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“Enough, my children, with despair, Which follows Mara’s snare; All things conditioned are impermanent, Ending in separation, ever-changing.” 244. Then, dismissing them, She attained the first excellent jhana, And the second, and the third, And the fourth. 245. And the sphere of infinite space, And the sphere of infinite consciousness, And the sphere of nothingness, And the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, she attained in order. 246. In reverse order, Gotami Attained the jhanas, From the first jhana, Up to the fourth. 247. Then, rising, she was extinguished, Like a lamp’s flame, free from defilements; A great earthquake occurred, Lightning flashed from the sky. 248. Drums resounded, Devas lamented; A shower of flowers from the sky Rained down upon the earth. 249. Mount Meru, the king of mountains, trembled, Like an actor in the middle of a stage; The ocean, deeply distressed by sorrow, Roared. 250. Devas, Nagas, Asuras, Brahmas, Were agitated at that moment: “Alas, impermanent are formations, As she has passed away.” 251. And those who surrounded me, Who carried out the Teacher’s command, They too, without clinging, Were extinguished like a lamp’s flame. 252. “Alas, from union comes separation! Alas, impermanent are all conditioned things! Alas, life ends in destruction!” Such was the lamentation. 253. Then the devas and Brahmas, Following the way of the world, Did what was appropriate for the time, Approaching the foremost sage. 254. Then the Teacher addressed Ananda, The ocean of learning: “Go, Ananda, inform the bhikkhus Of the mother’s passing.” 255. Then Ananda, joyless, His eyes full of tears, With a choked voice said, “Let the bhikkhus assemble. 256. “In the east, south, west, And near the north, Let the bhikkhus, sons of the Fortunate One, Listen to my words. 257. “She who carefully nurtured this body, the last of the Sages. Gotamī went to peace, like a star at sunrise. 258. “‘The designation “Buddha’s Mother,” having established the peerless one; where not even the five-eyed one, the Leader, can see the destination. 259. “‘Whoever has faith in the Fortunate One, and is dear to the Great Sage; let him pay homage to the Buddha’s Mother, the son of the Fortunate One.’ 260. Hearing that from afar, the bhikkhus quickly came; some by the Buddha’s power, some skilled in psychic powers. 261. In a beautiful, charming gabled house, made entirely of gold; they placed a couch, where Gotamī lay asleep. 262. The four World-Guardians, carried it on their shoulders; the remaining gods, Sakka and others, gathered in the gabled house. 263. All the gabled houses, were five hundred in number; of the color of the autumn sun, made by Visvakamma indeed. 264. All those bhikkhunīs, lay on couches; carried on the shoulders of the gods, they departed in due order. 265. The sky was completely covered, by a canopy; the moon and sun with stars, were depicted in gold. 266. Many banners were raised, canopies of flowers were spread; lotuses emerged from the sky, flowers bloomed on the ground. 267. The moon and sun were visible, and the stars shone; even the sun at its zenith, did not burn like the moon. 268. The gods with divine fragrances, and sweet-smelling garlands; with music and dances, and songs, they paid homage. 269. Nāgas, Asuras, and Brahmās, according to their ability and strength; paid homage as she departed, the Buddha’s Mother, extinguished. 270. All the sons of the Fortunate One, extinguished, were led in front; Gotamī was carried behind, honored, the nourisher of the Buddha. 271. In front, gods and humans, with Nāgas, Asuras, and Brahmās; behind, the Buddha with his disciples, went to pay homage to his mother. 272. The Buddha’s final passing, was not like this, as it was aṃ; The final passing of Gotamī, was truly wondrous. 273. The Buddha does not appear, at the Buddha's passing, O bhikkhus; But at Gotamī's passing, Sāriputta and others did. 274. Having made pyres, all made of fragrant woods; Scattered with fragrant powders, they cremated them there. 275. The remaining parts were burnt, only bones remained completely; And Ānanda then spoke, words that aroused emotion. 276. "Gotamī has met her end, her body is being burnt; The sign of the Buddha's passing, will not be long in coming." 277. Then Ānanda, urged by the Buddha, brought Gotamī's relics, placed in a bowl, to the Lord. 278. Taking them with his hand, the seventh of the sages said; "Just as of a great, firmly standing tree. 279. "When its mightiest trunk, would perish due to impermanence; So has Gotamī, passed away from the assembly of bhikkhunīs. 280. "Oh, how wondrous for me, even with my mother passed away; With only her body remaining, there is no sorrow or lamentation. 281. "She is not to be grieved for by others, she has crossed the ocean of samsara; Freed from all suffering, she is cooled, perfectly extinguished. 282. "She was wise, greatly discerning, and widely discerning as well; She was the senior of the bhikkhunīs, thus remember her, O bhikkhus. 283. "She was skilled in psychic powers, and in the divine ear element; Gotamī was skilled, in the knowledge of penetrating minds. 284. "She remembered past lives, her divine eye was purified; All defilements were exhausted, there is no rebirth for her. 285. "In meaning, in doctrine, in language, and in ready wit as well; Her knowledge was purified, therefore she is not to be grieved for. 286. "Just like a blazing fire, struck by an iron hammer; Gradually extinguished..." of one who is not, how their destination is not known. 287. “‘Thus for those rightly liberated, who have crossed the flood of sensual bonds; There is no destination to be designated, for those who have attained unmoving bliss. 288. “‘Therefore be islands unto yourselves, with mindfulness as your domain; Having developed the seven factors of awakening, you will make an end of suffering.’” Thus indeed did Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī utter these verses. The seventh is the account of the Therī Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī. 8. The Account of Therī Khemā 289. “The Conqueror named Padumuttara, with eyes in all phenomena; A hundred thousand aeons ago, the Leader arose. 290. “Then I was born in the city of Haṃsavatī, in a merchant's family; Endowed with great happiness, shining with various jewels. 291. “Having approached that Great Hero, I heard his teaching of the Dhamma; Then, having gained faith, I went for refuge to the Conqueror. 292. “And having asked my mother and father, I invited the Leader; And for seven days, I fed him with his thousand disciples. 293. “And when the seven days had passed, the charioteer of men placed that nun, supreme in great wisdom, at the foremost position. 294. “Hearing that, I rejoiced, and again to that Great Sage; Having made an offering, I bowed down and made a resolution for that position. 295. “Then the Conqueror said to me, ‘May your resolution succeed; The offering you made to me and my Saṅgha, has immeasurable fruit for you. 296. “‘A hundred thousand aeons from now, born in the Okkāka lineage; A teacher named Gotama by clan, will appear in the world. 297. “‘Among his heirs in the Dhamma, legitimate, born of the Dhamma; Having attained the foremost position, there will be one named Khemā.’ 298. “By that well-done deed, and by my aspirations and resolutions; Having abandoned my human body, I went to Tāvatiṃsa. 299. “From there I fell and went to Yāma, from there I went to Tusita; From there to Nimmānaratī, and then to Vasavattīpura. 300. “Wherever I was reborn, by the power of that kamma; There I became the chief queen of kings. 301. “From there I fell In human existence, I made kings into universal monarchs; And kings of provinces, I made into chief consorts. 302. Having experienced prosperity, among gods and humans; Being happy everywhere, I wandered through many eons. 303. Ninety-one eons ago, Vipassī, the leader of the world; A beautiful-eyed one arose, one who saw all phenomena. 304. I approached that world-leader, the charioteer of men; Having heard the Dhamma spoken, I went forth into homelessness. 305. For ten thousand years, in the Dispensation of that hero; I practiced the holy life, well-practiced, much-learned. 306. Skilled in the law of dependent origination, expert in the Four Noble Truths; Subtle, eloquent speakers, doers of the Teacher’s Dispensation. 307. Then, having passed away from there, I was reborn in Tusita, glorious; I outshone others there, by the fruit of my holy life. 308. Wherever I was reborn, I was of great wealth, great riches; Intelligent, virtuous, and with a disciplined retinue. 309. By that kamma, I become, by that practice in the Buddha’s Dispensation; All my prosperities, are easily obtained, dear to my mind. 310. Whoever may be my husband, wherever I may go; No one disrespects me, by the power of my practice. 311. In this auspicious eon, the kinsman of Brahmā, greatly renowned; Named Koṇāgamana, the best of speakers, arose. 312. At that time in Bārāṇasī, born into a very prosperous family; Dhanañjānī, Sumedhā, and I, were three persons. 313. We gave a monastery to the Saṅgha, companions in giving before; And a dwelling for the Saṅgha, we were the givers, dedicating it. 314. Then, having passed away, all of us, went to Tāvatiṃsa; Attaining pre-eminence in glory, and likewise among humans. 315. In this very eon, the kinsman of Brahmā, greatly renowned; Named Kassapa by clan, arose, the best of speakers. This is the best boon. 316. “The attendant of the Great Lord, was then a king; King Kikī of Kāsi, in the excellent city of Bārāṇasī. 317. “I was his eldest daughter, known as Samaṇī; Having heard the Dhamma of the Chief of Conquerors, I embraced renunciation. 318. “Our father did not permit us, so we remained in the household then; For twenty thousand years, we wandered diligently. 319. “Maidenly celibacy,