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And the brethren remained silent.17
Then the venerable nanda said to the Blessed One: "Verily, I believe that in this whole assembly of the brethren there is not one brother who has any doubt or misgiving as to the Buddha, or the truth, or the path!"18
Said the Blessed One: "It is out of the fullness of faith that thou hast spoken, nanda! But, nanda, the Tathgata knows for certain that in this whole assembly of the brethren there is not one brother who has any doubt or misgiving as to the Buddha, or the truth, or the path! For even the most backward, nanda, of all these brethren has become converted, and is assured of final salvation."19
Then the Blessed One addressed the brethren and said: "If ye now know the Dharma, the cause of all suffering, and the path of salvation, O disciples, will ye then say: 'We respect the Master, and out of reverence for the Master do we thus speak?'"20
The brethren replied: "That we shall not, O Lord."21
And the Holy One continued:22
"Of those beings who live in ignorance, shut up and confined, as it were, in an egg, I have first broken the eggshell of ignorance and alone in the universe obtained the most exalted, universal Buddhahood. Thus, O disciples, I am the eldest, the noblest of beings.23
"But what ye speak, O disciples, is it not even that which ye have yourselves known, yourselves seen, yourselves realised?"24
nanda and the brethren said: "It is, O Lord."25
Once more the Blessed One began to speak: "Behold[Pg 249] now, brethren," said he, "I exhort you, saying, 'Decay is inherent in all component things, but the truth will remain forever!' Work out your salvation with diligence!" This was the last word of the Tathgata. Then the Tathgata fell into a deep meditation, and having passed through the four jhnas, entered Nirvna.26
When the Blessed One entered Nirvna there arose, at his passing out of existence, a mighty earthquake, terrible and awe-inspiring: and the thunders of heaven burst forth, and of those of the brethren who were not yet free from passions some stretched out their arms and wept, and some fell headlong on the ground, in anguish at the thought: "Too soon has the Blessed One died! Too soon has the Happy One passed away from existence! Too soon has the Light of the world gone out!"27
Then the venerable Anuruddha exhorted the brethren and said: "Enough, my brethren! Weep not, neither lament! Has not the Blessed One formerly declared this to us, that it is in the very nature of all things near and dear unto us, that we must separate from them and leave them, since everything that is born, brought into being, and organized, contains within itself the inherent necessity of dissolution? How then can it be possible that the body of the Tathgata should not be dissolved? No such condition can exist! Those who are free from passion will bear the loss, calm and self-possessed, mindful of the truth he has taught us."28
And the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable nanda spent the rest of the night in religious discourse.29
Then the venerable Anuruddha said to the venerable nanda: "Go now, brother nanda, and inform the Mallas of Kusinr saying, 'The Blessed One has passed away: do, then, whatsoever seemeth to you fit!'"30
And when the Mallas had heard this saying they were grieved, and sad, and afflicted at heart.[Pg 250] 31
Then the Mallas of Kusinr gave orders to their attendants, saying, "Gather together perfumes and garlands, and all the music in Kusinr!" And the Mallas of Kusinr took the perfumes and garlands, and all the musical instruments, and five hundred garments, and went to the sla grove where the body of the Blessed One lay. There they passed the day in paying honor and reverence to the remains of the Blessed One, with hymns, and music, and with garlands and perfumes, and in making canopies of their garments, and preparing decorative wreaths to hang thereon. And they burned the remains of the Blessed One as they would do to the body of a king of kings.32
When the funeral pyre was lit, the sun and moon withdrew their shining, the peaceful streams on every side were torrent-swollen, the earth quaked, and the sturdy forests shook like aspen leaves, whilst flowers and leaves fell untimely to the ground, like scattered rain, so that all Kusinr became strewn knee-deep with mandra flowers raining down from heaven.33
When the burning ceremonies were over, Devaputta said to the multitudes that were assembled round the pyre:34
"Behold, O brethren, the earthly remains of the Blessed One have been dissolved, but the truth which he has taught us lives in our minds and cleanses us from all error.35
"Let us, then, go out into the world, as compassionate and merciful as our great master, and preach to all living beings the four noble truths and the eightfold path of righteousness, so that all mankind may attain to a final salvation, taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha."36
And when the Blessed One had entered into Nirvna, and the Mallas had burned the body with such ceremonies as would indicate that he was the great king of kings, ambassadors came from all the empires that at the time had[Pg 251] embraced his doctrine, to claim a share of the relics; and the relics were divided into eight parts and eight dgobas were erected for their preservation. One dgoba was erected by the Mallas and seven others by the seven kings of those countries, whose people had taken refuge in the Buddha.37
When the Blessed One had passed away into Nirvna, the disciples came together and consulted what to do in order to keep the Dharma pure and uncorrupted by heresies.1
And Upli rose, saying:2
"Our great Master used to say to the brethren: 'O bhikkhus! after my final entrance into Nirvna you must reverence and obey the law. Regard the law as your master. The law is like unto a light that shines in the darkness, pointing out the way; it is also like unto a precious jewel to gain which you must shun no trouble, and be ready to bring any sacrifice, even, should it be needed, your own fives. Obey the Dharma which I have revealed to you;[Pg 253] follow it carefully and regard it in no way different from myself.'3
