English
The water is muddied by the horns of the oxen, Whose waters are turbid, muddy, and heated, Not fit to drink, the small river flows here now; 35. Very near, with roots intertwined with a Kakudha tree, Scattered by the wind, pure water droplets, cool and clear, Possible, venerable sir, the Kakudha stream flows, to cool your limbs, To drink, delightful to the earth, adorned with necklaces; 36. Thus spoken, again urged by the Blessed One, with bowl in hand, Ānanda quickly reached the uneven, muddy ford of the small river, Leading clear, undisturbed, flowing water, "The Blessed One may drink," he said, by the Buddha's power; 37. At that time, seeing him sitting at the foot of a tree, with thirst quenched, Pukkusa, the Kamalla's son, with sharp intellect and goad, Declared his great satisfaction, At the surpassing peace beyond Āḷāra's teaching; 38. While thunder roared and lightning flashed all around, And rain poured down in torrents, I, absorbed in the attainment of the sphere of nothingness, with mind calmed, Heard no sharp sounds of birth, saw no forms; 39. Hearing those words, the wise one, extracting the essence of immortality, Planted the seed of faith in the field of Āḷāra Kālāma, the tortoise, Pleased with the surpassing peace, mostly like the color of the *siṅgī* flower, Giving the Buddha refuge, he gave a *siṅgī*-colored cloak; 40. Like a fire pit covered with embers, the garment, A fresh, faultless *siṅgī*-colored cloth, shone, Later, having put on the upper robe, taking the middle of the Kakudha stream, The Lion of the Sakyas, with the Saṅgha, descended into the Mango Grove there; 41. Having spread the Saṅghāṭi robe, on the seat arranged by Cunda Thera, Immediately, resolving on the arising of consciousness, With exceeding weariness, mindful and fully aware, The destroyer of the fear of existence, took the lion's posture, foot upon foot; 42. Addressing the Thera Ānanda, with boundless compassion, "Two alms-food offerings, excellent, with equal fruit, have been obtained by me, Doubt will arise, surely, that the offering of Cunda, the smith's son, Saying that, let him excuse me with my passing; 43. Then, surrounded by arahants, of great wisdom, By the Hiraññavati river, in a lonely wood, on the far bank, The Sāla grove in bloom, he approached the road to Kusinara, The Mallans' beautiful grove, not far from the capital; 44. Urged by Ananda with words of utmost respect, In the space between the twin Sāla trees, prepared, On a couch, head to the north, facing outward, Placing foot upon foot, he took to the lion's rest; 45. White-shaded, free from scattered dust and pollen, all branches Blooming, shining, with tangled roots and trunks intertwined, Crowded together, the twin Sāla trees, wide and Visible, like Vakula, Tilaka, Asoka, Champaka branches; 46. Dancing, singing, various instruments play divinely, Divine powders, sandalwood-made, divine Mandārava flowers, Behold, Ananda, the twin Sāla flowers bloom out of season, To honor the Blessed One, they fall from the sky; 47. These Brahmās, immortals, men, and Nāgas, with chowries and parasols in hand, With garlands, perfumes, incense, lamps, and flags, Covered, fanned, honored, a place of auspiciousness, The field of birth, truly for the Blessed One's worship; 48. Even so, Ananda, the Blessed One is not truly honored Or respected or worshiped by them with such reverence, But whoever, whether monk or lay follower, practices the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma, He honors and worships me with the highest reverence; 49. Therefore, here, let us practice well the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma, Thus spoke the Sage, "You should train yourselves thus," Fanning the Dhamma's master, standing before him, Like a young elephant, the elder Nāga stood, unwavering; 50. From the Mallans' excellent city to the Sāla grove, Piled up with Asuras, Suras, excellent Brahmās, and kings, To see the Buddha, the Ten-Powered One, a place the size of a hair's tip, There was no place untouched by ten or ten; 51. Of those weeping, scattering And her hair scattered, her arms Raised to her head, the earth-conscious deities, Meditating, falling to the ground, lamenting, Giving space, removing the covering with another cloth; 52. The destruction and decay of conditioned things, those without passion, Gods and Brahmās remembering, like firm Indrakhīla mountains, "We will not see you again, venerable sir, after your passing," they said, "We will see monks in the future, pleasing to the mind;" 53. From the place of birth onwards, these four places of bliss, Fields of merit on earth, belonging to the Blessed One, all inspiring, Indeed, with hearts clear in faith, virtuous ones on pilgrimage, Wandering, reaching there, increase their merit; 54. Asked thus, "How will we behave, venerable sir, Among women?" Ānanda Thera spoke with great wisdom, "Do not dwell on that, do not speak of that, In such a case, be mindful, guarding the six doors;" 55. Asked thus, "How will we behave Towards the body of the Teacher, incomparable, remaining as the result of the elements?" "Do not be troubled, you should engage In the rites of honoring the body of the Sage, striving above for the destruction of the āsavas;" 56. "There are present, Ānanda, in this place, Gods with form, Brahmās, and others, nobles and Brahmins, Respectfully, as people do with the body of a wheel-turning monarch, They will engage in honoring the body of the Man-lion;" 57. "There are four worthy of a stupa, greatly beneficial to many, Buddhas, Paccekabuddhas, Disciples with the joy of the path and fruit, and wheel-turning monarchs, Kings are honored with great rites of worship, just like a stupa, Therefore, let there be a stupa for me too, Ānanda, at the crossroads;" 58. Having spoken thus, remembering, with sorrow like a broken tamarind shoot, Thera Ānanda, entering the monastery, without support in the Dhamma, Clinging, lamenting greatly at the top of the doorpost, The Teacher, with compassion dripping from the corner of his eye, wept; 59. Addressing him, the unsurpassed one, wiping away the stream of tears, "Thera, do not lament, enough, Ānanda, do not weep." Thus indeed, How can one find permanence or immutability In conditioned things, when it has been declared to me that separation from loved ones is inevitable? 60. "With loving-kindness foremost, for a long time, through bodily action, speech, And mind, with this jewel-like quality, O monks, He diligently and carefully attended to me with accumulated merit, therefore, You are energetic, wise, and free from defilements." 61. Like a shadow, constantly following, just as Ānanda the monk, My attendant, is learned in the past and future, Among the enlightened Buddhas, their attendants were the foremost, Thus he will be, and they were, equal to the supreme ascetic. 62. He praised his boundless virtues, as if lifting Mount Meru, As if stirring the ocean, as if spreading the earth, As if expanding the path of the sun, in the midst of the Saṅgha, The extraordinary and wonderful qualities of Ānanda. 63. Leaving Sākhā, a city without fire, a jungle of lords, A dwelling place, and other cities, the essence of all prosperity, Having arrived at Rājagaha and others, "May the Lord attain Nibbāna," Thus spoken, the sage said, "Do not say so, Ānanda." 64. "Formerly, with divine-like happiness, Ānanda, I was a wheel-turning Monarch, having reigned for a long time, a righteous king, Then, for the Mallas, on that day, Kusāvatī was the capital, A prosperous city, like Alakā, the city of wealth." 65. In the field of the village, having conquered enemies, in this Sāla grove of Kosinārā, the best of conquerors, with a terrifying roar, "Today, in the last watch of the night, he will pass away," He sent to the Vāseṭṭhas, the ascetic, to announce that matter. 66. In the assembly hall, a great gathering, concerning some matter, Having gathered, incited by the words of the best of ascetics, they fainted, Entering the garden, then the sons of the Mallas and the Mallas, Were overwhelmed, submerged in a sea of unbearable suffering. 67. "Perhaps I should take each and every one of the royal families, And have them pay homage to the lotus feet of Aṅgīrasa," Thus Ānanda, the ascetic, with his retinue, together with wives and children, I bow to the Jina, saying "King of the Mallas"; 68. And in the first watch of the night, He had the entire assembly pay homage to the Buddha by that means, Having heard and known of the Blessed One's lying down for the final rest, The wanderer Subhadda approached the Sāla grove; 69. "Grant me the opportunity to question the ascetic Gotama, I have come, filled with joy, to abandon doubt," When it was said, the Teacher said, "Enough, friend, do not disturb him," Ānanda, moved by compassion for the Blessed One, prevented him; 70. Having obtained the opportunity, Subhadda, bound by the net of compassion of the Ten-Powered One, Entered there, expecting knowledge, not expecting harm, Asked a question, and skilled in guiding, he spoke the Dhamma, Expounding it, establishing individuals well in the Noble Discipline; 71. Having gone forth in the Blessed One's presence, himself consecrated as a bhikkhu, Having developed the destruction and arising of formations, Subhadda, Having dispelled all defilements, become a direct disciple of the Teacher, Having made the assembly rejoice, he was the last disciple; 72. "The Vinaya that is prescribed, and the Dhamma that is taught, That is your Teacher, your supreme refuge," he said after my passing, "Let the elder bhikkhus and others show respect, Saying 'Bhante,' maintain yourselves with respect and mindfulness"; 73. "We have the Ten-Powered One before us, we were able to ask him directly, We were not able to say 'This is this,' let there be no regret,"