Milindapañha
Translators: kelly
Milinda's Questions
Mahāvagga
Great Chapter
13. Satilakkhaṇapañha
Distinguishing Characteristic of Mindfulness Question
Rājā āha—
The king asked:
“bhante nāgasena, kiṁlakkhaṇā satī”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of mindfulness?”
“Apilāpanalakkhaṇā, mahārāja, sati, upaggaṇhanalakkhaṇā cā”ti.
“Mindfulness, your majesty, has not wavering as a distinguishing characteristic, and also taking up.”
“Kathaṁ, bhante, apilāpanalakkhaṇā satī”ti?
“How, venerable sir, does mindfulness have not wavering as a distinguishing characteristic?”
“Sati, mahārāja, uppajjamānā kusalākusalasāvajjānavajjahīnappaṇītakaṇhasukkasappaṭibhāgadhamme apilāpeti ‘ime cattāro satipaṭṭhānā, ime cattāro sammappadhānā, ime cattāro iddhipādā, imāni pañcindriyāni, imāni pañca balāni, ime satta bojjhaṅgā, ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, ayaṁ samatho, ayaṁ vipassanā, ayaṁ vijjā, ayaṁ vimuttī’ti.
“Mindfulness arising, your majesty, does not waver concerning things that are wholesome and unwholesome, blameworthy and blameless, inferior and superior, dark and light, or evenly mixed, thinking ‘these are the four establishments of mindfulness, these the four right strivings, these the four bases for psychic power, these the five faculties, these the five powers, these the seven factors of enlightenment, this the noble eightfold path, this serenity, this insight, this knowledge, this liberation’.
Tato yogāvacaro sevitabbe dhamme sevati, asevitabbe dhamme na sevati.
Then, the spiritual aspirant engages in the things that should be engaged in, and does not engage in the things that should not be engaged in;
Bhajitabbe dhamme bhajati abhajitabbe dhamme na bhajati.
associates with things that should be associated with, and does not associate with things that should not be associated with.
Evaṁ kho, mahārāja, apilāpanalakkhaṇā satī”ti.
Thus, your majesty, does mindfulness have not wavering as a distinguishing characteristic.”
“Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Please give me an analogy.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, rañño cakkavattissa bhaṇḍāgāriko rājānaṁ cakkavattiṁ sāyaṁ pātaṁ yasaṁ sarāpeti ‘ettakā, deva, te hatthī, ettakā assā, ettakā rathā, ettakā pattī, ettakaṁ hiraññaṁ, ettakaṁ suvaṇṇaṁ, ettakaṁ sāpateyyaṁ, taṁ devo saratū’ti rañño sāpateyyaṁ apilāpeti;
“Just as, your majesty, a wheel-turning king’s storekeeper reminds that king by night and day of his fame, saying, ‘So many elephants are yours, sire, so many horses, so many chariots, so many foot-soldiers, so much gold, so many gold objects, so much wealth, let his majesty remember it’, and he does not waver concerning the king’s wealth.
evameva kho, mahārāja, sati uppajjamānā kusalākusalasāvajjānavajjahīnappaṇītakaṇhasukkasappaṭibhāgadhamme apilāpeti ‘ime cattāro satipaṭṭhānā, ime cattāro sammappadhānā, ime cattāro iddhipādā, imāni pañcindriyāni, imāni pañca balāni, ime satta bojjhaṅgā, ayaṁ ariyo aṭṭhaṅgiko maggo, ayaṁ samatho, ayaṁ vipassanā, ayaṁ vijjā, ayaṁ vimuttī’ti.
In the same way, your majesty, mindfulness arising does not waver concerning things that are wholesome and unwholesome, blameworthy and blameless, inferior and superior, dark and light, or evenly mixed, thinking ‘these are the four establishments of mindfulness, these the four right strivings, these the four bases for psychic power, these the five faculties, these the five powers, these the seven factors of enlightenment, this the noble eightfold path, this serenity, this insight, this knowledge, this liberation’.
Tato yogāvacaro sevitabbe dhamme sevati, asevitabbe dhamme na sevati.
Then, the spiritual aspirant engages in the things that should be engaged in, and does not engage in the things that should not be engaged in;
Bhajitabbe dhamme bhajati, abhajitabbe dhamme na bhajati.
associates with things that should be associated with, and does not associate with things that should not be associated with.
Evaṁ kho, mahārāja, apilāpanalakkhaṇā satī”ti.
Thus, your majesty, does mindfulness have not wavering as a distinguishing characteristic.”
“Kathaṁ, bhante, upaggaṇhanalakkhaṇā satī”ti?
“How, venerable sir, does mindfulness have taking up as a distinguishing characteristic?”
“Sati, mahārāja, uppajjamānā hitāhitānaṁ dhammānaṁ gatiyo samanveti ‘ime dhammā hitā, ime dhammā ahitā.
“Mindfulness arising, your majesty, examines the courses of mental states that are beneficial or non-beneficial, thinking ‘these mental states are beneficial, these are non-beneficial;
Ime dhammā upakārā, ime dhammā anupakārā’ti.
these mental states are supportive, these are not supportive.’
Tato yogāvacaro ahite dhamme apanudeti, hite dhamme upaggaṇhāti.
Then, the spiritual aspirant dispels non-beneficial mental states and takes up beneficial mental states;
Anupakāre dhamme apanudeti, upakāre dhamme upaggaṇhāti.
dispels non-supportive mental states and takes up supportive ones.
Evaṁ kho, mahārāja, upaggaṇhanalakkhaṇā satī”ti.
Thus, your majesty, does mindfulness have taking up as a distinguishing characteristic.”
“Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Please give me an analogy.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, rañño cakkavattissa pariṇāyakaratanaṁ rañño hitāhite jānāti ‘ime rañño hitā, ime ahitā.
“Just as, your majesty, a wheel-turning king’s treasured adviser knows what is beneficial and non-beneficial for the king, thinking ‘these are beneficial for the king, these are non-beneficial;
Ime upakārā, ime anupakārā’ti.
these are supportive, these are not supportive.
Tato ahite apanudeti, hite upaggaṇhāti.
Then, he dispels the non-beneficial and takes up the beneficial;
Anupakāre apanudeti, upakāre upaggaṇhāti.
dispels the non-supportive and takes up the supportive.
Evameva kho, mahārāja, sati uppajjamānā hitāhitānaṁ dhammānaṁ gatiyo samanveti ‘ime dhammā hitā, ime dhammā ahitā.
In the same way, your majesty, mindfulness arising examines mental states that are beneficial or non-beneficial, thinking ‘these mental states are beneficial, these are non-beneficial;
Ime dhammā upakārā, ime dhammā anupakārā’ti.
these mental states are supportive, these are not supportive.’
Tato yogāvacaro ahite dhamme apanudeti, hite dhamme upaggaṇhāti.
Then, the spiritual aspirant dispels non-beneficial mental states and takes up beneficial mental states;
Anupakāre dhamme apanudeti, upakāre damme upaggaṇhāti.
dispels non-supportive mental states and takes up supportive ones.
Evaṁ kho, mahārāja, upaggaṇhanalakkhaṇā sati.
Thus, your majesty, does mindfulness have taking up as a distinguishing characteristic.
Bhāsitampetaṁ, mahārāja, bhagavatā—
And this too was said, your majesty, by the Blessed One:
‘satiñca khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sabbatthikaṁ vadāmī’”ti.
‘I say, bhikkhus, that mindfulness is always useful.’”
“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena!”
Satilakkhaṇapañho terasamo.
Distinguishing Characteristic of Mindfulness Question thirteenth