Psychic Powers Chapter1. On Honours Paid to the Buddha Then, when leave had been granted, Milinda paid homage and, with his hands joined in reverence, began by asking:
“Venerable Nāgasena, the leaders of other sects say, ‘If the Buddha agrees to
honour and gifts then he is not entirely free from the world. Therefore any service rendered to him becomes empty and vain.’ Tear apart this tangle of wrong-views, solve this paradox and give insight to the future sons of the Buddha with which to refute their adversaries.” “The Blessed One, O king, is entirely set free and has no attachment to either gifts or honour paid to him.”
“Nāgasena, a son may speak in praise of his father, or a father in praise of his son but that is not sufficient grounds to silence the critics.” “Even though the Blessed One has now passed away and cannot be said to accept gifts and honours
paid to him yet deeds done in his name are of value and bear great fruit. As a great and mighty wind that blew, even so the Blessed One has blown over the world with his love, so soothing, so gentle and so pure. Like men tormented by heat and fever are soothed by a cool wind, so, too, beings tormented by the heat of desire, hatred, and delusion are pacified by the sublime teaching of the Blessed One.
Although, great king, the Blessed One has entirely passed away, he has left behind his doctrine, his discipline, and his precious relics whose value derives from his virtue, concentration, wisdom, and freedom. Beings afflicted by the sorrows of becoming can still receive the benefits of these things, as those who have fans can still make a breeze although the wind has subsided. This was foreseen by the Blessed One when he said, ‘It may be Ānanda, that some of you may think,
“The word of the master is ended; we have no teacher any more”, but you should not regard it so. The Dhamma that I have taught and the rules that I have laid down, let them be your teachers when I am gone.’1 “Hear another reason, O king. Did you ever hear that the ogre Nandaka, who dared to strike the Elder Sāriputta, was swallowed up by the earth?”
“Yes, venerable sir, that is common knowledge.” “Did Venerable Sāriputta acquiesce in that?”
“Venerable Sāriputta would never agree to any pain being inflicted on a fellow creature for he had rooted out all anger.” “Then, if Sāriputta did not consent to it, why was Nandaka swallowed up by the earth?”
“It was because of the power of his evil deed.” “How many, O king, are those who have been swallowed up by the earth?”
“There are five, venerable sir; Ciñca2 the Brahmin woman, Suppabuddha3 the Sākyan, Devadatta,4 Nandaka5 the ogre, and Nanda6 the Brahman — these have been swallowed up by the earth.” “And whom, O king, had they wronged?”
“The Blessed One or his disciples.” “Therefore, O king, an act done to the Tathāgata, notwithstanding his having passed away, is nevertheless of value and bears fruit.” “Well has this deep question been explained by you, Nāgasena. You have disclosed that which was
hidden, undone the knot, cleared the thicket, refuted the false view and the sectarians have been shrouded in darkness by you, the best of all the leaders of schools.” 2. The Omniscience of the Buddha“Nāgasena, was the Buddha Omniscient?” “Yes, O king, but the insight of knowledge was not always with him. It depended on reflection.” “Then, Nāgasena, the Buddha could not have been Omniscient if his knowledge was reached through reflection.” “I will explain further. There are seven classes of mental ability. Firstly, there are ordinary people (puthujjana) who are full of desire, hatred and delusion; untrained in their action, speech and thought; their thinking acts slowly and with difficulty. “Secondly, there are Stream-winners who have attained to right view and rightly grasped the Master’s
teaching. Their thinking powers are quick and function easily as far as the first three fetters are concerned but beyond that they function slowly and with difficulty. “Thirdly, there are Once-returners in whom desire and hatred are reduced. Their thinking powers work quickly and easily as far as the five lower fetters are concerned but slowly and with difficulty beyond that. “Fourthly, there are Non-returners in whom desire and hatred are eliminated. Their thinking powers work quickly and easily as far as the ten fetters but slowly and with difficulty beyond that. “Fifthly, there are the Arahants in whom the floods of sensual desire, desire for rebirth, personality
-belief and ignorance have ceased, who have lived the holy life and reached their final goal. Their thinking powers work quickly as far as the range of a disciple is concerned but slowly and with difficulty beyond that.7 “Sixthly, there are Solitary Buddhas who are dependent on themselves alone, needing no teacher. Their thinking powers work quickly as far as their own range is concerned but as regards that which is exclusively the range of the Perfectly Enlightened Ones their thinking works slowly and with difficulty. Like a man who would readily cross a small river that was on his own property but would hesitate to cross the great ocean.
“Lastly, there are Perfectly Enlightened Buddhas who have all knowledge, are endowed with the ten powers, the four modes of fearlessness, and the eighteen characteristics of a Buddha. Their thinking powers are quickly exercised without sluggishness in any area of knowledge. As a sharp bolt on a powerful crossbow would easily pass through a thin cloth, just so their knowledge is unimpeded and
easily outclasses the other six. It is because their minds are so clear and agile that the Buddhas can display the Twin Miracle.8 From that we may only guess how clear and active their powers are. For all these wonders there is no reason other than reflection that can be asserted.” “Nevertheless, Nāgasena, reflection is carried out for the purpose of seeking out what was not already clear before the reflection began.” “A rich man would not be called poor just because there was no food prepared when a traveller arrived
at his house unexpectedly; nor would a tree be called barren when it was fully laden just because no fruit had yet fallen on the ground. So too the Buddha is indeed Omniscient although his knowledge is gained through reflection.” 3. Devadatta’s Ordination“If the Buddha was both Omniscient and full of compassion why did he admit Devadatta to the Order,
since by causing a schism9 [which only a bhikkhu can do] he was thereby consigned to hell for an aeon?10 If the Buddha did not know what Devadatta would do then he was not Omniscient and if he knew
then he was not compassionate.” “The Blessed One was both Omniscient and full of compassion. It was because he foresaw that Devadatta’s suffering would become limited that he admitted him to the Order. As a man of influence might have a criminal’s sentence mitigated from execution to the cutting off of hands and feet but
would not thereby be responsible for the pain and suffering that that man had to undergo, or as a clever physician would make a critical disease lighter by giving a powerful purgative, so did the Buddha reduce the future suffering of Devadatta by admitting him to the Order. After he has suffered for the rest of the aeon in purgatory Devadatta will be released and become a Solitary Buddha by the name of Atthissara.” “Great is the gift bestowed, Nāgasena, by the Blessed One on Devadatta. The Tathāgata pointed out the road to him when he was lost in the jungle, he gave him a firm foothold when he was falling down a precipice. Yet the reason and meaning for this could only have been pointed out by one as wise as you!” 4. Causes of Earthquakes
“The Buddha said, Nāgasena, that there are eight causes of a great earthquake.11 Yet we find that there is a ninth cause also mentioned in the texts. When the Bodhisatta Vessantara fulfilled the
perfection of generosity by giving away his wife and children as servants then, too, did the great earth shake. If the former statement of the Buddha is true then the latter is false.” “Both statements, O king, are correct. The gift of Vessantara was not mentioned as a ninth cause of a great earthquake because it is an extremely rare occurrence. Just as the dried up creek that does not
usually hold water is not called a river, but in times of exceptional rainfall it becomes a river, so too the largesse of Vessantara was an isolated and extraordinary occurrence, and for that reason one distinct from the eight usual causes of a great earthquake. “Have you ever heard, O king, in the history of our religion of any act of devotion that gave its result in this very life?”
“Yes, venerable Nāgasena, there are seven such cases: Sumana12 the garland maker, Ekasātaka13 the brahman, Punna14 the farm worker, Mallikā15 the queen, the queen known as the mother of Gopāla,16 Suppiyā17 the devoted woman and Punnā18 the slave-girl.” “But have you ever heard, O king, of the earth shaking even once or twice when a gift had been given
?” “No, venerable sir, I have never heard of that.” “I too, O king, have never heard of such a thing, though I have been devoted to study and ready to learn, except for this case of the splendid gift of Vessantara. It is by no common effort, O king, that
the great earth is moved. It is when overburdened by the weight of righteousness, overpowered by the burden of the goodness of acts that testify to absolute purity; that, unable to support it, the broad earth quakes and trembles. When Vessantara gave his gift, O king, he was giving things away not for the sake of a glorious rebirth, nor for future wealth, nor to receive gifts in return, nor for flattery, nor for any other personal gain, but only for the sake of supreme wisdom.” 5. Asseveration of Truth“King Sīvi gave his eyes to someone who begged for them and new eyes arose in their place.19 How is this possible?” “It was by the power of the truth that it happened. As when mystics recite the truth they can make the rain fall, drive back fire or neutralize poison. “When Asoka the righteous ruler stood one day among the townsfolk of Pātaliputta he said to his
ministers; ‘Is there anyone who could make this great Ganges flow backwards and upstream?’ Then a certain courtesan, named Bindumatī, was in the crowd and she performed an act of truth. At that very moment the mighty Ganges, roaring and raging, rolled back upstream in sight of everyone. The king, awestruck, sought out the woman who was the cause of this and asked her, ‘What is the act of truth
by which you did this?’ She replied, ‘Whoever pays me, whether he is a brahmin, a noble, a tradesman or a servant, I regard them all alike. Free from bias I do service to him who has paid me. This is the basis of the act of truth20 by which I turned the Ganges back.’ “There is no ordinary cause for those things to happen but the power of truth is itself the cause. And there is no reason for the realisation of the Noble Truths other than the power of truth.” 6. The Paradox of Conception“The Blessed One said, Nāgasena, that there is conception in a womb with the coincidence of three causes; coitus of the parents,21 the mother’s season and a being to be born.22 However, he also said that when the ascetic Dukāla touched the navel of the ascetic woman Pārikā with his thumb the boy Sāma was conceived.23 If the first statement is true then the latter must be false.” “Both statements are true, O king, but you should not think that there was any transgression in the latter case. Sakka, the king of the gods, having seen that those virtuous ascetics would become blind,
entreated them to have a son. However, they would not consent to intercourse even to save their lives, so Sakka intervened by instructing Dukāla, and thus Sāma was conceived.” 7. The Duration of the Religion“After the ordination of women, the Blessed One said that the pure doctrine would only last for five hundred years.24 However, to Subaddha he said, ‘So long as the brethren live the perfect holy life then this world will not be bereft of Arahants.’ These statements are contradictory.” “O king, the Blessed One did make both statements, but they are different in the spirit and in the letter.
One deals with the duration of the pure doctrine whereas the other deals with the practice of the religious life, two things widely distinct. In saying five hundred years he was fixing a limit to religion but in speaking to Subaddha he was declaring in what religion consisted. If the sons of the Buddha continue to exert themselves in the five factors of striving,25 have a sincere desire for the three trainings,26 perfecting themselves in conduct and virtue; then the glorious teaching of the Conqueror will long
endure and stand more and more steadfast as the years roll on. The teaching of the Master, O king, has its root in practice, practice is its essence, and it stands as long as practice does not decline. There are three modes of disappearance of a teaching. The decline of the attainment to a clear insight
into it, of practice in accordance with it, and decline in the outward form of it. When the intellectual grasp ceases then even the man who conducts himself rightly has no clear understanding of it. By the decline of practice, promulgation of the Vinaya rules ceases and only the outward form of the religion remains. When the outward form ceases then the succession of the tradition is cut off.” 8. Purity of the Buddha“If the Tathāgata destroyed all unwholesomeness in himself when he gained Omniscience why did he get hurt by a splinter of rock that was thrown by Devadatta? If he did get hurt then he cannot have
been free from all evil, for there is no feeling without kamma. All feeling has its root in kamma and it is only on account of kamma that feeling arises.” “No, great king, not all feeling has its root in kamma. There are eight causes of the arising of feelings. Excess of wind, of bile, and of phlegm, the mixture of the three bodily fluids, variations in temperature,
stress of circumstances, external agency and kamma. Whoever says, ‘It is only kamma that oppresses beings,’ thereby excludes the other seven reasons and that statement of theirs is wrong. “When one’s wind is disturbed it happens in one of ten ways; by cold, by heat, by hunger, by thirst, by
over-eating, by standing too long, by over exertion, by running, by medical treatment, or as a result of kamma. When the bile is disturbed it is in one of three ways; by cold, by heat or by unsuitable food. When the phlegm is disturbed it is in one of three ways; by cold, by heat or by eating and drinking. When these three disturbed fluids are mixed it brings about its own distinctive pain. Then there are
pains arising from variations in temperature, stress of circumstances and by external agencies. There is also that pain which has kamma as its cause. So the pain that is due to kamma is much less than that due to other causes. The ignorant go too far when they say that everything that is experienced is produced as the fruit of kamma. Without a Buddha’s insight no one can ascertain the extent of the action of kamma. When the Blessed One’s foot was grazed by the splinter of rock the pain was produced only by external agency. Although the Blessed One never suffered pain that was the result of his own kamma, or brought about by the stress of circumstances, he suffered pain from each of the other six causes.27 It was said, O king, by the Blessed One, ‘There are certain pains, Sīvaka, which arise from bilious humours and you ought to know what they are for it is a matter of common knowledge. Those ascetics and Brahmans who are of the opinion and proclaim the view that all feelings that men experience are
due to a previous act, go beyond certainty and knowledge and therein I say that they are wrong.’”28 9. Perfection of the Buddha“If the Tathāgata had accomplished everything under the bodhi tree why did he spend a further three months in solitude?29 If a man has eaten and is satisfied, what is the use of further food; if a man is
healthy, what is the use of him taking medicine?” “O king, solitary meditation has many benefits. All the Tathāgatas attained to Buddhahood thereby and practised it in appreciation of its benefits to mankind. There are twenty-eight benefits of solitude: it guards him, increases his life expectancy, gives him vigour, conceals his failings, removes any bad
reputation and brings fame, destroys discontent and brings satisfaction, banishes fear and endows him with confidence, removes sloth and fills him with zeal, takes away desire, hatred and delusion, subdues pride, disrupts discursive thought and makes the mind one-pointed, softens his mind and makes him light-hearted, makes him serious, brings him material gain, makes him worthy of reverence, brings him
joy, fills him with delight, shows him the true nature of all formations, puts an end to rebirth, and gains for him all the fruits of a life of renunciation. It is because the Tathāgata has in mind these manifold benefits that he follows the practice of seclusion. “There are altogether four reasons why the Tathāgatas devote themselves to solitude. For the sake of
dwelling at ease, because of its blameless qualities, because it is the way to all noble things without exception, and because it has been praised and exalted by all the Buddhas. It is not because they have anything left to achieve or anything to add to what they have already accomplished but only because of these excellent advantages that they practice seclusion.” 10. Equanimity of the Buddha
“The Buddha said that, if he wished, he could live for the remainder of the world-cycle30 but he also said that he would die at the end of three months.31 How can both of these statements be true?” “Aeon, O king, in that connection means a man’s life-span and what the Buddha said was in order to exalt the bases of success (iddhipāda). The Blessed One was entirely free from desire for any kind of
future life and condemned them all for he said, ‘I find no beauty in the smallest part of future life, just as even a small quantity of excrement is of bad smell.’”32 In this chapter there are ten questions
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