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the nine-fold Buddha-word in terms of meaning and expression, in terms of method and reason, in terms of cause and example— such monks, O great king, are called 'Dhamma merchants' in the Buddha's city of Dhamma. But those monks, O great king, who are wealthy and rich with the treasure of Dhamma, with the treasure of traditional learning, who are discerning, who penetrate the specified meaning, expression, and characteristics, who are pervasive— such monks, O great king, are called 'Dhamma chiefs' in the Buddha's city of Dhamma. But those monks, O great king, who have profound insight into teachings, who have mastered the exposition of the divisions of objects, who have attained the perfection of the qualities of training— such monks, O great king, are called 'renowned Dhamma-followers' in the Buddha's city of Dhamma. Thus, O great king, the Buddha's city of Dhamma is well-divided, well-constructed, well-arranged, well-filled, well-established, well-guarded, well-protected, and difficult for enemies and adversaries to assault. For this reason, O great king, for this cause, by this method, by this inference, it should be known that the Blessed One exists. "Just as seeing a city, well-divided and delightful, they know by inference the greatness of the architect. "So too, seeing the excellent city of Dhamma of the World-Protector, they know by inference: 'The Blessed One exists.' "They know by inference, seeing a wave in the ocean: 'As this wave appears, so great must be that [ocean].' "T Then the Buddha, Dispeller of sorrow, Unconquered everywhere, Attained the destruction of craving, Liberator from the cycle of existence. By inference it should be known, Seeing the wave among devas and humans; Just as the spread of the wave of Dhamma, The Buddha will be supreme. By inference they know, Seeing a very high mountain; Just as this is very high, It will be the Himalayas. So too, seeing the Dhamma-mountain, Cooled, without defilements; Very high, of the Blessed One, Unmoving, well-established. By inference it should be known, Seeing the Dhamma-mountain; So indeed that Great Hero, Will be the supreme Buddha. Just as people, Seeing the footprint of a king elephant; Know by inference, "This is a great elephant." So too, seeing the footprint Of the enlightened Nāga, the radiant one; They know by inference, "He will be exalted." By inference they know, Seeing the frightened small animals; "By the roar of the king of beasts, These small animals are frightened." So too, seeing the sectarians, Scattered, with frightened minds; By inference it should be known, "The Dhamma-king has roared." Seeing the earth refreshed, With green leaves, with much water; By inference they know, "It has been refreshed by a great cloud." So too, seeing these people, Delighted and joyful; By inference it should be known, "They have been satisfied by the Dhamma-cloud." Seeing much mud clinging, The earth covered in mire; By inference they know, "A great mass of water has come." So too, seeing these people, Deluded by the mud of defilements; Carried by the Dhamma-river, Released into the Dhamma-ocean. Seeing this earth with devas and humans, Gone to the Dhamma-nectar; By inference it should be known, "A great mass of Dhamma has come." By inference they know, Smelling an excellent fragrance; "Just as this fragrance wafts, The trees will be in bloom." So too, this fragrance of virtue, Wafts among devas and humans; By inference it should be known, "There is a supreme Buddha." In this way, O great king, By hundreds of reasons, by thousands of reasons, By hundreds of causes, by thousands of causes, By hundreds of methods, by thousands of methods. With a hundred similes, with a thousand similes, it is possible to explain the Buddha's power. Just as, great king, a skilled garland-maker, from a heap of various flowers, by the instruction of his teacher, and by his own personal effort, would make a heap of diverse garlands, even so, great king, that Blessed One is like a heap of diverse flowers, of infinite qualities, of immeasurable qualities. I, at this time, in the teaching of the Victor, like a garland-maker, a flower-stringer, by the path of the former teachers, and by my own intellectual power, by innumerable reasons, by inference, will illuminate the Buddha's power. Do you here generate desire to listen." "It is difficult, Venerable Nāgasena, for others to explain the Buddha's power by such a reason and by inference. I am satisfied, Venerable Nāgasena, by your supremely diverse explanation of wisdom." The First Question on Inference. 2. The Question on Ascetic Practices "He sees the forest-dwelling monks, deeply immersed in ascetic virtues; Again, the householder king sees them, established in the fruit of non-return. "Having observed both of them, a great doubt arose; If a householder could awaken to the Dhamma, ascetic practices would be fruitless. "The crusher of the arguments of opponents, subtle in the Three Baskets; Come, let me ask the best of speakers, he will dispel my doubt." Then King Milinda approached the Venerable Nāgasena. Having approached, he saluted the Venerable Nāgasena and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, King Milinda said to the Venerable Nāgasena: "Venerable Nāgasena, is there any householder, a layperson, a enjoyer of sensual pleasures, dwelling in a bed crowded with children and wives, experiencing Kāsī sandalwood, wearing garlands, perfumes, and unguents, accepting gold and silver, adorned with a diadem varied with jewels, pearls, and gold, by whom the peaceful supreme goal, Nibbāna, has been realized?" "No, great king, not just one hundred, not two hundred, not three, four, five hundred, not a thousand, not a hundred thousand, not a hundred crores, not a thousand crores, not a hundred thousand crores. Let it be." O great king, an understanding of ten, twenty, a hundred, a thousand. By which method shall I give you instruction? "You yourself tell me." "Then, O great king, I shall tell you, by a hundred or a thousand, or a hundred thousand, or a crore, or a hundred crores, or a thousand crores, or a hundred thousand crores. Whatever discourses in the nine-fold Buddha-word, based on practices of austerity, excellent ascetic practices, and virtues, all of them will converge here. Just as, O great king, water that has fallen on low, high, even, and uneven ground, all of it flows from there and converges into the great ocean, the sea; even so, O great king, when there is an accomplished one, whatever discourses in the nine-fold Buddha-word, based on practices of austerity, ascetic practices, and virtues, all of them will converge here. "Here too, O great king, the explanation of the cause, through my clear understanding, will converge. By this, this meaning will be well-divided, varied, complete, pure, and brought together. Just as, O great king, a skilled scribe, having been instructed, when completing a writing, fills out the writing with the explanation of the cause through his own clear understanding; thus that writing will be finished, complete, and without deficiency. Even so, here too, through my clear understanding, the explanation of the cause will converge. By this, this meaning will be well-divided, varied, complete, pure, and brought together. "In the city of Savatthi, O great king, five crores of noble disciples, male and female lay followers of the Blessed One, three hundred and fifty-seven thousand, were established in the fruit of non-returning. All of them were householders, not renunciants. Again, right there at the root of the mango tree, at the Twin Miracle, twenty crores of beings attained understanding. Again, in the Cūḷarāhulovāda, in the Mahāmaṅgala Sutta, in the Samacitta Pariyāya, in the Parābhava Sutta, in the Purābheda Sutta, in the Kalahavivāda... In the Sutta, in the Cūḷabyūha Sutta, in the Mahābyūha Sutta, in the Tuvaṭaka Sutta, in the Sāriputta Sutta, there was an understanding of the Dhamma by deities beyond counting. In the city of Rājagaha, three hundred and fifty thousand noble disciples, male and female lay followers of the Blessed One. Again, right there, at the taming of the elephant Dhanapāla, ninety crores of beings. At the gathering of the Pārāyana, at the Pāsāṇaka shrine, fourteen crores of beings. Again, in the Indasāla cave, eighty crores of deities. Again, in Bārāṇasī, at Isipatana Migadāya, at the first Dhamma discourse, eighteen crores of Brahmās and immeasurable deities. Again, in the Tāvatiṃsa realm, on the Paṇḍukambala stone, at the Abhidhamma discourse, eighty crores of deities. At the descent of the devas, at the gate of Saṅkassa city, at the miracle of the opening of the worlds, thirty crores of pleased humans and non-humans understood. Again, among the Sakyas, in Kapilavatthu, at the Nigrodhārāma, at the discourse on the lineage of the Buddhas and the Mahāsamaya Sutta discourse, there was an understanding of the Dhamma by deities beyond counting. Again, at the gathering of Sumanamālākāra, at the gathering of Garahadinna, at the gathering of Ānandaseṭṭhi, at the gathering of Jambukājīvaka, at the gathering of the deity Maṇḍuka, at the gathering of the deity Maṭṭhakuṇḍali, at the gathering of Sulasā, the city beauty, at the gathering of Sirimā, the city beauty, at the gathering of the weaver's daughter, at the gathering of Cūḷasubhaddā, at the gathering of the Sāketa brahmin seeing the funeral pyre, at the gathering of Sūnāparantaka, at the gathering of Sakka's questions, at the gathering of Tirokuṭṭa, at the gathering of the Ratana Sutta, at each of these, there was an understanding of the Dhamma by eighty-four thousand beings. As long, O great king, as the Blessed One remained in the world, so in the three circles, in the sixteen great provinces, wherever the Blessed One resided, there, for the most part, two, three, four, five, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand deities and humans