source:
* "The Debate of King Milinda, an Abridgement of The Milinda Panha"
* Edited by “Bhikkhu Pesala”
* Previously Published by Inward Path, Penang, Malaysia
Prologue
Milinda was the king in the city of Sagala. He was learned in the arts and sciences and was of an inquiring disposition. He was skilled in debating and no one could resolve his doubts about religious matters. Though he questioned all the famous teachers none could satisfy him. Assagutta, one of a large number of arahants living in the Himalayas, knew of the king’s doubts by means of supernormal power. So he convened an assembly to ask if there was anyone who could answer the king. There was no one, so the whole assembly ascended to the heaven of the thirty-three and requested the god Maha-sena to take birth as a man in order to protect the religion. One of the monks, Rohaoa, agreed to go to Kajangala where Maha-sena had been reborn and wait for him to grow up.
The boy’s father, Brahman Sonuttara, had the boy educated in the three Vedas but the boy, Nagasena, declared:
“Empty are these three Vedas and as chaff. There is in them neither reality, worth nor essential truth.”
Realising that the boy was ready, Rohaoa appeared and the parents consented to their son becoming a novice. So, Nagasena studied the Abhidhamma. After gaining perfect knowledge of the seven books of the Abhidhamma, Nagasena was admitted to the Order of monks and Rohaoa sent him to Vattaniya Hermitage to study with Assagutta. While spending the rainy season there, Nagasena was asked to preach a sermon to the pious lady who was Assagutta’s supporter. As a result of the discourse both the lady and Nagasena attained the Eye of the Dhamma, the knowledge that whatsoever has a beginning also has the inherent quality of passing away. Assagutta then sent Nagasena to Dhammarakkhita at the Asoka Park in Panaliputta where, within the space of three months, he mastered the remainder of the Tipinaka. Dhammarakkhita admonished his pupil not to be content with mere book knowledge and the very same night the diligent pupil Nagasena gained “Arahantship”. He then went to join the other “Arahants” who were still staying in the Himalayas. Having completed his education Nagasena was ready to meet anyone in debate.
Meanwhile, King Milinda continued his spiritual quest by visiting the Bhikkhu Ayupala at the Saukheyya
Hermitage and asked him why the monks renounced the world. The elder replied,
“It is for the sake of being able to live in righteousness and in spiritual calm.”
Then the king asked,
“Is there, venerable sir, any layman who lives so?”
The elder admitted that there were many such laymen, and the king retorted:
“Then most venerable Ayupala, your going forth is of no use. It must be in consequence of sins committed in some former birth that recluses renounce the world and even subject themselves to the added constraints of one or other of the ascetic practices such as wearing only ragrobes, eating only one meal a day, or not lying down to sleep. There is no virtue therein, no meritorious abstinence, no righteousness of life!”
When the king had spoken thus the venerable Ayupala was silenced and had not a word to say. Then the five hundred Bactrian Greeks who accompanied the king said,
“The elder is learned but he is also diffident, so he makes no reply.”
To this the king replied by exclaiming:
“All India is an empty thing, it is like chaff. There is no one who is capable of debating with me and dispelling my doubts!”
However, the Bactrian Greeks were unmoved so the king asked,
“Is there then, my good men, any other learned sage who is able to discuss things with me and dispel my doubts?”
Then the minister Devamantiya said,
“There is, Great King, an elder named Nagasena who is learned, of subdued manners yet full of courage; he is capable of discussing with you. He is now staying at this Saukheyya Hermitage, you should go and put your questions to him.”
At the mere mention of the name ‘Nagasena’ the king became alarmed and the hairs of his body stood on end. Then the king sent a messenger to say that he was coming. Attended on by the five hundred Bactrian Greeks, the king mounted his royal chariot and went to the place where Nagasena was staying.
To be continued…………
* "The Debate of King Milinda, an Abridgement of The Milinda Panha"
* Edited by “Bhikkhu Pesala”
* Previously Published by Inward Path, Penang, Malaysia
Prologue
Milinda was the king in the city of Sagala. He was learned in the arts and sciences and was of an inquiring disposition. He was skilled in debating and no one could resolve his doubts about religious matters. Though he questioned all the famous teachers none could satisfy him. Assagutta, one of a large number of arahants living in the Himalayas, knew of the king’s doubts by means of supernormal power. So he convened an assembly to ask if there was anyone who could answer the king. There was no one, so the whole assembly ascended to the heaven of the thirty-three and requested the god Maha-sena to take birth as a man in order to protect the religion. One of the monks, Rohaoa, agreed to go to Kajangala where Maha-sena had been reborn and wait for him to grow up.
The boy’s father, Brahman Sonuttara, had the boy educated in the three Vedas but the boy, Nagasena, declared:
“Empty are these three Vedas and as chaff. There is in them neither reality, worth nor essential truth.”
Realising that the boy was ready, Rohaoa appeared and the parents consented to their son becoming a novice. So, Nagasena studied the Abhidhamma. After gaining perfect knowledge of the seven books of the Abhidhamma, Nagasena was admitted to the Order of monks and Rohaoa sent him to Vattaniya Hermitage to study with Assagutta. While spending the rainy season there, Nagasena was asked to preach a sermon to the pious lady who was Assagutta’s supporter. As a result of the discourse both the lady and Nagasena attained the Eye of the Dhamma, the knowledge that whatsoever has a beginning also has the inherent quality of passing away. Assagutta then sent Nagasena to Dhammarakkhita at the Asoka Park in Panaliputta where, within the space of three months, he mastered the remainder of the Tipinaka. Dhammarakkhita admonished his pupil not to be content with mere book knowledge and the very same night the diligent pupil Nagasena gained “Arahantship”. He then went to join the other “Arahants” who were still staying in the Himalayas. Having completed his education Nagasena was ready to meet anyone in debate.
Meanwhile, King Milinda continued his spiritual quest by visiting the Bhikkhu Ayupala at the Saukheyya
Hermitage and asked him why the monks renounced the world. The elder replied,
“It is for the sake of being able to live in righteousness and in spiritual calm.”
Then the king asked,
“Is there, venerable sir, any layman who lives so?”
The elder admitted that there were many such laymen, and the king retorted:
“Then most venerable Ayupala, your going forth is of no use. It must be in consequence of sins committed in some former birth that recluses renounce the world and even subject themselves to the added constraints of one or other of the ascetic practices such as wearing only ragrobes, eating only one meal a day, or not lying down to sleep. There is no virtue therein, no meritorious abstinence, no righteousness of life!”
When the king had spoken thus the venerable Ayupala was silenced and had not a word to say. Then the five hundred Bactrian Greeks who accompanied the king said,
“The elder is learned but he is also diffident, so he makes no reply.”
To this the king replied by exclaiming:
“All India is an empty thing, it is like chaff. There is no one who is capable of debating with me and dispelling my doubts!”
However, the Bactrian Greeks were unmoved so the king asked,
“Is there then, my good men, any other learned sage who is able to discuss things with me and dispel my doubts?”
Then the minister Devamantiya said,
“There is, Great King, an elder named Nagasena who is learned, of subdued manners yet full of courage; he is capable of discussing with you. He is now staying at this Saukheyya Hermitage, you should go and put your questions to him.”
At the mere mention of the name ‘Nagasena’ the king became alarmed and the hairs of his body stood on end. Then the king sent a messenger to say that he was coming. Attended on by the five hundred Bactrian Greeks, the king mounted his royal chariot and went to the place where Nagasena was staying.
To be continued…………
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