7.2.1. The Ass (MIL7.2.1)

‘Venerable Nāgasena, that one quality of the harsh-voiced ass which you say he ought to take, which is that?’

‘Just, O king, as the ass, wheresoever he may lie down—whether on a dust heap, or in the open space where four roads meet, or three, or at the entrance to a village, or on a heap of straw— nowhere is he given to resting long; just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, wheresoever he may spread out his mat for repose—whether on strewed grass, or leaves, or on a bed of thorns, or on the bare earth—nowhere should he be given to sloth. This is the one quality of the ass he ought to have. For this has been said, O king, by the Blessed One, the god over all gods:

“Sleeping on pillows of chaff, my disciples, O brethren,
Keep themselves earnest and ardent in strenuous fight.”

‘And this too, O king, was said by Sāriputta, the Elder, the Commander of the Faith:

“If it but raineth not knee-deep on him
When sitting in high meditations plunged—
What cares the man on Arahatship intent for ease!”

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.