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THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA.
III, 7, 6.
birds were flying, and one were to alight on a tall tree, and the other on a small shrub. If they settled both at the same moment, whose shadow would first fall to the ground ?'
The two shadows would fall together.' Just so, great king, in the case you put.' Very good, Nâgasena!' 6. The king said : Venerable Nâgasena, how many kinds of wisdom are there?' 'Seven, O king.'
And by how many kinds of wisdom does one become wise?'
'By one : that is to say by the kind of wisdom called "the investigation of the Truth ?."
*Then why is it said there are seven?'
'Tell me, O king. Suppose a sword were lying in its sheath and not taken in the hand, could it cut off anything you wanted to cut off with it?' 'Certainly not.'
Just so, great king, by the other kinds of wisdom can nothing be understood without investigation of the Truth.
'Very good, Nâgasena !'
7. The king said : Which, Nâgasena, is there more of, merit or demerit?'
Merit.' [84]
But why?' *He who does wrong, o king, comes to feel remorse, and acknowledges his evil-doing. So demerit does not increase. But he who does well feels no remorse, and feeling no remorse gladness will
* Dhamma-vikaya-sambogghangena.
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