sutta » kn » mil » Milindapañha

9. Uppajjatijānanapañha

Question on Knowing Re-arising

Rājā āha—
The king asked:

“bhante nāgasena, yo uppajjati, jānāti so ‘uppajjissāmī’”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, does one who re-arises know, ‘I will re-arise’?”

“Āma, mahārāja, yo uppajjati jānāti so ‘uppajjissāmī’”ti.
“Yes, your majesty, one who re-arises knows, ‘I will re-arise’.”

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

“Yathā, mahārāja, kassako gahapatiko bījāni pathaviyaṁ nikkhipitvā sammā deve vassante jānāti ‘dhaññaṁ nibbattissatī’”ti?
“Just as, your majesty, when a householder farmer plants seeds in the ground and it rains well, does he know that grain will grow?”

“Āma, bhante, jāneyyā”ti.
“Yes, venerable sir, he would know.”

“Evameva kho, mahārāja, yo uppajjati, jānāti so ‘uppajjissāmī’”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, one who re-arises knows, ‘I will re-arise’.”

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

Uppajjatijānanapañho navamo.
Question on Knowing Re-arising ninth