Mahâ-Parinibbâna-Suttanta: The Book of the Great Decease

36. Now at that time the venerable Mahâ Kassapa was journeying along the high road from Pâvâ to Kusinârâ with a great company of the brethren, with about five hundred of the brethren. And the venerable Mahâ Kassapa left the high road, and sat himself down at the foot of a certain tree. 37. Just at that time a certain naked ascetic who had picked up a Mandârava flower in Kusinârâ was coming along the high road to Pâvâ. 38. And the venerable Mahâ Kassapa saw the naked ascetic coming in the distance; and when he had seen him he said to the naked ascetic: 'O friend! surely thou knowest our Master?' p. 127 'Yea, friend! I know him. This day the Samana Gotama has been dead a week That is how I obtained this Mandârava flower.' 39. And immediately of those of the brethren who were not yet free from the passions, some stretched out their arms and wept, and some fell headlong on the ground, and some reeled to and fro in anguish at the thought: 'Too soon has the Blessed One died! Too soon has the Happy One passed away from existence! Too soon has the Light gone out in the world!' But those of the brethren who were free from the passions (the Arahats) bore their grief collected and composed at the thought: 'Impermanent are all component things! How is it possible that they should not be dissolved?' ------------------------ 40. Now at that time a brother named Subhadda, who had been received into the order in his old age, was seated there in their company[1].

40. Now at that time a brother named Subhadda, who had been received into the order in his old age, was seated there in their company[1]. And Subhadda the old addressed the brethren, and said: 'Enough, brethren! Weep not, neither lament! We are well rid of the great Samana. We used to be annoyed by being told, "This beseems you, this beseems you not." But now we shall be able to do whatever we like; and what we do not like, that we shall not have to do!' [1. At p. xxvi of the Introduction to his edition of the Mahâ Vagga, Dr. Oldenberg identifies this Subhadda with Subhadda the last convert, mentioned above in Chap. V, §§ 52-68. They are different persons; the last convert being represented as a young man of high character, incapable of the conduct here ascribed to this Subhadda. The last convert was a Brâhman, traditionally supposed to be younger brother to Añña Kondañña, the first convert; this Subhadda had been a barber in the village Âtumâ.] p. 128 41. But the venerable Mahâ Kassapa addressed the brethren, and said: 'Enough, my brethren! Weep not, neither lament! Has not the Blessed One formerly declared this to us, that it is in the very nature of all things, near and dear unto us, that we must divide ourselves from them, leave them, sever ourselves from them? How then, brethren, can this be possible--that whereas anything whatever born, brought into being, and organised contains within itself the inherent necessity of dissolution--how then can this be possible that such a being should not be dissolved? No such condition can exist!'

------------------------ 42. Now just at that time four chieftains of the Mallas had bathed their heads and clad themselves in new garments with the intention of setting on fire the funeral pile of the Blessed One. But, behold, they were unable to set it alight! 43. Then the Mallas of Kusinârâ said to the venerable Anuruddha: 'What, Lord, can be the reason, and what the cause, that four chieftains of the Mallas who have bathed their heads, and clad themselves in new garments, with the intention of setting on fire the funeral pile of the Blessed One, are unable to set it on fire?' 'It is because you, O Vâsetthas, have one purpose, and the spirits have another purpose.' 44. 'But what, Lord, is the purpose of the spirits?' 'The purpose of the spirits, O Vâsetthas, is this: That venerable brother Mahâ Kassapa is now journeying along the high road from Pâvâ to Kusinârâ with a great company of the brethren, with five hundred of the brethren. The funeral pile of p. 129 the Blessed One shall not catch fire, until the venerable Mahâ Kassapa shall have been able reverently to salute the sacred feet of the Blessed One.' 'Even according to the purpose of the spirits, so, Lord, let it be!' ------------------------ 45. Then the venerable Mahâ Kassapa went on to Makuta-bandhana of Kusinârâ, to the shrine of the Mallas, to the place where the funeral pile of the Blessed One was. And when he had come up to it, he arranged his robe on one shoulder; and bowing down with clasped hands he thrice walked reverently round the pile; and then, uncovering the feet, he bowed down in reverence at the feet of the Blessed One.

46. And those five hundred brethren arranged their robes on one shoulder; and bowing down with clasped hands, they thrice walked reverently round the pile, and then bowed down in reverence at the feet of the Blessed One. 47. And when the homage of the venerable Mahâ Kassapa and of those five hundred brethren was ended, the funeral pile of the Blessed One caught fire of itself[1]. [1. It is possible that we have here the survival of some ancient custom. Spence Hardy appropriately refers to a ceremony among Jews (of what place or time is not mentioned) in the following terms: 'Just before a Jew is taken out of the house to be buried, the relatives and acquaintances of the departed stand round the coffin; when the feet are uncovered; and each in rotation lays hold of the great toes, and begs pardon for any offence given to the deceased, and requests a favourable mention of them in the next world.' (Manual of Buddhism, p. 348). The Buddhist bhikkhus in Siam and the great majority of those in Ceylon (the adherents of the Siyam-samâgama) always keep one shoulder uncovered. It is evident that the bhikkhus {footnote p. 130} in Burma, and those in Ceylon who belong to the Amara-pura-samâgama, are more in accordance with ancient custom in wearing the robe ordinarily over both shoulders.] p. 130 48. Now as the body of the Blessed One burned itself away, from the skin and the integument, and the flesh, and the nerves, and the fluid of the joints, neither soot nor ash was seen: and only the bones remained behind.

48. Now as the body of the Blessed One burned itself away, from the skin and the integument, and the flesh, and the nerves, and the fluid of the joints, neither soot nor ash was seen: and only the bones remained behind. Just as one sees no soot or ash when glue or oil is burned; so, as the body of the Blessed One burned itself away, from the skin and the integument, and the flesh, and the nerves, and the fluid of the joints, neither soot nor ash was seen: and only the bones remained behind. And of those five hundred pieces of raiment the very innermost and outermost were both consumed. 49. And when the body of the Blessed One had been burnt up, there came down streams of water from the sky and extinguished the funeral pile of the Blessed One; and there burst forth streams of water from the storehouse of the waters (beneath the earth), and extinguished the funeral pile of the Blessed One. The Mallas of Kusinârâ also brought water scented with all kinds of perfumes, and extinguished the funeral pile of the Blessed One[1]. [1. There is something very quaint in the way in which the faithful Mallas are here represented as bringing coals to Newcastle. The 'storehouse of the waters' is in Pâli udaka-sâla, on which Buddhaghosa has two theories: first, that the Sâla trees around shed down a miraculous rain from their trunks and branches and leaves; and next, that the waters burst up from the earth and became as it were a diadem of crystal round the pyre. On the belief that water thus burst up miraculously through the earth, see 'Buddhist Birth Stories,' pp. 64, 67. If the reading be correct it is scarcely possible that sâla can here have anything to do with Sâla trees; but the other interpretation is open to the objections {footnote p. 131} that sâla means an open hall rather than a storehouse, and that the belief in a 'storehouse of water' has not, as yet, been found elsewhere.]

p. 131 50. Then the Mallas of Kusinârâ surrounded the bones of the Blessed One in their council hall with a lattice work of spears, and with a rampart of bows; and there for seven days they paid honour and reverence and respect and homage to them with dance and song and music, and with garlands and perfumes. ------------------------ 51. Now the king of Magadha, Agâtasattu, the son of the queen of the Videha clan, heard the news that the Blessed One had died at Kusinârâ. Then the king of Magadha, Agâtasattu, the son of the queen of the Videha clan, sent a messenger to the Mallas, saying, 'The Blessed One belonged to the soldier caste, and I too am of the soldier caste. I am worthy to receive a portion of the relics of the Blessed One. Over the remains of the Blessed One will I put up a sacred cairn, and in their honour will I celebrate a feast[1]!' 52. And the Likkhavis of Vesâli heard the news that the Blessed One had died at Kusinârâ. And the Likkhavis of Vesâli sent a messenger to the Mallas, saying, 'The Blessed One belonged to the soldier caste, and we too are of the soldier caste. We are worthy to receive a portion of the relics of the Blessed One. Over the remains of the Blessed One will we put up a sacred cairn, and in their honour will we celebrate a feast!' 53. And the Sâkiyas of Kapila-vatthu heard the [1. The commentator gives a long account of Agâtasattu's proceedings on this occasion.]

[1. The commentator gives a long account of Agâtasattu's proceedings on this occasion.] p. 132 news that the Blessed One had died at Kusinârâ. And the Sâkiyas of Kapila-vatthu sent a messenger to the Mallas, saying, 'The Blessed One was the pride of our race. We are worthy to receive a portion of the relics of the Blessed One. Over the remains of the Blessed One will we put up a sacred cairn, and in their honour will we celebrate a feast!' 54. And the Bulis of Allakappa heard the news that the Blessed One had died at Kusinârâ. And the Bulis of Allakappa sent a messenger to the Mallas, saying, 'The Blessed One belonged to the soldier caste, and we too are of the soldier caste. We are worthy to receive a portion of the relics of the Blessed One. Over the remains of the Blessed One will we put up a sacred cairn, and in their honour will we celebrate a feast!' 55. And the Koliyas of Râmagâma heard the news that the Blessed One had died at Kusinârâ. And the Koliyas of Râmagâma sent a messenger to the Mallas, saying, 'The Blessed One belonged to the soldier caste, and we too are of the soldier caste. We are worthy to receive a portion of the relics of the Blessed One. Over the remains of the Blessed One will we put up a sacred cairn, and in their honour will we celebrate a feast!' 56. And the Brâhman of Vethadîpa heard the news that the Blessed One had died at Kusinârâ. And the Brâhman of Vethadîpa sent a messenger to the Mallas, saying, 'The Blessed One belonged to the soldier caste, and I am a Brâhman. I am worthy to receive a portion of the relics of the Blessed One. Over the remains of the Blessed One will I put up a sacred cairn, and in their honour will I celebrate a feast!'

p. 133 57. And the Mallas of Pâvâ heard the news that the Blessed One had died at Kusinârâ. Then the Mallas of Pâvâ sent a messenger to the Mallas, saying, 'The Blessed One belonged to the soldier caste, and we too are of the soldier caste. We are worthy to receive a portion of the relics of the Blessed One. Over the remains of the Blessed One will we put up a sacred cairn, and in their honour will we celebrate a feast!' ------------------------ 58. When they heard these things the Mallas of Kusinârâ spoke to the assembled brethren, saying, 'The Blessed One died in our village domain. We will not give away any part of the remains of the Blessed One!' 59. When they had thus spoken, Dona the Brâhman addressed the assembled brethren, and said: 'Hear, reverend sirs, one single word from me. Forbearance was our Buddha wont to teach. Unseemly is it that over the division Of the remains of him who was the best of beings Strife should arise, and wounds, and war! Let us all, sirs, with one accord unite In friendly harmony to make eight portions. Wide spread let Thûpas rise in every land That in the Enlightened One mankind may trust! 60. 'Do thou then, O Brâhman, thyself divide the remains of the Blessed One equally into eight parts, with fair division[1].' Be it so, sir!' said Dona, in assent, to the assembled [1. Here again the commentator expands and adds to the comparatively simple version of the text.]

[1. Here again the commentator expands and adds to the comparatively simple version of the text.] p. 134 brethren. And he divided the remains of the Blessed One equally into eight parts, with fair division. And he said to them: 'Give me, sirs, this vessel, and I will set up over it a sacred cairn, and in its honour will I establish a feast.' And they gave the vessel to Dona the Brâhman. ------------------------ 61. And the Moriyas of Pipphalivana heard the news that the Blessed One had died at Kusinârâ. Then the Moriyas of Pipphalivana sent a messenger to the Mallas, saying, 'The Blessed One belonged to the soldier caste, and we too are of the soldier caste. We are worthy to receive a portion of the relics of the Blessed One. Over the remains of the Blessed One will we put up a sacred cairn, and in their honour will we celebrate a feast!' And when they heard the answer, saying, 'There is no portion of the remains of the Blessed One left over. The remains of the Blessed One are all distributed,' then they took away the embers. ------------------------ 62. Then the king of Magadha, Agâtasattu, the son of the queen of the Videha clan, made a mound in Râgagaha over the remains of the Blessed One, and held a feast. And the Likkhavis of Vesâli made a mound in Vesâli over the remains of the Blessed One, and held a feast. And the Bulis of Allakappa made a mound in Allakappa over the remains of the Blessed One, and held a feast.

And the Bulis of Allakappa made a mound in Allakappa over the remains of the Blessed One, and held a feast. And the Koliyas of Râmagâma made a mound in Râmagâma over the remains of the Blessed One, and held a feast. p. 135 And Vethadîpaka the Brâhman made a mound in Vethadîpa over the remains of the Blessed One, and held a feast. And the Mallas of Pâvâ made a mound in Pâvâ over the remains of the Blessed One, and held a feast. And the Mallas of Kusinârâ made a mound in Kusinârâ over the remains of the Blessed One, and held a feast. And Dona the Brâhman made a mound over the vessel in which the body had been burnt, and held a feast. And the Moriyas of Pipphalivana made a mound over the embers, and held a feast. Thus were there eight mounds [Thûpas] for the remains, and one for the vessel, and one for the embers. This was how it used to be[1]. ======================== [63. Eight measures of relics there were of him of the far-seeing eye, Of the best of the best of men. In India seven are worshipped, And one measure in Râmagâma, by the kings of the serpent race. One tooth, too, is honoured in heaven, and one in Gandhâra's city, One in the Kâlinga realm, and one more by the Nâga race. [1. Here closes Buddhaghosa's long and edifying commentary. He has no note on the following verses, which he says were added by Theras in Ceylon. The additional verse found in the Phayre MS. was in the same way probably added in Burma.]

p. 136 Through their glory the bountiful earth is made bright with offerings painless-- For with such are the Great Teacher's relics best honoured by those who are honoured, By gods and by Nâgas and kings, yea, thus by the noblest of Monarchs-- Bow down with clasped hands! Hard, hard is a Buddha to meet with through hundreds of ages!] ======================== End of the Book of the Great Decease. p. 139