Hinayana Buddhism
Rebirth without
transmigration
Said
the king: "Vanerable Nâgasena, does rebirth take place without
anything transmigrating [passing over]?"
"Yes,
your majesty. Rebirth takes place without anything transmigrating."
"How,
venerable Nâgasena, does rebirth take place without anything
transmigrating? Give an illustration."
"Suppose,
your majesty, a man were to light a light from another light; pray,
would the one light have passed over [transmigrated] to the other
light?"
"Nay,
verily, venerable."
"In
exactly the same way, your majesty, does rebirth take place without
anything transmigrating."
"Give
another illustration."
"Do
you remember, your majesty, having learnt, when you were a boy, some
verse or other from your professor of poetry?"
"Yes,
venerable."
"Pray,
your majesty, did the verse pass over [transmigrate] to you from your
teacher?"
"Nay,
verily, venerable."
"In
exactly the same way, your majesty, does rebirth take place without
anything transmigrating."
"You
are an able man, venerable Nâgasena."
***
"Venerable
Nâgasena," said the king, "what is it that is born into
the next existence?"
"Your
majesty," said the elder, "it is mind and body that is born
into the next existence."
"Is
it this same mind and body that is born into the next existence?"
"Your
majesty, it is not this same mind and body that is born into the next
existence; but with this mind and body, your majesty, one does a deed
--it may be good, or it may be wicked-- and by reason of this deed
another mind and body is born into the next existence."
"Give
an illustration."
"Your
majesty, it is as if a man were to take away another man's mangoes,
and the owner of the mangoes were to seize him, and show him to the
king, and say, 'Sire, this man hath taken away my mangoes;' and the
other were to say, 'Sire, I did not take away this man's mangoes. The
mangoes which this man planted were different mangoes from those
which I took away. I am not liable
to punishment.' Pray (= please), your
majesty, would the man be liable to punishment?"
"Assuredly,
venerable, would he be liable to punishment."
"For
what reason?"
"Because,
in spite of what he might say, he would be liable to punishment for
the reason that the last mangoes derived from the first mangoes."
"In
exactly the same way, your majesty, with this mind and body one does
a deed --it may be good, or it may be wicked --and by reason of this
deed another mind and body is born into the next existence. Therefore
is one not freed from one's evil deeds."
Your
majesty, it is as if a man were to light a fire in the winter-time to
warm himself, and were to go away without putting it out. And then
the fire were to burn another man's field, and the owner of the field
were to seize him, and show him to the king, and say, 'Sire, this man
has burnt up my field;' and the other were to say, 'Sire, I did not
set this man's field on fire. The fire which I failed to put out was
a different one from the one which has burnt up this man's field. I
am not liable to punishment.' Pray, your majesty, would the man be
liable to punishment?"
"Assuredly,
venerable, would he be liable to punishment."
"For
what reason?"
"Because,
in spite of what he might say, the man would be liable to punishment
for the reason that the last fire derived from the first fire."
"In
exactly the same way, your majesty, with this mind and body one does
a deed --it may be good, or it may be wicked-- and by reason of this
deed another mind and body is born into the next existence. Therefore
is one not freed from one's evil deeds."
"Give
another illustration."
"Your
majesty, it is as if a man were to buy from a cowherd a pot of milk,
and were to leave it with the cowherd, and go away, thinking he would
come the next day and take it. And on the next day it were to turn
into sour cream; and the man were to come back, and say, 'Give me the
pot of milk.' And the other were to show him the sour cream; and the
first man were to say, 'I did not buy sour cream from you. Give me
the pot of milk.' And the cowherd were to say, 'While you were gone,
your milk turned into sour cream;' and they, quarreling, were to come
to you. Whose cause, your majesty, would you sustain?"
"That
of the cowherd, venerable."
"And
why?"
"Because,
in spite of what the man might say, the one sprang from the other."
"In
exactly the same way, your majesty, although the mind and body which
is born into the next existence is different from the mind and body
which is to end at death, nevertheless, it is sprung from it.
therefore is one not freed from one's evil deeds."
"You
are an able man, venerable Nâgasena,"
(Milindapanha,
II, 2, in: M.Müller, (ed), Sacred Books of the East vol. XXXV,
Motilal Banarsidass Delhi 1992)
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