Buddhist SuttasBuddhismAccepted ScripturePaliShareMaha-Parinibbana Sutta 6T. W. Rhys Davids / SBE vol. 11 - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableT. W. Rhys Davids / SBE vol. 11LanguageEnglishEspañol‹Maha-Parinibbana Sutta 1Maha-Parinibbana Sutta 2Maha-Parinibbana Sutta 3Maha-Parinibbana Sutta 4Maha-Parinibbana Sutta 5Maha-Parinibbana Sutta 6Dhamma-Cakka-Ppavattana Sutta 1Tevigga Sutta 1Tevigga Sutta 2Tevigga Sutta 3Akankheyya Sutta 1Cetokhila Sutta 1Maha-Sudassana Sutta 1Maha-Sudassana Sutta 2Sabbasava Sutta 1›Maha-Parinibbana Sutta 6: The Book of the Great DeceaseMaha-Parinibbana Sutta 6ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1Now the Blessed One addressed the venerable Ananda, and said: ‘ It may be, Ananda, that in some of you the thought may arise, “ The word of the Master is ended, we have no teacher more! ” But it is not thus, Ananda, that you should regard it. The truths and the rules of the order which I have set forth and laid down for you all, let them, after I am gone, be the Teacher to you.’ A 2‘ Ananda! when I am gone address not one another in the way in which the brethren have heretofore addressed each other—with the epithet, that is, of “Avuso” (Friend). A younger brother may be addressed by an elder with his name, or his family name, or the title “ Friend.” But an elder should be addressed by a younger brother as “ Lord” or as “Venerable Sir.”’ 3‘ When I am gone, Ananda, let the order, if it should so wish, abolish all the lesser and minor precepts V 4‘ When I am gone, Ananda, let the higher penalty be imposed on brother W/£anna.’ ‘ But what, Lord, is the higher penalty?’ ‘ Let Aparina say whatever he may like, Ananda, the brethren should neither speak to him, nor exhort him, nor admonish him 1.’ 5Then the Blessed One addressed the brethren, and said: ‘It may be, brethren, that there may be doubt or misgiving in the mind of some brother as to the Buddha, or the truth, or the path, or the way. Enquire, brethren, freely. Do not have to reproach yourselves afterwards with the thought, “ Our teacher was face to face with us, and we could not bring ourselves to enquire of the Blessed One when we were face to face with him.’” And when he had thus spoken the brethren were silent. 6And again the second and the third time the Blessed One addressed the brethren, and said: ‘ It may be, brethren, that there may be doubt or mis¬ giving in the mind of some brother as to the Buddha, or the truth, or the path, or the way. Enquire, brethren, freely. Do not have to reproach your¬ selves afterwards with the thought, “ Our teacher was face to face with us, and we could not bring ourselves to enquire of the Blessed One when we were face to face with him.” ’ And even the third time the brethren were silent. CH. 7Then the Blessed One addressed the brethren, and said: ‘It may be, brethren, that you put no questions out of reverence for the teacher. Let one friend communicate to another.’ And when he had thus spoken the brethren were silent. 8And the venerable Ananda said to the Blessed One: ‘ How wonderful a thing is it, Lord, and how marvellous! Verily, I believe that in this whole assembly of the brethren there is not one brother who has any doubt or misgiving as to the Buddha, or the truth, or the path, or the way!’ 9‘ It is out of the fulness of faith that thou hast spoken, Ananda! But, Ananda, the Tathagata knows for certain that in this whole assembly of the brethren there is not one brother who has any doubt or misgiving as to the Buddha, or the truth, or the path, or the way! For even the most back¬ ward, Ananda, of all these five hundred brethren has become converted, and is no longer liable to be born in a state of suffering, and is assured of final salvation V 10Then the Blessed One addressed the brethren, and said: ‘ Behold now, brethren, I exhort you, saying, “ Decay is inherent in all component things! Work out your salvation with diligence!” ’ This was the last word of the Tathagata! 11Then the Blessed One entered into the first US stage of deep meditation \ And rising out of the first stage he passed into the second. And rising out of the second he passed into the third. And rising out of the third stage he passed into the fourth. And rising out of the fourth stage of deep meditation he entered into the state of mind to which the infinity of space is alone present 1 2. And passing out of the mere consciousness of the in¬ finity of space he entered into the state of mind to which the infinity of thought is alone present. And passing out of the mere consciousness of the infi¬ nity of thought he entered into a state of mind to which nothing at all was specially present. And passing out of the consciousness of no special object he fell into a state between consciousness and unconsciousness. And passing out of the state be¬ tween consciousness and unconsciousness he fell into a state in which the consciousness both of sensations and of ideas had wholly passed away. 12Then the venerable Ananda said to the venerable Anuruddha: ‘ O my Lord, O Anuruddha, the Blessed One is dead! ’ ‘Nay! brother Ananda, the Blessed One is not dead. He has entered into that state in which both sensations and ideas have ceased to be!’ 13Then the Blessed One passing out of the state in which both sensations and ideas have ceased to be, entered into the state between con¬ sciousness and unconsciousness. And passing out of the state between consciousness and uncon¬ sciousness he entered into the state of mind to I 2 ii6 CH. which nothing at all is specially present. And passing out of the consciousness of no special object he entered into the state of mind to which the infinity of thought is alone present. And passing out of the mere consciousness of the infi¬ nity of thought he entered into the state of mind to which the infinity of space is alone present. And passing out of the mere consciousness of the infinity of space he entered into the fourth stage of deep meditation. And passing out of the fourth stage he entered into the third. And passing out of the third stage he entered into the second. And passing out of the second he entered into the first. And passing out of the first stage of deep meditation he entered into the second. And passing out of the second stage he entered into the third. And passing out of the third stage he entered into the fourth stage of deep meditation. And passing out of the last stage of deep meditation he immediately ex¬ pired. 14When the Blessed One died there arose, at the moment of his passing out of existence, a mighty earthquake, terrible and awe-inspiring: and the thunders of heaven burst forth. 15When the Blessed One died, Brahmi Sahampati, at the moment of his passing away from exist¬ ence, uttered this stanza: ‘ They all, all beings that have life, shall lay Aside their complex form—that aggregation Of mental and material qualities, That gives them, or in heaven or on earth, Their fleeting individuality! E’en as the teacher—being such a one, II 7 Unequalled among all the men that are, Successor of the prophets of old time, Mighty by wisdom, and in insight clear— Hath died 1! ’ 16When the Blessed One died, Sakka, the king of the gods, at the moment of his passing away from existence, uttered this stanza: ‘ They’re transient all, each being’s parts and powers, Growth is their nature, and decay. They are produced, they are dissolved again: And then is best, when they have sunk to rest 2!’ ‘ Whatever exists is without endurance. And hence the terms “ flourishing ” and “ decaying.” A man is born, and then he dies. Oh, the happiness of escaping from this condition! ’ The very meaning which is here the most essential connotation of sankhara is lost in the phrase ‘whatever exists.’ By a misap¬ prehension of the, no doubt, difficult word Dhamma, which, however, never means ‘ term,’ the second clause has lost its point. And by a grammatical blunder the third clause in the Chinese con¬ fines the doctrine, erroneously, to man. In a Chinese tale, called 17When the Blessed One died, the venerable Anuruddha, at the moment of his passing away from existence, uttered these stanzas: ‘ When he who from all craving want was free, Who to Nirvana’s tranquil state had reached, When the great sage finished his span of life, No gasping struggle vexed that steadfast heart! All resolute, and with unshaken mind, He calmly triumphed o’er the pain of death. E’en as a bright flame dies away, so was H is last deliverance from the bonds of life 1!’ 18When the Blessed One died, the venerable Ananda, at the moment of his passing away from existence, uttered this stanza: ‘ Then was there terror! Then stood the hair on end! When he endowed with every grace— The supreme Buddha—died 2!’ Ngan shih niu, translated by Mr. Beal, in the Indian Antiquary for May, 1880, the following verses occur; and they are possibly another reflection of this stanza: ‘All things that exist are transitory. They must of necessity perish and disappear; Though joined together, there must be separation; Where there is life there must be death.’ 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]? ’ 20Then the venerable Anuruddha exhorted 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! Even the spirits, brethren, will reproach us 2. each of these for the change in character resulting from their con¬ version to Buddhism); the holy, thoughtful Arahat; and the loving, childlike disciple. CH. ‘ But of what kind of spirits is the Lord, the venerable Anuruddha, thinking?’ 21‘There are spirits, brother Ananda, in the sky, but of worldly mind, who dishevel their hair and weep, and stretch forth their arms and weep, fall prostrate on the ground, and roll to and fro in anguish at the thought: “ Too soon has the ment, ‘ Even the spirits, brethren, become extinct.’ It is no doubt true that all spirits, from the lowest to the highest, from the most insignificant fairy to the God of theological speculation, are re¬ garded as temporary. But when they cease to exist as gods or spirits (devatfi), they do not go out, they are not extinguished (vi^Myanti); they continue to exist in some other form. And though that other form would, from the European point of view, be a different being, as there would be no continuity of conscious¬ ness, no passage of a ‘ soul’ from the one to the other; it would, from the Buddhist point of view, be the same being, as it would be the resultant effect of the same Karma. There would follow on the death of a devata, not extinction, but a transmutation of force, a transmigration of character, a passing on, an inheritance of Karma. Only in the exceedingly rare case of an anagamin, of which an instance will be found above, Chap. II, § 7, could it be said that a spirit becomes extinct. The expression ‘of worldly mind,’ here and above in V, 11, is in Pali pa/^avi-sawwiniyo, an ambiguous phrase which has only been found in this connection. Buddhaghosa says merely, ‘ because they made (mapetva) an earth in heaven.’ This gloss again may be taken either in a figurative or in a literal sense; but, if not impossible, it is at least unlikely that the good commentator means calmly to state that the angels created a floor in the skies—for the greater convenience of tumbling! The word seems to me also to be opposed to vltarfigfi, ‘free from passion,’ and I have therefore taken it in a spiritual sense. There is a third possibility, viz. that it is used in an intellectual sense, ‘ having the idea of the world present to their mind; ’ and this would be in accordance with the more usual use of sa»mi. But how easily, especially in Buddhism, the intellectual merges into the religious may be seen from such a phrase as mara«a-saMino, used at Mahavaw/sa 33 of the bhikkhus. Compare also above, III, 14. Blessed One died! Too soon has the Happy One passed away! Too soon has the Light gone out in the world! ” ’ ‘ There are spirits, too, Ananda, on the earth, and of worldly mind, who tear their hair' and weep, and stretch forth their arms and weep, fall prostrate on the ground, and roll to and fro in anguish at the thought: “ Too soon has the Blessed one died! Too soon has the Happy One passed away! Too soon has the Light gone out in the world! ” ‘ But the spirits who are free from passion bear it, calm and self-possessed, mindful of the saying which begins, “ Impermanent indeed are all component things. How then is it possible [that such a being should not be dissolved]? ” ’ 22Now the venerable Anuruddha and the vener¬ able Ananda spent the rest of that night in religious discourse. Then the venerable Anuruddha said to the venerable Ananda: ‘ Go now, brother Ananda, into KusinArA and inform the Mallas of KusinArA, saying, ‘ The Blessed One, O VAse^Aas, is dead: do, then, whatever seemeth to you fit!’ ‘ Even so, Lord! ’ said the venerable Ananda, in assent, to the venerable Anuruddha. And having robed himself early in the morning, he took his bowl, and went into KusinArA with one of the brethren as an attendant. 23Now at that time the Mallas of KusinArA were assembled in the council hall concerning that very matter. And the venerable Ananda went to the council hall of the Mallas of KusinArA; and when he had arrived there, he informed them, saying, ‘ The CH. Blessed One, O Vase/// 5 as, is dead; do, then, what¬ ever seemeth to you fit!’ 24And when they had heard this saying of the venerable Ananda, the Mallas, with their young men and their maidens and their wives, were grieved, and sad, and afflicted at heart. And some of them wept, dishevelling their hair, and some stretched forth their arms and wept, and some fell prostrate 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! Too soon has the Light gone out in the world!’ 25Then the Mallas of Kusinara gave orders to their attendants, saying, ‘ Gather together perfumes and garlands, and all the music in Kusinari! ’ 26And the Mallas of Kusinird took the per¬ fumes and garlands, and all the musical instruments, and five hundred suits of apparel, and went to the Upavattana, to the Sala Grove of the Mallas, where the body of the Blessed One lay. There they past the day in paying honour, reverence, respect, and homage to the remains of the Blessed One with dancing, and hymns, and music, and with garlands and perfumes; and in making canopies of their gar¬ ments, and preparing decoration wreaths to hang thereon h 27Then the Mallas of Kusiniri thought: ‘ It is much too late to burn the body of the Blessed One to-day. Let us now perform the cremation to-morrow.’ And in paying honour, re¬ verence, respect, and homage to the remains of the Blessed One with dancing, and hymns, and music, and with garlands and perfumes; and in making canopies of their garments, and preparing decoration wreaths to hang thereon, they past the second day too, and then the third day, and the fourth, and the fifth, and the sixth day also. 28Then on the seventh day the Mallas of Kusinara thought: ‘ Let us carry the body of the Blessed One, by the south and outside, to a spot on the south, and outside of the city,—paying it honour, and reverence, and respect, and homage, with dance and song and music, with garlands and perfumes,—and there, to the south of the city, let us perform the cremation ceremony! ’ 29And thereupon eight chieftains among the Mallas bathed their heads, and clad themselves in new garments with the intention of bearing the body of the Blessed One. But, behold, they could not lift it up! 30Then the Mallas of Kusinira said to the venerable Anuruddha: ‘ What, Lord, can be the reason, what can be the cause that eight chieftains of the Mallas who have bathed their heads, and clad themselves in new garments with the intention is beautiful, would be wreaths of flowers, or single lotuses, hanging from the roof, or stretched along the sides. CH. of bearing the body of the Blessed One, are unable to lift it up?’ ‘ It is because you, O Vise/^as, have one pur¬ pose, and the spirits have another purpose.’ 31‘But what, Lord, is the purpose of the spirits?’ ‘Your purpose, O Vhse?^as, is this, Let us carry the body of the Blessed One, by the south and out¬ side, to a spot on the south, and outside of the city,— paying it honour, and reverence, and respect, and homage, with dance and song and music, with gar¬ lands and perfumes,—and there, to the south of the city, let us perform the cremation ceremony. But the purpose of the spirits, Vase?^as, is this, Let us carry the body of the Blessed One by the north to the north of the city, and entering the city by the north gate, let us bring it through the midst of the city into the midst thereof. And going out again by the eastern gate,—paying honour, and reverence, and respect, and homage to the body of the Blessed One, with heavenly dance, and song, and music, and garlands, and perfumes,—let us carry it to the shrine of the Mallas called Maku?a-bandhana, to the east of the city, and there let us perform the crema¬ tion ceremony.’ ‘ Even according to the purpose of the spirits, so, Lord, let it be! ’ 32Then immediately all Kusinarh down even to the dust bins and rubbish heaps became strewn knee-deep with Mand^rava flowers from heaven! and while both the spirits from the skies, and the Mallas of Kusinara upon earth, paid honour, and reverence, and respect, and homage to the body of the Blessed One, with dance and song and music, with garlands and with perfumes, they carried the body by the north to the north of the city; and entering the city by the north gate they carried it through the midst of the city into the midst thereof; and going out again by the eastern gate they carried it to the shrine of the Mallas, called Maku^a-bandhana; and there, to the east of the city, they laid down the body of the Blessed One \ 331 2 Then the Mallas of Kusiniri said to the venerable Ananda: ‘ What should be done, Lord, with the remains of the Tathagata?’ ‘ As men treat the remains of a king of kings, so, Vise/^as, should they treat the remains of a Tathagata.’ ‘ They wrap the body of a king of kings, Vise^as, in a new cloth. When that is done, they wrap it in cotton wool. When that is done they wrap it in a new cloth,—and so on till they have wrapped the body in five hundred successive layers of both kinds. Then they place the body in an oil vessel of iron, and cover that close up with another oil vessel of iron. They then build a funeral pile of all kinds of perfumes, and burn the body of the king of kings. And then at the four cross roads they erect a digaba to the king of kings. This,Vise#/zas, is the way in which they treat the remains of a king of kings. ‘ And as they treat the remains of a king of kings, so, Vase^as, should they treat the remains of the CH. Tathigata. At the four cross roads a dagaba should be erected to the Tathigata. And whosoever shall there place garlands or perfumes or paint, or make salutation there, or become in its presence calm in heart—that shall long be to them for a profit and aj° y/ 34Therefore the Mallas gave orders to their attendants, saying, ‘ Gather together all the carded cotton wool of the Mallas!’ 35Then the Mallas of Kusinara wrapped the body of the Blessed One in a new cloth. And when that was done, they wrapped it in cotton wool. And when that was done, they wrapped it in a new cloth, —and so on till they had wrapped the body of the Blessed One in five hundred layers of both kinds. And then they placed the body in an oil vessel of iron, and covered that close up with another oil vessel of iron. And then they built a funeral pile of all kinds of perfumes, and upon it they placed the body of the Blessed One. 36Now at that time the venerable Maha Kassapa was journeying along the high road from Pava to Kusinird with a great company of the brethren, with about five hundred of the brethren. And the venerable Maha Kassapa left the high road, and sat himself down at the foot of a certain tree. 37Just at that time a certain naked ascetic who had picked up a Mandarava flower in Kusinara was coming along the high road to Piva. 38And the venerable Maha 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?’ ‘Yea, friend! I know him. This day the Samara Gotama has been dead a week! That is how I obtained this Mandarava flower.’ 39And 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?’ 40Now at that time a brother named Subhadda, who had been received into the order in his old age, was seated there in their company h And Subhadda the old addressed the brethren, and said: ‘ Enough, brethren! Weep not, neither lament! We are well rid of the great Sama»a. 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!’ CH. 41But the venerable Mahd 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? Blow then, brethren, can this be possible—that whereas any¬ thing whatever born, brought into being, and or¬ ganised 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!’ 42Now 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! 43Then the Mallas of Kusinari 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 Vise?//las,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 Vise/Mas, is this: That venerable brother Maha Kassapa is now journeying along the high road from Pava to Kusinara with a great company of the brethren, with five hundred of the brethren. The funeral pile of the Blessed One shall not catch fire, until the venera¬ ble Mahd 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! ’ 45Then the venerable Mahi Kassapa went on to Maku/a-bandhana of Kusinari, 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. 46And 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. 47And when the homage of the venerable Mali a Kassapa and of those five hundred brethren was ended, the funeral pile of the Blessed One caught fire of itself 1. The Buddhist bhikkhus in Siam and the great majority of those in Ceylon (the adherents of the Siyam-samagama) always keep one shoulder uncovered. It is evident that the bhikkhus [n] K CH. 48Now 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 integu¬ ment, 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. 49And 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 Kusinard also brought water scented with all kinds of perfumes, and ex¬ tinguished the funeral pile of the Blessed One \ in Burma, and those in Ceylon who belong to the Amara-purasamagama, are more in accordance with ancient custom in wearing the robe ordinarily over both shoulders. 50Then the Mallas of Kusindrd 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. 51Now the king of Magadha, A^atasattu, the son of the queen of the Videha clan, heard the news that the Blessed One had died at Kusinira. Then the king of Magadha, A^itasattu, the son of the queen of the Videha clan, sent a mes¬ senger 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!’ 52And the Li-£/6/zavis of Vesali heard the news that the Blessed One had died at Kusiniri. And the LiM’/iavis of Vesali 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!’ 53And the Sakiyas of Kapila-vatthu heard the that sala means an open hall rather than a storehouse, and that the belief in a ‘ storehouse of water ’ has not, as yet, been found elsewhere. K 2 CH. news that the Blessed One had died at Kusinara. And the Sakiyas 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!’ 54And the Bulis of Allakappa heard the news that the Blessed One had died at Kusinara. 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!’ 55And the Koliyas of Ramagima heard the news that the Blessed One had died at Kusinara. And the Koliyas of Rimagama 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!’ 56And the Brahman of Vetk adlpa heard the news that the Blessed One had died at Kusinara. And the Brahman of Ve^adipa sent a messenger to the Mallas, saying, ‘ The Blessed One belonged to the soldier caste, and I am a Brihman. 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!’ 57And the Mallas of Pavd heard the news that the Blessed One had died at Kusindra. Then the Mallas of Pavi sent a messenger to the Mallas, saying, 1 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! ’ 58When they heard these things the Mallas of Kusinari 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!’ 59When they had thus spoken, Doua the Brdhman 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 Thftpas rise in every land That in the Enlightened One mankind may trust!’ 60‘ Do thou then, O Brahman, thyself divide the remains of the Blessed One equally into eight parts, with fair division V ‘ Be it so, sir!’ said Do7*a, in assent, to the assemCH. bled 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 Brahman. 61And the Moriyas of Pipphalivana heard the news that the Blessed One had died at Kusindrd. Then the Moriyas of Pipphalivana sent a mes¬ senger 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 dis¬ tributed,’ then they took away the embers. 62Then the king of Magadha, A^atasattu, the son of the queen of the Videha clan, made a mound in Rd^agaha over the remains of the Blessed One, and held a feast. And the Liii/lavis of Vesali made a mound in Vesali 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 Ramagdma made a mound in Ramagama over the remains of the Blessed One, and held a feast. tVt Sfr-kv'-APj cq tC.. Ivy \ And Ve/z&adtpaka the Brdhman made a mound in Ve/^adlpa over the remains of the Blessed One, and held a feast. And the Mallas of Pava made a mound in P&va over the remains of the Blessed One, and held a feast. And the Mallas of Kusinara made a mound in Kusinclrd over the remains of the Blessed One, and held a feast. And Do»a the Brahman 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 [Thhpas] for the remains, and one for the vessel, and one for the embers. This was how it used to be x. 63Eight 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 Rdmagima, by the kings of the serpent race. One tooth, too, is honoured in heaven, and one in Gandhara’s city, One in the Kalinga realm, and one more by the N&ga race. 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 Nagas 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!] ‹Previous chapterMaha-Parinibbana Sutta 5Next chapterDhamma-Cakka-Ppavattana Sutta 1›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public-domain 1881 English translation