Milindapañha
Translators: kelly
Milinda’s Questions
Arūpadhammavavatthānavagga
Analysis of Formless Dhammas Chapter
5. Dvinnaṁlokuppannānaṁsamakabhāvapañha
Question on Arising in Two Places Taking the Same Time
Rājā āha—
The king said:
“bhante nāgasena, yo idha kālaṅkato brahmaloke uppajjeyya, yo ca idha kālaṅkato kasmīre uppajjeyya, ko cirataraṁ ko sīghataran”ti?
“Venerable Nāgasena, for one who having passed away is reborn in the Brahma world, and for one who having passed away is reborn in Kashmir, which one takes the longer time, and which the shorter?”
“Samakaṁ, mahārājā”ti.
“They are the same, your majesty.”
“Opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me an analogy.”
“Kuhiṁ pana, mahārāja, tava jātanagaran”ti?
“Where then, your majesty, is your town of birth?”
“Atthi, bhante, kalasigāmo nāma, tatthāhaṁ jāto”ti.
“There is a place called Kalasigāma, there I was born.”
“Kīva dūro, mahārāja, ito kalasigāmo hotī”ti.
“How far away, your majesty, is Kalasigāma from here?”
“Dvimattāni, bhante, yojanasatānī”ti.
“About 200 yojana, venerable sir.”
“Kīva dūraṁ, mahārāja, ito kasmīraṁ hotī”ti?
“How far away, your majesty, is Kashmir from here?”
“Dvādasa, bhante, yojanānī”ti.
“Twelve yojana, venerable sir.”
“Iṅgha tvaṁ, mahārāja, kalasigāmaṁ cintehī”ti.
“Go on then, your majesty, think about Kalasigāma.”
“Cintito, bhante”ti.
“I have thought about it, venerable sir.”
“Iṅgha tvaṁ, mahārāja, kasmīraṁ cintehī”ti.
“Go on then, your majesty, think about Kashmir.”
“Cintitaṁ, bhante”ti.
“I have thought about it, venerable sir.”
“Katamaṁ nu kho, mahārāja, cirena cintitaṁ, katamaṁ sīghataran”ti?
“Which thinking took a long time, your majesty, and which a short time?”
“Samakaṁ, bhante”ti.
“The same, venerable sir.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, yo idha kālaṅkato brahmaloke uppajjeyya, yo ca idha kālaṅkato kasmīre uppajjeyya, samakaṁyeva uppajjantī”ti.
“Just so, your majesty, for one who having passed away is reborn in the Brahma world, and for one who having passed away is reborn in Kashmir, they happen in the same time.”
“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.
“Give me another analogy.”
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, dve sakuṇā ākāsena gaccheyyuṁ, tesu eko ucce rukkhe nisīdeyya, eko nīce rukkhe nisīdeyya, tesaṁ samakaṁ patiṭṭhitānaṁ katamassa chāyā paṭhamataraṁ pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhaheyya, katamassa chāyā cirena pathaviyaṁ patiṭṭhaheyyā”ti?
“What do you think, your majesty, if two birds fly in the sky and one sits in a high tree, and the other in a low tree, if these happen at the same time, the shadow of which one would settle on the ground first, and which one later?”
“Samakaṁ, bhante”ti.
“At the same time, venerable sir.”
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, yo idha kālaṅkato brahmaloke uppajjeyya, yo ca idha kālaṅkato kasmīre uppajjeyya, samakaṁyeva uppajjantī”ti.
“Just so, your majesty, for one who having passed away is reborn in the Brahma world, and for one who having passed away is reborn in Kashmir, they happen in the same time.”
“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.
“You are clever, venerable Nāgasena.”
Dvinnaṁ lokuppannānaṁ samakabhāvapañho pañcamo.
Question on Arising in Two Places Taking the Same Time fifth