes, Venerable Sir." "Thus, O King, even for that man, guilty of an offense against the king, who wishes to be freed, terror arises from fear of the king. Just so, O King, even for beings in hell who wish to be freed from hell, fear arises from the terror of death." "Venerable Sir, please tell me another reason, by which I may be convinced." "Here, O King, a man might be bitten by a poisonous snake, a venomous serpent. He might fall, or rise, roll, or writhe from that venomous affliction. Then another man, with a powerful incantation, might bring that poisonous snake, that venomous serpent, and make it suck back its venom. Would not, O King, that man, afflicted by venom, feel terror when that poisonous snake, approaches for his well-being?" "Yes, Venerable Sir." Thus, O King, even when such a snake approaches for his well-being, terror arises in him. Just so, O King, even for beings in hell who wish to be freed from hell, fear arises from the terror of death. Death, O King, is unwelcome to all beings. Therefore, beings in hell, even though they wish to be freed from hell, fear death." "Excellent, Venerable Nāgasena, I accept this as it is." The Third Question on Fearing and Not Fearing Death. 4. The Question on Freedom from the Snare of Death. 4. "Venerable Nāgasena, this was spoken by the Blessed One – 'Not in the sky, not in the midst of the ocean, nor by entering a mountain cave; there is no place on earth' a place where, standing, one might be freed from the snare of death. Again, the Blessed One declared protective chants. That is to say, the Jewel Sutta, the Discourse on Loving-kindness, the Khandha Protection, the Peacock Protection, the Dhajagga Protection, the Āṭānāṭiya Protection, the Aṅgulimāla Protection. If, Venerable Nāgasena, even if one is in the sky, or in the midst of the ocean, or in a palace, or a peak, or a cave, or a grotto, or a ravine, or a chasm, or a mountain, or a fissure, or a mountain-gap, one is not freed from the snare of death, then the work of protection is false. If by performing protection there is release from the snare of death, then that saying, ‘not in the sky… …from the snare of death,’ that too is false. This two-edged problem, even more entangled than entangled, has come to you, it should be resolved by you.” “That too was spoken, great king, by the Blessed One, ‘not in the sky… …from the snare of death,’ and protective chants were declared by the Blessed One. But that is for one whose life-span is remaining, who is endowed with vitality, who is free from karmic obstructions. There is not, great king, for one whose life-span is exhausted, any action or effort for continuance. Just as, great king, for a dead tree, dry, withered, sapless, whose life has ceased, whose life-formations have passed, even if one pours water with a thousand jars, there would be no moistening, or sprouting, or greenness. Even so, great king, by the action of medicine and protection, there is no action or effort for the continuance of one whose life-span is exhausted. Those medicines and remedies on earth, great king, they too become ineffectual for one whose life-span is exhausted. Protection protects and guards, great king, one whose life-span is remaining, who is endowed with vitality, who is free from karmic obstructions. For that purpose, the Blessed One declared protective chants. Just as, great king, a farmer would prevent the entry of water into ripened grain, into dead stalks of grain. But that grain which is young, like a cloud, endowed with vitality, that grows with the increase of water. Even so, great king, the action of medicine and protection is set aside, rejected, for one whose life-span is exhausted. But those people whose life-span is remaining, who are endowed with vitality, they…” For their benefit protective medicines are recited, they thrive by these protective medicines. "If, Venerable Nāgasena, one whose life is exhausted dies, one whose life remains lives, then protective medicines are useless." "Have you ever seen, O great king, any disease turned back by medicines?" "Yes, Venerable sir, hundreds have been seen." "Then, O great king, that saying, 'the action of protective medicines is useless,' that is false." "Venerable Nāgasena, the efforts of physicians are seen, the drinking and anointing of medicines, by their efforts disease is turned back." "O great king, when protective recitations are performed, a sound is heard, the tongue dries, the heart is agitated, the throat is strained. By their performance, all diseases subside, all calamities disappear." "Have you ever seen, O great king, someone bitten by a snake, expelling poison by a mantra, vomiting poison, spewing it up and down?" "Yes, Venerable sir, that still happens in the world today." "Then, O great king, that saying, 'the action of protective medicines is useless,' that is false. For, O great king, a snake wishing to bite a man who has performed protective recitations does not bite; it closes its open mouth. Even a raised club of robbers does not strike; they drop the club and show affection. Even an enraged elephant king, coming near, stops. Even a blazing great mass of fire, coming near, is extinguished. Even deadly poison, if eaten, becomes an antidote, or it serves as food. Executioners wishing to kill, coming near, become like servants. Even a stepped-on snare does not tighten." "Have you ever heard, O great king, 'for a peacock that had performed protective recitations for seven hundred years, a hunter could not set a snare, but for one that had not performed protective recitations, he set the snare that very day'?" "Yes, Venerable sir, it is heard, that is well-known..." the sound in the world with its devas.” “Then, great king, the statement that ‘the action of protective charms and medicine is useless’ is false. “Have you ever heard, great king, that ‘a demon, guarding his wife, put her in a casket, swallowed it, and carried it in his belly; then a certain sorcerer, entering through the demon’s mouth, enjoyed himself with her; when the demon found out, he vomited up the casket and opened it; as soon as the casket was opened, the sorcerer departed as he wished’?” “Yes, venerable sir, it is heard; that sound has also spread in the world with its devas.” “Was not that sorcerer, great king, freed from capture by the power of a protective charm?” “Yes, venerable sir.” “Then, great king, there is power in protective charms. “Have you ever heard, great king,