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THE QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA.
IV, 2, 4.
leading Elders too of old, O king, were in doubt about this matter, and they were not unanimous on the point at the Council held for the fixing of the text of the Scriptures ?. And the Blessed One foresaw that this problem would arise.'
Then this dark saying of the Conquerors, Nagasena, which has lain hid so long, has been now to-day uncovered in the face of the world, and made clear to all.' [Here ends the problem as to the revocation
of rules.]
[ESOTERIC TEACHING.] 4. Venerable Nâgasena, it was said by the Blessed One: “In respect of the truths, Ananda, the Tathagata has no such thing as the closed fist of a teacher who keeps something back ?." But on the other hand he made no reply to the question put by the son of the Mâlunkya woman 3. This problem, Nâgasena, will be one of two ends, on one of which it must rest, for he must have refrained from answering either out of ignorance, or out of wish to conceal something. If the first statement be true it must have been out of ignorance. But
1 In the Kullavagga XI, 1, 10, it is one of the faults laid to Ânanda's charge, at the Council of Râgagaha, that he had not asked for a definition of these terms.
. Mahaparinibbâna Sutta II, 32 (another passage from the same speech is quoted below, IV, 2, 29).
See the two Málunkya Suttantas in the Magghima Nikâya (vol. i, pp. 426-437 of Mr. Trenckner's edition for the Pâli Text Society). With regard to the spelling of the name, which is doubtful, it may be noticed that Hînati-kumburê has Mâlunka throughout.
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