The king asked Nāgasena again, “How far is it from here to the seventh heaven of Brahman?”

Nāgasena said, “It is very far. Suppose a rock as large as the palace of the king were to fall from the seventh heaven of Brahman, it would take six months to reach the earth.”

“Your sramanas say that a person who has attained arhathood flies to the seventh heaven of Brahman as quickly as one could extend forth his bent arm or have it bend back again. These words I could not believe. How could he go thousands and thousands of li so fast.”

Nāgasena asked the king: “Great king, in which country were you born?”

“I was born in the kingdom of Yonaka, in a country named Alasanda.”

“How many li is it from here to Alasanda?”

“It is about two thousand yojana, equal to eight thousand li.”

“Do you think of your country which is far away from here?”

“Yes, I always think of things in my country.”

“Great king, try to recollect any business you once did in your country … have you done so?”

“Yes, I have done so.”

“So quick it is, great king, that you have gone and returned a distance of about eighty thousand li.”

“Excellent, Nāgasena.”

The king asked Nāgasena again, “Suppose, two men were to die here simultaneously, one were to be born in the seventh heaven of Brahman, another were to be born in Kashmir, about seven hundred and twenty li from here. Which of the two arrive first?”

Then Nāgasena asked, “Both would arrive at their own place simultaneously.”

“How can they arrive simultaneously, since the two distances are so different?”

Nāgasena said: “Then try to think of the country of Alasanda again.”

“Yes, I have done so.”

“Then, great king, try to think of Kashmir again.”

“Yes, I have done so.”

“Well which one of the two countries did you think of quicker?”

“The two are equal.”

“Just so, if two men were to die simultaneously, and one were to be born in the seventh heaven of Brahman, while the other were to be born in Kashmir, the two men would arrive simultaneously.”

Then Nāgasena asked the king, “Suppose, two birds were flying, one were to alight on a tall tree, the other on a small shrub. If they were to settle down simultaneously, whose shadow would first fall on the ground?”

“The two shadows would fall on the ground simultaneously.”

“Just so, if two men were to die simultaneously, and one were to be born in the seventh heaven of Brahman, while the other were to be born in Kashmir, they would also arrive simultaneously.”

“Excellent, Nāgasena.”