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Pliny complains that the people bestowed frankincense in heaps for the funeral pile of the dead, whilst they gave only a few crumbs when they made an offering in the temple. — Nat. Hist. xii. 18. t According to the Parinibb^ma-suttan, eight of the princes attempted to lift the sarcophagus, with the intention of carrring it to the southward of the city, but they were unable to remove it. This was caused by the d^was, who themselves conveyed it to a spot at the eastern side of the city. { The funeral pile erected by Alexander for Hephaestion was 130 oubits high ; and the cost of the whole funeral was more than 13,000 talents. — Died. Sic. xvii. 12. VII. LEGENDS OF g6tAMA BUDHA. 361 would not ignite ; and be informed them that no one but Maba- kasyapa had the power to bring about the ignition, and that therefore it was in vain to apply the fire until his arrivaL The princes enquired, '* Is that venerable personage dark or fair, tall or short, is he a powerful priest ? Should he be like our Budha, we shall have no loss from his attainment of nirwdna." At this time Maha-kdsjrapa was already on his way from P4w& to Kusin^ra ; and when the princes heard from what direction he was to be expected, they took flowers and lamps and went to meet him, whilst others prepared the road ; and all remained in anxious expectation. In due time he came, attended by 500 priests ; and after he had properly adjusted his robe by leaving one shoulder bare, he thrice perambulated the pyre,* in a reverent maimer, stopping at last in the direction where the feet of the sage were placed. Though tbe feet were enveloped in so many folds of cloth and cotton, he thought within himself, " May I once more see the glorious feet, and bow my head before them ;" and by the power of this wish, the feet appeared, emerg- ing from the pyre like the moon coming from behind a cloud ; when he stretched forth his hand, and laying hold of the feet bowed his head towards them, and did reverence.f All that were present, when they saw this miracle, called out in approba- tion ; and the 500 priests who accompanied Maha-k&syapa, with all the other priests who were present, worshipped the feet of Budha; not only so, but numberless dewas, brahmas, men, ndgas, supamnas, garundas, and gandh^rwas, joined in the adoration. After this the feet, without putting anything out of its place, or in any way disturbing the pyre, returned to their original position, like the moon passing behind a cloud. Neither the cloth nor the cotton, nor a drop of oil in the sarcophagus, nor any part of the sandal wood, was displaced ; all remained just as it was at first. When the feet had retired, like the rising of the sun or moon upon Hastdgiri, Ananda, and the rest of the * It is said that at the funeral rites for Patroclus, ** Thrice, in proceasioD, round th ooaiM thoy dnnre Tbeir oounen aleek.*"-— II. sxiii. 13. t ** Jast before a Jew is taken out of the house to be buried, the relatires and aoquaintaDoes of the departed stand round the coffin, when the feet are unct>Tered, and each in rotation lays hold of the two great toes, and begs pardon for anj offence given to the deceas)d, and requests a farourable mention of them in the next world." — The Jew. 362 A MANUAL OF BUDHISM. priests who were not rahats, the 60,000 princes of Malwa, and manj upasakas and npasikdwas, wept with aloud voice, and their grief was even greater than on the day when Bndha attained nirwilna ; bat the rahats appeased them hj repeating the fonr tmths and the three signs. By the power of the d^was, the pyre* ignited spontaneously. The skin, flesh, and veins of the body were entirely consumed, so that not even the ashes were left ; but the other parts of the body sent forth a delightful perfume, and afterwards remained like a heap of pearls. The principal relics were the four teeth, the two cheek-bones, and the skull. To extinguish the fire a rain came down from the sky,t gradually increasing in size, though at first it was merely like a mist ; water also arose from the earth, and was showered from the sal trees in the garden. Though the heat was so great, not a branch, or leaf, or flower, in the trees around was in the least scorched ; the ants, beetles, spiders, and other isnects in the wood, as the fire increased, were sent forth without harm, just as if a gentle breeze had borne them. The princes examined the ashes with rods made of ivory, searching everywhere, that the whole of the relics might be collected and preserved ; after which they were taken with a grand procession to the city, and deposited in one of the principal halls. The sacred spot was then orna- mented in a proper manner, and concentric circles of guards were placed around it. It was feared by the Malwa princes that when the other monarchs of Jambudwipa heard of the death of Budha they would send and take away the relics by force, which would be a great loss to their city ; and it was to guard them from such spoliation that the armies were placed. When the nobles of Bajagaha heard of what had taken place, they thought within themselves, " Among all those who are yet subject to birth, there is no one equal to Aj4sat, our king. When he hears of the death of Budba, his breast will cleave in two from * An old priest, who had trayelled extensivelT upon the continent of India, informed me that a hrand taken from this pjre was afterwards worshipped at Juggernaut. This remark is worthy of notice, as it is well known that the temple at this place is supposed, from the distinctions of caste being abolished by the pilgrims when within its precincts, to be of Budhisticfll origin, and that tne idol itself is "the coarsest image in the country." There are remains in Orissa which proTe that Budhism once pro- yailed extensively in that province. t When the vast pile of wood collected for the burning of Crcesus was already kindled, and the victim beyond the roach of human aid, Apollo sent a miraculous rain to preserve him. — Herod, i. 84 ; Ktesias, Feraica, c. 4. vn. LEGENDS OF g6tama budha. 363 the greatness of his grief. We mnst therefore try to save him from so great a calamity." They, therefore, prepared three coffers, in T^hich thej put many sweet substances. They then went to the king and said, after saluting him, ^* Sire, we have something to mention," and when he gave them permission to proceed, a noble, who had put aside his ornaments and cut ofE his hair, looked in the direction of Kusindra, and said, ''There is no one in the whole world free from death; Budha has attained nirwdna." The king, on receiving this announcement, fell down in a fit, but was instantly put into one of the coffers, when his breath was warmed by the ingredients, and he revived. After this he was put into the second coffer, when he so far recovered as to be able to ask, '* What was it you said ?" But when told, he again fell into a fit, and was only revived by being put into the third cofier. He loosed the hair that had been anointed by so many perfumes, and beat his breast with his royal hands, calling out, '' Oh my lord !" Like one distracted, he went into the street, attiended by his nobles and the 16,000 princesses of his palace, after which he visited every place near the city, in which Budha had been accustomed to say bana, in deep sorrow. Still striking his breast, he exclaimed, '' Here my lord said bana ; giving joy to the sorrow- ful, and to the joyful still greater joy ; it was thus that I received your sarana. You rejected the deceptive advantages of existence for the real benefits of nirwdna ; like the opening of a casket in which the most precious jewels are contained, so you opened your illustrious mouth, and the words of the bana proceeded from your heart." Weeping bitterly he proceeded, " Until this time I have heard of your going from place to place, attended by your priests ; now it is difierent." The king repeated the virtues of Budha in sixty stanzas, when he thus reflected : — '' It is of no benefit to indulge my sorrow in this manner ; the ruler of the world must have left relics ; I will go, and endeavour to secare some of them as my own." He, therefore, sent ambassadors to the Malwa princes with letters, of which this was the style : — " Most forfcunate princes, Budha was a king ; I also am a king.