Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1They had not entered the Order. So these and many other billions of gods, O king, — even while they were yet laymen, living at home, enjoying the pleasures of sense, — saw face to face (realised in themselves) the condition of Peace, the Supreme Good, Nirvana3.' 5. ' If so, venerable Nagasena, — if laymen, living at home and enjoying the pleasures of sense, can see Nirvana, — wThat purpose then do these extra vows serve ? That being so, rather must [351] the vows be workers of mischief. For, Nagasena, if diseases would abate without medicine, what would be the advantage of weakening the body by emetics, by purges, and other like remedies ? — if one's enemies could be subdued with one's fists only, where would be the need of swords and spears, of javelins and bows and cross-bows, of maces and of clubs ? — if trees could be climbed by clambering up them with the aid of the knots and of the crooked and hollow places in them, of the thorny excrescences and creepers and branches growing on them, what would be the need of going in quest of ladders long and strong ? — if sleeping on the bare ground gave 1 That is, Patina, Avanti, and Dakkhi/zapatha (say the East, the Upper Ganges Valley, and the Dekkan). 2 The full list is given in the note at ' Vinaya Texts/ II, 146. 3 This Buddhist way of looking on the gods as laymen has been already referred to above in the note on p. 20 of the Pali, I, 32 of the translation. VT, 6. OF MILINDA THE KING. 25 I ease to the limbs 1y why should one seek after fine large beds, soft to the touch ? — if one could cross the desert alone, inaccessible though it be, and full of danger and fear, why need one wait for a grand caravan, well armed and well equipped ? — if a man were able by his own arms to cross a flowing river, what need he care for firm dykes or boats ? — if he could provide board and lodging for himself out of his own property, why should he trouble to do service to others, to flatter with sweet words, to run to and fro ? — when he can get water from a natural pool, why should he dig wells and tanks and artificial ponds ? And just so, venerable Naga- sena, if laymen, living at home and enjoying the pleasures of sense, can realise in themselves the condition of Peace, the Supreme Good, Nirvana, what is the need of taking upon oneself these vows ?' 6. ( There are, O king, these twenty-eight good qualities in the vows, virtues really inherent in them ; and on account of these all the Buddhas alike have longed for them and held them dear. And what are the twenty-eight ? The keeping of the vows, O king, implies a mode of livelihood without evil, it has a blissful calm as its fruit, it avoids blame, it works no harm to others, it is free from danger, it brings no trouble on others, it is certain to bring with it growth in goodness, it wastes not away, it deludes not, it is in itself a protection 2, it works the satisfaction of desires and the taming of all beings, it is good for self-
21 Dhatu-samata, for which Hina/i-kumbur6 (p. 511) has Dhatu-samanaya. 2 Hina/i-kumbure\ p. 512, takes arakkha-patthitadadaw as one compound. 4i 252 THE QUESTIONS AND PUZZLES VI, 7. control, it is appropriate 19 (he who keeps the vows) is self-dependent 2, is emancipated 3, the keeping of them is the destruction of lust, and of malice, and of dullness ; it is the pulling away of pride, the cutting off of evil thoughts, the removal of doubts, the suppression of sloth, the putting away of discontent ; it is long-suffering, its merit is beyond weight, and its virtue beyond measure, and it is the path that leads to the end of every grief. These, O king, are the twenty-eight good qualities in the vows ; [352] and it is on account of these that all the Buddhas alike have longed for them and held them dear. 7. 'And whosoever, O king, thoroughly carry out the vows, they become completely endowed with eighteen good qualities. What are these eighteen ? Their walk is pure, their path is accomplished, well guarded are they in deed and word, altogether pure are they in manners and in mind, their zeal flags not, all their fears are allayed, all delusions (as to the permanence and as to the degree) of their indi- viduality have been put away, anger has died away while love (to all beings) 4 has arisen in their hearts, in taking nourishment they eat it with the three right views regarding food5, they are honoured of 1 Pa/irupam, probably 'to the life of a recluse,' but the Sin- halese takes it to mean 'to the doctrine' (s as an a). 2 Anissitan. See the note above on the translation of p. 321 of the Pali. 'Independent of craving' (trishna), says the Sin- halese. 3 Vippamuttan. Of trz'sh^a, says the Sinhalese again. 4 Met ta, which always has the connotation. Hina/i-kumbure accordingly renders it sakala-satwayan kerehi maitreya. 5 Aharo pari»#ato. The three right views are, 1 as to its nature, 2 as to its impurity, 3 as to the lust of taste. VI, 9- OF MILINDA THE KING. 253 all men, they are temperate in eating, they are full of watchfulness, they need no home, wheresoever is a pleasant spot there do they dwell, they loathe to do ill, they take delight in solitude, they are in earnest always. These, O king, are the good qualities with which they who carry out the vows are completely endowed. 8. ' And these ten, O king, are the individuals worthy of those advantages inherent in the vows — the man full of faith, ashamed to do wrong, full of courage, void of hypocrisy, master of himself, not unstable1, desirous to learn, glad to undertake the task that is hard, not easy to take offence, of a loving heart. These, O king, are the ten individuals worthy of those advantages inherent in the vows.
3These, O king, are the ten individuals worthy of those advantages inherent in the vows. 9. * And all they, O king, who as laymen, living at home and in the enjoyment of the pleasures of sense, realise in themselves the condition of Peace, the Supreme Good, Nirvana, — all they had in former births accomplished their training, laid the founda- tion, in the practice of the thirteen vows, had purified their walk and conduct by means of them ; and so now, even as laymen, living at home and in the enjoyment of the pleasures of sense, do they realise in themselves the condition of Peace, the Supreme Good, Nirvana. Just, O king, as a clever archer first in regular succession teaches his pupils at the training ground the different kinds of bows, the manner of holding the bow up, and of keeping it in a firm grasp, and of bending the fingers, and of planting the feet, and of taking up the arrow, and of placing it on 1 Alolo, 'not greedy after the four requisites of a recluse/ says the Sinhalese, p. 514. 254 THE QUESTIONS AND PUZZLES VI, 10. the string, and of drawing it back, and of restraining it, and of aiming at the mark, and thus of hitting1 a man of straw, or targets made of the A^a/zaka plant 2, or of grass, or of straw, or of masses of clay, or of shields3 — and after that, introducing them to the service of the king, he gains the reward of high-bred chargers and chariots and elephants and horses and money and corn and red gold and slave girls and slaves and wives and lands. [353] Just so, O king, all they who as laymen, living at home in the enjoy- ment of the pleasures of sense, realise in themselves the condition of Peace, the Supreme Good, Nirvana, — all they had in former births accomplished their training, laid the foundation, in the practice of the thirteen vows, had purified their walk and conduct by means of them ; and so now, even as laymen, and living at home in the enjoyment of the pleasures of sense, do they realise in themselves the condition of Peace, the Supreme Good, Nirvana. 10. 'And there is no realisation of Arahatship, O king, in one single life, without a previous keeping of the vows. Only on the utmost zeal and the most devoted practice of righteousness, and with the aid of a suitable teacher, is the realisation of Arahatship attained. Just, O king, as a doctor or surgeon first procures for himself a teacher, either by the payment of a fee or by the performance of service, and then 1 Vedhe. I follow Mr. Trenckner, but the Sinhalese translation is based on the reading Vede. 2 The Sinhalese takes this word in composition with the following tirca and spells it £anakaya. Compare iTawaka, 'a chick pea/ 3 Phalaka. But Hina/i-kumbure, p. 514, takes it in the technical sense of a kind of rough roller, made of the wood apple tree (dimbul poru), and used for levelling rice-fields. VI, 12. OF MILINDA THE KING. 255
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.
1They had not entered the Order. So these and many other billions of gods, O king, — even while they were yet laymen, living at home, enjoying the pleasures of sense, — saw face to face (realised in themselves) the condition of Peace, the Supreme Good, Nirvana3.' 5. ' If so, venerable Nagasena, — if laymen, living at home and enjoying the pleasures of sense, can see Nirvana, — wThat purpose then do these extra vows serve ? That being so, rather must [351] the vows be workers of mischief. For, Nagasena, if diseases would abate without medicine, what would be the advantage of weakening the body by emetics, by purges, and other like remedies ? — if one's enemies could be subdued with one's fists only, where would be the need of swords and spears, of javelins and bows and cross-bows, of maces and of clubs ? — if trees could be climbed by clambering up them with the aid of the knots and of the crooked and hollow places in them, of the thorny excrescences and creepers and branches growing on them, what would be the need of going in quest of ladders long and strong ? — if sleeping on the bare ground gave 1 That is, Patina, Avanti, and Dakkhi/zapatha (say the East, the Upper Ganges Valley, and the Dekkan). 2 The full list is given in the note at ' Vinaya Texts/ II, 146. 3 This Buddhist way of looking on the gods as laymen has been already referred to above in the note on p. 20 of the Pali, I, 32 of the translation. VT, 6. OF MILINDA THE KING. 25 I ease to the limbs 1y why should one seek after fine large beds, soft to the touch ? — if one could cross the desert alone, inaccessible though it be, and full of danger and fear, why need one wait for a grand caravan, well armed and well equipped ? — if a man were able by his own arms to cross a flowing river, what need he care for firm dykes or boats ? — if he could provide board and lodging for himself out of his own property, why should he trouble to do service to others, to flatter with sweet words, to run to and fro ? — when he can get water from a natural pool, why should he dig wells and tanks and artificial ponds ? And just so, venerable Naga- sena, if laymen, living at home and enjoying the pleasures of sense, can realise in themselves the condition of Peace, the Supreme Good, Nirvana, what is the need of taking upon oneself these vows ?' 6. ( There are, O king, these twenty-eight good qualities in the vows, virtues really inherent in them ; and on account of these all the Buddhas alike have longed for them and held them dear. And what are the twenty-eight ? The keeping of the vows, O king, implies a mode of livelihood without evil, it has a blissful calm as its fruit, it avoids blame, it works no harm to others, it is free from danger, it brings no trouble on others, it is certain to bring with it growth in goodness, it wastes not away, it deludes not, it is in itself a protection 2, it works the satisfaction of desires and the taming of all beings, it is good for self-
21 Dhatu-samata, for which Hina/i-kumbur6 (p. 511) has Dhatu-samanaya. 2 Hina/i-kumbure\ p. 512, takes arakkha-patthitadadaw as one compound. 4i 252 THE QUESTIONS AND PUZZLES VI, 7. control, it is appropriate 19 (he who keeps the vows) is self-dependent 2, is emancipated 3, the keeping of them is the destruction of lust, and of malice, and of dullness ; it is the pulling away of pride, the cutting off of evil thoughts, the removal of doubts, the suppression of sloth, the putting away of discontent ; it is long-suffering, its merit is beyond weight, and its virtue beyond measure, and it is the path that leads to the end of every grief. These, O king, are the twenty-eight good qualities in the vows ; [352] and it is on account of these that all the Buddhas alike have longed for them and held them dear. 7. 'And whosoever, O king, thoroughly carry out the vows, they become completely endowed with eighteen good qualities. What are these eighteen ? Their walk is pure, their path is accomplished, well guarded are they in deed and word, altogether pure are they in manners and in mind, their zeal flags not, all their fears are allayed, all delusions (as to the permanence and as to the degree) of their indi- viduality have been put away, anger has died away while love (to all beings) 4 has arisen in their hearts, in taking nourishment they eat it with the three right views regarding food5, they are honoured of 1 Pa/irupam, probably 'to the life of a recluse,' but the Sin- halese takes it to mean 'to the doctrine' (s as an a). 2 Anissitan. See the note above on the translation of p. 321 of the Pali. 'Independent of craving' (trishna), says the Sin- halese. 3 Vippamuttan. Of trz'sh^a, says the Sinhalese again. 4 Met ta, which always has the connotation. Hina/i-kumbure accordingly renders it sakala-satwayan kerehi maitreya. 5 Aharo pari»#ato. The three right views are, 1 as to its nature, 2 as to its impurity, 3 as to the lust of taste. VI, 9- OF MILINDA THE KING. 253 all men, they are temperate in eating, they are full of watchfulness, they need no home, wheresoever is a pleasant spot there do they dwell, they loathe to do ill, they take delight in solitude, they are in earnest always. These, O king, are the good qualities with which they who carry out the vows are completely endowed. 8. ' And these ten, O king, are the individuals worthy of those advantages inherent in the vows — the man full of faith, ashamed to do wrong, full of courage, void of hypocrisy, master of himself, not unstable1, desirous to learn, glad to undertake the task that is hard, not easy to take offence, of a loving heart. These, O king, are the ten individuals worthy of those advantages inherent in the vows.
3These, O king, are the ten individuals worthy of those advantages inherent in the vows. 9. * And all they, O king, who as laymen, living at home and in the enjoyment of the pleasures of sense, realise in themselves the condition of Peace, the Supreme Good, Nirvana, — all they had in former births accomplished their training, laid the founda- tion, in the practice of the thirteen vows, had purified their walk and conduct by means of them ; and so now, even as laymen, living at home and in the enjoyment of the pleasures of sense, do they realise in themselves the condition of Peace, the Supreme Good, Nirvana. Just, O king, as a clever archer first in regular succession teaches his pupils at the training ground the different kinds of bows, the manner of holding the bow up, and of keeping it in a firm grasp, and of bending the fingers, and of planting the feet, and of taking up the arrow, and of placing it on 1 Alolo, 'not greedy after the four requisites of a recluse/ says the Sinhalese, p. 514. 254 THE QUESTIONS AND PUZZLES VI, 10. the string, and of drawing it back, and of restraining it, and of aiming at the mark, and thus of hitting1 a man of straw, or targets made of the A^a/zaka plant 2, or of grass, or of straw, or of masses of clay, or of shields3 — and after that, introducing them to the service of the king, he gains the reward of high-bred chargers and chariots and elephants and horses and money and corn and red gold and slave girls and slaves and wives and lands. [353] Just so, O king, all they who as laymen, living at home in the enjoy- ment of the pleasures of sense, realise in themselves the condition of Peace, the Supreme Good, Nirvana, — all they had in former births accomplished their training, laid the foundation, in the practice of the thirteen vows, had purified their walk and conduct by means of them ; and so now, even as laymen, and living at home in the enjoyment of the pleasures of sense, do they realise in themselves the condition of Peace, the Supreme Good, Nirvana. 10. 'And there is no realisation of Arahatship, O king, in one single life, without a previous keeping of the vows. Only on the utmost zeal and the most devoted practice of righteousness, and with the aid of a suitable teacher, is the realisation of Arahatship attained. Just, O king, as a doctor or surgeon first procures for himself a teacher, either by the payment of a fee or by the performance of service, and then 1 Vedhe. I follow Mr. Trenckner, but the Sinhalese translation is based on the reading Vede. 2 The Sinhalese takes this word in composition with the following tirca and spells it £anakaya. Compare iTawaka, 'a chick pea/ 3 Phalaka. But Hina/i-kumbure, p. 514, takes it in the technical sense of a kind of rough roller, made of the wood apple tree (dimbul poru), and used for levelling rice-fields. VI, 12. OF MILINDA THE KING. 255
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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