Chia Khoa Hoc Phat

3.7.4. How far to heaven? The king said: ‘How far is it, Nāgasena, from here to the Brahma world ?’	3.7.4. Bao xa để tới Cung Trời? Đức vua hỏi: ‘Này Nāgasena, từ đây đến cõi Phạm thiên bao xa?
‘Very far is it, O king. If a rock, the size of an upper chamber, were to fall from there, it would take four months to reach the earth, though it came down eight-and-forty thousand leagues each day and night.’	Thưa đại vương, cõi Phạm Thiên rất là xa, nếu một tảng đá, có kích thước bằng một căn phòng trên cao, rơi xuống từ đó, , trong khi rơi xuống ngày đêm bốn mươi tám ngàn do-tuần thì mất bốn tháng mới có thể đến được trái đất.’
‘Good, Nāgasena! Now do not your people say that a Bhikkhu, who has the power of Iddhi and the mastery over his mind, can vanish from jambu-dīpa, and appear in the Brahma world, as quickly as a strong man could stretch forth his bent up arm, or bend it in again if it were stretched out? That is a saying I cannot believe. How is it possible that he could traverse so quickly so many hundreds of leagues?’	'Thưa tôn giả Nāgasena! Tốt lắm, chẳng phải các người nói rằng một vị tỳ kheo, người có năng lực thần thông và khả năng làm chủ tâm của mình, có thể biến mất khỏi xứ jambu-dīpa (đảo Jambu, tức là bán đảo Ấn Độ), và xuất hiện trong cõi Phạm thiên, nhanh như một người đàn ông lực lưỡng có thể duỗi cánh tay đang co lại của mình, hoặc uốn cong nó lại nếu nó bị kéo dài ra. Đó là một câu nói mà trẫm không thể tin được. Làm thế nào mà anh ta có thể di chuyển hàng trăm dặm nhanh như vậy?’
The Elder replied: ‘In what district, O king, were you born?’	Vị Trưởng Lão trả lời: "Thưa đại vương, ngài sinh ở đâu?"
‘There is an island called Alasanda. It was there I was born.’	Thưa ngài, có hòn đảo tên là Alasandā. Đó là nơi Trẫm sanh ra
‘And how far is Alasanda from here?’ ‘About two hundred leagues.’ ‘Do you know for certain of any business you once did there and now recollect?’	'Thưa đại vơng, từ đây đến đảo Alasand bao xa?" Thưa ngài, khoảng cách hai trăm do-tuần. 'Thưa đại vương, ngài có biết rõ về bất kỳ công việc nào bạn đã từng làm ở đó và bây giờ vẫn còn nhớ không?
‘Oh, yes.’ ‘So quickly, great king, have you gone about two hundred leagues.’	'Thưa tôn giả, trẫm nhớ' Tâu đại vương, như vậy là ngài đã di chuyển khoảng cách hai trăm do-tuần một cách nhẹ nhàng.
‘Very good, Nāgasena!’	"Thật tuyệt vời, thưa tôn giả Nāgasena!’
3.7.5. How fast is rebirth? The king said: ‘If one man, Nāgasena, were to die here and be reborn in the Brahma world, and another were to die here and be reborn in Kashmir, which of the two would arrive first?’	33.7.5. Sự tái sinh nhanh như thế nào? Đức vua hỏi: “Thưa tôn giả Nāgasena, nếu một người chết ở đây và sinh vào cõi Phạm thiên, và một người khác chết ở đây và tái sinh xứ Kashmir, thì ai sẽ tái sinh trước?”
‘Both together, O king.’ Give me an illustration.’ ‘In what town , O king, were you born?’ ‘There is a village called Kalasi. It was there I was born.’ ‘And how far is Kalasi from here?’ ‘About two hundred leagues.’ ‘How far is Kashmir from here?’ ‘Twelve leagues.’ ‘Now, great king, think of Kalasi.’ ‘I have done so.’ ‘And now, think of Kashmir.’ ‘I have done so.’ ‘Well, which did you think of quickest?’ ‘Of each in the same time.’	'Thưa đại vương, cả hai cùng tái sinh thời gian bằng nhau' 'Hãy cho trẫm một minh dụ" "Thưa đại vương, Ngài sinh ở đâu?" 'Thưa tôn giả, có một ngôi làng tên là Kalasi. Bần tăng đã được sinh ra ở đó 'Thưa đại vương, như vậy, từ đây đến Kalasi bao xa? Thưa tôn giả, khoảng cách hai trăm do-tuần. “Tâu đại vương, Kasmīra cách đây bao xa?” Thưa tôn giả, khoảng mười hai do-tuần.” “Tâu đại vương, đại vương hãy nghĩ đến ngôi làng Kalasi đi?” “Thưa tôn giả, đã nghĩ đến rồi.” “Tâu đại vương, đại vương hãy nghĩ đến Kasmīra đi?” “Thưa tôn giả đã nghĩ đến rồi.” “Tâu đại vương, cái nào đã được suy nghĩ lâu, cái nào mau hơn?” “Thưa tôn giả, bằng nhau.”
‘Just so, great king, would it take no longer to be reborn in the Brahma world than to be reborn in Kashmir. And tell me, O king. Suppose two birds were flying, and one were to alight on a tall tree, and the other on a small shrub. If they settled both at the same moment, whose shadow would first fall to the ground?’	Cũng vậy, tâu đại vương, sự tái sinh vào cõi Phạm thiên không lâu hơn là tái sinh vào Kashmir. Thưa đại vương, hãy nói cho bần tăng biết. Giả sử có hai con chim đang bay, một con đậu trên cây cao, con kia đậu trên bụi cây nhỏ. Nếu chúng đồng thời đáp xuống, bóng con nào hiện ở mặt đất trước, và bóng con nào hiện mặt đất sau?”
‘The two shadows would fall together.’ ‘Just so, great king, in the case you put.’ ‘Very good, Nāgasena!’	'Thưa tôn giả, cả hai cái bóng cùng hiện ở mặt đắt một lúc.' “Tâu đại vương, tương tợ y như thế, người từ trần ở đây rồi sanh vào cõi Phạm Thiên, và người từ trần ở đây rồi sanh vào xứ Kasmīra, họ sanh lên đều bằng nhau.” 'Thật là tuyệt vời, thưa tôn giả Nāgasena!
3.7.6. Kinds of wisdom The king said: ‘Venerable Nāgasena, how many kinds of wisdom are there?’ ‘Seven, O king.’	3.7.6. Kinds of wisdom ^^^^^
‘And by how many kinds of Wisdom does one become wise?’	^^^^^
‘By one: that is to say by the kind of wisdom called “the investigation of the Truth.”’	^^^^
‘Then why is it said there are seven?’ ‘Tell me, O king. Suppose a sword were lying in its sheath and not taken in the hand, could it cut off anything you wanted to cut off with it?’	^^^^
‘Certainly not.’ ‘Just so, great king, by the other kinds of wisdom can nothing be understood without investigation of the Truth.’	^^^^
‘Very good, Nāgasena!’	^^^^
3.7.7. Is merit or demerit greater? The king said: ‘Which, Nāgasena, is there more of, merit or demerit?’	3.7.7. Is merit or demerit greater? ^^^^
‘Merit.’ ‘But why?’	^^^^
‘He who does wrong, O king, comes to feel remorse, and acknowledges his evil-doing. So demerit does not increase. But he who does well feels no remorse, and feeling no remorse gladness will spring up within him, and joy will arise to him thus gladdened, and so rejoicing all his frame will be at peace, and being thus at peace he will experience a blissful feeling of content, and in that bliss his heart will be at rest, and he whose heart is thus at rest knows things as they really are. For that reason merit increases. A man, for example, though his hands and feet are cut off, if he gave to the Blessed One merely a handful of lotuses, would not enter purgatory for ninety-one Kalpas. That is why I said, O king, that there is more merit than demerit.’	^^^^
‘Very good, Nāgasena!’	^^^^
3.7.8. Intentional wrong doing The king said: ‘Whose, Nāgasena, is the greater demerit—his who sins consciously, or his who sins inadvertently?’	3.7.8. Intentional wrong doing ^^^^
‘He who sins inadvertently, O king, has the greater demerit.’	^^^^
‘In that case, reverend Sir, we shall punish doubly any of our family or our court who do wrong unintentionally.’	^^^
‘But what do you think, O king? If one man were to seize hold intentionally of a fiery mass of metal glowing with heat, and another were to seize hold of it unintentionally, which would be more burnt?’	^^^^
‘The one who did not know what he was doing.’	^^^^
‘Well, it is just the same with the man who does wrong.’	^^^^
‘Very good, Nāgasena!’	^^^^
3.7.9. Travelling The king said: ‘Is there any one, Nāgasena, who can go with this bodily frame to Uttara-kuru or to the Brahma world, or to any other of the four great continents (into which the world is divided)?’	3.7.9. Travelling ^^^^
‘Yes, there are such people.’ ‘But how can they?’	^^^^
‘Do you recollect, O king, having ever jumped a foot or two feet across the ground?’	^^^^
‘Yes, Nāgasena, I can jump twelve feet.’	^^^^
‘But how?’ ‘I fix my mind on the idea of alighting there, and at the moment of my determination my body comes to seem light to me.’	^^^^
‘Just so, O king, can the Bhikkhu, who has the power of Iddhi, and has the mastery over his mind, when he has made his mind rise up to the occasion, travel through the sky by means of his mind.’	^^^^
‘Very good, Nāgasena!’	^^^^
3.7.10. Long bones The king said: ‘Your people say there are bones even a hundred leagues long. Now there is no tree even one hundred leagues in length, how then can there be bones so long?’	3.7.10. Long bones ^^^^
‘But tell me, O king. Have you not heard of fishes in the sea five hundred leagues in length?’	^^^^
‘Yes. I have heard of such.’	^^^^
‘If so, could they not have bones a hundred leagues long?’	^^^^
‘Very good, Nāgasena!’	^^^^
3.7.11. Cessation of breathing The king said: ‘Your people, Nāgasena, say that it is possible to suppress the inhaling and exhaling (of one’s breath).’	3.7.11. Cessation of breathing ^^^^
‘Yes, that can be done.’ ‘But how?’ ‘Tell me, O king. Have you ever heard of a man snoring ?’	^^^^
‘Yes.’ ‘Well, would not that sound stop if he bent his body?’ ‘Yes.’	^^^^
‘Then surely if that sound would stop at the mere bending of the body of one who is untrained alike in body, in conduct, in mind, and in wisdom—why should it not be possible for the breathing of one trained in all these respects, and who has besides reached up to the fourth stage of the ecstatic contemplation, to be suppressed?’	^^^^
‘Very good, Nāgasena!’	^^^^
3.7.12. Ocean The king said: ‘There is the expression ocean, Nāgasena. Why is the water called ocean?’	3.7.12. Ocean ^^^^
The Elder replied : ‘Because there is just as much salt as water, O king, and just as much water as salt, therefore is it called ocean.’	^^^^
‘Very good, Nāgasena!’	^^^^
3.7.13. The taste of salt ^The king said: ‘Why, Nāgasena, is the ocean all of one taste, the taste of salt?’	3.7.13. The taste of salt ^^^^
‘Because the water in it has stood so long, therefore it is all of one taste, the taste of salt.’	^^^^
‘Very good, Nāgasena!’	^^^^
3.7.14. Dividing The king said: ‘Can even the most minute thing, Nāgasena, be divided?’	3.7.14. Dividing ^^^^
‘Yes, it can.’ ‘And what, Sir, is the most minute of all things.’	^^^^
‘Truth (Dhamma), O king, is the most minute and subtle. But this is not true of all qualities (Dhammā). Subtleness or the reverse are epithets of qualities. But whatever can be divided that can wisdom (Paññā) divide, and there is no other quality which can divide wisdom.’	^^^^
‘Very good, Nāgasena!’	^^^^
3.7.15. Perception, reason, and the soul The king said: ‘These three, Nāgasena—perception, and reason, and the soul in a being—are they all different both in letter and in essence, or the same in essence differing only in the letter?’	3.7.15. Perception, reason, and the soul ^^^^
‘Recognition, O king, is the mark of perception, and discrimination of reason, and there is no such thing as a soul in beings.’	^^^^
‘But if there be no such thing as a soul, what is it then which sees forms with the eye, and hears sounds with the ear, and smells odours with the nose, and tastes tastes with the tongue, and feels touch with the body, or perceives qualities with the mind?’	^^^^
The Elder replied: ‘If there be a soul (distinct from the body) which does all this, then if the door of the eye were thrown down (if the eye were plucked out) could it stretch out its head, as it were, through the larger aperture and (with greater range) see forms much more clearly than before? Could one hear sounds better if the cars were torn away, or smell better if the nose were cut off, or taste better if the tongue were pulled out, or feel touch better if the body were destroyed?’	^^^^
‘Certainly not, Sir.’ ‘Then there can be no soul inside the body.’ ‘Very good, Nāgasena!’	^^^^
3.7.16. A hard thing The Elder said: ‘A hard thing there is, O king, which the Blessed One has done.’	3.7.16. A hard thing ^^^^
‘And what is that?’ ‘The fixing of all those mental conditions which depend on one organ of sense, telling us that such is contact, and such sensation, and such idea, and such intention, and such thought.’	^^^^
‘Give me an illustration.’ ‘Suppose, O king, a man were to wade down into the sea, and taking some water in the palm of his hand, were to taste it with his tongue. Would he distinguish whether it were water from the Ganges, or from the Jumna, or from the Aciravatī, or from the Sarabhū, or from the Mahī?’	^^^^
‘Impossible, Sir.’ ‘More difficult than that, great king, is it to have distinguished between the mental conditions which follow on the exercise of any one of the organs of sense!’	^^^^
‘Very good, Nāgasena!’ Here ends the Seventh Chapter.	^^^^
3.8. What is the time? The Elder said: ‘Do you know, O king, what time it is now?’	3.8. What is the time? ^^^^
‘Yes, Sir, I know. The first watch of the night is now passed. The middle watch is now going on. The torches are lit. The four banners are ordered to be raised, and appropriate gifts to be issued to you from the treasury.’	^^^^
The Yonakas said: ‘Very good, great king. Most able is the Bhikkhu.’/p>	^^^^
‘Yes, my men. Most able is the Bhikkhu. Were the master like him and the pupil like me, a clever scholar would not take long in getting at the truth.’	^^^^
Then the king, pleased with the explanations given of the questions he had put, had Nāgasena robed in an embroidered cloak worth a hundred thousand, and said to him: ‘Venerable Nāgasena, I hereby order that you shall be provided with your daily meal for eight hundred days; and give you the choice of anything in the palace that it is lawful for you to take.’ And when the Elder refused, saying he had enough to live on, the king rejoined: ‘I know, Sir, you have enough to live on. But you should both protect me and protect yourself—yourself from the possibility of a public rumour to the effect that you convinced me but received nothing from me, and me from the possibility of a public rumour that though I was convinced I would give nothing in acknowledgement.’	^^^^
‘Let it be as you wish, great king,’ was the reply.	^^^^
Then the king said: ‘As the lion, the king of beasts, when put into a cage, though it were of gold, would turn his face longingly to the outside; even so do I, though I dwell in the world, turn my thoughts longingly to the higher life of you recluses. But, Sir, if I were to give up the household life and renounce the world it would not be long I should have to live, so many are my foes.’	^^^^
Then the venerable Nāgasena, having thus solved the questions put by Milinda the king, arose from his seat and departed to the hermitage.	^^^^
Not long after Nāgasena had gone, Milinda the king thought over to himself whether he had propounded his questions rightly, and whether the replies had been properly made. And he came to the conclusion that to questions well put replies had been well given. And Nāgasena likewise, when he reached the hermitage, thought the matter over to himself, and concluded that to questions well put right replies had been given.	^^^^
Now Nāgasena robed himself early in the morning, and went with his bowl in his hand to the palace, and sat down on the seat prepared for him. And Milinda saluted the venerable Nāgasena, and sat down respectfully at his side, and said to him: ‘Pray do not think, Sir, that I was kept awake all the rest of the night exulting in the thought of having questioned you. I was debating with myself as to whether I had asked aright, and had been rightly answered. And I concluded that I had.’	^^^^
And the Elder on his part said: ‘Pray do not suppose, great king, that I passed the rest of the night rejoicing at having answered all you asked. I too was thinking over what had been said by us both. And I came to the result that you had questioned well, and that I had rightly answered.’	^^^^
Thus did these two great men congratulate each the other on what he had spoken well.	^^^^
Here ends the answering of the problems of the questions of Milinda.	^^^^
4.1. Eight places to avoid when discussing Master of words and sophistry, clever and wise Milinda tried to test great Nāgasena’s skill. Leaving him not, again and yet again, He questioned and cross-questioned him, until His own skill was proved foolishness. Then he became a student of the Holy Writ. All night, in secrecy, he pondered o’er The ninefold Scriptures, and therein he found Dilemmas hard to solve, and full of snares. And thus he thought: ‘The conquering Buddha’s words Are many-sided, some explanatory, Some spoken as occasion rose to speak, Some dealing fully with essential points. Through ignorance of what, each time, was meant There will be strife hereafter as to what The King of Righteousness has thus laid down In these diverse and subtle utterances. Let me now gain great Nāgasena’s ear, And putting to him that which seems so strange And hard—yea contradictory—get him To solve it. So in future times, when men Begin to doubt, the light of his solutions Shall guide them, too, along the path of Truth.’	4.1. Eight places to avoid when discussing ^^^^
Now Milinda the king, when the night was turning into day, and the sun had risen, bathed, and with hands clasped and raised to his forehead, called to mind the Buddhas of the past, the present, and the future, and solemnly undertook the observance of the eightfold vow, saying to himself: ‘For seven days from now will I do penance by taking upon myself the observance of the eight rules, and when my vow is accomplished will I go to the teacher and put to him, as questions, these dilemmas.’ So Milinda, the king laid aside his usual dress, and put off his ornaments; and clad in yellow robes, with only a recluse’s turban on his head, in appearance like a hermit, did he carry out the eightfold abstinence, keeping in mind the vow—’For this seven days I am to decide no case at law. I am to harbour no lustful thought, no thought of ill-will, no thought tending to delusion. Towards all slaves, servants, and dependents I am to show a meek and lowly disposition. I am to watch carefully over every bodily act, and over my six organs, of sense. And I am to fill my heart with thoughts of love towards all beings.’ Keeping this eightfold vow, establishing his heart in this eightfold moral law, for seven days he went not forth. But as the night was passing into day, at sunrise of the eighth day, he took his breakfast early, and then with downcast eyes and measured words, gentle in manner, collected in thought, glad and pleased and rejoicing in heart, did he go to Nāgasena. And bowing down at his feet, he stood respectfully on one side, and said:	^^^^
‘There is a certain matter, venerable Nāgasena, that I desire to talk over with you alone. I wish no third person to be present. In some deserted spot, some secluded place in the forest, fit in all the eight respects for a recluse, there should this point of mine be put. And therein let there be nothing hid from me, nothing kept secret. I am now in a fit state to hear secret things when we are deep in consultation. And the meaning of what I say can be made clear by illustration. As it is to the broad earth, O Nāgasena, that it is right to entrust treasure when occasion arises for laying treasure by, so is it to me that it is right to entrust secret things when we are deep in consultation.’	^^^^
Then having gone with the master to a secluded spot he further said: ‘There are eight kinds of places, Nāgasena, which ought to be altogether avoided by a man who wants to consult. No wise man will talk a matter over in such places, or the matter falls to the ground and is brought to no conclusion. And what are the eight? Uneven ground, spots unsafe by fear of men, windy places, hiding spots, sacred places, high roads, light bambū bridges, and public bathing places.’	^^^^
The Elder asked: ‘What is the objection to each of these?’	^^^^
The king replied: ‘On uneven ground, Nāgasena, The matter discussed becomes jerky, verbose, and diffuse, and comes to nothing. In unsafe places the mind is disturbed, and being disturbed does not follow the point clearly. In windy spots the voice is indistinct. In hiding places there are eavesdroppers. In sacred places the question discussed is apt to be diverted to the serious surroundings. On a high road it is apt to become frivolous, on a bridge unsteady and wavering, at a public bathing place the discussion would be matter of common talk. Therefore is it said:	^^^^
“Uneven ground, unsafe and windy spots, And hiding places, and god-haunted shrines, High roads, and bridges, and all bathing ghāts— These eight avoid when talking of high things.”’	^^^^
4.2. Kinds of people who spoil discussions ‘There are eight kinds of people, Nāgasena, who when talking a matter over, spoil the discussion. And who are the eight? He who walks in lust, he who walks in ill-will, he who walks in delusion, he who walks in pride, the greedy man, the sluggard, the man of one idea, and the fool.’	4.2. Kinds of people who spoil discussions ^^^^
‘What is the objection to each of these?’ asked the Elder.	****
‘The first spoils the discussion by his lust, the next by his ill-will, the third by his delusions, the fourth by his pride, the fifth by his greed, the sixth by his sloth, the seventh by his narrowness, and the last by his folly. Therefore is it said:	****
“The lustful, angry, or bewildered man, The proud, the greedy, or the slothful man, The man of one idea, and the poor fool— These eight are spoilers of high argument.”’	****
4.3. Kinds of people who spill secrets ‘There are nine kinds of people, Nāgasena, who let out a secret that has been talked over with them, and treasure it not up in their hearts. And who are the nine? the lustful man reveals it in obedience to some lust, the ill-tempered man in consequence of some ill-will, the deluded man under some mistake. The timid man reveals it through fear, and the man greedy for gain to get something out of it. A woman reveals it through infirmity, a drunkard in his eagerness for drink, a eunuch because of his imperfection, and a child through fickleness. Therefore is it said:	4.3. Kinds of people who spill secrets ****
“The lustful, angry, or bewildered man, The timid man, and he who seeks for gain, A woman, drunkard, eunuch, or a child— These nine are fickle, wavering, and mean. When secret things are talked over to them They straightway become public property.”’	^^^^^
4.4. Ripening insight ‘There are eight causes, Nāgasena, of the advance, the ripening of insight. And what are the eight? the advance of years, the growth of reputation, frequent questioning, association with teachers, one’s own reflection, converse with the wise, cultivation of the loveable, and dwelling in a pleasant land. Therefore is it said:	4.4. Ripening insight ****
“By growth in reputation, and in years, By questioning, and by the master’s aid, By thoughtfulness, and converse with the wise, By intercourse with men worthy of love, By residence within a pleasant spot— By these nine is one’s insight purified. They who have these, their wisdom grows.”’	****
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