homework

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Buddhist Readings on Reality

Questions of King Melinda

Selection (Part I, Chapter 1, 25-28, modified translation)

Now Milinda the king went up to where the venerable Nâgasena was, and addressed him with

the greetings and compliments of friendship and courtesy, and took his seat respectfully apart.

And Nâgasena reciprocated his courtesy, so that the heart of the king was propitiated.

And Milinda began by asking, 'How is your Reverence known, and what, Sir, is your name?'

'I am known as Nâgasena, O king, and it is by that name that my brethren in the faith address me.

But although parents, O king, give such a name as Nâgasena, or Sûrasena, or Vîrasena, or

Sîhasena, yet this, Sire,--Nâgasena and so on--is only a generally understood term, a designation

in common use. For there is no permanent individuality (no soul) involved in the matter.'

Then Milinda called upon the Yonakas and the brethren to witness: 'This Nâgasena says there is

no permanent individuality (no soul) implied in his name. Is it now even possible to approve him

in that?' And turning to Nâgasena, he said: 'If, most reverend Nâgasena, there be no permanent

individuality (no soul) involved in the matter, who is it, pray, who gives to you members of the

Order your robes and food and lodging and necessaries for the sick? Who is it who enjoys such

things when given? Who is it who lives a life of righteousness? Who is it who devotes himself to

meditation? Who is it who attains to the goal of the Excellent Way, to the Nirvâna of

Arahatship? And who is it who destroys living creatures? who is it who takes what is not his

own? who is it who lives an evil life of worldly lusts, who speaks lies, who drinks strong drink,

who (in a word) commits any one of the five sins which work out their bitter fruit even in this

life? If that be so there is neither merit nor demerit; there is neither doer nor causer of good or

evil deeds; there is neither fruit nor result of good or evil Karma. --If, most reverend Nâgasena,

we are to think that were a man to kill you there would be no murder, then it follows that there

are no real masters or teachers in your Order, and that your ordinations are void.--You tell me

that your brethren in the Order are in the habit of addressing you as Nâgasena. Now what is that

Nâgasena? Do you mean to say that the hair is Nâgasena?'

'I don't say that, great king.'

'Or the hairs on the body, perhaps?'

'Certainly not.'

'Or is it the nails, the teeth, the skin, the flesh, the nerves, the bones, the marrow, the kidneys, the

heart, the liver, the abdomen, the spleen, the lungs, the larger intestines, the lower intestines, the

stomach, the feces, the bile, the phlegm, the pus, the blood, the sweat, the fat, the tears, the

serum, the saliva, the mucus, the oil that lubricates the joints, the urine, or the brain, or any or all

of these, that is Nâgasena?'

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And to each of these he answered no.

'Is it the outward form then (Rûpa) that is Nâgasena, or the feelings (Vedanâ), or the perceptions

(Saññâ), or the volitions (Samkhârâ), or the consciousness (Vigññâna), that is Nâgasena?'

And to each of these also he answered no.

'Then is it all these Skandhas combined that are Nâgasena?'

'No! great king.'

'But is there anything outside the five Skandhas that is Nâgasena?'

And still he answered no.

'Then thus, ask as I may, I can discover no Nâgasena. Nâgasena is a mere empty sound. Who

then is the Nâgasena that we see before us? It is a falsehood that your reverence has spoken, an

untruth!'

And the venerable Nâgasena said to Milinda the king: 'You, Sire, have been brought up in great

luxury, as beseems your noble birth. If you were to walk this dry weather on the hot and sandy

ground, trampling under foot the gritty, gravelly grains of the hard sand, your feet would hurt

you. And as your body would be in pain, your mind would be disturbed, and you would

experience a sense of bodily suffering. How then did you come, on foot, or in a chariot?'

'I did not come, Sir, on foot. I came in a chariot.'

'Then if you came, Sire, in a chariot, explain to me what that is. Is it the pole that is the chariot?'

'I did not say that.'

'Is it the axle that is the chariot?'

'Certainly not.'

'Is it the wheels, or the framework, or the ropes, or the yoke, or the spokes of the wheels, or the

goad, that are the chariot?'

And to all these he still answered no.

'Then is it all these parts of it that are the chariot?'

'No, Sir.'

'But is there anything outside them that is the chariot?'

And still he answered no.

'Then thus, ask as I may, I can discover no chariot. Chariot is a mere empty sound. What then is

the chariot you say you came in? It is a falsehood that your Majesty has spoken, an untruth!

There is no such thing as a chariot! You are king over all India, a mighty monarch. Of whom

then are you afraid that you speak untruth? And he called upon the Yonakas and the brethren to

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witness, saying: 'Milinda the king here has said that he came by chariot. But when asked in that

case to explain what the chariot was, he is unable to establish what he averred. Is it, forsooth,

possible to approve him in that?'

When he had thus spoken the five hundred Yonakas shouted their applause, and said to the king:

Now let your Majesty get out of that if you can?'

And Milinda the king replied to Nâgasena, and said: 'I have spoken no untruth, reverend Sir. It is

on account of its having all these things--the pole, and the axle, the wheels, and the framework,

the ropes, the yoke, the spokes, and the goad--that it comes under the generally understood term,

the designation in common use, of "chariot."'

'Very good! Your Majesty has rightly grasped the meaning of "chariot." And just even so it is on

account of all those things you questioned me about-- the thirty-two kinds of organic matter in a

human body, and the five constituent elements of being--that I come under the generally

understood term, the designation in common use, of "Nâgasena." For it was said, Sire, by our

Sister Vagirâ in the presence of the Blessed One:

'"Just as it is by the condition precedent of the co-existence of its various parts that the word

'chariot' is used, just so is it that when the Skandhas are there we talk of a 'being.'"'

'Most wonderful, Nâgasena, and most strange. Well has the puzzle put to you, most difficult

though it was, been solved. Were the Buddha himself here he would approve your answer. Well

done, well done, Nâgasena!'

How can we experience empty objects that have no essence?

(from Asanga Mahayanasamgraha)

i) Some wonder: "How can the non-existent be perceived ( visaya )?" To dispel

this hesitation, the sutra compares the dependent nature to a magic show.

ii) They wonder: "How can the mind and mental factors ( cittacaitta ) which

have no object arise?" To dispel this hesitation, the sutra compares the

dependent nature to a mirage ( marici ).

iii) They wonder: "In the absence of an object (asaty artha), how can one

experience pleasant or unpleasant feelings ( istanista upabhoga)V ' To dispel

this hesitation, the sutra compares the dependent nature to a dream ( svapna )

iv) They wonder: "In the absence of an object, how can good or bad actions

( kusalakusalakarman ) produce ( abhinirvrt -) a pleasant or unpleasant result

( istdnistaphala )?" To dispel this hesitation, the sutra compares the dependent

nature to an image (pratibimba ).

v) They wonder: "In the absence of an object, how can the various rebirths

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arise?" To dispel this hesitation, the sutra compares the dependent nature to a reflection

(pratibhdsa ).

vi) They wonder: "In the absence of an object, how can the different kinds of

speech ( nanavyavahara ) arise?" To dispel this hesitation, the sutra compares

the dependent nature to an echo (pratisrutkd ).

vii) They wonder: "In the absence of an object, how can the images perceived

during correct concentration (samyag-grah akasam ddh igo car a) be

produced?" To dispel this hesitation, the sutra compares the dependent

nature to the reflection of the moon in water {udakacandra).

viii) They wonder: "In the absence of an object, how can the bodhisattvas

whose mind is unerring ( aviparltacitta ) be reborn at will ( yathdsayam ) for the

service of beings ( sattvdrthakriya)V ’ To dispel this hesitation, the sutra

compares the dependent nature to a magic show (parindma ). [140c 1 ]

i) The magical elephant ( mayahastin ) is not a real thing {artha) and yet it is perceived

{visaya). It is the same for the object.

ii) Here, the mind and mental factors ( cittacaitta ) play the role of mirage

( marwisthamya ) and the object {artha) plays the role of the water ( toyasthamya ). While

the mirage does shimmer ( pracarati ), there is no real water ( toyasthamya ), and yet the

notion of real water ( toyarthabuddhi ) is produced. In the same way, when the mind and

mental factors shimmer, there is no real object {artha) and yet the notion of object

(< arthabuddhi ) is produced.

Hi) In the dream, there is no real object; nevertheless, one knows that various pleasant

and unpleasant feelings are experienced. It is the same here in the awake state.

iv) The image is not a real object: it is relatively to the model that one has of the notion of

image ( pratibimbabuddhi ); nevertheless, there is no reality-’image’ distinct from the

model. It is the same here. There is no reality 'pleasant or unpleasant result' and yet it is

perceived.

v) In a shadow-play (cayakrida), all kinds of reflections ( pratibhasa ) are seen. Although

these reflections are seen, the reality ’reflection’ is non-existent. It is the same for the

consciousnesses: these are not different things ( nanavidartha ) and yet they appear as

different things.

vi) The echo is not a real sound and yet it is heard. It is the same for superficial speech

( vyavaharaprapahca ): it is not — [one line missing in my (Migme Chodron) xerox

copy]

vii) The moon's reflection in water is not a real thing and yet, thanks to the clearness

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(, ardrata ) and clarity {prasada ) of the water, it is seen in the water. It is the same for the

concentrated mind {samahitacitta). The objects it perceives ( alambanavisaya ) are not

real things, yet they are perceived. Here, concentration ( samadhi ) plays the part of the

water {toyasthamya) because it is fresh and clear.

viii) The magical creation {nirmana) is not a real object but, by the power of the magician

{nirmatr), all kinds of things are created. A magically created object {nirmanartha) does

not fail to be perceived. It is the same here: the existence {kaya = atmabhava) assumed

{upatta) by the bodhisattva is not real and yet the existence assumed by the bodhisattva

who is working for the benefit and happiness of all beings {sarvasattvahitasukha) is

perceived.”

The Heart Sutra

(translated Thich Nyat Hahn, 2014)

“The Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore”

Avalokiteshvara

while practicing deeply with

the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore,

suddenly discovered that

all of the five Skandhas are equally empty,

and with this realisation

he overcame all Ill-being.

“Listen Sariputra,

this Body itself is Emptiness

and Emptiness itself is this Body.

This Body is not other than Emptiness

and Emptiness is not other than this Body.

The same is true of Feelings,

Perceptions, Mental Formations,

and Consciousness.

“Listen Sariputra,

all phenomena bear the mark of Emptiness;

their true nature is the nature of

no Birth no Death,

no Being no Non-being,

no Defilement no Purity,

no Increasing no Decreasing.

“That is why in Emptiness,

Body, Feelings, Perceptions,

Mental Formations and Consciousness

are not separate self entities.

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The Eighteen Realms of Phenomena

which are the six Sense Organs,

the six Sense Objects,

and the six Consciousnesses

are also not separate self entities.

The Twelve Links of Interdependent Arising

and their Extinction

are also not separate self entities.

Ill-being, the Causes of Ill-being,

the End of Ill-being, the Path,

insight and attainment,

are also not separate self entities.

Whoever can see this

no longer needs anything to attain.

Bodhisattvas who practice

the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore

see no more obstacles in their mind,

and because there

are no more obstacles in their mind,

they can overcome all fear,

destroy all wrong perceptions

and realize Perfect Nirvana.

“All Buddhas in the past, present and future

by practicing

the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore

are all capable of attaining

Authentic and Perfect Enlightenment.

“Therefore Sariputra,

it should be known that

the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore

is a Great Mantra,

the most illuminating mantra,

the highest mantra,

a mantra beyond compare,

the True Wisdom that has the power

to put an end to all kinds of suffering.

Therefore let us proclaim

a mantra to praise

the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore.

Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!”

[Gone, Gone Beyond, Gone Altogether Beyond, O What an Awakening!]