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III, 7, 3.
THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA.
years an evil life, yet if, at the moment of death, thoughts of the Buddha should enter his mind, he will be reborn among the gods. This I don't believe. And thus do they also say: "By one case of destruction of life a man may be reborn in purgatory." That, too, I cannot believe.'
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'But tell me, O king. Would even a tiny stone float on the water without a boat?'
Certainly not.'
'Very well; but would not a hundred cart-loads of stones float on the water if they were loaded in a boat?'
"
Yes, they would float right enough.'
'Well, good deeds are like the boat.' 'Very good, Nâgasena!'
6
3. The king said: 'Do you (recluses), Nâgasena, strive after the removal of past sorrow?'
"
No.'
'What then? Is it future sorrow you strive to remove?'
'No.'
'Present sorrow, then?' [81]
'Not that either.'
'Then if it be neither past, nor future, nor present sorrow that you strive to remove, whereunto is it that you strive?'
'What are you asking, O king? That this sorrow should cease and no other sorrow should arise-that is what we strive after.'
'But, Nâgasena, is there (now) such a thing as future sorrow?'
'No. I grant that.'
'Then you are mighty clever people to strive after the removal of that which does not exist!'
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