sutta » kn » mil » Milindapañha

1. Phassādivinibbhujanapañha

Question on Analysing Contact, Etc.

Rājā āha—
The king asked:

“bhante nāgasena, sakkā imesaṁ dhammānaṁ ekatobhāvagatānaṁ vinibbhujitvā vinibbhujitvā nānākaraṇaṁ paññāpetuṁ ‘ayaṁ phasso, ayaṁ vedanā, ayaṁ saññā, ayaṁ cetanā, idaṁ viññāṇaṁ, ayaṁ vitakko, ayaṁ vicāro’”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, is it possible, having repeatedly analysed these mental states that are of the nature to arise together, to declare a difference between them, saying ‘this is contact, this is feeling, this is perception, this is intention, this is consciousness, this is applied thought, this is examination’?”

“Na sakkā, mahārāja, imesaṁ dhammānaṁ ekatobhāvagatānaṁ vinibbhujitvā vinibbhujitvā nānākaraṇaṁ paññāpetuṁ ‘ayaṁ phasso, ayaṁ vedanā, ayaṁ saññā, ayaṁ cetanā, idaṁ viññāṇaṁ, ayaṁ vitakko, ayaṁ vicāro’”ti.
“No, your majesty, it is not possible to do that.”

“Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Please give me an analogy.”

“Yathā, mahārāja, rañño sūdo arasaṁ vā rasaṁ vā kareyya, so tattha dadhimpi pakkhipeyya, loṇampi pakkhipeyya, siṅgiverampi pakkhipeyya, jīrakampi pakkhipeyya, maricampi pakkhipeyya, aññānipi pakārāni pakkhipeyya, tamenaṁ rājā evaṁ vadeyya, ‘dadhissa me rasaṁ āhara, loṇassa me rasaṁ āhara, siṅgiverassa me rasaṁ āhara, jīrakassa me rasaṁ āhara, maricassa me rasaṁ āhara, sabbesaṁ me pakkhittānaṁ rasaṁ āharā’ti.
“Just as if, your majesty, a king’s cook might prepare a soup or sauce and put in it curds, salt, ginger, cumin, hot pepper, and various other things, and the king might say ‘bring me a taste of curds, a taste of salt, a taste of ginger, a taste of cumin, a taste of hot pepper, or a taste of all the other things put in.’

Sakkā nu kho, mahārāja, tesaṁ rasānaṁ ekatobhāvagatānaṁ vinibbhujitvā vinibbhujitvā rasaṁ āharituṁ ambilattaṁ vā lavaṇattaṁ vā tittakattaṁ vā kaṭukattaṁ vā kasāyattaṁ vā madhurattaṁ vā”ti?
Is it possible, your majesty, having repeatedly analysed these tastes that are of the nature to arise together to bring forward an acidic flavour, a salty flavour, a bitter flavour, a sharp flavour, or a pungent flavour, or a sweet flavour?”

“Na hi, bhante, sakkā tesaṁ rasānaṁ ekatobhāvagatānaṁ vinibbhujitvā vinibbhujitvā rasaṁ āharituṁ ambilattaṁ vā lavaṇattaṁ vā tittakattaṁ vā kaṭukattaṁ vā kasāyattaṁ vā madhurattaṁ vā, api ca kho pana sakena sakena lakkhaṇena upaṭṭhahantī”ti.
“It is certainly not possible, venerable sir, to do that.”

“Evameva kho, mahārāja, na sakkā imesaṁ dhammānaṁ ekatobhāvagatānaṁ vinibbhujitvā vinibbhujitvā nānākaraṇaṁ paññāpetuṁ ‘ayaṁ phasso, ayaṁ vedanā, ayaṁ saññā, ayaṁ cetanā, idaṁ viññāṇaṁ, ayaṁ vitakko, ayaṁ vicāro’ti, api ca kho pana sakena sakena lakkhaṇena upaṭṭhahantī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, it is not possible, having repeatedly analysed these mental states that are of the nature to arise together, to declare a difference between them, saying ‘this is contact, this is feeling, this is perception, this is intention, this is consciousness, this is applied thought, this is examination’?”

“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena.”

Phassādivinibbhujanapañho paṭhamo.
Question on Analysing Contact, Etc. first