Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1And why is this so? Because of their purity as regards all within their own province, and because of the immensity of the province of the omniscient Buddhas. It is like a man, O king, who would fearlessly cross, and at will, IV, 1, 26. THE BUDDHAS. 159 by day or night, a shallow brook on his own property. But when he comes in sight of the. mighty ocean, deep and wide and ever-moving, and sees no further shore to it, then would he stand hesitating and afraid, and make no effort even to get over it. And why? Because of his familiarity with his own, and because of the immensity of the sea. This is the sixth class of minds.’ 26. ‘From these the seventh class is to be distinguished. Those, O king,who are complete Buddhas’, having all knowledge, bearing about in themselves the tenfold power (of the ten kinds of insight), confident in the four modes of just self-confidence, endowed with the eighteen characteristics of a Buddha, whose mastery knows no limit, from whose grasp nothing is hid,—their thinking powers are on every point brought quickly into play, and act with ease. Suppose, O king, a dart well burnished, free from rust, perfectly smooth, with a fine edge, straight, without a crook or a flaw in it, were to be set ona powerful crossbow. Would there be any clumsiness in its action, any retarding in its movement, if it were discharged by a powerful man against a piece of fine linen, or cotton stuff, or delicate woolwork ?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir. And why? Because the stuff is so fine, and the dart so highly tempered, and the discharge so powerful.’ [106] ‘And just in the same way, great king, are the thinking powers of the Buddhas I| have described brought quickly into play, and act with ease. * That is as distinguished from the last—not only themselvés enlightened, but able to teach, leaders of men. 160 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. _ IV,1, 27- And why? Because of their being purified in every respect. This is the seventh class of minds.’
2* That is as distinguished from the last—not only themselvés enlightened, but able to teach, leaders of men. 160 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. _ IV,1, 27- And why? Because of their being purified in every respect. This is the seventh class of minds.’ 27. ‘Now of these, O king, the last —the thinking powers of the omniscient Buddhas— altogether outclasses the other six, and is clear and active in its high quality that is beyond our ken. It is because the mind of the Blessed One is so clear and active that the Blessed One, great king, displays the double miracle. From that we may get to know, O king, how clear and active His mental powers are. And for those wonders there is no further reason that can be alleged. (Yet) those wonders, O king, [caused by means of the mind (alone) of the omniscient Buddhas "] cannot be counted, or calculated, or divided, or separated, (For) the knowledge of the Blessed One, O king, is dependent upon reflection’, and it is on reflection that he knows whatever he wishes to know. (But) it is as when a man passes something he already has in one hand to the other, or utters a sound when his mouth is open, or swallows some food that he has already in his mouth, or opens his eyes when they are shut, or shuts them when open, or stretches forth his arm when it is bent in, or bends it in when stretched out— more rapid than that, great king, and more easy in its action, is the all-embracing knowledge of the Blessed One, more rapid than that his reflection. And although it is by reflection that they know whatever they want to know, yet even when they 1 There is surely something wrong here; either in the Pali, or in my interpretation of it, which follows the Simhalese (p. 130). * Here the opening argument of § 17 is again taken up. IV, 1, 27. REFLECTION, 161 are not reflecting the Blessed Buddhas are not, even then, anything other than omniscient.’ ‘But, venerable Nagasena, reflection is carried on for the purpose of seeking (that which is not clear when the reflection begins). Come now. Convince me in this matter by some reason.’ ‘Suppose, O king, there were a rich man, great in wealth and property—one who had stores of gold and silver and valuables, and stores of all kinds of wheat, one who had rice, and paddy, and barley,and dry grain,and oilseed, and beans, and peas, and every other edible seed, who had ghee, and oil, and butter, and milk, and curds, and honey, and sugar, and molasses, [107] all put away in store-rooms in jars, and pots, and pans, and every sort of vessel. Now if a traveller were to arrive, one worthy of hospitality, and expecting to be entertained ; and all the prepared food in the house had been finished, and they were to get out of the jar some rice ready for cooking, and prepare a meal for him. Would that wealthy man merely by reason of the deficiency in eatable stuff at that unusual time be rightly called poor or needy ?’
3Would that wealthy man merely by reason of the deficiency in eatable stuff at that unusual time be rightly called poor or needy ?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir. Even in the palace of a | mighty king of kings there might be no food ready out of time, how much less in the house of an ordinary man.’ ‘Just so, great king, with the all-embracing knowledge of a Tathdgata when reflection only is wanting; but which on reflection grasps whatever he wants. Now suppose, O king, there were a tree in full fruit, with its branches bending this way and that by the weight of the burden of the bunches of its fruit, but no single fruit had fallen from it. (35) M 162 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. _IV,1, 28. Could that tree rightly, under the circumstances of the case, be called barren, merely because of the want of a fallen fruit ?’ ‘No, Sir. For though the falling of the fruit is a condition precedent to its enjoyment, yet when it has fallen one can take as much as one likes.’ ‘Just so, great king, though reflection is a necessary condition of the knowledge of the TathAgata, yet on reflection it perceives whatever he wants to know.’ ‘Does that happen always, NAagasena, at the moment of reflection ?’ ‘Yes, O king. Just as when the mighty king of kings (the XKakkavatti) calling to mind his glorious wheel of victory wishes it to appear, and no sooner is it thought of than it appears—so does the knowledge of the Tath4gata follow continually on reflection.’ ‘Strong is the reason you give, Nagasena, for the omniscience of the Buddha. I am convinced that that is so.’ [Here ends the question as to the omniscience of the Buddha being dependent on reflection ?.] [WHY DEVADATTA WAS ADMITTED TO THE ORDER.] 28. ‘Venerable Nagasena, who was it that admitted Devadatta? to the Order ?’ ' At III, 6, 2 there is another problem raised as to the omniscience of the Buddha. * He is the Judas of the Buddhist story, who tried to have the | Buddha killed, and to seduce his disciples from him. IV, 1, 28, DEVADATTA. 163 ‘ Those six young nobles, O king, Bhaddiya and Anuruddha and Ananda and Bhagu and Kimbila and Devadatta, [108] together with Upéli the barber as a seventh—they all, when the Master had attained to Buddhahood, left the Sakya home out of the delight they felt in him, and following the Blessed One renounced the world'. So the Blessed One admitted them all to the Order.’ ‘But was it not Devadatta who, after he had entered the Order, raised up a schism within it ?’ ‘Yes. No layman can create a schism, nor a sister of the Order, nor one under preparatory instruction, nor a novice of either sex. It must be a Bhikkhu, under no disability, who is in full communion, and a co-resident 2.’ ‘And what Karma does a schismatical person gain ?’ ‘A Karma that continues to act for a Kalpa (a very long period of time).’
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.
1And why is this so? Because of their purity as regards all within their own province, and because of the immensity of the province of the omniscient Buddhas. It is like a man, O king, who would fearlessly cross, and at will, IV, 1, 26. THE BUDDHAS. 159 by day or night, a shallow brook on his own property. But when he comes in sight of the. mighty ocean, deep and wide and ever-moving, and sees no further shore to it, then would he stand hesitating and afraid, and make no effort even to get over it. And why? Because of his familiarity with his own, and because of the immensity of the sea. This is the sixth class of minds.’ 26. ‘From these the seventh class is to be distinguished. Those, O king,who are complete Buddhas’, having all knowledge, bearing about in themselves the tenfold power (of the ten kinds of insight), confident in the four modes of just self-confidence, endowed with the eighteen characteristics of a Buddha, whose mastery knows no limit, from whose grasp nothing is hid,—their thinking powers are on every point brought quickly into play, and act with ease. Suppose, O king, a dart well burnished, free from rust, perfectly smooth, with a fine edge, straight, without a crook or a flaw in it, were to be set ona powerful crossbow. Would there be any clumsiness in its action, any retarding in its movement, if it were discharged by a powerful man against a piece of fine linen, or cotton stuff, or delicate woolwork ?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir. And why? Because the stuff is so fine, and the dart so highly tempered, and the discharge so powerful.’ [106] ‘And just in the same way, great king, are the thinking powers of the Buddhas I| have described brought quickly into play, and act with ease. * That is as distinguished from the last—not only themselvés enlightened, but able to teach, leaders of men. 160 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. _ IV,1, 27- And why? Because of their being purified in every respect. This is the seventh class of minds.’
2* That is as distinguished from the last—not only themselvés enlightened, but able to teach, leaders of men. 160 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. _ IV,1, 27- And why? Because of their being purified in every respect. This is the seventh class of minds.’ 27. ‘Now of these, O king, the last —the thinking powers of the omniscient Buddhas— altogether outclasses the other six, and is clear and active in its high quality that is beyond our ken. It is because the mind of the Blessed One is so clear and active that the Blessed One, great king, displays the double miracle. From that we may get to know, O king, how clear and active His mental powers are. And for those wonders there is no further reason that can be alleged. (Yet) those wonders, O king, [caused by means of the mind (alone) of the omniscient Buddhas "] cannot be counted, or calculated, or divided, or separated, (For) the knowledge of the Blessed One, O king, is dependent upon reflection’, and it is on reflection that he knows whatever he wishes to know. (But) it is as when a man passes something he already has in one hand to the other, or utters a sound when his mouth is open, or swallows some food that he has already in his mouth, or opens his eyes when they are shut, or shuts them when open, or stretches forth his arm when it is bent in, or bends it in when stretched out— more rapid than that, great king, and more easy in its action, is the all-embracing knowledge of the Blessed One, more rapid than that his reflection. And although it is by reflection that they know whatever they want to know, yet even when they 1 There is surely something wrong here; either in the Pali, or in my interpretation of it, which follows the Simhalese (p. 130). * Here the opening argument of § 17 is again taken up. IV, 1, 27. REFLECTION, 161 are not reflecting the Blessed Buddhas are not, even then, anything other than omniscient.’ ‘But, venerable Nagasena, reflection is carried on for the purpose of seeking (that which is not clear when the reflection begins). Come now. Convince me in this matter by some reason.’ ‘Suppose, O king, there were a rich man, great in wealth and property—one who had stores of gold and silver and valuables, and stores of all kinds of wheat, one who had rice, and paddy, and barley,and dry grain,and oilseed, and beans, and peas, and every other edible seed, who had ghee, and oil, and butter, and milk, and curds, and honey, and sugar, and molasses, [107] all put away in store-rooms in jars, and pots, and pans, and every sort of vessel. Now if a traveller were to arrive, one worthy of hospitality, and expecting to be entertained ; and all the prepared food in the house had been finished, and they were to get out of the jar some rice ready for cooking, and prepare a meal for him. Would that wealthy man merely by reason of the deficiency in eatable stuff at that unusual time be rightly called poor or needy ?’
3Would that wealthy man merely by reason of the deficiency in eatable stuff at that unusual time be rightly called poor or needy ?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir. Even in the palace of a | mighty king of kings there might be no food ready out of time, how much less in the house of an ordinary man.’ ‘Just so, great king, with the all-embracing knowledge of a Tathdgata when reflection only is wanting; but which on reflection grasps whatever he wants. Now suppose, O king, there were a tree in full fruit, with its branches bending this way and that by the weight of the burden of the bunches of its fruit, but no single fruit had fallen from it. (35) M 162 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. _IV,1, 28. Could that tree rightly, under the circumstances of the case, be called barren, merely because of the want of a fallen fruit ?’ ‘No, Sir. For though the falling of the fruit is a condition precedent to its enjoyment, yet when it has fallen one can take as much as one likes.’ ‘Just so, great king, though reflection is a necessary condition of the knowledge of the TathAgata, yet on reflection it perceives whatever he wants to know.’ ‘Does that happen always, NAagasena, at the moment of reflection ?’ ‘Yes, O king. Just as when the mighty king of kings (the XKakkavatti) calling to mind his glorious wheel of victory wishes it to appear, and no sooner is it thought of than it appears—so does the knowledge of the Tath4gata follow continually on reflection.’ ‘Strong is the reason you give, Nagasena, for the omniscience of the Buddha. I am convinced that that is so.’ [Here ends the question as to the omniscience of the Buddha being dependent on reflection ?.] [WHY DEVADATTA WAS ADMITTED TO THE ORDER.] 28. ‘Venerable Nagasena, who was it that admitted Devadatta? to the Order ?’ ' At III, 6, 2 there is another problem raised as to the omniscience of the Buddha. * He is the Judas of the Buddhist story, who tried to have the | Buddha killed, and to seduce his disciples from him. IV, 1, 28, DEVADATTA. 163 ‘ Those six young nobles, O king, Bhaddiya and Anuruddha and Ananda and Bhagu and Kimbila and Devadatta, [108] together with Upéli the barber as a seventh—they all, when the Master had attained to Buddhahood, left the Sakya home out of the delight they felt in him, and following the Blessed One renounced the world'. So the Blessed One admitted them all to the Order.’ ‘But was it not Devadatta who, after he had entered the Order, raised up a schism within it ?’ ‘Yes. No layman can create a schism, nor a sister of the Order, nor one under preparatory instruction, nor a novice of either sex. It must be a Bhikkhu, under no disability, who is in full communion, and a co-resident 2.’ ‘And what Karma does a schismatical person gain ?’ ‘A Karma that continues to act for a Kalpa (a very long period of time).’
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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