King Milindu (Menander I) & Arahanth Nagasena (Part 7)
From TheBuddhism.Net
King Milindu went on to ask his next set of questions…
Venerable Sir, you say that even a man who had done lot of killings would go to heaven if he recalls the qualities of Buddha at his death bed. How could such a thing happen?
Dear King, recalling the qualities of Buddha is a powerful meditation. Consider a ship which glides on water despite having being loaded with any amount of weight.
Venerable Sir, how far is it to the world of Brahmas?
Dear King, world of Brahmas is very far to the human world.
Venerable Sir, if so, how could you say that an Arahanth can appear in the world of brahmas in the time that takes for him to bend his stretched hand?
Dear King, how long is it to Alexandria where you were born?
Venerable sir, 3200 miles (200 yodun).
Dear King, can you still remember Alexandria?
Yes, Venerable Sir.
Did it take time for you to remember Alexandria?
No, venerable Sir.
Similarly dear King, an Arahanth could go to the world of Brahmas the instant he thinks about it.
Venerable Sir, what is more, a meritorious deed or a sinful deed one has done?
Dear king, meritorious deeds are more since the person who does a meritorious deed is happy and thinks about it constantly intensifying it. Merits give results of heavenly comfort & happiness. Once, a person who had offered a bunch of lilies in reverence to a Buddha did not suffer in a hellish plane, for a very long time. On the other hand, the person who has sinned, grieves over it. Therefore, sins do not grow; but would give misery in a hellish plane.
Venerable Sir, some people do evil deeds aware that they are doing a sin; some do evil deeds not knowing that they are doing a sin. Whose evil deed is more sinful?
Dear king, if a person does an evil deed not knowing the result of it, his deed is more sinful.
Consider a hot iron; one person touches it knowing it is hot; another touches it not knowing it is hot. The hand of the person who touched it not knowing, get burned extensively. Similarly, the person who does an evil deed not knowing the result of it acquires more sins because of his ignorance.
On the other hand, the person who does an evil deed aware that he is doing it, do so reluctantly because there is no other way. He always does sinful deeds unwillingly. Therefore, his sins are less powerful than the previous ones.
Venerable Sir, how can one travel by air physically?
Dear king, as soon as the persons who have concentrated and controlled minds (like Arahanths & sages) think that they want to jump to the air, their bodies become weightless and soar to the air. They shift their bodies to their immaterial mind and travel.
Venerable Sir, is Consciousness (Vinnana) and Insight (Panna) the same?
No dear King, Consciousness & Insight are two different things.
Consciousness is similar to a peasant recognizing a gold coin. Here, only the object is recognized.
Insight is similar to a goldsmith recognizing a gold coin. Here, the usefulness, the good and the bad qualities of the object, is specially recognized.
Venerable Sir, if there is no live person called soul as you say, then who sees from the eyes? Who hears from the ears? Who smells from the nose? Who tastes from the tongue? Who touches from the body? Who thinks from the mind?
Dear king, if there is a live person called soul as you say, he should see even if he doesn’t have eyes, he should hear even if he doesn’t have ears, he should taste even if he doesn’t have a tongue. But, it doesn’t happen. Hence, there is no such live person called soul.
Venerable Sir, what is the most difficult thing that our Great Buddha preached?
Dear king, consider a person who goes to the middle of the Ocean by ship and taking a palm full of sea water and tasting it. He cannot say whether the water is from river Ganges or whether the water is from river Jumna or whether the water is from rivers Achirawathi or Sarabhu or Mahi.
To analyze the mind and the thoughts ( contact, feeling, perception, volition & formations) which are aimed at the same objective, is more difficult.
But our Great Buddha analyzed these immaterial mental stimuli perfectly.
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Powerful questions by King Milindu.
This is a powerful dialogue happening here between King Milindu and Nagasena. However, the explanation is a little short. I think that reflecting on the qualities of the Buddha develops merits but it would not be enough to purify all of our negative karma but enough to generate good merits.
I think at our death beds, it is very important to maintain a virtuous mind via such a contemplation or even contemplating upon the kindness of our Lama. And that would open the merits necessary for a positive throwing karma. The positive throwing karma would come to fruition with the world in which the person takes rebirth. Naturally, the best way to tap into the blessings of all the Buddhas would be to contemplate upon our Lama at our deathbed. If we practice a Dharma Protector sincerely, that would be the merits necessary for the Protector to come to your aid swiftly.
That is true David! If one has clean Guru Samaya… thinking of one’s Lama is most powerful during at the time of death.
A really good real life example can be seen with Justin Ripley’s death. He is I believe the closes student to Rinpoche and us all that actually showed us the power of Guru Devotion and practice of Dharma even at the time of death. http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/students-friends/in-memory-of-justin-ripley-1975-2011-2.html
He died in his Guru’s home which is the best way to go for any student and before that he was talking happily with his Guru and on that day he was doing Dharma work. At the time of death I am sure he also thought or Rinpoche. Rinpoche had also told us during the puja Rinpoche did for Justin, that Justin will see and be taken by a Monk to take a good rebirth. This monk who appears is Justin’s Dharma Protector and Rinpoche also said he will take rebirth again and continue his Dharma practice and we will all meet him again when the time is right. To me this was a REAL teaching on life, death, impermance, Guru devotion, reincarnation, Dharma work, merits everything… all at once. And this was not another story we heard or read that happened to someone else, but this happened to someone we were all very close with and we were working with and we had a warm spiritual relationship with. So definitely contemplating, remembering one’s Guru and all that he has done for you is indeed the best thought you can have at the time of death.