Milindapañha
Translators: kelly
Milinda's Questions
Addhānavagga
Time Chapter
2. Paṭisandahanapañha
Reconnection Question
Rājā āha—
The king asked:
“bhante nāgasena, yo na paṭisandahati, jānāti so ‘na paṭisandahissāmī’”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, does someone who does not reconnect know ‘I will not reconnect’?”
“Āma, mahārāja, yo na paṭisandahati, jānāti so ‘na paṭisandahissāmī’”ti.
“Yes, your majesty, someone who does not reconnect knows ‘I will not reconnect’.”
“Kathaṁ, bhante, jānātī”ti?
“How do they know, venerable sir?”
“Yo hetu yo paccayo, mahārāja, paṭisandahanāya, tassa hetussa tassa paccayassa uparamā jānāti so ‘na paṭisandahissāmī’”ti.
“From the cessation, your majesty, of the cause and condition for reconnecting one knows ‘I will not reconnect’.”
“Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Please give me an analogy.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, kassako gahapatiko kasitvā ca vapitvā ca dhaññāgāraṁ paripūreyya.
“Just like, your majesty, a householder farmer, having ploughed and sown might fill his grain house.
So aparena samayena neva kasseyya na vappeyya, yathāsambhatañca dhaññaṁ paribhuñjeyya vā visajjeyya vā yathā paccayaṁ vā kareyya, jāneyya so, mahārāja, kassako gahapatiko ‘na me dhaññāgāraṁ paripūressatī’”ti?
But then, after some time, he would not plough and sow, and would use up the grain he had stored, or dispose of it, or deal with it according to conditions, would that householder farmer know, your majesty, ‘I will not fill my grain house’?”
“Āma, bhante, jāneyyā”ti.
“Yes, venerable sir, he would know.”
“Kathaṁ jāneyyā”ti?
“How would he know?”
“Yo hetu yo paccayo dhaññāgārassa paripūraṇāya, tassa hetussa tassa paccayassa uparamā jānāti ‘na me dhaññāgāraṁ paripūressatī’”ti.
“From the cessation of that cause and condition for filling the grain house one knows ‘I will not fill my grain house’.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, yo hetu yo paccayo paṭisandahanāya, tassa hetussa tassa paccayassa uparamā jānāti so ‘na paṭisandahissāmī’”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, from the cessation of the cause and condition for reconnecting one knows ‘I will not reconnect’.”
“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena!”
Paṭisandahanapañho dutiyo.
Reconnection Question second