Milindapañha
Translators: kelly
Milinda's Questions
Vicāravagga
Examination Chapter
5. Bhavantasaṅkhārajāyamānapañha
Question on the Production and Development of Fabrications
Rājā āha—
The king asked:
“bhante nāgasena, atthi keci saṅkhārā, ye abhavantā jāyantī”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, are there any fabrications which are produced without development?”
“Natthi, mahārāja, keci saṅkhārā, ye abhavantā jāyanti, bhavantāyeva kho, mahārāja, saṅkhārā jāyantī”ti.
“Your majesty, there are no fabrications which are produced without development. Fabrications are only produced with development.”
“Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Please give me an analogy.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, idaṁ gehaṁ abhavantaṁ jātaṁ, yattha tvaṁ nisinnosī”ti?
“What do you think, your majesty, was this house that you are sitting in produced without development?”
“Natthi kiñci, bhante, idha abhavantaṁ jātaṁ, bhavantaṁyeva jātaṁ, imāni kho, bhante, dārūni vane ahesuṁ, ayañca mattikā pathaviyaṁ ahosi, itthīnañca purisānañca tajjena vāyāmena evamidaṁ gehaṁ nibbattan”ti.
“There is nothing here, venerable sir, produced without development; it is produced only with development. These pieces of wood were in the forest, and this clay was in the ground, and thus this house was produced by the appropriate effort of women and men.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, natthi keci saṅkhārā, ye abhavantā jāyanti, bhavantāyeva saṅkhārā jāyantī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, there are no fabrications which are produced without development. Fabrications are only produced with development.”
“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, ye keci bījagāmabhūtagāmā pathaviyaṁ nikkhittā anupubbena vuḍḍhiṁ virūḷhiṁ vepullaṁ āpajjamānā pupphāni ca phalāni ca dadeyyuṁ, na te rukkhā abhavantā jātā, bhavantāyeva te rukkhā jātā;
“Just as, your majesty, whatever seeds and plants thrown on the ground gradually attain to growth, development, and maturity, and would give flowers and fruit, no trees would be produced without development, and trees would only be produced with development.”
evameva kho, mahārāja, natthi keci saṅkhārā, ye abhavantā jāyanti, bhavantāyeva te saṅkhārā jāyantī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, there are no fabrications which are produced without development. Fabrications are only produced with development.”
“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, kumbhakāro pathaviyā mattikaṁ uddharitvā nānābhājanāni karoti, na tāni bhājanāni abhavantāni jātāni, bhavantāniyeva jātāni;
“Just as, your majesty, a potter might take clay from the ground and make various bowls, those bowls are not produced without development, and bowls would only be produced with development.”
evameva kho, mahārāja, natthi keci saṅkhārā, ye abhavantā jāyanti, bhavantāyeva saṅkhārā jāyantī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, there are no fabrications which are produced without development. Fabrications are only produced with development.”
“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, vīṇāya pattaṁ na siyā, cammaṁ na siyā, doṇi na siyā, daṇḍo na siyā, upavīṇo na siyā, tantiyo na siyuṁ, koṇo na siyā, purisassa ca tajjo vāyāmo na siyā, jāyeyya saddo”ti?
“Just as if, your majesty, there were no sound-board for a lute, no parchment, no belly, no arm, no neck, no strings, no plectrum, and no suitable effort from a person, would sound be produced?”
“Na hi, bhante”ti.
“Certainly not, venerable sir.”
“Yato ca kho, mahārāja, vīṇāya pattaṁ siyā, cammaṁ siyā, doṇi siyā, daṇḍo siyā, upavīṇo siyā, tantiyo siyuṁ, koṇo siyā, purisassa ca tajjo vāyāmo siyā, jāyeyya saddo”ti?
“But if, your majesty, there were a sound-board for a lute, parchment, a belly, an arm, a neck, strings, a plectrum, and suitable effort from a person, would sound be produced?”
“Āma, bhante, jāyeyyā”ti.
“Yes, it would be produced, venerable sir.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, natthi keci saṅkhārā, ye abhavantā jāyanti, bhavantāyeva kho saṅkhārā jāyantī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, there are no fabrications which are produced without development. Fabrications are only produced with development.”
“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, araṇi na siyā, araṇipotako na siyā, araṇiyottakaṁ na siyā, uttarāraṇi na siyā, coḷakaṁ na siyā, purisassa ca tajjo vāyāmo na siyā, jāyeyya so aggī”ti?
“Just as if, your majesty, there were no lower piece of wood, no twirling stick, no string for the twirling stick, no upper piece of wood, no bark, and no suitable effort from a person, would fire be produced?”
“Na hi, bhante”ti.
“Certainly not, venerable sir.”
“Yato ca kho, mahārāja, araṇi siyā, araṇipotako siyā, araṇiyottakaṁ siyā, uttarāraṇi siyā, coḷakaṁ siyā, purisassa ca tajjo vāyāmo siyā, jāyeyya so aggī”ti?
“But if, your majesty, there were a lower piece of wood, a twirling stick, string for the twirling stick, an upper piece of wood, bark, and suitable effort from a person, would fire be produced?”
“Āma, bhante, jāyeyyā”ti.
“Yes, it would be produced, venerable sir.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, natthi keci saṅkhārā, ye abhavantā jāyanti, bhavantāyeva kho saṅkhārā jāyantī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, there are no fabrications which are produced without development. Fabrications are only produced with development.”
“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, maṇi na siyā, ātapo na siyā, gomayaṁ na siyā, jāyeyya so aggī”ti?
“Just as if, your majesty, there were no crystal glass, no heat, and no cow-dung, would fire be produced?”
“Na hi, bhante”ti.
“Certainly not, venerable sir.”
“Yato ca kho, mahārāja, maṇi siyā, ātapo siyā, gomayaṁ siyā, jāyeyya so aggī”ti?
“But if, your majesty, there were a crystal glass, heat, and cow-dung, would fire be produced?”
“Āma, bhante, jāyeyyā”ti.
“Yes, it would be produced, venerable sir.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, natthi keci saṅkhārā ye abhavantā jāyanti, bhavantāyeva kho saṅkhārā jāyantī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, there are no fabrications which are produced without development. Fabrications are only produced with development.”
“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”
“Yathā, mahārāja, ādāso na siyā, ābhā na siyā, mukhaṁ na siyā, jāyeyya attā”ti?
“Just as if, your majesty, there were no mirror, no light, and no face, would an image be produced?”
“Na hi, bhante”ti.
“Certainly not, venerable sir.”
“Yato ca kho, mahārāja, ādāso siyā, ābhā siyā, mukhaṁ siyā, jāyeyya attā”ti?
“But if, your majesty, there were a mirror, light, and a face, would an image be produced?”
“Āma, bhante, jāyeyyā”ti.
“Yes, it would be produced, venerable sir.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, natthi keci saṅkhārā, ye abhavantā jāyanti, bhavantāyeva kho saṅkhārā jāyantī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, there are no fabrications which are produced without development. Fabrications are only produced with development.”
“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena.”
Bhavantasaṅkhārajāyamānapañho pañcamo.
Question on the Production and Development of Fabrications fifth