English
To the further bank of the Hirafifiavati river, and to the city of Kusinaraé and the sal-tree grove Upavattana of the Mallas will we draw near.” 16 BUDDHISM IN ENGLISH “Yes, Reverend Sir,” said the venerable Ananda to The Blessed One in assent. Then The Blessed One, accompanied by a large con- gregation of priests, drew near to the further bank of the Hirafifiavati river, and to the city of Kusinara and the sal- tree grove Upavattana of the Mallas; and having drawn near, he addressed the venerable Ananda;— “Be so good, Ananda, as to spread me a couch with its head to the north between twin sal-trees. I am weary, Ananda, and wish to lie down.” “Yes, Reverend Sir,” said the venerable Ananda to The Blessed One in assent, and spread the couch with its head to the north between twin sal-trees. Then The Blessed One lay down on his right side after the manner of a lion, and placing foot on foot, remained mindful and conscious. Now at that time the twin sal-trees had completely burst forth into bloom, though it was not the flowering sea- son; and the blossoms scattered themselves over the body of The Tathagata, and strewed and sprinkled themselves in worship of The Tathagata. Also heavenly Erythrina flowers fell from the sky; and these scattered themselves over the body of The Tathagata, and strewed and sprinkl- ed themselves in worship of The Tathagata. Also heay- enly sandal-wood powder fell from the sky;-+---- And music sounded in the sky in worship of The Tathagata, and heavenly choruses were heard to sing in worship of The Tathagata. Then The Blessed One addressed the venerable Anan- DEATH OF THE BUDDHA 17 da:— “The twin sal-trees, Ananda, have completely burst forth into broom, though it is not the flowering season; and the blossoms have scattered themselves over the body of The Tathagata:-- ++ But it is not by all this, Ananda, that The Tathagata is honored, esteemed, revered, worshiped, or venerated; but the priest, Ananda, or the priestess, or the lay disciple, or the female lay disciple, who shall fulfil all the greater and lesser duties, conducting himself with propriety and in accordance with the precepts, by him is The Tathagata honored, esteemed, revered, and worshiped with the best of worship. Accordingly, Ananda, train yourselves, and fulfil all the greater and lesser duties, and conduct yourselves with propriety and in accordance with the precepts.” Then The Blessed One addressed the venerable Anan- da;— “It may be, Ananda, that some of you will think, ‘The word of The Teacher is a thing of the past; we have now no Teacher.’ But that, Ananda, is not the correct view. The Doctrine and Discipline, Ananda, which I have taught and enjoined upon you is to be your teacher when I am gone. But whereas now, Ananda, all the priests add- ress each other with the title of ‘brother’, not so must they address each other after I am gone. A senior priest, Ananda, is to address a junior priest either by his given 18 BUDDHISM IN ENGLISH name, or by his family name, or the title of ‘brother;’ a junior priest is to address a senior priest with the title ‘reverend sir,’ or ‘venerable.’ Ifthe Order, Ananda, wish to do so, after Iam gone they may abrogate all the lesser and minor precepts. On Channa, Ananda, after I am gone, the higher penalty is to be inflicted.’ “Reverend Sir, what is this higher penalty?” “Tet Channa, Ananda, say what he likes, he is not to be spoken to nor admonished nor instructed by the priests.” Then The Blessed One addressed the priests:— “It may be, O priests, that some priest has a doubt or perplexity respecting either The Buddha or the Doctrine or the Order or the Path or the course of conduct. Ask any questions, O priests, and suffer not that afterwards ye feel remorse, saying, ‘Our Teacher was present with us, but we failed to ask him all our question,’”’ When he had so spoken, the priests remained silent. And a second time The Blessed One, and a third time The Blessed One addressed The priests:— “Tt may be, O priests, that some priest has a doubt ? And a third time the priests remained silent. Then The Blessed One addressed the priests:— “Tt may be, O priests, that it is out of respect to The Teacher that ye ask no questions. Then let each one speak to his friend.” And when he had thus spoken, the priests remained DEATH OF THE BUDDHA 19 silent. Then the Venerable Ananda spoke to The Blessed One as follows:— “It is wonderful, Reverend Sir! It is marvellous, Rev- erend Sir! Reverend Sir, I have faith to believe that in this congregation of priests not a single priest has a doubt or perplexity respecting either The Buddha or the Doctrine or the Order or the Path or the course of conduct.” “With you, Ananda, it is a matter of faith, when you say that; but with The Tathagata, Ananda, it is a matter of knowledge that in this congregation of priests not a single priest has a doubt or perprexity respecting either The Buddha or the Doctrine or the Order or the Path or the course of conduct. For of all these five hundred pri- ests, Ananda, the most backward one has become convert- ed, and is not liable to pass into a lower state of existence, but is destined necessarily to attain supreme wisdom,” Then The Blessed One addressed the priests:— “And now, O priests, I take my leave of you; all the constituents of being are transitory; work out your salva- tion with diligence.” —V. Warren, “Buddhism in Translation’ — BUDDHISM IN ENGLISH PART II CANONICAL CHAPTER VI THE THREE COUNCILS Buddhist tradition unanimously declares that a few weeks after the death of the master a great Council was held at Rajagriha, the capital of Magadha, and that there the rules for the monastic life, and also the discourses of the Buddha as contained in the Sutta Pitaka were rehearsed. All critical scholars agree that the story is unhistorical, and that the growth of the Canon 1s posterior to the death of the Buddha; but it is quite possible that the disciples assembled after the death of the founder to come to some agreement concerning the principal points of the creed and of the discipline, Very little is known about the history of the faith or of the community during the next two hundred years. Clearly the movement spread; the literature gradually took shape; and differences of opinion on matters of both faith and practice arose among the monks; but it is not possible to give any comprehensible outline of the events of those years. A tradition is found in the Canon that, one hund- THE THREE COUNCILS 21 red years after the death of the Buddha, a second Coun- cil was held at Vaisali, to examine and condemn ten illegitimate practices which the monks of that town claimed to have the right to follow, and a much later tradition declares that the Vinaya and Sutta Pitakas of the Canon were recited here also. Scholars are ready to believe that a Council was held to discuss certain points of discip- line and other questions, but the date remains quite un- certain, and the statements about the Canon are unhistorical. About two hundred years after the Buddha's death, however, light begins to fall on the history. Alexander’s raid into the Panjub led to a revolution and change of dynasty in Magadha and to the establishment, under Chandragupta, of the first empire ever known in India. The grandson of Chandragupta, the founder of the Maurya empire, was Acoka, one of the most remarkable monarchs the world has seen. He seemes to have reigned from 273 to 282 B.C. A few years after he became emperor he added Orissa by conquest to his empire. According to his own account, the slaughter and misery which the the conquest occasioned caused him such acute distress and repentance that he became a Buddhist and decided to wage no more war, Many scholars believe that at a later date he actually became a monk, at least for a short time. The conversion of Agoka made the fortune of Buddhism; for, being a man of conviction and energy, he set about 22 BUDDHISM IN ENGLISH using the wealth, authority, and influence of his great position for the spread of the religion which he had adopted. He spent vast sums from the imperial revenue in erecting Buddhist buildings. The use of stone for architecture and sculpture seems to have begun in India about this time. Consequently, the earliest stone buildings erected on the soil of India dowered the Buddhist faith with a magnificent series of artistic monasteries, temples, and relic-mounds. He sent out monks as missionaries of the faith throughout the length and breadth of India, and also to Ceylon, to Burmah, tothe Himalayas, to Afghanistan, and beyond. Great success followed both within and without the bounds of the empire. Ceylon became a Buddhist country, and along the southern slopes of the Himarayas, in Kashmir, and in eastern Afganistan the faith took firm root. The emperor also prepared simple sermons for his people and had them cut on rocks by the side of pilgrim and trade routes, or on monumental pillars set up in prominent places, so that he might preach to the millions of his subjects and his neighbours. Laws were made to compel men to live in closer accord with the Buddhist ideal; and Government officiais were required to help the imperial propaganda in the ordinary course of their duties. Tradition runs that a Council held at Patna during his reign for the settlement of several questions of faith and discipline, accepted the Tipitaka (Sanskrit Tripitaka), the Buddhist Canon in three baskets, Pitaka, or divisions, THE THREE COUNCILS 23 as under: 1. The Vinaya, or Discipline Basket, containing the rules for the life of monks and nuns. 2. The Suiza, or Sermon Basket, consisting in the main of dialogues and sermons. 3.