6.2.7. Dilemma the Sixty-Seventh. Dead Demons (MIL6.2.7)

‘Venerable Nāgasena, are there such things as demons (Yakkhā) in the world?’

‘Yes, O king.’

‘Do they ever leave that condition’ (fall out of that phase of existence)?

‘Yes, they do.’

‘But, if so, why is it that the remains of those dead Yakkhas are never found, nor any odour of their corpses smelt? ’

‘ Their remains are found, O king, and an odour does arise from their dead bodies. The remains of bad Yakkhas can be seen in the form of worms and beetles and ants and moths and snakes and scorpions and centipedes, and birds and wild beasts.’

‘Who else, O Nāgasena, could have solved this puzzle except one as wise as you!’

Here ends the dilemma as to dead demons.

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.

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Prepared for SuttaCentral by Bhikkhu Sujato.