Verse 173 for 22 June, 2026

173. Then, King Milinda said: "Venerable Nagasena, what is the characteristic of faith?" "Faith, Sire has tranquillity and leaping forward as its characteristic." "How is tranquillity a characteristic of faith?" "When faith arises, it destroys the hindrances; when thought is without the hindrances, it is clear, pure and serene." "Give me a simile." "A king, going along a highway together with his army of four parts - elephants, cavalry, chariots and infantry - might cross a small stream, and the water disturbed by that army would become dirty, turbid and muddy. Then, the king might say: "Bring water, good sirs; we will drink" They might answer him, saying: "Yes, your Majesty," and taking the king's water-cleansing gem might put it in the water so that the various water plants would disappear, the mud subside and the water become clear, pure and serene. Then they would offer the drinking water to the king, saying: "Let His Majesty drink." Thought is like the water, the people are like the earnest student of meditation, the defilements are like the water plants and the mud, and faith is like the water-cleansing gem. As the water plants disappear, the mud subsides, and the water become clear, pure and serene when the water-cleansing gem is put - even so, the arising of faith destroys the hindrances and thought without hindrances is clear, pure and serene." "How, reverend sir, is leaping forward a characteristic of faith?" "As, Sires, the earnest student of meditation, on seeing that the minds of others are freed, leaps forward after the fruits of Stream-Winning, of Once-Returning, of Non-Returning or of Arahantship, and practises meditation for the attainment of the unattained, for the mastery of the unmastered, for the realisation of the unrealised - even so is leaping forward a characteristic of faith." "Give me a simile." "A great rain cloud might pour down rain on a high mountain, so that the water rushing down the incline, after filling the gullies, the valleys and the small streams on the slopes, would the fill the river, so that it would rush along, breaking its banks. Now, if a great crowd of people were to approach that river knowing neither its width nor depth, they would stand terrified and hesitant on its bank. Then, if a man were to approach who was confident of his own power and strength, and putting on a loincloth, were to dive into that river and cross over, too. Even so, Sire, the earnest student of meditation, on seeing that the minds of others are freed, leaps forward after the fruits of Stream-Winning, of Once-Returning or of Arhantship, and practises meditation for the attainment of the unattained, for the mastery of the unmastered, for the realization of the unrealized, and thus is leaping forward a characteristic of faith."

Milindapanha 34 ::

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