The Milinda Pa¤ha 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, Nàgasena. 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 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, and list of
Pali quotations will provide readers with an incentive to
read further from the translations of the Pali texts.