________________
THE BUDDHIST ATTITUDE
Now let us see what the Buddha spoke of nirvana (emancipation) from the following dialogue! :
... Does, O Lord, Tathāgata exist after death?–asked King Pasenadi..
The question whether a Tathāgata exists after death has been left avyākata (unexplained) by me, O Mahārāja.' 'Does not then, O Lord, Tathāgata exist after death?' 'This too viz. whether Tathāgata does not exist after death has
been left avyäkata (unexplained) by me, O Mahārāja.' 'Does then, O Lord, Tathāgata both exist as well as not exist
after death?' * This too ... has been left unexplained by me, O Mahārāja.'
Then said the King: What is, O Lord, the reason, what the cause of that being left avyākata (unexplained)?' I put, O Mahārāja, this question to you yourself, you may answer as you think proper. What do you think, O Mahārāja, have you got any such calculator (ganaka), cashier (muddika) or statistician (sankhāyaka) as can count the grains of sand of the Ganges and say 'These grains are so many' ... or 'These grains are
so many hundred thousands'?' 'Not certainly, O Lord.' 'Have you, again, got any such calculator, cashier or statistician as can measure the water of the great ocean, and can say 'This is equal to so many alhakas? of water'... or “This is equal to so many hundred thousand ashakas of water'?'
Not certainly, O Lord. • What is the reason here?' Great indeed, O Lord, is the ocean, deep, immeasurable, unfathomable.' Exactly so, O Mahārāja, that form (rūpa) of Tathāgata is totally annihilated, uprooted, made like a tāla (palmyra) tree whose head is cut off (tālāvatthukatan), has gradually reached extinction (anabhāvagatam), made incapable of growing again in future. Being free from the knowledge of rūpa (form), O Mahārāja, the Tathāgata is deep, immeasurable
and unfathomable like the great ocean. Thus it is not proper 1 SNi, XLIV. 1. 22-34.
2 One ashaka is equal to two maunds (Vide Monier-Williams' SanskritEnglish Dictionary).
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
