Milindapañha
Translators: kelly
Milinda's Questions
Addhānavagga
Time Chapter
3. Ñāṇapaññāpañha
Knowledge and Wisdom Question
Rājā āha—
The king asked:
“bhante nāgasena, yassa ñāṇaṁ uppannaṁ, tassa paññā uppannā”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, for one in whom knowledge has arisen, would wisdom also have arisen?”
“Āma, mahārāja, yassa ñāṇaṁ uppannaṁ, tassa paññā uppannā”ti.
“Yes, your majesty, for one in whom knowledge has arisen, wisdom also has arisen.”
“Kiṁ, bhante, yaññeva ñāṇaṁ sāyeva paññā”ti?
“What, venerable sir, is knowledge the same as wisdom?”
“Āma, mahārāja, yaññeva ñāṇaṁ sāyeva paññā”ti.
“Yes, your majesty, knowledge is the same as wisdom.”
“Yassa pana, bhante, taññeva ñāṇaṁ sāyeva paññā uppannā, kiṁ sammuyheyya so, udāhu na sammuyheyyā”ti?
“Then, venerable sir, for one in whom knowledge has arisen which is the same as wisdom, would he be confused or would he not be confused?”
“Katthaci, mahārāja, sammuyheyya, katthaci na sammuyheyyā”ti.
“He would be confused in some instances, your majesty, and would not be confused in other instances.”
“Kuhiṁ, bhante, sammuyheyyā”ti?
“When, venerable sir, would he be confused?”
“Aññātapubbesu vā, mahārāja, sippaṭṭhānesu, agatapubbāya vā disāya, assutapubbāya vā nāmapaññattiyā sammuyheyyā”ti.
“He would be confused, your majesty, concerning those aspects of a craft that he did not know before, or those directions in which he has not gone before, or those names and designations he has not heard before.”
“Kuhiṁ na sammuyheyyā”ti?
“When, venerable sir, would he not be confused?”
“Yaṁ kho pana, mahārāja, tāya paññāya kataṁ ‘aniccan’ti vā ‘dukkhan’ti vā ‘anattā’ti vā, tahiṁ na sammuyheyyā”ti.
“He would not be confused, your majesty, concerning that which he has discerned by wisdom, that is, the notions of impermanent, suffering, and not self.”
“Moho panassa, bhante, kuhiṁ gacchatī”ti?
“Then where, venerable sir, does his confusion go?”
“Moho kho, mahārāja, ñāṇe uppannamatte tattheva nirujjhatī”ti.
“Confusion ceases, your majesty, at that very moment when knowledge arises.”
“Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Please give me an analogy.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, kocideva puriso andhakāragehe padīpaṁ āropeyya, tato andhakāro nirujjheyya, āloko pātubhaveyya;
“Just as, your majesty, some person might bring in a lamp to a dark house, then the darkness ceases, and light appears.
evameva kho, mahārāja, ñāṇe uppannamatte moho tattheva nirujjhatī”ti.
In the same way, your majesty, at the moment when knowledge arises, right there confusion ceases.”
“Paññā pana, bhante, kuhiṁ gacchatī”ti?
“Then where, venerable sir, does wisdom go?”
“Paññāpi kho, mahārāja, sakiccayaṁ katvā tattheva nirujjhati, yaṁ pana tāya paññāya kataṁ ‘aniccan’ti vā ‘dukkhan’ti vā ‘anattā’ti vā, taṁ na nirujjhatī”ti.
“Wisdom, your majesty, ceases right there having done its task, but that understood by wisdom, the notions of impermanent, suffering, and not self do not cease.”
“Bhante nāgasena, yaṁ panetaṁ brūsi ‘paññā sakiccayaṁ katvā tattheva nirujjhati, yaṁ pana tāya paññāya kataṁ “aniccan”ti vā “dukkhan”ti vā “anattā”ti vā, taṁ na nirujjhatī’ti, tassa opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Venerable Nāgasena, what you have just said, ‘Wisdom ceases right there having done its task, but that understood by wisdom, the notions of impermanent, suffering, and not self do not cease,’ please make an analogy for that.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, yo koci puriso rattiṁ lekhaṁ pesetukāmo lekhakaṁ pakkosāpetvā padīpaṁ āropetvā lekhaṁ likhāpeyya, likhite pana lekhe padīpaṁ vijjhāpeyya, vijjhāpitepi padīpe lekhaṁ na vinasseyya.
“Just as, your majesty, some person, wishing to send a letter at night, would summon a scribe and light a lamp, and have the letter written. Then, when the letter is written, he would extinguish the lamp. And when the lamp is extinguished the letter would not be destroyed.”
Evameva kho, mahārāja, paññā sakiccayaṁ katvā tattheva nirujjhati, yaṁ pana tāya paññāya kataṁ ‘aniccan’ti vā ‘dukkhan’ti vā ‘anattā’ti vā, taṁ na nirujjhatī”ti.
In the same way, your majesty, wisdom ceases right there having done its task, but that understood by wisdom, the notions of impermanent, suffering, and not self do not cease.”
“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, puratthimesu janapadesu manussā anugharaṁ pañca pañca udakaghaṭakāni ṭhapenti ālimpanaṁ vijjhāpetuṁ, ghare paditte tāni pañca udakaghaṭakāni gharassūpari khipanti, tato aggi vijjhāyati, kiṁ nu kho, mahārāja, tesaṁ manussānaṁ evaṁ hoti ‘puna tehi ghaṭehi ghaṭakiccaṁ karissāmā’”ti?
“Just as, your majesty, people in the eastern districts might set up five water pots in each house so as to extinguish any burning, and when a house is on fire, they would throw these five pots of water on top of the house, then the fire would be extinguished. Would it occur to these people, your majesty, ‘We must make use of these pots again’?”
“Na hi, bhante, alaṁ tehi ghaṭehi, kiṁ tehi ghaṭehī”ti?
“Certainly not, venerable sir, those pots have done their job, what further need would there be for them?”
“Yathā, mahārāja, pañca udakaghaṭakāni, evaṁ pañcindriyāni daṭṭhabbāni saddhindriyaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ satindriyaṁ samādhindriyaṁ paññindriyaṁ.
“As, your majesty, are the five pots of water, so the five faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom are to be seen.
Yathā te manussā, evaṁ yogāvacaro daṭṭhabbo.
As those people, so the spiritual practitioner is to be seen.
Yathā aggi, evaṁ kilesā daṭṭhabbā.
As the fire, so the defilements are to be seen.
Yathā pañcahi udakaghaṭakehi aggi vijjhāpīyati, evaṁ pañcindriyehi kilesā vijjhāpiyanti, vijjhāpitāpi kilesā na puna sambhavanti.
As the fire is extinguished by the five pots of water, so the defilements are extinguished by the five faculties, and those extinguished defilements do not arise again.
Evameva kho, mahārāja, paññā sakiccayaṁ katvā tattheva nirujjhati, yaṁ pana tāya paññāya kataṁ ‘aniccan’ti vā ‘dukkhan’ti vā ‘anattā’ti vā, taṁ na nirujjhatī”ti.
In the same way, your majesty, wisdom ceases right there having done its task, but that understood by wisdom, the notions of impermanent, suffering, and not self do not cease.”
“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, vejjo pañcamūlabhesajjāni gahetvā gilānakaṁ upasaṅkamitvā tāni pañcamūlabhesajjāni pisitvā gilānakaṁ pāyeyya, tehi ca dosā niddhameyyuṁ, kiṁ nu kho, mahārāja, tassa vejjassa evaṁ hoti ‘puna tehi pañcamūlabhesajjehi bhesajjakiccaṁ karissāmī’”ti?
“Just as, your majesty, a doctor, having taken the five root medicines and approached a sick person, might crush the five root medicines and get the sick person to drink them, and the sickness would disappear. Would it occur to that doctor, your majesty, ‘I will make use of the five root medicines again’?”
“Na hi, bhante, alaṁ tehi pañcamūlabhesajjehi, kiṁ tehi pañcamūlabhesajjehī”ti?
“Certainly not, venerable sir, those five root medicines have done their job, what further need would there be for them?”
“Yathā, mahārāja, pañcamūlabhesajjāni, evaṁ pañcindriyāni daṭṭhabbāni saddhindriyaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ satindriyaṁ samādhindriyaṁ paññindriyaṁ, yathā vejjo, evaṁ yogāvacaro daṭṭhabbo.
“As, your majesty, are the five root medicines, so the five faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom are to be seen. As the doctor, so the spiritual practitioner is to be seen.
Yathā byādhi, evaṁ kilesā daṭṭhabbā.
As the disease, so the defilements are to be seen.
Yathā byādhito puriso, evaṁ puthujjano daṭṭhabbo.
As the sick person, so the common person is to be seen.
Yathā pañcamūlabhesajjehi gilānassa dosā niddhantā, dose niddhante gilāno arogo hoti, evaṁ pañcindriyehi kilesā niddhamīyanti, niddhamitā ca kilesā na puna sambhavanti.
As the disease of the sick person is expelled by the five root medicines such that when the disease is expelled the sick person becomes well, so the defilements are expelled by the five faculties, and those expelled defilements do not arise again.
Evameva kho, mahārāja, paññā sakiccayaṁ katvā tattheva nirujjhati, yaṁ pana tāya paññāya kataṁ ‘aniccan’ti vā ‘dukkhan’ti vā ‘anattā’ti vā, taṁ na nirujjhatī”ti.
In the same way, your majesty, wisdom ceases right there having done its task, but that understood by wisdom, the notions of impermanent, suffering, and not self do not cease.”
“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, saṅgāmāvacaro yodho pañca kaṇḍāni gahetvā saṅgāmaṁ otareyya parasenaṁ vijetuṁ, so saṅgāmagato tāni pañca kaṇḍāni khipeyya, tehi ca parasenā bhijjeyya, kiṁ nu kho, mahārāja, tassa saṅgāmāvacarassa yodhassa evaṁ hoti ‘puna tehi kaṇḍehi kaṇḍakiccaṁ karissāmī’”ti?
“Just as, your majesty, a warrior, skilled in battle, having taken five arrows and entered into battle in order to defeat an opposing army, and gone into battle he might let fly those five arrows, and the opposing army is destroyed by them. Would it occur to that warrior, skilled in battle, your majesty, ‘I will make use of these five arrows again’?”
“Na hi, bhante, alaṁ tehi kaṇḍehi, kiṁ tehi kaṇḍehī”ti?
“Certainly not, venerable sir, those five arrows have done their job, what further need would there be for them?”
“Yathā, mahārāja, pañca kaṇḍāni, evaṁ pañcindriyāni daṭṭhabbāni saddhindriyaṁ vīriyindriyaṁ satindriyaṁ samādhindriyaṁ paññindriyaṁ.
“As, your majesty, are the five arrows, so the five faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom are to be seen.
Yathā, mahārāja, saṅgāmāvacaro yodho, evaṁ yogāvacaro daṭṭhabbo.
As the warrior, skilled in battle, so the spiritual practitioner is to be seen.
Yathā parasenā, evaṁ kilesā daṭṭhabbā.
As the opposing army, so the defilements are to be seen.
Yathā pañcahi kaṇḍehi parasenā bhijjati, evaṁ pañcindriyehi kilesā bhijjanti, bhaggā ca kilesā na puna sambhavanti.
As the opposing army is destroyed by the five arrows, so the defilements are destroyed by the five faculties, and those destroyed defilements do not arise again.
Evameva kho, mahārāja, paññā sakiccayaṁ katvā tattheva nirujjhati, yaṁ pana tāya paññāya kataṁ ‘aniccan’ti vā ‘dukkhan’ti vā ‘anattā’ti vā, taṁ na nirujjhatī”ti.
In the same way, your majesty, wisdom ceases right there having done its task, but that understood by wisdom, the notions of impermanent, suffering, and not self do not cease.”
“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena!”
Ñāṇapaññāpañho tatiyo.
Knowledge and Wisdom Question third