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286
THE QUESTIONS AND PUZZLES
VII, 1, 11.
Just, О king, as the panther, lying in ambush in wild places, behind a thicket of long grass or brushwood, or among the rocks, catches the deer; so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, resort to solitary places in the woods, at the foot of a tree, on mountain heights, in caves and grottoes, in cemeteries, in forests, under the open sky, on beds of straw, in quiet, noiseless spots, free from strong winds, and hid from the haunts of men. For the strenuous Bhikshu, O king, earnest in effort, who frequents such solitudes, will soon become master of the six forms of transcendent insight. This, O king, is the first of the qualities of the panther he ought to have. For it was said, O king, by the Elders who collected the scriptures : "As the panther by lying in ambush catches the
deer, So the sons of the Buddha, with insight and
earnestness armed, By resorting to solitudes gain that Fruit which is
best ?." 11. 'And again, O king, as the panther, whatever may be the beast he has killed, will never eat it if it has fallen on the left side ; just so, O king, should the strenuous Bhikshu, earnest in effort, not partake of any food that has been procured by gifts of bamboos, or palms' leaves, or flowers, or fruits, or baths , or chunam, or tooth-sticks, [370] or water for washing ; or by flattery, or by gaining the laity over by sugared
1 That is, of course, Arahatship. The lines are not to be found in the published texts.
Sinâna-da nena; omitted by the Sutta Vibhanga and by Hînali-kumburê (who quotes the Páli of this passage).
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| 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 |