From:
MilindapaƱha Milindaās Questions
ArÅ«padhammavavatthÄnavagga Analysis of Formless Dhammas Chapter
4. BrahmalokapaƱha Question on the Brahma World
RÄjÄ ÄhaāThe king asked,
ābhante nÄgasena, kÄ«vadÅ«ro ito brahmalokoāti? āVenerable NÄgasena, how far away is it from here to the Brahma world?ā
āDÅ«ro kho, mahÄrÄja, ito brahmaloko kÅ«į¹ÄgÄramattÄ silÄ tamhÄ patitÄ ahorattena aį¹į¹hacattÄlÄ«sayojanasahassÄni bhassamÄnÄ catÅ«hi mÄsehi pathaviyaį¹ patiį¹į¹haheyyÄāti. āSo far, your majesty, that if a rock the size of a peaked-roof building had fallen from there, and falling at the speed of eighty-four thousand yojanas per day, it would take four months to land on the earth.ā
āBhante nÄgasena, tumhe evaį¹ bhaį¹athaāāVenerable sir, you say thus,
āseyyathÄpi balavÄ puriso samiƱjitaį¹ vÄ bÄhaį¹ pasÄreyya, pasÄritaį¹ vÄ bÄhaį¹ samiƱjeyya; āJust as a strong man might stretch out his bent arm or bend his stretched arm,
evameva iddhimÄ bhikkhu cetovasippatto jambudÄ«pe antarahito brahmaloke pÄtubhaveyyÄāti etaį¹ vacanaį¹ na saddahÄmi, evaį¹ atisÄ«ghaį¹ tÄva bahÅ«ni yojanasatÄni gacchissatÄ«āti. in the same way a bhikkhu with psychic powers who has attained mastery over his mind could disappear from JambudÄ«pa and appear in the Brahma world.ā This I do not believe that one might go so quickly over so many hundreds of yojanas.ā
Thero ÄhaāThe elder said,
ākuhiį¹ pana, mahÄrÄja, tava jÄtabhÅ«mÄ«āti? āWhere then, your majesty, is the place of your birth?ā
āAtthi, bhante, alasando nÄma dÄ«po, tatthÄhaį¹ jÄtoāti. āThere is, venerable sir, an island called Alasanda, there I was born.ā
āKÄ«va dÅ«ro, mahÄrÄja, ito alasando hotÄ«āti? āHow far away, your majesty, is Alasanda from here?ā
āDvimattÄni, bhante, yojanasatÄnÄ«āti. āAbout 200 yojanas, venerable sir.ā
āAbhijÄnÄsi nu tvaį¹, mahÄrÄja, tattha kiƱcideva karaį¹Ä«yaį¹ karitvÄ saritÄāti? āDo you not know, your majesty, of some business that you have completed there and now remember?ā
āÄma, bhante, sarÄmÄ«āti. āYes, venerable sir, I remember.ā
āLahuį¹ kho tvaį¹, mahÄrÄja, gatosi dvimattÄni yojanasatÄnÄ«āti. āIndeed, so quickly you have gone about two hundred yojanas, your majesty!ā
āKallosi, bhante nÄgasenÄāti. āYou are clever, venerable NÄgasena.ā
BrahmalokapaƱho catuttho. Question on the Brahma World fourth