Nibbānavagga

Milindapañha

Milinda’s Questions

Nibbānavagga

Nibbāna Chapter

5. Vāyāmakaraṇapañha

5. Question on the Reason for Effort

Rājā āha—

The king said:

“bhante nāgasena, tumhe bhaṇatha—

“Venerable Nāgasena, you told me

‘kinti imaṁ dukkhaṁ nirujjheyya, aññañca dukkhaṁ nuppajjeyyāti.

that, so that this suffering would cease and another suffering would not arise,

Etadatthā, mahārāja, amhākaṁ pabbajjā’ti.

that was the goal of your going forth.

Kiṁ paṭikacceva vāyamitena, nanu sampatte kāle vāyamitabban”ti?

Is it just because of previous effort? Should not one make an effort at the current time?”

Thero āha—

The elder said:

“sampatte kāle, mahārāja, vāyāmo akiccakaro bhavati, paṭikacceva vāyāmo kiccakaro bhavatī”ti.

“Effort at the current time is not so useful, effort made previously is useful.”

“Opammaṁ karohī”ti.

“Please give me an analogy.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, yadā tvaṁ pipāsito bhaveyyāsi, tadā tvaṁ udapānaṁ khaṇāpeyyāsi, taḷākaṁ khaṇāpeyyāsi ‘pānīyaṁ pivissāmī’”ti?

“What do you think, your majesty, when you become thirsty, would you then have a well or a dam dug and say ‘I will drink water’?”

“Na hi, bhante”ti.

“Certainly not, venerable sir.”

“Evameva kho, mahārāja, sampatte kāle vāyāmo akiccakaro bhavati, paṭikacceva vāyāmo kiccakaro bhavatī”ti.

“In the same way, effort at the current time is not so useful, effort made previously is useful.”

“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.

“Give me another analogy.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, yadā tvaṁ bubhukkhito bhaveyyāsi, tadā tvaṁ khettaṁ kasāpeyyāsi, sāliṁ ropāpeyyāsi, dhaññaṁ atiharāpeyyāsi ‘bhattaṁ bhuñjissāmī’”ti?

“What do you think, your majesty, when you become hungry, would you then have a field ploughed, plant rice, and have the grain brought in, and say ‘I will eat rice’?”

“Na hi, bhante”ti.

“Certainly not, venerable sir.”

“Evameva kho, mahārāja, sampatte kāle vāyāmo akiccakaro bhavati, paṭikacceva vāyāmo kiccakaro bhavatī”ti.

“In the same way, effort at the current time is not so useful, effort made previously is useful.”

“Bhiyyo opammaṁ karohī”ti.

“Give me another analogy.”

“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, mahārāja, yadā te saṅgāmo paccupaṭṭhito bhaveyya, tadā tvaṁ parikhaṁ khaṇāpeyyāsi, pākāraṁ kārāpeyyāsi, gopuraṁ kārāpeyyāsi, aṭṭālakaṁ kārāpeyyāsi, dhaññaṁ atiharāpeyyāsi, tadā tvaṁ hatthismiṁ sikkheyyāsi, assasmiṁ sikkheyyāsi, rathasmiṁ sikkheyyāsi, dhanusmiṁ sikkheyyāsi, tharusmiṁ sikkheyyāsī”ti?

“What do you think, your majesty, when you are faced with a battle, would you then have a moat dug, a rampart, a gateway, and a watchtower constructed, and then train in the use of elephants, horses, chariots, bows and swords?”

“Na hi, bhante”ti.

“Certainly not, venerable sir.”

“Evameva kho, mahārāja, sampatte kāle vāyāmo akiccakaro bhavati, paṭikacceva vāyāmo kiccakaro bhavati.

“In the same way, effort at the current time is not so useful, effort made previously is useful.

Bhāsitampetaṁ, mahārāja bhagavatā—

And this too was said, your majesty, by the Blessed One:

‘Paṭikacceva taṁ kayirā,

‘One should do formerly

yaṁ jaññā hitamattano;

what one knows is for one’s benefit;

Na sākaṭikacintāya,

Not having thoughts like a wagon driver,

mantā dhīro parakkame.

one is steadfast in wisdom.

Yathā sākaṭiko maṭṭhaṁ,

As a wagon driver who has abandoned

samaṁ hitvā mahāpathaṁ;

the well-prepared, even, high road,

Visamaṁ maggamāruyha,

Climbing on the uneven path,

akkhacchinnova jhāyati.

just broods with his axle broken,

Evaṁ dhammā apakkamma,

Straying from the Dhamma thus,

adhammamanuvattiya;

and following what isn’t Dhamma,

Mando maccu mukhaṁ patto,

The lazy one coming face-to-face with death,

akkhacchinnova jhāyatī’”ti.

just broods with his axle broken.’”

“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.

“You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena!”

Vāyāmakaraṇapañho pañcamo.

Question on the Reason for Effort fifth