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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1The sound of a drum when it has once been produced and died away, is altogether cut off. But, Sir, a drum is a means of producing sound. And any man, as need arises, can by the effort of power residing in himself, beat on that drum, and so produce a sound.’ ‘Just so, great king, has the Blessed One—except the teacher and the instruction he has left in his doctrine and discipline, and the jewel treasure of his relics whose value is derived from his righteousness, and contemplation,and wisdom, and emancipation, and insight given by the knowledge of emancipation—just so has he passed away by that kind of passing away in which no root remains. But the possibility of receiving the three attainments is not cut off because the Blessed One has passed away. Beings oppressed by | the sorrow of becoming can, when they desire the attainments, still receive them by means of the jewel treasure of his relics and of his doctrine and discipline and teaching. Therefore is it, great king, that 150 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. IV,1, 14. all acts done to the Tath4gata, notwithstanding his having passed away and not accepting, are nevertheless of value and bear fruit. And this future possibility, great king, has been foreseen by the Blessed One, and spoken of, and declared, and made known, when he said: “It may be, Ananda, that in some of you the thought may arise: [99] ‘The word of the Master is ended. We have no Teacher more!’ But it is not thus, Ananda, that you should regard it. The Truth which I have preached to you, the Rules which I have laid down for the Order, let them, when I am gone, be the Teacher to you?.” So that because the Tathagata has passed away and consents not thereto, that therefore any act done to him is empty and vain—this saying of the enemy is proved false. It is untrue, unjust, not according to fact, wrong, and perverse. It is the cause of sorrow, has sorrow as its fruit, and leads down the road to perdition!’ 14. ‘ Now hear another reason for the same thing. Does the broad earth acquiesce, O king, in all kinds of seeds being planted all over it?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir.’ ‘Then how is it those seeds, planted without the earth’s consent, do yet stand fast and firmly rooted, and expand into trees with great trunks and sap and branches, and bearing fruits and flowers ?’ ‘Though the earth, Sir, gives no consent, yet it acts as a site for those seeds, as a means of their development. Planted on that site they grow, by * Book of the Great Decease, VI, 1, translated in ‘ Buddhist Suttas,’ p. 112. IV, 1, 15. TREES. 15t its means, into such great trees with branches, flowers, and fruit.’
2Planted on that site they grow, by * Book of the Great Decease, VI, 1, translated in ‘ Buddhist Suttas,’ p. 112. IV, 1, 15. TREES. 15t its means, into such great trees with branches, flowers, and fruit.’ ‘Then, great king, the sectaries are destroyed, defeated, proved wrong by their own words when they say that “an act done to him who accepts it not is empty and vain.” As the broad earth, O king, is the Tathagata, the Arahat, the Buddha supreme. Like it he accepts nothing. Like the seeds which through it attain to such developments are the gods and men who, through the jewel treasures of the relics and the wisdom of the Tathagata—though he have passed away and consent not to it—being firmly rooted by the roots of merit, become like unto trees casting a goodly shade by means of the trunk of contemplation, the sap of true doctrine, and the branches of righteousness, and bearing the flowers of emancipation, and the fruits of Samazaship. [100] Therefore is it, great king, that acts done to the Tathagata, notwithstanding his having passed away and not accepting them, are still of value and bear fruit.’ 15. ‘ Now hear another and further reason for the same thing. Do camels, buffaloes, asses, goats, oxen, or men acquiesce in the birth of worms inside them ?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir.’ ‘Then how is it then, that without their consent worms are so born, and spread by rapid reproduction of sons and grandsons ?’ ‘ By the power of evil Karma, Sir.’ ‘Just so, great king, is it by the power of the relics and the wisdom of the Tathagata, who has passed away and acquiesces in nothing, that an act done to him is of value and bears fruit.’ 152 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. _ IV, 1,16. 16. ‘Now hear another and further reason for the same thing. Do men consent, O king, that the ninety-eight diseases should be produced in their bodies ?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir.’ ‘Then how is it the diseases come ?’ ‘ By evil deeds done in former births.’ ‘ But, great king, if evil deeds done in a former birth have to be suffered here and now, then both good and evil done here or done before has weight and bears fruit. Therefore is it that acts done to the Tathagata, notwithstanding his having passed away and not consenting, are nevertheless of value and bear fruit.’ 17. ‘Now hear another and further reason for the same thing. Did you ever hear, O king, of the ogre named Nandaka, who, having laid hands upon the Elder Sariputta, was swallowed up by the earth ?’ ‘Yes, Sir, that is matter of common talk among men. . ‘Well, did Sdriputta acquiesce in that ?’
3‘Now hear another and further reason for the same thing. Did you ever hear, O king, of the ogre named Nandaka, who, having laid hands upon the Elder Sariputta, was swallowed up by the earth ?’ ‘Yes, Sir, that is matter of common talk among men. . ‘Well, did Sdriputta acquiesce in that ?’ [101] ‘Though the world of gods and men, Sir, were to be destroyed, though the sun and moon were to fall upon the earth, though Sineru the king of mountains were to be dissolved, yet would not Sariputta the Elder have consented to any pain being inflicted on a fellow creature. And why not ? Because every condition of heart which could cause him to be angry or offended has been in him destroyed and rooted out. And as all cause thereof had thus been removed, Sir, therefore could not SAriputta be angered even with those who sought to deprive him of his life.’ IV, 1,18. SARIPUTTA. 153 ‘But if Sd4riputta, O king, did not consent to it, how was it that Nandaka was so swallowed up ?’ ‘By the power of his evil deeds.’ ‘Then if so, great king, an act done to him who consents not is still of power and bears fruit. And if this is so of an evil deed, how much more of a good one? Therefore is it, O king, that acts done to the Tathagata, notwithstanding his having passed away and not accepting them, are nevertheless of value and bear fruit.’ 18. ‘ Now how many, O king, are those men who, in this life, have been swallowed up by the earth ? Have you heard anything on that point ?’ ‘Yes, Sir, I have heard how many there are.’ ‘Then tell me.’ ‘ Kizka the Brahmin woman, and Suppabuddha the Sakyan, and Devadatta the Elder, and Nandaka the ogre, and Nanda the Brahman—these are the five people who were swallowed up by the earth.’ ‘And whom, O king, had they wronged ?’ ‘The Blessed One and his disciples.’ ‘Then did the Blessed One or his disciples consent to their being so swallowed up ?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir.’ ‘Therefore is it, O king, that an act done to the Tathagata, notwithstanding his having passed away and not consenting thereto, is nevertheless of value and bears fruit.’ ‘Well has this deep question been explained by you, venerable Nagasena, and made clear. You have made the secret thing [102] plain, you have loosed the knot, you have made in the jungle an open space, the adversaries are overthrown, the wrong opinion has been proved false, the sectaries have been covered 154 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. _IV,r1, 19. with darkness when they met you, O best of all the leaders of schools !’ {Here ends the question as to not consenting to honours paid ?.] [THE OMNISCIENCE OF THE BUDDHA.] 19. ‘Venerable Nagasena, was the Buddha omniscient ?’ ‘Yes, O king, he was. But the insight of knowledge was not always and continually (consciously) present with him. The omniscience of the Blessed One was dependent on reflection.’ But if he did reflect he knew whatever he wanted to know”.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1The sound of a drum when it has once been produced and died away, is altogether cut off. But, Sir, a drum is a means of producing sound. And any man, as need arises, can by the effort of power residing in himself, beat on that drum, and so produce a sound.’ ‘Just so, great king, has the Blessed One—except the teacher and the instruction he has left in his doctrine and discipline, and the jewel treasure of his relics whose value is derived from his righteousness, and contemplation,and wisdom, and emancipation, and insight given by the knowledge of emancipation—just so has he passed away by that kind of passing away in which no root remains. But the possibility of receiving the three attainments is not cut off because the Blessed One has passed away. Beings oppressed by | the sorrow of becoming can, when they desire the attainments, still receive them by means of the jewel treasure of his relics and of his doctrine and discipline and teaching. Therefore is it, great king, that 150 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. IV,1, 14. all acts done to the Tath4gata, notwithstanding his having passed away and not accepting, are nevertheless of value and bear fruit. And this future possibility, great king, has been foreseen by the Blessed One, and spoken of, and declared, and made known, when he said: “It may be, Ananda, that in some of you the thought may arise: [99] ‘The word of the Master is ended. We have no Teacher more!’ But it is not thus, Ananda, that you should regard it. The Truth which I have preached to you, the Rules which I have laid down for the Order, let them, when I am gone, be the Teacher to you?.” So that because the Tathagata has passed away and consents not thereto, that therefore any act done to him is empty and vain—this saying of the enemy is proved false. It is untrue, unjust, not according to fact, wrong, and perverse. It is the cause of sorrow, has sorrow as its fruit, and leads down the road to perdition!’ 14. ‘ Now hear another reason for the same thing. Does the broad earth acquiesce, O king, in all kinds of seeds being planted all over it?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir.’ ‘Then how is it those seeds, planted without the earth’s consent, do yet stand fast and firmly rooted, and expand into trees with great trunks and sap and branches, and bearing fruits and flowers ?’ ‘Though the earth, Sir, gives no consent, yet it acts as a site for those seeds, as a means of their development. Planted on that site they grow, by * Book of the Great Decease, VI, 1, translated in ‘ Buddhist Suttas,’ p. 112. IV, 1, 15. TREES. 15t its means, into such great trees with branches, flowers, and fruit.’
2Planted on that site they grow, by * Book of the Great Decease, VI, 1, translated in ‘ Buddhist Suttas,’ p. 112. IV, 1, 15. TREES. 15t its means, into such great trees with branches, flowers, and fruit.’ ‘Then, great king, the sectaries are destroyed, defeated, proved wrong by their own words when they say that “an act done to him who accepts it not is empty and vain.” As the broad earth, O king, is the Tathagata, the Arahat, the Buddha supreme. Like it he accepts nothing. Like the seeds which through it attain to such developments are the gods and men who, through the jewel treasures of the relics and the wisdom of the Tathagata—though he have passed away and consent not to it—being firmly rooted by the roots of merit, become like unto trees casting a goodly shade by means of the trunk of contemplation, the sap of true doctrine, and the branches of righteousness, and bearing the flowers of emancipation, and the fruits of Samazaship. [100] Therefore is it, great king, that acts done to the Tathagata, notwithstanding his having passed away and not accepting them, are still of value and bear fruit.’ 15. ‘ Now hear another and further reason for the same thing. Do camels, buffaloes, asses, goats, oxen, or men acquiesce in the birth of worms inside them ?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir.’ ‘Then how is it then, that without their consent worms are so born, and spread by rapid reproduction of sons and grandsons ?’ ‘ By the power of evil Karma, Sir.’ ‘Just so, great king, is it by the power of the relics and the wisdom of the Tathagata, who has passed away and acquiesces in nothing, that an act done to him is of value and bears fruit.’ 152 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. _ IV, 1,16. 16. ‘Now hear another and further reason for the same thing. Do men consent, O king, that the ninety-eight diseases should be produced in their bodies ?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir.’ ‘Then how is it the diseases come ?’ ‘ By evil deeds done in former births.’ ‘ But, great king, if evil deeds done in a former birth have to be suffered here and now, then both good and evil done here or done before has weight and bears fruit. Therefore is it that acts done to the Tathagata, notwithstanding his having passed away and not consenting, are nevertheless of value and bear fruit.’ 17. ‘Now hear another and further reason for the same thing. Did you ever hear, O king, of the ogre named Nandaka, who, having laid hands upon the Elder Sariputta, was swallowed up by the earth ?’ ‘Yes, Sir, that is matter of common talk among men. . ‘Well, did Sdriputta acquiesce in that ?’
3‘Now hear another and further reason for the same thing. Did you ever hear, O king, of the ogre named Nandaka, who, having laid hands upon the Elder Sariputta, was swallowed up by the earth ?’ ‘Yes, Sir, that is matter of common talk among men. . ‘Well, did Sdriputta acquiesce in that ?’ [101] ‘Though the world of gods and men, Sir, were to be destroyed, though the sun and moon were to fall upon the earth, though Sineru the king of mountains were to be dissolved, yet would not Sariputta the Elder have consented to any pain being inflicted on a fellow creature. And why not ? Because every condition of heart which could cause him to be angry or offended has been in him destroyed and rooted out. And as all cause thereof had thus been removed, Sir, therefore could not SAriputta be angered even with those who sought to deprive him of his life.’ IV, 1,18. SARIPUTTA. 153 ‘But if Sd4riputta, O king, did not consent to it, how was it that Nandaka was so swallowed up ?’ ‘By the power of his evil deeds.’ ‘Then if so, great king, an act done to him who consents not is still of power and bears fruit. And if this is so of an evil deed, how much more of a good one? Therefore is it, O king, that acts done to the Tathagata, notwithstanding his having passed away and not accepting them, are nevertheless of value and bear fruit.’ 18. ‘ Now how many, O king, are those men who, in this life, have been swallowed up by the earth ? Have you heard anything on that point ?’ ‘Yes, Sir, I have heard how many there are.’ ‘Then tell me.’ ‘ Kizka the Brahmin woman, and Suppabuddha the Sakyan, and Devadatta the Elder, and Nandaka the ogre, and Nanda the Brahman—these are the five people who were swallowed up by the earth.’ ‘And whom, O king, had they wronged ?’ ‘The Blessed One and his disciples.’ ‘Then did the Blessed One or his disciples consent to their being so swallowed up ?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir.’ ‘Therefore is it, O king, that an act done to the Tathagata, notwithstanding his having passed away and not consenting thereto, is nevertheless of value and bears fruit.’ ‘Well has this deep question been explained by you, venerable Nagasena, and made clear. You have made the secret thing [102] plain, you have loosed the knot, you have made in the jungle an open space, the adversaries are overthrown, the wrong opinion has been proved false, the sectaries have been covered 154 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. _IV,r1, 19. with darkness when they met you, O best of all the leaders of schools !’ {Here ends the question as to not consenting to honours paid ?.] [THE OMNISCIENCE OF THE BUDDHA.] 19. ‘Venerable Nagasena, was the Buddha omniscient ?’ ‘Yes, O king, he was. But the insight of knowledge was not always and continually (consciously) present with him. The omniscience of the Blessed One was dependent on reflection.’ But if he did reflect he knew whatever he wanted to know”.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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