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9. Saṁsārapañha

Question on Cyclic Existence

Rājā āha—
The king asked:

“bhante nāgasena, yaṁ panetaṁ brūsi ‘saṁsāro’ti, katamo so saṁsāro”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, as to which you said ‘cyclic existence’. What is this cyclic existence?”

“Idha, mahārāja, jāto idheva marati, idha mato aññatra uppajjati, tahiṁ jāto tahiṁyeva marati, tahiṁ mato aññatra uppajjati, evaṁ kho, mahārāja, saṁsāro hotī”ti.
“Your majesty, that which is born here dies here, and having died here, it arises elsewhere. Then, having been born there it dies there, and having died there, it arises elsewhere. Thus, your majesty, this is cyclic existence.”

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

“Yathā, mahārāja, kocideva puriso pakkaṁ ambaṁ khāditvā aṭṭhiṁ ropeyya, tato mahanto ambarukkho nibbattitvā phalāni dadeyya, atha so puriso tatopi pakkaṁ ambaṁ khāditvā aṭṭhiṁ ropeyya, tatopi mahanto ambarukkho nibbattitvā phalāni dadeyya, evametesaṁ rukkhānaṁ koṭi na paññāyati;
“Just as, your majesty, some person may eat a ripe mango and plant the seed. Then, when it has grown up as a mature mango tree, it would give fruit. And then that man might eat a ripe mango from it and plant the seed and, when it has grown up as a mature mango tree, it too would give fruit. And thus, no end to these mango trees can be discerned.”

evameva kho, mahārāja, idha jāto idheva marati, idha mato aññatra uppajjati, tahiṁ jāto tahiṁyeva marati, tahiṁ mato aññatra uppajjati, evaṁ kho, mahārāja, saṁsāro hotī”ti.
“In the same way, your majesty, that which is born here dies here, and having died here, it arises elsewhere. Then, having been born there it dies there, and having died there, it arises elsewhere. Thus, your majesty, this is cyclic existence.”

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

Saṁsārapañho navamo.
Question on Cyclic Existence ninth