English
The twelfth question: Realization of Nibbana. The commentary on the eighth chapter, ending with the twelfth question, is complete. The commentary on the eighth chapter, on the Meṇḍaka questions, is complete. The Inference Question. "Kammamūlaṃ gahevānā" means: Having taken the root of good deeds done in the presence of past Buddhas. "Tato muccatha vimuttiyā" means: Then, by that focusing on the object, by applying the ten perceptions, be freed from suffering in the round, by liberation through eradication. "Anivāyantī" means: They blow without being obstructed. "Saraṇasīlaṃ" means: Having taken refuge, the five precepts should be taken. "Pañcuddesapariyāpannaṃ" means: Included in the five recitations, namely the recitation of the Nidāna, the recitation of the Parājika, the recitation of the Saṅghādisesa, and the recitation of the Aniyata. "Pātimokkhasaṃvarasīlaṃ" means: The Pātimokkha restraint, consisting of two hundred and twenty-seven rules. "Upādāyupādāya vimuttānaṃ" means: Of those freed from clinging, from the aggregates of craving and views, namely the Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmī, and Anāgāmī. "Gehajano" means: People living in the house, such as slaves and workers. "Tathā buddhaṃ sokanudaṃ…pe… ummi disvā sadevake" means: Here, just as, having seen a wave, a great wave of Dhamma, with the eye of wisdom, the Buddha, the dispeller of sorrow, should be known by inference, should be understood by inferential knowledge. Just as the wave of Dhamma spreads, so will the Buddha be supreme in the world with its gods, this should be known by inference, this is the interpretation. "Migarājassa" means: Of the elephant, the king of beasts, due to its great size among quadrupeds. "Padaṃ" means: The word of the Dhamma. "Dhammarājena gajjitaṃ" means: The lion's roar of the Buddha, spoken by the king of the Dhamma. Anu By inference, one should know that the Buddha is great, and the Buddha's lion's roar is great. Having seen the mire, thick mud, and water that has gone into the earth, by inference, the wise know that a great rain cloud has come and poured down, seeing the mire, the cause of mud, and the water that has gone into the earth, entered the earth. They know the multitude of good people. "Covered with the mire of passion" means covered and enveloped by the mire consisting of passions such as lust. "Carried by the stream of Dhamma" means carried by the stream of Dhamma consisting of learning and practice. "Released into the ocean of Dhamma" means released, discharged, and led by the stream of Dhamma into the great ocean called Nibbana. "Gone to the nectar of Dhamma" means flowing in the nectar of Dhamma, this multitude of good people, together with the world of gods and Brahmas, standing on the earth. Having seen with the eye of knowledge. "A great rain cloud of Dhamma has come" means that a great rain cloud of Dhamma has come and poured down, since the teaching of the eighty-four thousand aggregates of Dhamma, called the feet of the Perfectly Enlightened One, has been taught; this should be known by inferential knowledge. The eleventh question on inference. (Account of the Ascetic Practices) "In what way shall I give you instruction?" means, "I will ask you a question, and you will answer." "In what way, by what reason, shall I give you instruction?" "Speak in this way" is the king's speech, "Venerable Nagasena, speak in this way." "Then," because of your desire to hear, "I will tell you a hundred or...up to...a hundred thousand million ways." Whatever talk, connected. Here, in this excellent quality of ascetic practice, "Covered" means covered by rainwater. "When there is an accomplisher" means when there is a person who practices. "Asked by me" means that in this excellent quality of ascetic practice, a clear explanation with skillful, manifest intelligence, revealing the appropriate reason, will come together. "The mass of entangling defilements" means that mass of defilements, the five aggregates. "Broken, shattered, contracted, covered paths." 'Ivaraṇo' means the obstruction of movement broken, shattered, contracted, cut off by the path and fruit of arahantship. 'Abhinītavāso' means dwelling approached by those desiring merit, dwelling approached by the proper conduct, or dwelling approached. 'Vimuttijjhāyitatto' means one whose mind is conjoined with the absorption of the fruit of arahantship, one who has approached an unmoving, firm, fearless, and protective place as an object. The Yogic Discourse called the Discourse on Dhutaṅga Questions is complete. The Description of the Meṇḍaka Questions adorned with Eighty-Four Questions is complete. In these Meṇḍaka Questions of Milinda, all the questions combined are one hundred and five questions. However, in the Discourse on the Grasping of Limbs, sixty-seven topics in the more than one hundred matrices were not explained by way of specification. The remaining thirty-nine topics, such as 'The four limbs of the king should be taken,' were not explained by way of specification, but should be taken from where they appear in the books. There are four kinds of Dhamma teachings: Dhamma teaching based on Dhamma, person teaching based on Dhamma, Dhamma teaching based on person, person teaching based on person. Among these, the first three Dhamma teachings are found in this text, but the fourth is not found. What other fourteen kinds of teaching are there? There are: Meaningful Showing, Quality Illumination, Rebuke, Encouragement, Conduct Explanation, Illustration, Questioning, Answering, Instruction, Person Purification, Inclination Fulfillment, Tradition, Meaningful Showing, Refutation of Others' Views, Supporting Condition, Causal Illustration, Satisfaction, Manner Showing, Dhamma Nature, Quality Illustration, and Manner Teaching. Thus, Causal Manner Teaching is connected to discourses such as the Causal Manner Suttanta, the Foundations of Mindfulness, the Right Efforts, the Bases of Psychic Power, the Faculties, the Powers, and the Factors of Enlightenment. (Meaningful Showing) The Dhamma teaching that proceeds, teaching the causal manner, the cause, and the ultimate reality, is called Meaningful Showing. (Quality Illumination) The illumination of one's own qualities, the qualities of others, and the qualities of the Teaching, connected to discourses such as the Susīma, Gosāla, Gosiṅga, Sampasādana, Pāsādika, Ten Powers, Gotamaka, and Great Lion's Roar Suttantas, is called Quality Illumination. (Rebuke) (Instruction for Restraint) Any instruction that begins with the entire Vinaya Piṭaka and restrains individuals from defilements, evil, is called instruction for restraint. (Encouragement) Instruction such as praising the benefits of the path, virtue, to dispel fear in fearful individuals and to generate support, is called encouragement. (Exemplification of Conduct) Instruction related to all the Jātakas, the Acchiyasutta, the Two Kinds of Thinking Sutta, the Bodhirājakumāra Sutta, etc., is called exemplification of conduct. (Question and Answer) Instruction connected with answering questions asked by the eight assemblies, beginning with the entire Sagāthāvagga, and including the Vammika Sutta, the Pārāyana Sutta, etc., is called question and answer. (Exhortation) Instruction related to the Noble Lineage, the Abundance of Merit, the Exhortation on the Ascetic Practices, and the Exhortation on Observances, is called exhortation. (Purification of Individuals) Instruction connected with showing the fear, such as the Devadūta Sutta, the Aggikkhandhopama Sutta, etc., spoken for the purification of individuals in virtue, observances, etc., is called purification of individuals. (Fulfillment of Inclinations) Instruction such as the Tavaṭaka Sutta, the Nāḷaka Sutta, the Heirs in Dhamma Sutta, etc., spoken for the fulfillment of individuals in serenity and insight, is called fulfillment of inclinations. (Narrative Showing the Lineage) The narrative in the manner of the Buddhavaṃsa, the Mahāpadāna Sutta, etc., beginning with one's own and others' aspirations and ending with final Nibbāna, is called narrative showing the lineage. (Crushing of Others' Doctrines) Instruction connected with the Cariyāpiṭaka, the Mahāsīhanāda Sutta, the Cūḷasīhanāda Sutta, the description of the supernormal knowledges, etc., is called crushing of others' doctrines. (Demonstration of Supporting Conditions and Causes) Instruction that appears according to the supporting conditions, with a visible body, beginning with the Itivuttaka, and including the Dhaniya Sutta, the Aruṇavatī Sutta, the Nadana Pariyāya Sutta, etc., is called demonstration of supporting conditions and causes. (Showing the Manner of Satisfaction) Instruction such as the entire Udāna, the Sampasādanīya Sutta, the Saṅgīti Sutta, etc., is called showing the manner of satisfaction. (Demonstration of the Qualities of the Nature of the Dhamma) The instruction on aggregates, elements, sense bases, faculties, truths, dependent origination, etc., is called demonstration of the qualities of the nature of the Dhamma. The qualities of the path, fruit, and other unproduced things are distinguished; That Abhidhamma teaching, which illuminates things according to their nature, And distinguishes between similar and dissimilar things; And other teachings that are characterized by their own nature, And are described according to their own inherent nature: This is called the demonstration of the qualities of the nature of the Dhamma. In these fourteen ways, the leader of the world teaches the Dhamma, And so do his disciples. Among these, the explanation that comes later is evident here. The rest should be understood to be included here as appropriate. (The Offense-Related Talk). There are two kinds of talks in this Milinda Questions treatise: The offense-related talk and the non-offense-related talk. Thus, the words of the Elder, brought to convince the king of the Blessed One's words,