5.3.9. The Samaṇa (MIL5.3.9)

‘Venerable Nāgasena, the Blessed One said: “A man becomes a Samaṇa by the destruction of the āsavas.” But on the other hand he said:

“The man who has these dispositions four
Is he whom the world knows as Samaṇa.”

And in that passage these are the four dispositions referred to—long-suffering, temperance in food, renunciation, and the being without the attachments (arising from lust, ill-will, and dulness). Now these four dispositions are equally found in those who are still defective, in whom The āsavas have not yet been completely destroyed. So that if the first statement be correct, the second is wrong, and if the second be right the first must be wrong. This too is a double-edged problem now put to you, and you have to solve it.’

‘Both statements, O king, were made by the Blessed One. But the second was said of the characteristics of such and such men; the first is an inclusive statement—that all in whom the āsavas are destroyed are Samaṇas. And moreover, of all those who are made perfect by the suppression of evil, if you take them in regular order one after the other, then the Samaṇa in whom the āsavas are destroyed is acknowledged to be the chief—just, O king, as of all flowers produced in the water or on the land, the double jasmine is acknowledged to be the chief, all other kinds of flowers of whatever sort are merely flowers, and taking them in order it is the double jasmine that people most desire and like. Or just, O king, as of all kinds of grain, rice is acknowledged to be the chief, all other kinds of grain, of whatever sort, are useful for food and for the support of the body, but if you take them in order, rice is acknowledged as the best.’

‘Very good, Nāgasena! That is so, and I accept it as you say.’

Here ends the dilemma as to what constitutes a Samaṇa.

The Questions of King Milinda, translated from the Pali by T.W. Rhys Davids.

Part 1 (to section 5.4.10) was originally published as Volume xxxv of “The Sacred Books of the East”, Oxford, The Clarendon Press, 1890.

Part 2 (from section 5.5.1) was originally published as Volume xxxvi of “The Sacred Books of the East”, Oxford, The Clarendon Press, 1894.

This SuttaCentral edition was prepared by Bhikkhu Sujato based on the digital text of the Internet Sacred Text Archive. The work of the Sacred Text Archive to make this text publically available is gratefully acknowledged.

In preparing this edition minor editorial changes have been made. The structure has been adapted to agree with the Mahāsaṅgīti Pali text as found on SuttaCentral. In addition, the corrections proposed by the translator in the “Addenda et Corrigenda” of the original editions have for the most part been adopted.

This text is in the public domain. You are free to do whatever you wish with it.

Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.