Questions of King Milinda Part 02

SR No.: 007682
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

Page 1950

PT. II. SECT. XV.
THE WRITINGS OF KWANG-SZE.
59
is said, “When the Tâo was lost, its Characteristics appeared. When its Characteristics were lost, Benevolence appeared. When Benevolence was lost, Righteousness appeared. When Righteousness was lost, Ceremonies appeared. Ceremonies are but (the unsubstantial) flowers of the Tâo, and the commencement of disorder ?." "Hence (also it is further said), “He who practises the Tâo, daily diminishes his doing. He diminishes it and again diminishes it, till he arrives at doing nothing. Having arrived at this non-inaction, there is nothing that he does not do 1." Here now there is something, a regularly fashioned utensil ;-if you wanted to make it return to the original condition of its materials, would it not be difficult to make it do so ? Could any but the Great Man accomplish this easily 2?
Life is the follower of death, and death is the predecessor of life; but who knows, the Arranger (of this connexion between them) 3 ? The life is due to the collecting of the breath. When that is collected, there is life; when it is dispersed, there is death. Since death and life thus attend on each other, why should I account (either of) them an evil ?
“Therefore all things go through one and the same experience. (Life) is accounted beautiful because it is spirit-like and wonderful, and death is accounted ugly because of its foetor and putridity. But the foetid and putrid is transformed again into the spirit-like and wonderful, and the spirit-like and wonderful is transformed again into the foetid and
1 See the Tâo Teh King, chaps. 38 and 48.
. This sentence is metaphorical of the Tao, whose spell is broken by the intrusion of Knowledge.
* This Arranger' is the Tâo.
Digitized by Google