English
without trouble, without hindrance, dies; that one is called 'without trouble, without hindrance, having reached the peak of life, having died at the right time'. Or just as, great king, for one bitten by a powerful venomous snake, a snake-charmer, in between, having given an antidote, might make it non-poisonous; would that venom, great king, be called 'gone at the right time'? No, venerable sir. But why, great king, was that later venom not gone at the same time as the former venom? Venerable sir, the venom, oppressed by an incoming antidote, departed before its peak. Just so, great king, whoever dies before their time, is oppressed by an incoming disease, or by a wind-borne illness... or oppressed by the force of a weapon, dies before their time. This, great king, is the reason here, by which reason there is death before its time. Or just as, great king, an archer might shoot an arrow; if that arrow It reaches the end of its intended path. That arrow is called 'unafflicted, unhindered, having reached the end of its intended path'. Just so, great king, whoever lives a long time, worn out by old age, with life exhausted, dies unafflicted, unhindered, that one is called 'unafflicted, unhindered, having reached death at the proper time'. Or again, great king, if an archer were to shoot an arrow, and someone were to catch that arrow at that very moment, would that arrow, great king, be called 'having reached the end of its intended path'? "No, venerable sir." "Why then, great king, did that latter arrow not go as far as the former arrow?" "By an external grasp, venerable sir, the flight of that arrow was interrupted." Just so, great king, whoever dies untimely, that one is afflicted by an adventitious disease, or by a disorder of wind... or afflicted by a sudden force, dies untimely. This here, great king, is the reason, by which reason there is untimely death. Or again, great king, if someone were to strike a metal vessel, and the sound, having arisen from that striking, were to reach the end of its intended path, that sound is called 'unafflicted, unhindered, having reached the end of its intended path'. Just so, great king, whoever lives for many thousands of days, worn out by old age, with life exhausted, dies unafflicted, unhindered, that one is called 'unafflicted, unhindered, having reached death at the proper time'. Or again, great king, if someone were to strike a metal vessel, and a sound were to arise from that striking, and while the sound had not gone far, someone were to touch it, and with that touch, the sound were to cease, would that sound, great king, be called 'having reached the end of its intended path'? "No, venerable sir." "Why then, great king, did that latter sound not go as far as the former sound?" "By an external [touch], venerable sir, then, by touching, that sound ceased. Just so, great king, whoever dies untimely, he, afflicted by an adventitious disease, or by a wind-generated illness... or afflicted by the force of a weapon, dies untimely. This, great king, is the reason, by which reason there is untimely death. Or again, great king, just as in a field, a well-grown grain seed, by rain falling properly, becoming spread out, abundant with much fruit, reaches the time of harvest, that grain is called 'free from calamity, free from danger, having reached its proper time'. Just so, great king, whoever, having lived for many thousands of days, worn out by old age, by the exhaustion of life, free from calamity, free from danger, dies, he is called 'free from calamity, free from danger, having reached his proper time of death'. Or again, great king, just as in a field, a well-grown grain seed might die from lack of water, would that grain, great king, be called 'not having reached its proper time'? No, venerable sir. Why then, great king, was that latter grain not of the same condition as the former grain? Venerable sir, that grain died afflicted by adventitious heat. Just so, great king, whoever dies untimely, he, afflicted by an adventitious disease, or by a wind-generated illness... or afflicted by the force of a weapon, dies untimely. This, great king, is the reason, by which reason there is untimely death. Have you ever heard, great king, that 'worms arise and destroy completely ripe young grain, root and all'? Venerable sir, we have both heard and seen that. Was that grain, great king, destroyed at its proper time, or was it destroyed untimely? Untimely, venerable sir. If, venerable sir, worms did not eat that grain, it would reach the time of harvest. Does grain, great king, perish by an adventitious destruction, unharmed crops reach harvest time? "Yes, venerable sir." Just so, great king, whoever dies untimely, is afflicted by an adventitious disease, or by a wind-born illness... or dies afflicted by a weapon's force. This here, great king, is the reason, by which reason there is untimely death. "Have you heard before, great king, 'when crops are ripe, bent with fruit, with blossoming leaves, a type of rain called hail falls and destroys them, making them fruitless'?" "We have heard that, venerable sir, and we have seen it too." "Now, great king, were those crops destroyed in time, or out of time?" "Out of time, venerable sir. If, venerable sir, that hail rain had not fallen on those crops, they would have reached harvest time." "Is it then, great king, that crops are destroyed by an adventitious affliction, while unharmed crops reach harvest time?" "Yes, venerable sir." Just so, great king, whoever dies untimely, is afflicted by an adventitious disease, or by a wind-born illness, or by a bile-born illness, or by a phlegm-born illness, or by a combination of humors, or by seasonal changes, or by improper care, or by an external cause, or by hunger, or by thirst, or by snakebite, or by eating poison, or by fire, or by water, or dies untimely, afflicted by a weapon's force. But if one were not afflicted by an adventitious disease, one would reach death in due time. This here, great king, is the reason, by which reason there is untimely death. "Wonderful, venerable Nāgasena! Amazing, venerable Nāgasena! Well-shown is the reason, well-shown is the simile for explaining untimely death. 'There is untimely death' has been made clear, made manifest, made distinct. Even a person whose mind is not distracted, venerable Nāgasena, would reach a conclusion with just one simile 'There is untimely death'. How much more..." Is a person conscious? By the first simile, venerable sir, I was convinced that 'there is untimely death', but desiring to hear further explanations, I did not agree (yet). The sixth question on untimely death. 7. The question on the wonder of the stupa. "Venerable Nāgasena, does a wonder occur at the stupa of all those who have attained final Nibbāna, or only of some?" "Of some, great king, it occurs; of some, it does not occur." "Of which ones, venerable sir, does it occur, and of which ones does it not occur?" "Great king, a wonder occurs at the stupa of one who has attained final Nibbāna, through the determination of one of three." "Which three?" "Here, great king, an Arahant, out of compassion for devas and humans, while still living, determines: 'Let a wonder occur at a stupa of such a name!'" "By virtue of that determination, a wonder occurs at the stupa." "Thus, by virtue of the Arahant's determination, a wonder occurs at the stupa of one who has attained final Nibbāna." "Furthermore, great king, devas, out of compassion for humans, cause a wonder to appear at the stupa of one who has attained final Nibbāna, thinking: 'By this wonder, the True Dhamma will be constantly upheld, and humans, being inspired, will grow in wholesome deeds.'" "Thus, by virtue of the devas' determination, a wonder occurs at the stupa of one who has attained final Nibbāna." "Furthermore, great king, a woman or a man, faithful, inspired, wise, skillful, intelligent, endowed with understanding, having reflected appropriately, having determined with a perfume, or a garland, or a cloth, or some other thing, casts it upon the stupa, thinking: 'Let it be so!'" "By virtue of that person's determination, a wonder occurs at the stupa of one who has attained final Nibbāna." "Thus, by virtue of humans' determination, a wonder occurs at the stupa of one who has attained final Nibbāna." "Indeed, great king, by virtue of the determination of one of these three, a wonder occurs at the stupa of one who has attained final Nibbāna." "If, great king, there is no such determination, even at the stupa of an Arahant, one with the six supernormal powers, one who has mastered the mind, no wonder occurs." "Even when there is no wonder, great king, one should practice..." Seeing that, perfectly pure, it should be accepted, it should be concluded, it should be believed, 'This son of the Buddha is perfectly extinguished.' "Good, Venerable Nāgasena, I accept it thus, just so." The Seventh Question on the Miracle of the Shrine. 8. The Question on the Realization of the Dhamma "Venerable Nāgasena, for those who practice rightly, does the realization of the Dhamma occur for all of them, or does it not occur for some?" "For some, great king, it occurs; for some, it does not occur." "For whom, Venerable sir, does it occur, and for whom does it not occur?" "For an animal, great king, even if practicing rightly, the realization of the Dhamma does not occur, for one born in the realm of hungry ghosts... for one of wrong view... for a deceiver... for a matricide... for a parricide... for a slayer of an Arahant... for a schismatic of the Sangha... for one who causes blood to flow from a Buddha... for one who lives in theft... for one who has gone over to another sect... for one who defiles a bhikkhuni... for one who has committed one of the thirteen grave offenses and has not recovered... for an eunuch... for a hermaphrodite, even if practicing rightly, the realization of the Dhamma does not occur...