The Questions of King Milinda, Part II — SBE Vol. 36 (trans. T. W. Rhys Davids, 1894)

Hina/i-kumbure, p. 604, renders it simply ' dullness' (mo ha).

2 c Goes slanting, avoiding medicinal plants, trees, &c./ says the
Sinhalese.

3 ^intayati, perhaps ' put out/ Gcelawi yanta sitanneya, says the Sinhalese, p. 605.

p. 349

serpent he ought to have. For it is a saying, O king, of the two fairy birds in the Bhalla/iya £ataka :

" 'Tis one night only, hunter, that we've spent
Away from home, and that against our wrill,
And thinking all night through of one another,
Yet that one night is it that we bemoan,
And grieve ; for nevermore can it return 1 ! " '

50. The Rock-snake2.

23. 'Venerable Nagasena, that one quality of the rock-snake that you say he ought to take, which is it?'

' Just, O king, as the rock-snake, immense as is its length of body, will go many days with empty belly, and, wretched, get no food to fill its stomach, yet in spite of that it will just manage to keep itself alive ; just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, though he be addicted to obtaining his food by alms, dependent on the gifts that others may give, awaiting offers, abstaining from taking anything himself, and find it difficult to get his belly's-full, yet should he, if he seek after the highest good 3, even though he receive not so much as four or five mouthfuls to eat, fill up the void by water. This, O king, is the quality of the rock-snake he ought to have. For it was said, O king, [407] by Sariputta, the Elder, the Commander of the Faith :

1 Gataka IV, 439.

2 A^-agara. Childers renders this 'boa-constrictor/ But Hina/i-kumbure has pimbura, which is a rock-snake, often confounded with the boa-constrictor on account of the size to which it grows.

3 Atthavasikena, attha being rendered Nirvana by the Sinhalese.

p. 350

" Whether it be dry food or wet he eats,
Let him to full repletion never eat.
The good recluse goes forth in emptiness,
And keeps to moderation in his food.
If but four mouthfuls or but five he get,
Let him drink water. For what cares the man
With mind on Arahatship fixed for ease * ! " '

Here ends the Fifth Chapter.

1 Thera Gatha 982, 983. The next verse but one has been already quoted above, p. 366 of the Pali; and these recur at Gataka II, 293, 294.

VII, 6, 2. OF MILINDA THE KING. 35 I

Book VII. Chapter 6. the similes (continued).

51. The Road Spider.

1. 'Venerable Nagasena, that one quality of the road spider you say he ought to have, which is it ? '

366 of the Pali; and these recur at
Gataka II, 293, 294.

VII, 6, 2. OF MILINDA THE KING. 35 I

Book VII. Chapter 6. the similes (continued).

51. The Road Spider.

1. 'Venerable Nagasena, that one quality of the road spider you say he ought to have, which is it ? '

'Just, O king, as the road spider weaves the curtain of its net on the road, and whatsoever is caught therein, whether worm, or fly, or beetle, that does he catch and eat ; just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, spread the curtain of the net of self-possession over the six doors (of his six senses), and if any of the flies of evil are caught therein, there should he seize them. This, O king, is the quality of the road spider he ought to have. For it was said, O king, by Anuruddha, the Elder :

" His heart should he shut in, at its six doors,
By self-possession, best and chief of gifts,
Should any evil thoughts be caught within,
Them by the sword of insight should he slay \" '

52. The Child at the Breast.

2. ' Venerable Nagasena, that one quality of the child at the breast you say he ought to take, [408] which is it ? '

'Just, O king, as the child at the breast sticks to its own advantage, and if it wants milk, cries for it ;

1 Not traced as yet.

p. 3

just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, adhere to his own good, and in everything — in teaching, in asking and answering questions, in the conduct of life, in the habit of solitude, in association with his teachers, in the cultivation of the friendship of the good — should he act with knowledge of the Truth. This, O king, is the quality of the child at the breast he ought to have. For it was said, O king, by the Blessed One, the god over all gods, in the Digha Nikâya, in the Suttanta of the Great Decease :

" Be zealous, rather, I beseech you, Ananda, in your own behalf. Devote yourselves to your own good. Be earnest, all aglow, intent on your own good1!"'

53. The Land Tortoise2.

3. ' Venerable Nagasena, that one quality of the land tortoise which you say he ought to take, which is it?'

' Just, O king, as the land tortoise, being afraid of the water, frequents places far from it, and by that habit of avoiding water its length of life is kept undiminished ; just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, seeing the danger in the want of earnestness, be mindful of the advantages that distinguish earnestness. For by that perception of

1 Maha-parinibbana Suttanta V, 24, translated in 'Buddhist Suttas/ p. 91. The beginning of the exhortation has been already quoted above, p. 1 7 7 (of the Pali).

2 ^ittaka-dhara-kummassa, literally 'of the tortoise who wears the sectarian mark (on his forehead)/ The Sinhalese repeats this phrase, which clearly distinguishes this tortoise from the other, the water tortoise, of VII, 1, 12.

p. 353

1 7 7 (of the Pali).

2 ^ittaka-dhara-kummassa, literally 'of the tortoise who wears the sectarian mark (on his forehead)/ The Sinhalese repeats this phrase, which clearly distinguishes this tortoise from the other, the water tortoise, of VII, 1, 12.

p. 353

danger in carelessness, his Sama/zaship fades not away, but rather does he go forward to Nirvana itself. This, O king, is the quality of the land tortoise he ought to have. For it was said, O king, by the Blessed One, the god over all gods, in the Dhammapada :

" The Bhikshu who in earnestness delights,
Who sees the danger of indifference,
Shall fall not from his high estate away,
But in the presence of Nirvana dwell V '

54. The Mountain Height.

4. * Venerable Nagasena, those five qualities of the mountain height you say he ought to have, which are they ? '

* Just, O king, as the mountain height is a hidingplace for the wicked ; just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, keep secret the offences and failings of others, revealing them not. This, O king, is the first of the qualities of the mountain height he ought to have.

5. 'And again, O king, just as the mountain height is void of many people ; just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, [409] earnest in effort, be void of lust, angers, follies, and pride, of the net of (wrong) views 2, and of all evil dispositions. This, O king,

1 Dhammapada, verse 32. The source from which the verse is
taken is unknown now, and was also evidently unknown to our author.
With the closing words nibbanass eva santike, compare verse
372, sa ve nibbana-santike. Santike, 'immediate, close/ is
always used with the connotation of being in the very presence of.
The local qualification, 'near,' is upanissaya, avidure.

2 Di/Mi-£-ala, the net of delusions, those relating to the per-

[36] A ap. 354 is the second quality of the mountain height he ought to have.

6. ' And again, O king, just as the mountain height is a lonely spot, free from crowding of men ; just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, be given to solitude, and free from evil, unworthy qualities, from those that are not noble. This, O king, is the third quality of the mountain height he ought to have.

7. ' And again, O king, just as the mountain height is clean and pure ; just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, be good and pure, happy, and without self-righteousness. This, O king, is the fourth quality of the mountain height he ought to have.

8. ' And again, O king, just as the mountain height is the resort of the noble ones ; just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, be sought after by the noble ones. This, O king, is the fifth quality of the mountain height he ought to have. For it was said, O king, by the Blessed One, the god over all gods, in the most excellent Samyutta Nikaya :