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many people gladden their minds. Having gladdened their minds there, after the breaking up of the body, after death, they are reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world. This, Ānanda, is the reason a Wheel-turning Monarch is worthy of a stupa. These, Ānanda, are the four worthy of a stupa.” Ānanda’s Wondrous Dhamma 207. Then Venerable Ānanda entered the dwelling, leaned against the door-post, and stood weeping: “Alas, I am still a learner, with much to do, and my Teacher, who had compassion for me, will pass away.” Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Where, bhikkhus, is Ānanda?” 'That Venerable Ānanda, sir, has entered the dwelling, and leaning against the doorpost, is weeping, saying: "Alas, I am still a learner, with much to do, and my Teacher is about to attain final Nibbāna, he who was so compassionate to me!"' Then the Blessed One addressed a certain monk: "Come, monk, in my name, address Ānanda, saying: 'The Teacher, friend Ānanda, calls you.'" "Yes, sir," that monk replied to the Blessed One, and went to Venerable Ānanda; having approached, he said to Venerable Ānanda: "The Teacher, friend Ānanda, calls you." "Yes, friend," Venerable Ānanda replied to that monk, and went to the Blessed One; having approached, he bowed to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. To Venerable Ānanda, seated to one side, the Blessed One said this: "Enough, Ānanda, do not grieve, do not lament. Have I not, Ānanda, already declared this: 'Separation, disunion, and alteration from all that is dear and pleasing'? How then, Ānanda, can it be possible that what is born, become, compounded, and subject to decay, should not decay? That the Tathāgata's body too should not decay— that is not possible. For a long time, Ānanda, you have attended the Tathāgata with kindly bodily action, beneficial, pleasant, undivided, immeasurable; with kindly verbal action, beneficial, pleasant, undivided, immeasurable; with kindly mental action, beneficial, pleasant, undivided, immeasurable. You have done much good, Ānanda. Apply yourself to exertion; you will quickly become free from defilements." 208. Then the Blessed One addressed the monks: "Whatever Arahants, Fully Self-Awakened Ones, there were in the past, their attendants were just like Ānanda to me. Whatever Arahants, Fully Self-Awakened Ones, there will be in the future, their attendants will also be just like this." will be, just like my Ananda. Ananda, monks, is wise; Ananda, monks, is intelligent. He knows: 'This is the time for monks to approach the Tathagata for an audience, this is the time for nuns, this is the time for male lay followers, this is the time for female lay followers, this is the time for kings, for royal ministers, for sectarians, for sectarian disciples.' 209. Monks, these four amazing, wonderful qualities are in Ananda. Which four? If, monks, a company of monks approaches Ananda for an audience, by the sight of him they are delighted. And if Ananda speaks the Dhamma there, by his speech they are also delighted. Still unsatisfied, monks, the company of monks is, yet Ananda becomes silent. If, monks, a company of nuns approaches Ananda for an audience, by the sight of him they are delighted. And if Ananda speaks the Dhamma there, by his speech they are also delighted. Still unsatisfied, monks, the company of nuns is, yet Ananda becomes silent. If, monks, a company of male lay followers approaches Ananda for an audience, by the sight of him they are delighted. And if Ananda speaks the Dhamma there, by his speech they are also delighted. Still unsatisfied, monks, the company of male lay followers is, yet Ananda becomes silent. If, monks, a company of female lay followers approaches Ananda for an audience, by the sight of him they are delighted. And if Ananda speaks the Dhamma there, by his speech they are also delighted. Still unsatisfied, monks, the company of female lay followers is, yet Ananda becomes silent. These, monks, are the four amazing, wonderful qualities in Ananda. Monks, these four amazing, wonderful qualities are in a Wheel-turning Monarch. Which four? If, monks, a company of khattiyas approaches the Wheel-turning Monarch for an audience, by the sight of him they are delighted. And if the Wheel-turning Monarch speaks there, by his speech they are also is delighted. Still, monks, the assembly of khattiyas is not satisfied. Then, the Wheel-turning King is silent. If, monks, an assembly of brahmins… …an assembly of householders… …an assembly of recluses approaches the Wheel-turning King for an audience, they are delighted by the sight. And if the Wheel-turning King speaks there, they are delighted even by his speech. Still, monks, the assembly of recluses is not satisfied. Then, the Wheel-turning King is silent. Just so, monks, these four wonderful, amazing qualities are in Ānanda. If, monks, an assembly of monks approaches Ānanda for an audience, they are delighted by the sight. And if Ānanda speaks the Dhamma there, they are delighted even by his speech. Still, monks, the assembly of monks is not satisfied. Then, Ānanda is silent. If, monks, an assembly of nuns… …an assembly of male lay followers… …an assembly of female lay followers approaches Ānanda for an audience, they are delighted by the sight. And if Ānanda speaks the Dhamma there, they are delighted even by his speech. Still, monks, the assembly of female lay followers is not satisfied. Then, Ānanda is silent. These, monks, are the four wonderful, amazing qualities in Ānanda.” The Discourse on Mahāsudassana 210. When this was said, Venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One: “May the Blessed One not, venerable sir, attain final Nibbāna in this small, wretched, branch town. There are, venerable sir, other great cities, such as Campā, Rājagaha, Sāvatthī, Sāketa, Kosambī, Bārāṇasī; may the Blessed One attain final Nibbāna there. There, many great khattiya families, great brahmin families, great householder families are devoted to the Tathāgata. They will perform the Tathāgata’s bodily veneration.” “Do not speak thus, Ānanda; do not speak thus, Ānanda – ‘a small, wretched, branch town’.” “In the past, Ānanda, there was a Wheel-turning King named Mahāsudassana, a Wheel-turning Monarch, a righteous king, a conqueror of the four quarters, victorious, having attained stability in the country, endowed with the seven treasures. To King Mahāsudassana, Ānanda, this Kusinārā was the royal capital named Kusāvatī, twelve leagues in length from east to west; and seven leagues in width from north to south. Kusāvatī, Ānanda, the royal capital, was prosperous and flourishing, populous and crowded with people, and abundant in food. Just as, Ānanda, the royal capital of the gods, named Āḷakamandā, is prosperous and flourishing, populous and crowded with yakkhas, and abundant in food; even so, Ānanda, the royal capital Kusāvatī was prosperous and flourishing, populous and crowded with people, and abundant in food. Kusāvatī, Ānanda, the royal capital, was never without ten sounds by day and by night, namely – the sound of elephants, the sound of horses, the sound of chariots, the sound of drums, the sound of tabors, the sound of lutes, the sound of singing, the sound of conch shells, the sound of gongs, the sound of hand-clapping, and the tenth sound: ‘Eat! Drink! Chew!’ “Go, Ānanda, enter Kusinārā and inform the Mallas of Kusinārā: ‘Today, Vāseṭṭhas, in the last watch of the night, the Tathāgata will attain final Nibbāna. Come, Vāseṭṭhas, come, Vāseṭṭhas. Do not later regret, saying: “The Tathāgata attained final Nibbāna in our village territory, and we did not get to see the Tathāgata in his last moments.”’” “Yes, Venerable Sir,” Ānanda replied to the Blessed One, and having put on his lower robe, and taking his bowl and outer robe, he entered Kusinārā as the second person. Homage of the Mallas 211. Now at that time, the Mallas of Kusinārā were assembled in the assembly hall for some business. Then Ānanda approached the assembly hall of the Mallas of Kusinārā; and having approached, he addressed the Mallas of Kusinārā. announced: “Today, Vāseṭṭhas, in the last watch of the night, the Tathāgata will attain final Nibbāna. Come, Vāseṭṭhas, come, Vāseṭṭhas. Do not later regret, ‘The Tathāgata attained final Nibbāna in our village territory, but we did not get to see the Tathāgata in his last moments.’” Hearing these words of Venerable Ānanda, the Mallas, Malla sons, Malla daughters-in-law, and Malla wives were distressed, saddened, and overwhelmed with mental pain. Some tore their hair and wept, some raised their arms and wept, some fell down as if cut off, some rolled about this way and that, saying: “Too soon will the Blessed One attain final Nibbāna! Too soon will the Fortunate One attain final Nibbāna! Too soon will the Eye in the world vanish!” Then the Mallas, Malla sons, Malla daughters-in-law, and Malla wives, distressed, saddened, and overwhelmed with mental pain, went to the Upavattana Sāla Grove of the Mallas, to where Venerable Ānanda was. Then it occurred to Venerable Ānanda: “If I were to have the Kusinārā Mallas pay homage to the Blessed One one by one, the Blessed One would remain unhonored by the Kusinārā Mallas, and this night would pass. What if I were to arrange the Kusinārā Mallas family by family, and have them pay homage to the Blessed One, saying: ‘Venerable Sir, the Malla of such-and-such a name, with his sons, wives, retinue, and ministers, bows his head at the feet of the Blessed One’?” Then Venerable Ānanda, arranging the Kusinārā Mallas family by family, had them pay homage to the Blessed One, saying: “Venerable Sir, the Malla of such-and-such a name, with his sons, wives, retinue, and ministers, bows his head at the feet of the Blessed One.” Thus, by this method, Venerable Ānanda had the Kusinārā Mallas pay homage to the Blessed One during the first watch of the night. The Story of the Wanderer Subhadda 212. Now at that time, a wanderer named Subhadda