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by which reason the Blessed One prohibited it. This was also spoken, O great king, by the Elder Kumārakassapa, the eloquent speaker, while explaining the other world to King Pāyāsi: "Indeed, O noble one, as long as ascetics and brahmins, virtuous and of good conduct, remain for a long, extended period, so do they generate much merit, and they practice for the welfare of many, for the happiness of many, out of compassion for the world, for the good, for the benefit, for the happiness of gods and humans." "But for what reason did the Blessed One encourage it? Birth, O great king, is suffering. Old age is suffering. Sickness is suffering. Death is suffering. Sorrow is suffering. Lamentation is suffering. Pain is suffering. Grief is suffering. Despair is suffering. Association with the disliked is suffering. Separation from the liked is suffering. Mother's death is suffering. Father's death is suffering. Brother's death is suffering. Sister's death is suffering. Son's death is suffering. Wife's death is suffering. Servant's death is suffering. Kinsfolk's death is suffering. Calamity of kinsfolk is suffering. Calamity of sickness is suffering. Calamity of wealth is suffering. Calamity of virtue is suffering. Calamity of views is suffering. Fear of kings is suffering. Fear of thieves is suffering. Fear of enemies is suffering. Fear of famine is suffering. Fear of fire is suffering. Fear of water is suffering. Fear of waves is suffering. Fear of whirlpools is suffering. Fear of crocodiles is suffering. Fear of sharks is suffering. Fear of self-reproach is suffering. Fear of others' reproach is suffering. Fear of punishment is suffering. Fear of a bad destination is suffe— fear of the assembly, fear of the company, fear of the livelihood, fear of death, beating with whips, beating with canes, beating with half-staves, cutting off hands, cutting off feet, cutting off hands and feet, cutting off ears, cutting off nose, cutting off ears and nose, the gruel pot, the conch-shell shaven head, the Rahu's mouth, the garland of flames, the hand-torch, the ear-roll, the bark-robe, the antelope-like, the fish-hook flesh, the coin-like, the alkali-cut, the turning on a stake, the straw-mat, the dousing with hot oil, the feeding to dogs, the impaling alive, the beheading with a sword— such, great king, are the many and various sufferings experienced by one in transmigration. Just as, great king, water that has fallen on the Himavanta mountain flows through the river Ganga, over rocks, gravel, rough sand, whirlpools, gurgling sounds, waves, currents, and among roots and branches that obstruct and impede; even so, great king, such many and various sufferings are experienced by one in transmigration. Transmigration, great king, is suffering; non-transmigration is happiness. Displaying the virtue of non-transmigration and the danger of transmigration, the Blessed One, great king, exhorted to realize non-transmigration, to overcome birth, old age, sickness, and death. This, great king, is the reason for which the Blessed One exhorted.” “Excellent, Venerable Nagasena, the problem is well-explained, the reason well-stated. So it is, I accept it.” The fifth problem is the problem of self-immolation. 6. The problem of the benefits of cultivating loving-kindness. 6. “Venerable N Nāgasena, This was spoken by the Blessed One: ‘Monks, by the liberation of mind through loving-kindness, practiced, developed, made much of, made a vehicle, made a basis, established, familiarized, well-undertaken, eleven advantages are to be expected. Which eleven? One sleeps happily, one wakes happily, one sees no bad dreams, one is dear to humans, one is dear to non-humans, deities protect one, fire, poison, or weapon does not affect one, the mind quickly becomes concentrated, the countenance is serene, one dies unconfused, and if one penetrates no further, one goes to the Brahma-world.’ Yet you say again: ‘Prince Sāma, dwelling in loving-kindness, surrounded by a herd of deer, wandering in the forest, was shot by King Pīḷiyakkha, with a poisoned arrow, and there he fainted and fell.’ ‘If, venerable Nāgasena, the Blessed One said: ‘Monks, by loving-kindness… (etc.)… one goes to the Brahma-world,’ then the statement: ‘Prince Sāma, dwelling in loving-kindness, surrounded by a herd of deer, wandering in the forest, was shot by King Pīḷiyakkha, with a poisoned arrow, and there he fainted and fell’ —that statement is false. If Prince Sāma, dwelling in loving-kindness, surrounded by a herd of deer, wandering in the forest, was shot by King Pīḷiyakkha, with a poisoned arrow, and there he fainted and fell, then the statement: ‘Monks, by loving-kindness… (etc.)… or weapon does not affect one’ —that statement is also false. This is a two-edged problem, very subtle, refined, profound, and deep, which could make even very clever people sweat. It has come to you. Untangle this great tangle, give sight to the Buddhas' sons of the future, for their liberation.’ ‘This was spoken, great king, by the Blessed One: ‘Monks, by loving-kindness… (etc.)… or weapon does not affect one.’ And Prince Sāma, dwelling in loving-kindness, surrounded by a herd of deer, wandering in the forest, was shot by King Pīḷiyakkha, with a poisoned arrow, and there he... Thus he fainted and fell. But there, great king, there is a reason. What is the reason there? These, great king, are not the qualities of the person, these are the qualities of the development of loving-kindness. Prince Sāma, great king, while lifting the pot, at that moment, was negligent in the development of loving-kindness. At the moment, great king, when a person is absorbed in loving-kindness, at that moment, fire or poison or a weapon does not affect that person. Whoever wishes him ill, coming near, do not see him, do not find an opportunity there. These, great king, are not the qualities of the person, these are the qualities of the development of loving-kindness. Here, great king, a man, a hero in battle, having donned an impenetrable coat of mail, might enter battle. Arrows shot at him, coming near, fall and scatter, they do not find an opportunity there. This, great king, is not the quality of the battle hero, this is the quality of the impenetrable coat of mail, because of which the arrows shot coming near, fall and scatter. Just so, great king, these are not the qualities of the person, these are the qualities of the development of loving-kindness. At the moment, great king, when a person is absorbed in loving-kindness, at that moment, fire or poison or a weapon does not affect that person. Whoever wishes him ill, coming near, do not see him, do not find an opportunity there. These, great king, are not the qualities of the person, these are the qualities of the development of loving-kindness. Here, great king, a man might hold a divine root of disappearance in his hand. As long as that root is in his hand, no other ordinary person sees that man. This, great king, is not the quality of the man, this is the quality of the root of disappearance, because of which he is not seen by the eyes of ordinary people. Just so, great king, these are not the qualities of the person, these are the qualities of the development of loving-kindness. At the moment, great king, when a person is absorbed in loving-kindness, at that moment, fire or poison or a weapon does not affect that person. Whoever wishes him ill, coming near, do not cannot pass, they find no space there. These, O great king, are not the qualities of the person, these are the qualities of the development of loving-kindness. Or again, O great king, when a great, great cloud rains down upon a man who has entered a well-made great cave, it cannot wet him. This, O great king, is not the quality of the man, this is the quality of the great cave, that the great cloud, though raining down, does not wet it. Even so, O great king, these are not the qualities of the person, these are the qualities of the development of loving-kindness. At the moment, O great king, when a person is absorbed in loving-kindness, fire or poison or a weapon does not affect that person at that moment. Whoever wishes him harm, coming near, do not see him, they cannot do him harm. These, O great king, are not the qualities of the person, these are the qualities of the development of loving-kindness.” “Wonderful, Venerable Nāgasena, amazing, Venerable Nāgasena, the development of loving-kindness wards off all evil!” “The development of loving-kindness, O great king, brings forth all wholesome qualities, for both friends and foes, for all beings bound by consciousness, the development of loving-kindness should be shared with all, for great is its benefit.” The sixth question on the benefits of developing loving-kindness. 7. The question of the equality and inequality of wholesome and unwholesome. 7. “Venerable Nāgasena, is the result for one who does wholesome deeds and one who does unwholesome deeds equal and the same, or is there some difference?” “There is, O great king, a difference between wholesome and unwholesome. Wholesome, O great king, has a pleasant result, leading to heaven. Unwholesome has a painful result, leading to hell.” “Venerable Nāgasena, you say that Devadatta was entirely dark, endowed with entirely dark qualities, and the Bodhisatta was entirely bright, endowed with entirely bright qualities. Yet Devadatta, in birth after birth, was equal to the Bodhisatta in fame and following, and sometimes even superior. When Devadatta was the son of the chief priest of King Brahmadatta in the city of Bārāṇasī, the Bodhisatta was a low-caste outcaste, a master of magic, reciting spells having prayed, he caused mango fruits to ripen out of season. Here, the Bodhisatta was inferior to Devadatta in birth and inferior in fame. Moreover, when Devadatta was a king, a great sovereign, endowed with all desires, then the Bodhisatta was his possession, an elephant king,