• CONTENTS
  • INTRODUCTION.
    • Chinese books on Nâgasena
    • The Buddhist canon
    • Vasubandhu's reference to Nâgasena
    • Kshemendra's reference to Milinda
    • The Mahâvamsa on Assagutta and Vattaniya
    • The Kathâ Vatthu
    • Milinda and other authorities on the soul theory
    • The Milinda later than the Kathâ Vatthu
  • TRANSLATION OF THE TEXT.
    • Book IV. The Solving of Dilemmas.
      • 41st Dilemma. Why should houses (Wihâras) be built for the houseless ones?
      • 42nd Dilemma. Was not the Buddha immoderate in food?
      • 43rd Dilemma. Was not Bakkula said to be superior (in health) to the Buddha?
      • 44th Dilemma. Why is the Buddha's teaching called both new and old?
      • 45th Dilemma. Did not the Bodisat once kill animals in sacrifice?
      • 46th Dilemma. Did not the Bodisat once abuse the Buddha?
      • 47th Dilemma. Was not Kassapa the Buddha less powerful than the potter?
      • 48th Dilemma. Why is the Buddha called both Brahman and king?
      • 49th Dilemma. Did not the Buddha teach for hire?
      • 50th Dilemma. Did not the Buddha once doubt? (See no. 34.)
      • 51st Dilemma. Was not the Buddha taught by others?
      • 52nd Dilemma. Why can there be only one Buddha at a time?
      • 53rd Dilemma. Did not the Buddha put the Order above himself?
      • 54th Dilemma. As a layman can reach Arahatship, why enter the Order?
      • 55th Dilemma. Did not the Buddha, having tried and abandoned asceticism, nevertheless still insist on it?
      • 56th Dilemma. Men sometimes throw off the robes. Why not test candidates before initiation?
      • 57th Dilemma. How is it that Arahats suffer bodily pain?
      • 58th Dilemma. Why cannot an offender, who is not aware of his offence, enter the Path?
      • 59th Dilemma. How can a guilty Samana purify gifts?
      • 60th Dilemma. The 'soul' in water
      • 61st Dilemma. Why does the Order trouble itself about learning, and about buildings and gifts?
      • 62nd Dilemma. Why cannot a layman, who can become an Arahat, continue as one?
      • 63rd Dilemma. How is it that an Arahat can do wrong?
      • 64th Dilemma. What is there that is, but not in the world?
      • 65th Dilemma. What is there that is without a cause?
      • 66th Dilemma. Karma-born, cause-born, and season-born
      • 67th Dilemma. What becomes of dead devils?
      • 68th Dilemma. Why did not the Buddha promulgate all the Rules of the Order at once?
      • 69th Dilemma. How does the sun get cool?
      • 70th Dilemma. Why is the sun hotter in winter?
      • 71st Dilemma. How can Vessantara's giving away of his children be approved?
      • 72nd Dilemma. Why did the Bodisat undergo penance?
      • 73rd Dilemma. Which is stronger, virtue or vice?
      • 74th Dilemma. Do the dead derive advantage from gifts given here?
      • 75th Dilemma. Dreams and sleep
      • 76th Dilemma. Is death ever premature?
      • 77th Dilemma. How can there be wonders at the graves of Arahats?
      • 78th Dilemma. Cannot all men be converted?
      • 79th Dilemma. Is Nirvâna all bliss, or partly pain?
      • 80th Dilemma. The form, figure, duration, &c., of Nirvâna
      • 81st Dilemma. The realisation of Nirvâna
      • 82nd Dilemma. The place of Nirvâna
    • Book V. The Problem of Inference.
      • § 1. How can you know that the Buddha ever lived?
      • 4. The ordinary city, and its architect, shops, and inhabitants
      • 5. The City of Righteousness, and its architect
      • 6. The flower bazaar therein
      • 7. The perfume bazaar therein
      • 8. The fruit bazaar therein
      • 10. The antidote bazaar therein
      • 11. The medicine bazaar therein
      • 12. The ambrosia bazaar therein
      • 13-20. The jewel bazaar therein, and the seven jewels of the Truth
      • 21. The general store bazaar therein
      • 22. The inhabitants of the City of Righteousness
      • 23. The generals in the City of Righteousness
      • The chaplains in the City of Righteousness
      • The lamplighters in the City of Righteousness
      • The peace-officers in the City of Righteousness
      • The shop-keepers in the City of Righteousness
      • The drunkards (!) in the City of Righteousness
      • The watchmen in the City of Righteousness
      • The lawyers and judges in the City of Righteousness
      • The bankers in the City of Righteousness
      • 24. The conclusion drawn by inference
    • Book VI. The Voluntary Extra Vows.
      • § 1. Can laymen attain Nirvâna?
      • 6. The twenty-eight advantages of the vows
      • 7. The eighteen good qualities that come from keeping them
      • § 10. No Arahatship without having kept them
      • 12-15. Similes
      • 16. He who, being unworthy, takes the vows
      • 18. He who, being worthy, takes the vows
      • 20. Details of the thirteen extra vows
      • 24. The example of Upasena
      • 25. The thirty graces of the true recluse
      • 26. The example of Sâriputta
    • Book VII. Similes of Arahatship.
      • § 11. Detailed list of these similes, sixty-seven being still preserved, and thirty-eight being now lost
      • 19. Wonders at the conclusion of Nâgasena's solution of the three hundred and four puzzles
      • 20. Conversion of Milinda the king
      • 21. Milinda enters the Order, and becomes an Arahat
  • Additions and Corrections
  • Index of Proper Names
  • Index of Subjects
  • Transliteration of Oriental Alphabets adopted for the Translations of the Sacred Books of the East