44 MILINDA S QUESTIONS

(viii) The King said: " What is the distinguishing

mark of consideration, what the distinguishing mark of
wisdom, revered sir ?"
" Examination1 is the distinguishing mark of con-
sideration, sire, cutting oif is the distinguishing mark of
wisdom."2
" How does consideration have the distinguishing
mark of examination, how does wisdom have the dis-
tinguishing mark of cutting off ? Make a simile."
" Do you, sire, know about barley-reapers ?"
[33] " Yes, revered sir, I do."
" How, sire, do barley-reapers reap the barley ?"
" Revered sir, grasping a handful of barley in the left
hand and a sickle in the right, they cut it off with the
sickle."
" As, sire, a barley-reaper grasps a handful of barley
in the left hand and a sickle in the right and cuts it oif
with the sickle, even so, sire, does the earnest student of
yoga,3 taking hold of the mind with consideration, cut
oif the defilements with wisdom. It is thus, sire, that
examination is the distinguishing mark of consideration,
thus that cutting oif is the distinguishing mark of
wisdom."
" You are dexterous, revered Nagasena."

(ix) The King said: " Revered Nagasena, when you

said: ' And because of other skilled mental states,'4—
which are these skilled mental states ?"
1
uhana. At Vism. 142 =Asl. 114 used to explain vitakka,
initial or applied thought, or just thinking. Translated at P . Pn.,
p. 148 as " hitting upon " which might also fit the translation of
uhananti at M. i. 243, etc. The BHS. meaning (see BHSD) seems
to be removal, getting rid of, destruction, putting away, which
would accord with this passage, as does the " prescinding" of
Expos, i. 150. Proper mind-work, with its removal of attention,
is a necessary preparation for cutting off unskilled states of mind.
2
" The sword of wisdom " at Dhs. 16 is for cutting off the defile-
ments; cf. Asl. 148. At Miln. 86 comprehending is given as the,
or a, distinguishing mark of wisdom. At M. i. 144 sword is given
as a synonym for ariyan wisdom.
3 4
yogdvacara. Above, p. 43.