173. Then, King Milinda said to Venerable Nāgasena: “What is the characteristic of faith?”
“Faith, Sir, has the characteristic of tranquility and leaping forward.”
“In what way is tranquility a characteristic of faith?”
“When faith arises, it destroys the hindrances, and 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 might become dirty, turbid and muddy by being disturbed by the army. Then the king might say: ‘Bring water, good sirs, I want to drink.’ They might answer him, saying: ‘Yes, your Majesty,’ and taking the king’s water-purifying 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 water to the king, saying: ‘Let His Majesty drink.’ Thought is like the water, the people are like the earnest students of meditation, the defilements are like the water plants and mud, and faith is like the water-purifying gem. As the water plants disappear, the mud settles, and the water becomes clear, pure and serene when the water-cleansing gem is put in it, 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, Sir, 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 practices meditation for the attainment of the unattained, for the mastery of the unmastered, for the realization of the unrealized. In this way 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 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 he would cross over. The other people, seeing that he had crossed over, would then cross over too. Even so, Sir, 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 practices 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.”
Mil.34-6* (Mil 3.1.10 - 3.1.11)
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