Milindapañha
Translators: kelly
Milinda's Questions
Nibbānavagga
Nibbāna Chapter
8. Nirodhanibbānapañha
Question on Cessation and Nibbāna
Rājā āha—
The king asked:
“bhante nāgasena, nirodho nibbānan”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, is cessation Nibbāna?”
“Āma, mahārāja, nirodho nibbānan”ti.
“Yes, your majesty, cessation is Nibbāna.”
“Kathaṁ, bhante nāgasena, nirodho nibbānan”ti?
“How, venerable Nāgasena, is cessation Nibbāna?”
“Sabbe bālaputhujjanā kho, mahārāja, ajjhattikabāhire āyatane abhinandanti abhivadanti ajjhosāya tiṭṭhanti, te tena sotena vuyhanti, na parimuccanti jātiyā jarāya maraṇena sokena paridevena dukkhehi domanassehi upāyāsehi na parimuccanti dukkhasmāti vadāmi.
“All those foolish ordinary people, your majesty, who delight in the internal and external sense bases, welcome them, remain clinging to them, and are carried away by that stream, are not free from birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and despair, they are not free from suffering, I say.
Sutavā ca kho, mahārāja, ariyasāvako ajjhattikabāhire āyatane nābhinandati nābhivadati nājjhosāya tiṭṭhati, tassa taṁ anabhinandato anabhivadato anajjhosāya tiṭṭhato taṇhā nirujjhati, taṇhānirodhā upādānanirodho, upādānanirodhā bhavanirodho, bhavanirodhā jātinirodho, jātinirodhā jarāmaraṇaṁ sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsā nirujjhanti, evametassa kevalassa dukkhakkhandhassa nirodho hoti, evaṁ kho, mahārāja, nirodho nibbānan”ti.
A well-taught noble disciple, your majesty, does not delight in the internal and external sense bases, nor welcome them, nor remain clinging to them. The one, not delighting in them, not welcoming them, not remaining clinging to them, is free from craving. From the cessation of craving, there is cessation of birth. From the cessation of birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, grief, and despair cease, and thus there is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering. In this way, your majesty, cessation is Nibbāna.”
“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena.”
Nirodhanibbānapañho aṭṭhamo.
Question on Cessation and Nibbāna eighth