English
"Bhikkhus, the Tathagata's passing away will occur soon, After the passing of three months. Be united and harmonious in the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, Do not quarrel. Perfect the three trainings with diligence." Then, the next day, after going for alms in Vesali, Returning from the alms round, he went to Bhandagama. From Bhandagama to Hatthigama, from Hatthigama to Ambagama, From Ambagama to Jambugama, from Jambugama to Nigrodhagama, From Nigrodhagama to Bhoganagara, from Bhoganagara to Pava, From Pava to Kusinara he arrived. There, standing between the twin Sala trees, He addressed the Elder Ananda, saying, "Prepare a couch with its head to the north, I am weary, Ananda, I will lie down." Hearing this, the Elder Ananda prepared a couch with its head to the north, Spread a fourfold robe, and the Buddha, who for forty-five years Had never lain down to sleep, lay down on his right side, Mindful and fully aware, resolving not to rise again, in the lion's posture. Wandering in the past, in existence, Endowed with compassion for countless beings; Having done much merit, The Lord attained peace for the world's benefit. Thus, even he, the Ten-Powered One, devoid of strength, Lay down amidst the twin sāla trees of Yama; Having made the resolve not to rise again, That powerful one entered the mouth of Māra. At that moment, the twin sāla trees blossomed forth. Not only the twin sāla trees blossomed, but also the sāla trees in the ten thousand world-systems of the universe blossomed. Not only the sāla trees blossomed, but whatever trees bear flowers or fruits, all bore flowers and fruits. In the waters, water lotuses; on land, land lotuses; on trunks, trunk lotuses; on branches, branch lotuses; on creepers, creeper lotuses; in the sky, hanging lotuses; splitting the rock surfaces, hundred-petaled lotuses blossomed forth. From the earth up to the Brahma world, the ten thousand world-systems were like a single garland. The gods rained down divine mandārava, pāricchatta, and koviḷāra flowers, and sandalwood powder from the sky. Divine musical instruments resounded in the sky. Many thousands of wonders occurred. While such special veneration was taking place, in the first watch of the night, having converted the wanderer Subhadda, in the middle watch, having instructed the deities of the ten thousand world-systems, at the end of the last watch, having attained the first jhāna, and rising from that, he attained the second jhāna, the fourth jhāna. Rising from that, he attained the sphere of infinite space, the sphere of infinite consciousness, the sphere of nothingness, the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, and rising from that, he attained the cessation of perception and feeling. Rising from that, he attained the first jhāna, the second jhāna, the third jhāna, and the fourth jhāna. Rising from that, in that interval, he passed away into the element of nibbāna without remainder of clinging. Having destroyed the great darkness of delusion dwelling in the hearts of beings, Shining like the sun, compassionate to the world; Having done much good for beings for forty-five years, Now that Victorious One has passed away like a flame. E. When the Blessed One had passed away, Vissakamma, son of the gods, fashioned a donation bowl of jewels, the size of the Tathāgata's body. He wrapped the Tathāgata's body in pure cotton, placed it in the jeweled bowl, filled it with fragrant oils, and covered it with another bowl. They made a pyre of wood scented with all perfumes, but the majority of the deities, taking jars of red sandalwood, were unable to ignite the pyre. Why? Because the Venerable Mahākassapa had not yet arrived. That Venerable Mahākassapa was dear and pleasing to the majority of the gods. For there is no measure to those who, having given alms to the Elder, were reborn in heaven. Therefore, the deities, not seeing their family Elder in that gathering, looking around, "Where is our Mahākassapa Thera?" Knowing that he was on his way with about five hundred monks, his retinue, they resolved, "Until the Elder arrives here, the pyre will not burn." At that time, the Elder, together with about five hundred monks who mostly observed the thirteen ascetic practices, arrived. Having circumambulated the pyre three times, he stood at the foot of it. "Venerable, for the sake of seeing you, from the aspiration at the feet of the Teacher Padumuttara, a hundred thousand aeons ago, I have come without fail. Now is my final sight," he resolved to take hold of the feet and pay homage. Mahākassapa Thera, surrounded by the Sangha of monks; Having arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and raised his joined hands in reverence. Having circumambulated three times, and stood at the foot of the pyre; "May the feet of the Conqueror rest on my head," he resolved. With the resolution, the pyre split its coverings; Then the feet emerged, like the full moon from a cloud. He raised them with his hands, placed them on his head; Having paid homage to the Teacher's feet, he released them. Just as the full moon enters a cloud, the pyre then received them; Seeing this miracle, the great crowd cried out. Having risen from the east, they paid homage. Like the sun that has set; The great crowd wept as their feet disappeared. Then the Malla kings, saying, "We will perform the obsequies for the Blessed One," having put on various clothes and ornaments, surrounded him. Then the kings and people began to light the pyre. Then Sakka? "When I have attained final Nibbana, Sakka, the king of the gods, will spread a ray of jewels and perform the obsequies for my body with fire that has gone out. At the end of the jewel fire, people will make a fire." Having reflected on this word of the Buddha, having circumambulated once, having performed the obsequies for the Blessed One, he resolved that it should rise up from all sides. At that moment, the pyre caught fire by itself. The Blessed One's body, while burning, leaving nothing of skin, flesh, sinews, bones, or marrow, only the relics remained, like a heap of jasmine buds or pearls. Even at the time of final Nibbana, everything was sorrowful; Great lamentation arose, as if the earth were being torn apart. By the power of the deities, the Teacher's pyre itself; Then blazed forth from all sides with a single strike. The inner cloth and the outer cloth, Two cloths were not burned among those cloths; As when oil is extinguished, there is no soot or ash; Thus, nothing was seen of the Buddha's body as it burned. Of the nature of jasmine buds and like polished pearls; Relics remained, resembling the color of gold. Four teeth, the hair relic, and two collarbones, powerful; Were not scattered, but the remaining relics were scattered. Some relics were thin, the size of mustard seeds; The medium relics were the size of broken rice grains. The large relics were the size of broken mung beans; The relics were of three colors, by the power of the Buddha's determination. Sarabhu by name, a disciple of the Elder Sariputta; Taking the Blessed One's neck bone from the pyre, that relic. With a thousand disciples, in the great courtyard of the shrine; Having placed it and built a shrine, the sage went to Kusinara. Khema, compassionate sage, master of the six super-knowledges. He seized the left tusk with force, like from a pyre. Having fallen from the sky, and having emerged from the Sal tree; Spraying water all around, they extinguished the fire. All the Malla kings, with all kinds of scented water; Extinguished the pyre of the world's leader, the great sage. Thus, the compassionate, perfectly enlightened Buddha, on the Vesakha full moon uposatha, on Angara day, passed away. For the sake of gathering gods and humans, he remained in the pyre between the twin Sala trees for seven days and nights. Then, he remained above twenty hundred cubits for seven days and nights. Until the extinguishing of the fire, it was seven days and nights. Then, for seven days, while the Malla princes in Kusinara were extinguishing the pyre with scented water, a stream of water flowed from the Sala tree and extinguished the pyre. Then, having placed the relics of the Ten-Powered One in a golden casket, and having established them in the assembly hall in their own city, and having made a fence of spears, and having surrounded it with ramparts of bows, the Malla princes made offerings for seven days with dance, song, music, perfumes, and garlands. Then those Malla kings, beautiful, like the assembly hall of the gods; Having adorned the assembly hall in every way, then. Having decorated the road, up to the Makuta shrine; Having placed the golden urn containing the relics on the elephant's neck. Having worshiped with perfumes and the like, playing well; Having brought it into the city, into the delightful assembly hall. Having placed the relics of the Conqueror on a ten-tiered dais; They raised umbrellas all around the assembly hall at that time. They had it surrounded by elephants, then by horses, then by chariots, Surrounding each other, then soldiers, then bows; Thus they had it surrounded, a league all around in order, Then they worshiped with dances, songs, and music.) The story of the Passing Away is complete. Then, having heard of the Blessed One's passing away, King Ajatasattu sent a message to the Mallas of Kusinara. "I am a noble, and the Blessed One was also a noble. I will make a great stupa for the relics of the Teacher." Thus, by that means, to Vesālī, the Licchavi kings, and to Kapilavatthu, the Sakya kings, and to Allakappa, the Bulas, and to Rāmagāma, the Koliyas, and to Veṭhadīpa, the Brahmin, and to Pāvā, the Pāveyyakas, sending the message, all having gathered together, raised a dispute with the Kosinārakas. Their teacher, however, was named Droṇa the Brahmin.