Milinda of the well-known Pali text ‘Milinda Panho’ had di...
The Buddhist priest who had dialogues with Milinda in the Pali text Milinda Panho is Nagasena. The text is a record of the discussions between King Milinda and Nagasena, who was a Buddhist monk, and covers a range of philosophical and religious topics.
Importance of Nagasena in Buddhist history
Nagasena is an important figure in Buddhist history as he is considered to be one of the greatest scholars of the Abhidharma, which is a collection of Buddhist scriptures that deal with the nature of reality and the workings of the mind. Nagasena was also known for his ability to explain complex philosophical concepts in simple terms, which made him popular among the masses.
Dialogues between Milinda and Nagasena
The dialogues between Milinda and Nagasena cover a wide range of topics, including the nature of the self, karma, rebirth, and the nature of reality. Milinda, who was a king, was curious about Buddhist philosophy and asked Nagasena many questions about it.
One of the most famous dialogues between Milinda and Nagasena is the one in which Milinda asks Nagasena how a person can be reborn if there is no self. Nagasena explains that there is no permanent self, but rather a series of mental and physical processes that are constantly changing. These processes create the illusion of a self, but in reality, there is no permanent self.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Nagasena was the Buddhist priest who had dialogues with King Milinda in the Pali text Milinda Panho. The dialogues cover a wide range of philosophical and religious topics and are an important part of Buddhist history. Nagasena's ability to explain complex concepts in simple terms made him a popular figure among the masses and his contributions to Buddhist philosophy continue to be studied and admired today.
Milinda of the well-known Pali text ‘Milinda Panho’ had di...
Nāgasena was a Sarvastivadan Buddhist sage born in Kashmir and lived around 150 BCE. His answers to questions about Buddhism posed by Menander I (Pali: Milinda), the Indo-Greek king of northwestern India, are recorded in the Milinda Pañha and the Sanskrit Nāgasenabhiksusūtra.