Page Text
________________
80
THE QUESTIONS AND PUZZLES
IV, 6, 49.
and clubs find a resting-place in the air, in the same way as they do on the ground ?'
No, Sir.' 'But what is the reason why they come to rest on the earth, when they will not stand in the air ?'
'There is no cause in the air for their stability, and without a cause they will [256] not stand.'
Just so, O king, by that fault of his the cause for his conversion has been removed. And without a cause there can be no conversion. Now will fire, O king, burn in water in the same way as it will on land ?'
No, Sir.' * But why not?'
Because in water the conditions precedent for burning do not exist. And there can be no burning without them.'
Just so, O king, are the conditions precedent to conversion destroyed in him by that offence of his. And when the conditions which would bring it about are destroyed there can be no conversion.'
49. Venerable Nâgasena, think over this matter once more. I am not yet convinced about it. Persuade me by some reason how such obstruction can occur in the case of one not aware of his offence, and feeling therefore no remorse.'
Would the Halâhala' poison, O king, if eaten by
1 There is a curious confusion about this word. It is found in post-Buddhistic Sanskrit in the sense of a particular sort of strong poison, and in this sense it occurs also in the Gâtaka Commentary I, 271; III, 103; and in the Tela-kalâha-gåthå, verse 82. In none of these passages is the nature of the poison at all explained; it is taken for granted as a well-known powerful poison. But above (p. 122 of the Pali), and at Gataka I, 47, 48, it is used in
Digitized by Google
| SR No. | 007682 |
| Book Title | Questions of King Milinda Part 02 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | T W Rhys Davids |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1894 |
| Total Pages | 2240 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 38 MB |