The Debate of King Milinda

Book excerpt: The Milinda Panha is, with good reason, a famous work of Buddhist literature, probably compiled in the first century B.C. It presents Buddhist doctrine in a very attractive and memorable form as a dialogue between a Bactrian Greek king, Milinda, who plays the `Devil`s Advocate` and a Buddhist sage, Nagasena. The topics covered include most of those questions commonly asked by Westerners such as If there is no soul, what is it that is reborn? and If there is no soul, who is talking to you now? This abridgement provides a concise presentation of this master-piece of Buddhist literature.This abridgement provides a concise presentation of this masterpiece of Buddhist literature. The introduction outlines the historical background against which the dialogues took place, indicating the meeting of two great cultures--that of ancient Greece and the Buddhism of the Indus valley which was a legacy of the great Emperor Asoka. It is hoped that the adequate references, glossary, index and list of Pali quotations will provide readers with an incentive to read further from the translations of the Pali texts.