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Composed around the beginning of the Christian era, and of unknown authorship, the Milindapañha is set up as a compilation of questions posed by King Milinda to a revered senior monk named Nagasena. This Milinda has been identified with considerable confidence by scholars as the Greek king Menander of Bactria, in the dominion founded by Alexander the Great, which corresponds with much of present day Afghanistan. Menander's realm thus would have included Gandhara, where Buddhism was flourishing at that time.
What is most interesting about the Milindapañha is that it is the product of the encounter of two great civilizations - Hellenistic Greece and Buddhist India - and is thus of continuing relevance as the wisdom of the East meets the modern Western world. King Milinda poses questions about dilemmas raised by Buddhist philosophy that we might ask today. And Nagasena's responses are full of wisdom, wit, and helpful analogies.
II.1.8: Characteristics of Attention and Wisdom {Miln. 32-33}
The king asked: "Venerable Nagasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of attention, and what is the distinguishing characteristic of wisdom?"
"Examination is the distinguishing characteristic of attention, and severing is the distinguishing characteristic of wisdom."
"How is examination the distinguishing characteristic of attention; and how is severing the distinguishing characteristic of wisdom? Give me an analogy."
"Do you know barley-reapers, your majesty?"
"Yes, venerable sir, I know them."
"How, your majesty, do barley-reapers reap barley?"
"Venerable sir, they take a sheaf of barley in the left hand, and take a sickle in the right hand, and they cut with the sickle."
"Just as, your majesty, a barley-reaper takes a sheaf of barley in the left hand, takes a sickle in the right hand, and cuts the barley, even so, your majesty, does the spiritual aspirant take hold of the mind with attention, and cut off the defilements with wisdom. Indeed thus, your majesty, examination is the distinguishing characteristic of attention, and severing is the distinguishing characteristic of wisdom."
"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."
II.1.14: Characteristic of Wisdom {Miln. 39}
The king asked: "Venerable Nagasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of wisdom?"
"Previously, your majesty, I said 'severing is the distinguishing characteristic of wisdom', and now furthermore illuminating is the distinguishing characteristic of wisdom."
"How, venerable sir, is illuminating the distinguishing characteristic of wisdom?"
"Wisdom arising, your majesty, dispels the darkness of ignorance, produces the illumination of insight, brings forth the light of knowledge, and makes manifest the noble truths; and further, the spiritual practitioner sees with complete understanding impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and corelessness."
"Give me an analogy."
"Just as, your majesty, a person might bring a lamp into a dark house, and with the lamp lit dispel the darkness, produce illumination, show the light, and make manifest forms, so too, your majesty, wisdom arising dispels the darkness of ignorance, produces the illumination of insight, brings forth the light of knowledge, and makes manifest the noble truths; and further, the spiritual practitioner sees with complete understanding impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and corelessness."
"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."
II.3.8: Characteristic of Contact {Miln. 60}
The king asked: "Venerable Nagasena, when mind consciousness arises, do contact and feeling also arise?"
"Yes, your majesty, when mind consciousness arises, contact arises, feeling arises, perception arises, volition arises, applied thought arises, and sustained thought arises. And all these mental states arise with contact in the lead."
"Venerable Nagasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of contact?"
"The distinguishing characteristic of contact, your majesty, is touching."
"Give me an analogy."
"Just as if, your majesty, two rams are butting each other, one of these rams is to be understood as the eye, and the other as a visual object, and the coming together of the two of them is contact."
"Give me another analogy."
"Just as if, your majesty, two hands are clapping together, one of these hands is to be understood as the eye, and the other as a visual object, and the coming together of the two of them is contact."
"Give me another analogy."
"Just as if, your majesty, two cymbals are striking together, one of these cymbals is to be understood as the eye, and the other as a visual object, and the coming together of the two of them is contact."
"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."
II.3.9: Characteristic of Feeling {Miln. 60}
"Venerable Nagasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of feeling?"
"The distinguishing characteristic of feeling, your majesty, is sensing; experiencing is also a distinguishing characteristic."
"Give me an analogy."
"Just as, your majesty, some man might render the king a service, and the king, being well pleased, might repay the service, such that the man on account of this service is provided and endowed with the five cords of sensual pleasure. Then the man might think to himself: 'In the past I rendered a service to the king, and now he has repaid me, on account of which I am experiencing feelings of one kind and another.'
"Or just as, your majesty, some man having performed good actions, on the dissolution of the body, after death, would reappear in a happy destination, in the heavenly world, and there he would be provided and endowed with the five cords of sensual pleasure. Then the man might think to himself: 'In the past I performed good actions, and now on account of this I am experiencing feelings of one kind and another.' So too, your majesty, the distinguishing characteristics of feeling are sensing and experiencing."
"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."
II.3.10: Characteristic of Perception {Miln. 61}
"Venerable Nagasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of perception?"
"The distinguishing characteristic of perception, your majesty, is perceiving. What does one perceive? One perceives blue, yellow, red, white, and crimson. Thus, your majesty, the distinguishing characteristic of perception is perceiving."
"Give me an analogy."
"Just as, your majesty, the king's store-keeper, having entered the storehouse, might see the goods belonging to the king and would perceive blue, yellow, red, white and crimson. So too, your majesty, the distinguishing characteristic of perception is perceiving."
"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."
II.3.11: Characteristic of Volition {Miln. 61}
"Venerable Nagasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of volition?"
"The distinguishing characteristic of volition, your majesty, is intending; preparation is also a distinguishing characteristic."
"Give me an analogy."
"Just as, your majesty, some man or other might prepare a poison and drink it himself, and make others drink it, then he and the others would become ill. Even so, your majesty, if some man here through volition intended some unwholesome deed, then on the dissolution of the body, after death, he would reappear in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell. And those who follow his example would also on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a state of deprivation, in an unhappy destination, in perdition, in hell.
"Also just as, your majesty, some man or other might mix together ghee, fresh butter, oil, honey and sugar and drink it himself, and make others drink it, then he and the others would be happy. Even so, your majesty, if some man here through volition intended some wholesome deed, then on the dissolution of the body, after death, he would reappear in a happy destination, in the heavenly world. And those who followed his example would also on the dissolution of the body, after death, reappear in a happy destination, in the heavenly world. So too, your majesty, the distinguishing characteristics of volition are intending and preparation."
"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."
II.3.12: Characteristic of Consciousness {Miln. 62}
The king asked: "Venerable Nagasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of consciousness?"
"The distinguishing characteristic of consciousness, your majesty, is cognizing."
"Give me an analogy."
"Just as, your majesty, a city-superintendent sitting at the crossroads in the middle of the city could see a person coming from the eastern direction, could see a person coming from the southern direction, could see a person coming from the western direction, and could see a person coming from the northern direction, then indeed, your majesty, does a person cognize with consciousness a form he sees with the eye, cognize with consciousness a sound he hears with the ear, cognize with consciousness a scent he smells with the nose, cognize with consciousness a taste he savors with the tongue, cognize with consciousness a touch he feels with the body, and cognize with consciousness a mental state he cognizes with the mind. Indeed thus, your majesty, the distinguishing characteristic of consciousness is cognizing."
"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."
II.3.13: Characteristic of Applied Thought {Miln. 62}
"Venerable Nagasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of applied thought?"
"The distinguishing characteristic of applied thought, your majesty, is fixing one's mind on an object."
"Give me an analogy."
"Just as, your majesty, a carpenter might fix a well-prepared piece of wood into a joint, so too, your majesty, the distinguishing characteristic of applied thought is fixing one's mind on an object."
"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."
II.3.14: Characteristic of Sustained Thought {Miln. 62}
"Venerable Nagasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of sustained thought?"
"The distinguishing characteristic of sustained thought, your majesty, is continual examination."
"Give me an analogy."
"Just as, your majesty, when a gong is struck and continues resounding afterwards, indeed so the striking is to be understood as applied thought, and the continuance of the resounding as sustained thought."
"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."
III.5.5: Transmigration and Rebirth {Miln. 71}
The king asked: " Venerable Nagasena, is it so that one does not transmigrate and one is reborn?"
"Yes, your majesty, one does not transmigrate and one is reborn."
"How, venerable Nagasena, is it that one does not transmigrate and one is reborn? Give me an analogy."
"Just as, your majesty, if someone kindled one lamp from another, is it indeed so, your majesty, that the lamp would transmigrate from the other lamp?"
"Certainly not, venerable sir."
"Indeed just so, your majesty, one does not transmigrate and one is reborn."
"Give me another analogy."
"Do you remember, your majesty, when you were a boy learning some verse from a teacher?"
"Yes, venerable sir."
"Your majesty, did this verse transmigrate from the teacher?"
"Certainly not, venerable sir."
"Indeed just so, your majesty, one does not transmigrate and one is reborn."
"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."
III.5.6: The Soul {Miln. 71}
The king asked: "Venerable Nagasena, is the soul to be found?"
The elder replied: "According to ultimate reality, your majesty, the soul is not to be found."
"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."
III.5.7: Non-Release From Evil Deeds {Miln. 72}
The king asked: "Venerable Nagasena, is there any being which transmigrates from one body to another?"
"Certainly not, your majesty."
"If, venerable Nagasena, there is no-one who transmigrates from one body to another, then would not one be released from evil deeds?"
"Yes, your majesty. If one is not reborn, then one would be released from evil deeds. But indeed because one is reborn, your majesty, then one is not fully released from evil deeds."
"Give me an analogy."
"Just as, your majesty, if some man were to steal the mangos of another, would this be an offense worthy of punishment?"
"Yes, venerable sir, it would be an offense worthy of punishment."
"But, your majesty, since these mangos that he stole were not the same mangos that the other had planted, why would it be punishable?"
"Venerable sir, they came into existence by means of those mangos that were planted, therefore it would be punishable."
"Indeed just so, your majesty, it is by the deeds that one does in this mind-and-body, lovely or unlovely, that one is reborn in another mind-and-body, therefore one would not be fully released from evil deeds ."
"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."
III.7.5: Simultaneous Arising in Different Places {Miln. 82-3}
The king asked: "Venerable Nagasena, if someone passes away and is reborn in the Brahma world, and if another passes away and is reborn in Kashmir, which one takes the longer time, and which the shorter?"
"They are the same, your majesty."
"Give me an analogy."
"Your majesty, where is your town of birth?"
"There is a place called Kalasigama, there I was born."
"How far away, your majesty, is Kalasigama from here?"
"About 200 yojana,[1] venerable sir."
"How far away, your majesty, is Kashmir from here?"
"About 12 yojana, venerable sir."
"Go on then, your majesty, think about Kalasigama."
"I have thought about it, venerable sir."
"Go on then, your majesty, think about Kashmir."
"I have thought about it, venerable sir."
"Which thinking took a long time, your majesty, and which a short time?"
"They were the same, venerable sir."
"Just so, your majesty, if someone passes away and is reborn in the Brahma world, and if another passes away and is reborn in Kashmir, they happen in the same time."
"Give me another analogy."
"What do you think, your majesty, if two birds fly in the sky and one sits in a high tree, and the other in a low tree; if these happen at the same time, the shadow of which one would settle on the ground first, and which one later?"
"They are the same, venerable sir."
"Just so, your majesty, if someone passes away and is reborn in the Brahma world, and if another passes away and is reborn in Kashmir, they happen in the same time."
"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."
III.7.8: Doing Evil Knowingly and Unknowingly {Miln. 84}
The king asked: "Venerable Nagasena, for whom is the greater demerit, one who knowingly does evil, or one who does evil unknowingly?"
The elder replied: "Indeed, your majesty, for him who does evil not knowing is the greater demerit."
"In that case, venerable Nagasena, would we doubly punish one who is our prince or king's chief minister who not knowing does evil?"
"What do you think, your majesty, who would get burned more, one who knowing picks up a hot iron ball, ablaze and glowing, or one who not knowing picks it up?"
"Indeed, venerable sir, he who not knowing picks it up would get burned more."
"Indeed, your majesty, in the same way the greater demerit is for him who does evil not knowing."
"You are clever, venerable Nagasena."