Assubhesajjābhesajjapañha

Milindapañha

Milinda’s Questions

Sativagga

Mindfulness Chapter

6. Assubhesajjābhesajjapañha

6. Question on Tears Being a Medicine or Not

Rājā āha—

The king asked:

“bhante nāgasena, yo ca mātari matāya rodati, yo ca dhammapemena rodati, ubhinnaṁ tesaṁ rodantānaṁ kassa assu bhesajjaṁ, kassa na bhesajjan”ti?

“Venerable Nāgasena, those who weep on the death of a mother, and those who weep with affection for the Dhamma, for whom of these two weeping are the tears a medicine, and for whom are the tears not a medicine?”

“Ekassa kho, mahārāja, assu rāgadosamohehi samalaṁ uṇhaṁ, ekassa pītisomanassena vimalaṁ sītalaṁ.

“The tears of one, your majesty, are hot and stained with lust, anger, and delusion, and the tears of the other are cool and unstained with rapture and joy.

Yaṁ kho, mahārāja, sītalaṁ, taṁ bhesajjaṁ, yaṁ uṇhaṁ, taṁ na bhesajjan”ti.

That which is cool, your majesty, is a medicine; that which is hot is not a medicine.”

“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.

“You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena!”

Assubhesajjābhesajjapañho chaṭṭho.

Question on Tears Being a Medicine or Not sixth