Milindapañha
Translators: kelly
Milinda's Questions
Vicāravagga
Examination Chapter
2. Purimakoṭipañha
Question on the Earliest Point
Rājā āha—
The king asked:
“bhante nāgasena, yaṁ panetaṁ brūsi ‘purimā koṭi na paññāyatī’ti, tassa opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Venerable Nāgasena, concerning that which you said, ‘No earliest point can be discerned,’ please give me an analogy for that.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, puriso parittaṁ bījaṁ pathaviyaṁ nikkhipeyya, tato aṅkuro uṭṭhahitvā anupubbena vuḍḍhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjitvā phalaṁ dadeyya.
“Just as, your majesty, a man might put a small seed in the ground, then it having produced a sprout and having gradually undergone increase, growth, and full maturity, it would ripen into fruit.
Tato bījaṁ gahetvā puna ropeyya, tatopi aṅkuro uṭṭhahitvā anupubbena vuḍḍhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjitvā phalaṁ dadeyya.
Then again having taken from that a seed and cultivated it, then it having produced a sprout and having gradually undergone increase, growth, and full maturity, it would ripen into fruit.
Evametissā santatiyā atthi anto”ti?
Is there thus an end to this continuity?”
“Natthi, bhante”ti.
“There is not, venerable sir.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, addhānassāpi purimā koṭi na paññāyatī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, no earliest point of transmigration time can be discerned.”
“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, kukkuṭiyā aṇḍaṁ bhaveyya, aṇḍato kukkuṭī kukkuṭiyā aṇḍanti.
“Just as, your majesty, an egg might be produced from a hen, a hen from that egg, and an egg from that hen, and so on.
Evametissā santatiyā atthi anto”ti?
Is there thus an end to this continuity?”
“Natthi, bhante”ti.
“There is not, venerable sir.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, addhānassāpi purimā koṭi na paññāyatī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, no earliest point of transmigration time can be discerned.”
“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”
Thero pathaviyā cakkaṁ likhitvā milindaṁ rājānaṁ etadavoca—
The elder drew a circle on the ground and said to King Milinda,
“atthi, mahārāja, imassa cakkassa anto”ti?
“Is there an end to this circle?”
“Natthi, bhante”ti.
“There is not, venerable sir.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, imāni cakkāni vuttāni bhagavatā ‘cakkhuñca paṭicca rūpe ca uppajjati cakkhuviññāṇaṁ, tiṇṇaṁ saṅgati phasso, phassapaccayā vedanā, vedanāpaccayā taṇhā, taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ, upādānapaccayā kammaṁ, kammato puna cakkhuṁ jāyatī’ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, these cycles spoken of by the Blessed One, ‘Dependent on the eye and form, eye consciousness arises, and the meeting of the three is contact. From the condition of contact there is feeling, from the condition of feeling there is craving, from the condition of craving there is clinging, from the condition of clinging there is karma, and again the eye is born from karma.
Evametissā santatiyā atthi anto”ti?
Is there thus an end to this continuity?”
“Natthi, bhante”ti.
“There is not, venerable sir.”
“‘Sotañca paṭicca sadde ca …pe…
‘Dependent on the ear and sound …
manañca paṭicca dhamme ca uppajjati manoviññāṇaṁ, tiṇṇaṁ saṅgati phasso, phassapaccayā vedanā, vedanāpaccayā taṇhā, taṇhāpaccayā upādānaṁ, upādānapaccayā kammaṁ, kammato puna mano jāyatī’ti.
Dependent on the mind and thought, mind consciousness arises, and the meeting of the three is contact. From the condition of contact there is feeling, from the condition of feeling there is craving, from the condition of craving there is clinging, from the condition of clinging there is karma, and again the mind is born from karma.
Evametissā santatiyā atthi anto”ti?
Is there thus an end to this continuity?”
“Natthi, bhante”ti.
“There is not, venerable sir.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, addhānassāpi purimā koṭi na paññāyatī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, no earliest point of transmigration time can be discerned.”
“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena.”
Purimakoṭipañho dutiyo.
Question on the Earliest Point second