Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1See Puggala Pa##atti VIII, 1. * The Simhalese inserts a paragraph here not found in Mr. Trenckner’s text. 5 See above, p. 158. - 168 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. IV, 1, 33- has caused him to attain to the state of a Pakkeka- Buddha, what has he not done for him ?’ ‘But inasmuch as Devadatta, O king, having made a schism in the Order, suffers pain in purgatory, has not therefore the Blessed One done him wrong?’ ‘No, Sir. That is Devadatta’s own fault; and the Blessed One who mitigated his suffering has done him no harm.’ ‘Then accept this, O king, to the full as the reason for the Blessed One admitting Devadatta to the Order. 33. ‘Hear another and further reason, O king, for his having done so. [112] Suppose in treating a wound full of matter and blood, in whose grievous hollow the weapon which caused it remained, which stank of putrid flesh, and was made worse by the pain that varied with constantly changing symptoms, by variations in temperature, and by the union of the three humours,—windy, bilious, and phlegmatic 1,— an able physician and surgeon were to anoint it with a rough, sharp, bitter, stinging ointment, to the end _ that the inflammation should be allayed. And when the inflammation had gone down, and the wound . had become sweet, suppose he were then to cut into it with a lancet, and burn it with caustic. And when he had cauterised it, suppose he were to prescribe an alkaline wash, and anoint it with some drug to the end that the wound might heal up, and the sick man recover his health—now tell me, O king, would it be out of cruelty that the surgeon thus smeared with ointment, and cut with the lancet, and cauterised . ' The interpretation of some of the medical terms in this paragraph is very uncertain. See pp. 134, 252, 304 of the text. IV, 1, 34 DEVADATTA. 169 with the stick of caustic, and administered a salty wash ?’ . ‘Certainly not, Sir; it would be with kindness in his heart, and intent on the man’s weal, that he would do all those things.’ ‘And the feelings of pain produced by his efforts to heal—would not the surgeon be guilty of any wrong in respect of them ?’ ‘How so? Acting with kind intent and for the man’s weal, how could he therein incur a wrong? It is of heavenly bliss rather that that kindly surgeon would be worthy.’ ‘Just so, great king, was it in his mercy that the Blessed One admitted Devadatta, to the end to release him from, pain.’ 34. ‘Hear another and further reason, O king, why the Blessed One did so. Suppose a man had been pierced by a thorn. And another man with kindly intent and for his good were to cut round the place with another sharp thorn or with a lancet, and the blood flowing the while, were to extract that thorn. Now would it be out of cruelty that he acted so ?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir. For he acted with kindly intent, and for the man’s good. And if he had not done so the man might have died, or might have suffered such pain that he would have been nigh to death.’
2Now would it be out of cruelty that he acted so ?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir. For he acted with kindly intent, and for the man’s good. And if he had not done so the man might have died, or might have suffered such pain that he would have been nigh to death.’ ‘Just even so, great king, was it of his mercy that the Tathagata admitted Devadatta, to the end to release him of his pain. If he had not done so [118] Devadatta would have suffered torment in purgatory through a succession of existences, through hundreds of thousands of Kalpas.’ 170 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. IV, 1, 35. ‘ Yes, Nagasena, the Tathagata turned Devadatta, who was being carried down with the flood, with his head against the stream; he again pointed out the road to Devadatta when he was lost in the jungle ; he gave a firm foothold to Devadatta when he was falling down the precipice: he restored Devadatta to peace when he was swallowed up of desolation. But the reason and the meaning of these things could no one have pointed out, Nagasena, unless he were wise as you!’ [Here ends the dilemma about Devadatta.] [VESSANTARA’S EARTHQUAKE. ] 35. ‘Venerable NAgasena, the Blessed One said thus: “ There are these eight causes, O Bhikkhus, proximate or remote, for a mighty earthquake ’.” This is an inclusive statement, a statement which leaves no room for anything to be supplemented, a statement to which no gloss can be added. There can be no ninth reason for an earthquake. If there were, the Blessed One would have mentioned it. It is because there is no other, that he left it unnoticed. But we find another, and a ninth reason, when we are told that on Vessantara’s giving his mighty largesse the earth shook seven times®. If, NAgasena, there are eight causes for an earthquake, then what we hear of the earthquake at Vessantara’s largesse is false. And if that is true, then the statement as to the eight 1 From the Book of the Great Decease, III, 13, translated at p. 45 of my ‘ Buddhist Suttas,’ vol. xi in this series, ® See the Vessantara Gataka, and compare Gétaka I, p. 74. IV, 1, 36. VESSANTARA. 17!
3And if that is true, then the statement as to the eight 1 From the Book of the Great Decease, III, 13, translated at p. 45 of my ‘ Buddhist Suttas,’ vol. xi in this series, ® See the Vessantara Gataka, and compare Gétaka I, p. 74. IV, 1, 36. VESSANTARA. 17! causes of earthquakes is false. This double-headed question, too, is subtle, hard to unravel, dark, and profound. It is now put to you. [114] No one of less knowledge can solve it, only one wise as you.’ 36. ‘The Blessed One made the statement you refer to, O king, and yet the earth shook seven times at Vessantara’s largesse. But that was out of season, it was an isolated occurrence, it was not included in the eight usual causes, and was not therefore reckoned as one of them. Just, O king, as there are three kinds of well-known rains reckoned in the world—that of the rainy season, that of the winter months, and that of the two months As4/Aa and SAvana. If, besides these, any other rain falls, that is not reckoned among the usual rains, but is called “a rain out of season.” And again, O king, just as there are five hundred rivers which flow down from the Himalayas, but of these ten only are reckoned in enumerations of rivers—the Ganges, the Jumna, the A4iravati, the Sarabhd, the Mahi, the Indus, the Sarasvatt, the Vetravatt, the Vitass4, and the Xandabh4g4a—the others not being included in the catalogue because of their intermittent flow of water. And again, O king, just as there are a hundred or two of officers under the king, but only six of them are reckoned as officers of state—the commander-in-chief, the prime minister, and the chief judge, and the high treasurer, and the bearer of the sunshade of state, and the state sword-bearer. And why? Because of their royal prerogatives. The rest are not reckoned, they are all called simply officers. [115] Just as in all these cases, great king, the seven times repeated earthquake at the largesse of Vessantara was, as an isolated and extra- 172 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. IV, 1, 37- ordinary occurrence, and distinct from the eight usual ones, not reckoned among those eight causes.’ 37. ‘Now have you heard, O king, in the history of our faith of any act of devotion being done so as to receive its recompense even in this present life, the fame of which has reached up to the gods ?’ ‘Yes, Lord, I have heard of such. There are seven cases of such actions.’ ‘Who were the people who did those things ?’ ‘Sumana the garland maker, and Eka-s4¢aka the brahman, and Puzza the hired servant, and Mallika the queen, and the queen known as the mother of Gopala, and Suppiy4 the devoted woman, and Puzna . the slave-girl. It was these seven who did acts of devotion which bare fruit even in this life, and the fame of which reached even to the gods.’ ‘And have you heard of others, O king, who, even in their human body, mounted up to the blessed abode of the great Thirty-three ?’ ‘Yes, I have heard, too, of them.’ ‘ And who were they ?’
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.
1See Puggala Pa##atti VIII, 1. * The Simhalese inserts a paragraph here not found in Mr. Trenckner’s text. 5 See above, p. 158. - 168 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. IV, 1, 33- has caused him to attain to the state of a Pakkeka- Buddha, what has he not done for him ?’ ‘But inasmuch as Devadatta, O king, having made a schism in the Order, suffers pain in purgatory, has not therefore the Blessed One done him wrong?’ ‘No, Sir. That is Devadatta’s own fault; and the Blessed One who mitigated his suffering has done him no harm.’ ‘Then accept this, O king, to the full as the reason for the Blessed One admitting Devadatta to the Order. 33. ‘Hear another and further reason, O king, for his having done so. [112] Suppose in treating a wound full of matter and blood, in whose grievous hollow the weapon which caused it remained, which stank of putrid flesh, and was made worse by the pain that varied with constantly changing symptoms, by variations in temperature, and by the union of the three humours,—windy, bilious, and phlegmatic 1,— an able physician and surgeon were to anoint it with a rough, sharp, bitter, stinging ointment, to the end _ that the inflammation should be allayed. And when the inflammation had gone down, and the wound . had become sweet, suppose he were then to cut into it with a lancet, and burn it with caustic. And when he had cauterised it, suppose he were to prescribe an alkaline wash, and anoint it with some drug to the end that the wound might heal up, and the sick man recover his health—now tell me, O king, would it be out of cruelty that the surgeon thus smeared with ointment, and cut with the lancet, and cauterised . ' The interpretation of some of the medical terms in this paragraph is very uncertain. See pp. 134, 252, 304 of the text. IV, 1, 34 DEVADATTA. 169 with the stick of caustic, and administered a salty wash ?’ . ‘Certainly not, Sir; it would be with kindness in his heart, and intent on the man’s weal, that he would do all those things.’ ‘And the feelings of pain produced by his efforts to heal—would not the surgeon be guilty of any wrong in respect of them ?’ ‘How so? Acting with kind intent and for the man’s weal, how could he therein incur a wrong? It is of heavenly bliss rather that that kindly surgeon would be worthy.’ ‘Just so, great king, was it in his mercy that the Blessed One admitted Devadatta, to the end to release him from, pain.’ 34. ‘Hear another and further reason, O king, why the Blessed One did so. Suppose a man had been pierced by a thorn. And another man with kindly intent and for his good were to cut round the place with another sharp thorn or with a lancet, and the blood flowing the while, were to extract that thorn. Now would it be out of cruelty that he acted so ?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir. For he acted with kindly intent, and for the man’s good. And if he had not done so the man might have died, or might have suffered such pain that he would have been nigh to death.’
2Now would it be out of cruelty that he acted so ?’ ‘Certainly not, Sir. For he acted with kindly intent, and for the man’s good. And if he had not done so the man might have died, or might have suffered such pain that he would have been nigh to death.’ ‘Just even so, great king, was it of his mercy that the Tathagata admitted Devadatta, to the end to release him of his pain. If he had not done so [118] Devadatta would have suffered torment in purgatory through a succession of existences, through hundreds of thousands of Kalpas.’ 170 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. IV, 1, 35. ‘ Yes, Nagasena, the Tathagata turned Devadatta, who was being carried down with the flood, with his head against the stream; he again pointed out the road to Devadatta when he was lost in the jungle ; he gave a firm foothold to Devadatta when he was falling down the precipice: he restored Devadatta to peace when he was swallowed up of desolation. But the reason and the meaning of these things could no one have pointed out, Nagasena, unless he were wise as you!’ [Here ends the dilemma about Devadatta.] [VESSANTARA’S EARTHQUAKE. ] 35. ‘Venerable NAgasena, the Blessed One said thus: “ There are these eight causes, O Bhikkhus, proximate or remote, for a mighty earthquake ’.” This is an inclusive statement, a statement which leaves no room for anything to be supplemented, a statement to which no gloss can be added. There can be no ninth reason for an earthquake. If there were, the Blessed One would have mentioned it. It is because there is no other, that he left it unnoticed. But we find another, and a ninth reason, when we are told that on Vessantara’s giving his mighty largesse the earth shook seven times®. If, NAgasena, there are eight causes for an earthquake, then what we hear of the earthquake at Vessantara’s largesse is false. And if that is true, then the statement as to the eight 1 From the Book of the Great Decease, III, 13, translated at p. 45 of my ‘ Buddhist Suttas,’ vol. xi in this series, ® See the Vessantara Gataka, and compare Gétaka I, p. 74. IV, 1, 36. VESSANTARA. 17!
3And if that is true, then the statement as to the eight 1 From the Book of the Great Decease, III, 13, translated at p. 45 of my ‘ Buddhist Suttas,’ vol. xi in this series, ® See the Vessantara Gataka, and compare Gétaka I, p. 74. IV, 1, 36. VESSANTARA. 17! causes of earthquakes is false. This double-headed question, too, is subtle, hard to unravel, dark, and profound. It is now put to you. [114] No one of less knowledge can solve it, only one wise as you.’ 36. ‘The Blessed One made the statement you refer to, O king, and yet the earth shook seven times at Vessantara’s largesse. But that was out of season, it was an isolated occurrence, it was not included in the eight usual causes, and was not therefore reckoned as one of them. Just, O king, as there are three kinds of well-known rains reckoned in the world—that of the rainy season, that of the winter months, and that of the two months As4/Aa and SAvana. If, besides these, any other rain falls, that is not reckoned among the usual rains, but is called “a rain out of season.” And again, O king, just as there are five hundred rivers which flow down from the Himalayas, but of these ten only are reckoned in enumerations of rivers—the Ganges, the Jumna, the A4iravati, the Sarabhd, the Mahi, the Indus, the Sarasvatt, the Vetravatt, the Vitass4, and the Xandabh4g4a—the others not being included in the catalogue because of their intermittent flow of water. And again, O king, just as there are a hundred or two of officers under the king, but only six of them are reckoned as officers of state—the commander-in-chief, the prime minister, and the chief judge, and the high treasurer, and the bearer of the sunshade of state, and the state sword-bearer. And why? Because of their royal prerogatives. The rest are not reckoned, they are all called simply officers. [115] Just as in all these cases, great king, the seven times repeated earthquake at the largesse of Vessantara was, as an isolated and extra- 172 THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA. IV, 1, 37- ordinary occurrence, and distinct from the eight usual ones, not reckoned among those eight causes.’ 37. ‘Now have you heard, O king, in the history of our faith of any act of devotion being done so as to receive its recompense even in this present life, the fame of which has reached up to the gods ?’ ‘Yes, Lord, I have heard of such. There are seven cases of such actions.’ ‘Who were the people who did those things ?’ ‘Sumana the garland maker, and Eka-s4¢aka the brahman, and Puzza the hired servant, and Mallika the queen, and the queen known as the mother of Gopala, and Suppiy4 the devoted woman, and Puzna . the slave-girl. It was these seven who did acts of devotion which bare fruit even in this life, and the fame of which reached even to the gods.’ ‘And have you heard of others, O king, who, even in their human body, mounted up to the blessed abode of the great Thirty-three ?’ ‘Yes, I have heard, too, of them.’ ‘ And who were they ?’
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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