The Final Journey (DA2)

The Buddha Announces His Parinirvāṇa

The Bhagavān remained in his homeland of Kuśinagara between a pair of trees in the sal forest. When his nirvāṇa was imminent, he told Ānanda, “Go to Kuśinagara and tell the Mallas, ‘Gentlemen, you should know that the Tathāgata will parinirvāṇa between a pair of trees in the sal forest in the middle of the night. You may go and ask question about what doubts you have and receive personal instruction from him. This is a good time to do it. Those who don’t go may regret it later.’

Accepting the Buddha’s instructions, Ānanda rose from his seat, bowed to the Buddha, and departed. Accompanied by another monk, they walked with tears streaming down their faces. When they entered Kuśinagara, they saw 500 Mallas who had gathered in one place for some minor reason.

Seeing Ānanda approach, the Mallas rose, bowed to him, and stood to one side. They said to Ānanda, “We don’t understand why venerables would come into the city at night. What are you doing here?”

With tears streaming, Ānanda said, “I wanted to benefit all of you, so I’ve come to tell you this, ‘You should know that the Tathāgata will parinirvāṇa in the middle of the night. You can go and ask about what doubts you have and receive personal instruction from him. This is a good time to do it. Those who don’t go may regret it later.’”

When the Mallas heard what he said, they lamented loudly. They twisted, turned, and fell to the ground. Some fainted and revived again, like a large tree with its root pulled up and limbs chopped off. They all shouted, “The Buddha has decided to be extinguished! How can it happen so soon? The Buddha has decided to be extinguished! How can it happen so fast? The multitude of beings will be in decline for a long time! The world will go blind!”

Ānanda then consoled the Mallas, “Stop, stop! Don’t lament! There’s nothing born in heaven and earth and that doesn’t die. The desire for this conditioned life to last forever is impossible. Doesn’t the Buddha say, ‘What comes together also falls apart, and what’s born surely comes to an end?’”

The Mallas said to each other, “Let’s go back home and bring our households and 500 bolts of white cloth to that pair of trees!”

After they had each returned home, they led their households carrying the white cloth to Kuśinagara. Arriving at that place between a pair of trees, they went to Ānanda. Ānanda saw them from afar and thought to himself, “That’s a lot of people. If they meet the Buddha individually, I’m afraid they wouldn’t all get a hearing before the Buddha’s extinguishment. Now, I’d better send them all at once to meet the Buddha early in the evening.”

He then led the 500 Mallas and their households to the Bhagavān. They bowed their heads at his feet and stood to one side. Ānanda then stood in front and introduced them to the Buddha: “So-and-so the Malla and his family has come to greet the Bhagavān and ask whether he’s doing well or not.”

The Buddha replied, “It’s good that all of you came. It will bring you long life without illness or pain.” Ānanda then brought the Mallas and their households forward to meet the Bhagavān.

The Mallas bowed their heads at his feet and sat to one side. The Bhagavān then taught them about impermanence, teaching, instructing, profiting, and delighting them. The Mallas listened to the Dharma and rejoiced. They then offered their 500 bolts of white cloth to the Bhagavān, and the Buddha accept them. The Mallas then rose from their seats, bowed to the Buddha, and departed.

The Liberation of Subhadra

There was a wanderer in Kuśinagara at the time named Subhadra. He was an 120-year-old elder with much wisdom. He heard that the ascetic Gautama was between a pair of trees that night and had decided to be extinguished. Subhadra thought, “I have some doubts about the Dharma that only Gautama could explain for me. Now would be the time to muster my strength and walk there.”

That evening, he left Kuśinagara and arrived at that place between a pair of trees and went over to Ānanda. After exchanging greetings, he stood to one side and said to Ānanda, “I heard that the ascetic Gautama has decided to be extinguished tonight, so I’ve come here to seek a meeting with him. I have some doubts about the Dharma that I hope a meeting with Gautama will resolve for me. Would he some time to see me?”

Ānanda replied, “Stop, Subhadra! Stop! The Buddha is physically ill and can’t be troubled.”

Subhadra repeated his request three times, “I’ve heard that a Tathāgata appears in the world only as often as an udumbara flower does. I have some doubts about the Dharma that I hope [meeting Gautama] will resolve for me. Would he have some time to see me?”

Ānanda answered him as he did the first time: “The Buddha is physically ill and can’t troubled.”

The Buddha then said to Ānanda, “Don’t stop him. Allow him to approach. His desire to settle his doubts is no trouble to me. If he listens to my teaching, he’ll surely comprehend it.”

Ānanda told Subhadra, “If you want to meet the Buddha, it’s up to you when to go.”

Subhadra then approached. After exchanging greetings, he sat to one side of the Buddha and said, “I have some doubts about the Dharma. Would you have some time to settle a problem for me?”

The Buddha said, “You may ask your question.”

Subhadra asked, “How is it, Gautama, that there are these different groups who declare their teachers to be Pūraṇa Kāśyapa, Maskalī Gośālīputra, Ajita Keśakambala, Kakuda Kātyāyana, Saṃjayin Vairūṭīputra, and Nirgrantha Jñātiputra. These teachers each have different teachings. Does the ascetic Gautama know them all or not all of them?”

The Buddha said, “Stop, stop! What’s the use of just discussing whether I know them all? I will teach you the profound and sublime Dharma now. Listen closely! Listen closely and consider it well!”

Subhadra accepted his teaching. The Buddha told him, “If the noble eightfold path is absent from a teaching, then the first fruit of the ascetic won’t exist, nor the second … third … fourth fruit of the ascetic. Subhadra, when the noble eightfold path is present in a teaching, the first fruit of the ascetic will exist, as will the second … third … fourth fruit of the ascetic. Subhadra, the noble eightfold path is present in my teaching, and it has the first fruit of the ascetic and the second … third … fourth fruit of the ascetic. These other religious groups don’t have these fruits of the ascetic.”

The Bhagavān then spoke to Subhadra in verse:

“When I was twenty-nine,
I left home to pursue the good path.
Subhadra, since I became a Buddha,
It’s now been fifty years.

I practiced precepts, samādhi, and wisdom,
Living alone and contemplating.
Now, I teach the essential Dharma;
Those other teachings have no ascetics.”

The Buddha told Subhadra, “If the monks keep themselves collected, then this world won’t be empty of arhats.”

Subhadra said to Ānanda, “Those who have practiced the religious life under the ascetic Gautama, who are practicing it, and who will practice it obtain a great benefit from it. Ānanda, you’ve practiced the religious life under the ascetic Gautama and obtained great benefit from it. Having gotten a personal meeting with the Tathāgata to ask about my doubts, I’ve also obtained great benefit from it. Now, the Tathāgata has given his assurance about his disciples in discerning this for me!”

He then said to the Buddha, “I’d better leave home now and accept the full precepts in the Tathāgata’s Dharma.”

The Buddha told Subhadra, “If a wanderer from another training [wishes to] cultivate the religious life in my Dharma, they are tested for four months to observe their conduct and scrutinize their temperament. Someone whose observances are complete without omission is then given the full precepts in my Dharma. Subhadra, it’s simply to know how a person acts.”

Subhadra again said, “Those from other religions and trainings will be tested for four months in the Buddha’s Dharma to observe their conduct and scrutinize their temperament. Those whose observances are complete without omission are given the full precepts. I would wait for four years in the Buddha’s Dharma with my observances complete and without any omissions to receive the full precepts.”

The Buddha told Subhadra, “As I said before, it’s simply to know how a person acts.”

That night, Subhadra left home, accepted the precepts, and purely cultivated the religious life. In the present life, he personally realized: “Birth and death have ended, the religious life has been established, and the task has been accomplished. I’ve obtained true knowledge that I’ll not be subject to another existence.” It wasn’t long after that night that he became an arhat. He was the last of the Tathāgata’s disciples to be extinguished before the Buddha was.

The Consolation of Ānanda

Ānanda was leaning against his seat behind the Buddha and crying uncontrollably. Weeping, he said, “How quick the Tathāgata’s extinguishment is! How swift the Bhagavān’s extinguishment is! How fast the great Dharma falls into obscurity! The multitude of beings will decline for a long time! The world will go blind! Why is that? I’ve benefited from the Buddha’s favor and obtained this ground of training, but I have yet to accomplish the task, and the Buddha is going to be extinguished!”

The Bhagavān knew this, so he asked, “Where is the monk Ānanda?”

The monks told the Tathāgata, “The monk Ānanda is leaning against his seat behind the Buddha and crying uncontrollably. Weeping, he says, ‘How quick the Tathāgata’s extinguishment is! How swift the Bhagavān’s extinguishment is! How fast the great Dharma falls into obscurity! The multitude of beings will decline for a long time! The world will go blind! Why is that? I’ve benefited from the Buddha’s favor and obtained this ground of training, but I have yet to accomplish the task, and the Buddha is going to be extinguished!’”

The Buddha told Ānanda, “Stop, stop! Don’t be sad! Don’t cry! Since you’ve been serving me, your physical conduct has been kind, peerless, and measureless. Your verbal conduct has been kind … Your mental conduct has been kind, peerless, and measureless. Ānanda, you’ve given these offering to me, the merits of which are enormous. The offerings given to gods like Māra and Brahmā or to ascetics and priests aren’t comparable to yours. If you simply make an effort, it won’t be long before you achieve awakening.”

The Bhagavān told the monks, “Buddhas of the past were served by disciples like Ānanda, and Buddhas in the future will be served by disciples like Ānanda. But the disciples who served Buddhas in the past understood them only after they were told. Now, my Ānanda understands when I raise my gaze: ‘The Tathāgata needs this. the Bhagavān needs that.’ This is Ānanda’s unprecedented quality. All of you, remember that.

“A noble wheel-turning king has four exceptional and unprecedented qualities. What are the four? [1] When the noble king travels, he uplifts the multitude of people, who look up to him. They rejoice when they see him, and they’re glad to hear his instruction. They look up at his majestic countenance without tiring of seeing it. When the noble wheel-turning king [2] stands … [3] sits … [4] lies down, the country’s ministers and people all come to the King. They rejoice when they see him, they’re glad to hear his instruction. They look at his majestic countenance without tiring of seeing it. These are four exceptional qualities of a noble wheel-turning king.

“Now, my Ānanda also has these four exceptional qualities. What are the four? [1] Ānanda quietly enters a group of monks, and that assembly rejoices. He teaches Dharma for that assembly, and they rejoice when they hear it. They observe his composure and listen to his Dharma teaching without tiring of him. Furthermore, Ānanda quietly goes to [2] an assembly of nuns … [3] assembly of laymen … [4] assembly of laywomen, and they rejoice when they see him. If he gives them a Dharma teaching, they rejoice when they hear it. They observe his composure and listen to his Dharma teaching without tiring of him. These are Ānanda’s four unprecedented and exceptional qualities.”

Ānanda’s Questions

Ānanda then bared his right shoulder and knelt on his right knee. He said to the Buddha, “Bhagavān, there are presently ascetic elders with much knowledge and who clearly understand the discourses and discipline. When those of pure virtue and exceptional conduct come to meet with the Bhagavān, I receive their reverence and personally meet and exchange greetings with them. After the Buddha’s extinguishment, they won’t come anymore, and I won’t have any meetings with his counterparts. How will it be the same?”

The Buddha told Ānanda, “Don’t be sad! Our kinsmen will always have four things they’ll remember. What are the four? First, they’ll remember the Buddha’s birthplace. Rejoicing and wanting to see it, remembering and not forgetting it, they’ll think of it fondly. Second, they’ll remember where the Buddha first awakened. Rejoicing and wanting to see it, remembering and not forgetting it, they’ll think of it fondly. Third, they’ll remember where the Buddha turned the Dharma wheel. Rejoicing and wanting to see it, remembering and not forgetting it, they’ll think of it fondly. Fourth, they’ll remember where the Buddha parinirvāṇa-ed. Rejoicing and wanting to see it, remembering and not forgetting it, they’ll think of it fondly.

“Ānanda, after I parinirvāṇa, those kinsmen and kinswomen will remember, ‘The Buddha’s virtue was thus when he was born.’ ‘His miraculous abilities were thus when the Buddha attained awakening.’ ‘The people he liberated were thus when the Buddha turned the Dharma wheel.’ ‘His bestowal of the Dharma was thus when the Buddha was about to be extinguished.’ After visiting each of those places and traveling to pay homage at those shrines, they’ll all be born in heaven when they die, aside from those who attain awakening.”

The Buddha told Ānanda, “After I parinirvāṇa, those of the Śākya tribe who come seeking awakening should be permitted to leave home. Confer onto them the full precepts. Don’t refuse them. When wanderers from different trainings come seeking awakening, permit them to leave home, too. Confer onto them the full precepts, and don’t test them for four months. Why is that? They have different theories. If they are delayed a while, they’re old views will arise again.”

Ānanda then knelt with his palms together in front of the Buddha. He said, “The monk Chanda is rude and obstinate. How shall we handle it after the Buddha’s extinguishment?”

The Buddha told Ānanda, “After I parinirvāṇa, if that Chanda’s behavior isn’t agreeable and he doesn’t accept admonishment, then you all should give him the silent treatment. Order the monks not to speak with him, visit him, teach him, or do chores with him.”

Ānanda again asked the Buddha, “After the Buddha parinirvāṇa-s, how should we handle women who come to receive instruction?”

The Buddha told Ānanda, “Don’t give them a [personal] meeting.”

Ānanda again asked, “Supposing we do meet with them, how should it be handled?”

The Buddha said, “Don’t talk with them [more than necessary].”

Ānanda again asked, “Supposing we do have a conversation with them, how should it be handled?”

The Buddha said, “You should restrain yourself. Ānanda, are you saying that after the Buddha parinirvāṇa-s you won’t be guarded anymore? That you’ll lose what you rely on? Don’t form this view. I became a Buddha to teach the discourses and precepts. They will be your guardian and what you rely on.

“Ānanda, starting today, I permit the monks to dispense with the minor rules. When the senior and junior monks call each other, they should follow the rules of propriety. This way, those who’ve left home will be dutiful.”

The Buddha Parinirvāṇa-s

The Buddha told the monks, “If you have any doubts about the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha or doubts about the path, you should be quick to ask about them. Now is the time to do it. Those who don’t may regret it later. While I’m still here, I will explain these things for you.”

The monks remained silent and didn’t say anything.

The Buddha again told them, “If you have any doubts about the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha or doubts about the path, you should be quick to ask about them. Now is the time to do it. Those who don’t may regret it later. While I’m still here, I will explain these things for you.”

The monks again remained quiet.

The Buddha again said, “If you don’t dare ask questions because you’re embarrassed, you should have someone you know quickly come and ask for you. Now is the time to do it. Those who don’t may regret it later.”

Again, the monks remained quiet.

Ānanda said to the Buddha, “I believe this is an assembly of pure faith. Not one of these monks doubts the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha or the path.”

The Buddha told Ānanda, “I know it myself, too, that the most junior of monks in this assembly sees the path. They aren’t headed for an unpleasant destiny, and they’re sure to reach the end of suffering in no more than seven rebirths.” It was then that the Bhagavān gave his assurance to 1,200 disciples that they would attain the fruit of the path.

The Bhagavān then pulled down his upper garment to expose one of his golden arms. He then told the monks, “You should observe that a tathāgata arises in the world only as often as the udumbara flower does!”

The Bhagavān then restated his meaning in verse:

“With his right arm’s purple gold,
The Buddha appears like the udumbara.
Past and future actions are impermanent,
They are ceased in the present with care.”

“Therefore, monks, don’t be careless! Because I wasn’t careless, I brought about perfect awakening and measureless virtues myself. It was also from carefulness that I realized the impermanent existence of all things. This is the Tathāgata’s final teaching.”

The Bhagavān then entered the first dhyāna. Emerging from the first dhyāna, he entered the second dhyāna. Emerging from the second dhyāna, he entered the third dhyāna. Emerging from the third dhyāna, he entered the fourth dhyāna. Emerging from the fourth dhyāna, he entered the abode of space samādhi. Emerging from the abode of space samādhi, he entered the abode of consciousness samādhi. Emerging from the abode of consciousness samādhi, he entered the abode of nothingness samādhi. Emerging from the abode of nothingness samādhi, he entered the abode with and without conception samādhi. Emerging from the abode with and without conception samādhi, he entered the cessation of conception samādhi.

Ānanda then asked Aniruddha, “Has the Bhagavān parinirvāṇa-ed?”

Aniruddha said, “Not yet, Ānanda. The Bhagavān is now in the samādhi of the cessation of conception. I once heard it personally from the Buddha that one parinirvāṇa-s when emerging from the fourth dhyāna.”

The Bhagavān then emerged from the samādhi of the cessation of conception and entered the samādhi of the abode with and without conception. Emerging from the samādhi of the abode with and without conception, he entered the samādhi of the abode of nothingness. Emerging from the samādhi of the abode of nothingness, he entered the samādhi of the abode of consciousness. Emerging from the samādhi of the abode of consciousness, he entered the samādhi of the abode of space. Emerging from the samādhi of the abode of space, he entered the fourth dhyāna. Emerging from the fourth dhyāna, he entered the third dhyāna. Emerging from the third dhyāna, he entered the second dhyāna. Emerging from the second dhyāna, he entered the first dhyāna. Emerging from the first dhyāna, he entered the second dhyāna. Emerging from the second dhyāna, he entered the third dhyāna. Emerging from the third dhyāna, he entered the fourth dhyāna. Emerging from the fourth dhyāna, the Buddha parinirvāṇa-ed.

At that moment, there was a great earthquake that terrified the gods and the world’s people. A radiance brighter than sun or moon’s light lit up even places of complete darkness. The beings there each saw each other in that great radiance. They said, “Other people live here! Other people live here!” That light was everywhere and greater than the light of the gods.

The Trāyastriṃśa gods in the sky scattered mandara flowers and udumbara, padma, kumuda, and puṇḍarīka flowers on the Tathāgata and then on the assembly. The gods also scattered sandalwood powder on the Buddha and on the great assembly.

Eulogies to the Buddha

After the Buddha parinirvāṇa-ed, the King of the Brahmā Heaven spoke in verse from up in the sky:

“All benighted living things
Will discard their aggregates.
The Buddha was the unsurpassed sage
Who had no equal in the world.

The Tathāgata, the great noble hero,
Had fearlessness and miraculous power.
The Bhagavān should’ve remained longer,
But now he has parinirvāṇa-ed.”

Śakra the Lord of Gods also composed a verse:

“Aggregates and actions aren’t permanent,
They’re simply things that arise and pass away.
There’s no one born who doesn’t die,
The Buddha’s cessation of this is happiness.”

King Vaiśravaṇa also composed a verse:

“Trees of fortune in a great forest,
Unsurpassed is the fortune of the sal.
The Excellent Field accepted offerings
And was extinguished between two trees.”

Aniruddha also composed a verse:

“Residing in the unconditioned,
The Buddha breathes no more.
Having come from quiescence,
His spiritual brilliance has disappeared.”

The monk Upamāna also composed a verse:

“It wasn’t with a negligent attitude
That he cultivated the higher wisdom.
Unattached and stained by nothing,
The unsurpassed sage renounced love.”

The monk Ānanda also composed a verse:

“Gods and humans felt fearful,
Had goosebumps under their clothes.
When all was accomplished,
The Perfectly Awakened was extinguished.”

The spirit Kumbhīra also composed a verse:

“The world has lost its guardian,
The masses left forever blind in the dark.
No more will they see the Perfectly Awakened,
The hero of humans, and lion of the Śākyas!”

Vajrapāṇi also composed a verse:

“In the present life and the next,
The Brahma world gods and humans
Will never again look upon
The hero of humans and lion of the Śākyas!”

The Buddha’s mother Māyā also composed a verse:

“The Buddha was born in Lumbini Park,
And his path was wide and flowing.
He returned to his homeland
And discarded this impermanent body forever.”

The spirit between that pair of trees also composed a verse:

“What season is this again?
Untimely flowers are scattered on the Buddha!
Possessing the virtue of the ten powers,
The Tathāgata chose extinguishment.”

The spirit of the sal forest also composed a verse:

“This is a land of marvelous delight,
For this is where the Buddha grew up.
Then, he turned the Dharma wheel
And went on to this extinguishment.”

The four god kings also composed a verse:

“The Tathāgata with unsurpassed wisdom
Always taught the theory of impermanence.
He freed the masses from their bonds of suffering,
And finally entered quiescence.”

The King of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven also composed a verse:

“For hundreds of thousands of millions of eons,
He sought to achieve the unsurpassed path.
He freed the masses from their bonds of suffering,
And finally entered quiescence.”

The King of the Yama Heaven also composed a verse:

“This was the final robe
Wrapped around the Tathāgata’s body.
The Buddha has been extinguished,
So where will his robe be donated?”

The King of the Tuṣita Heaven also composed a verse:

“This was his final body,
His aggregates and elements have ceased.
Without sorrowful or joyful notions,
He’s no longer troubled by old age and death.”

The King of the Nirmāṇarati Heaven also composed a verse:

“This was the Buddha’s last night
Laying there on his right side.
Here in the sal tree forest,
The lion of the Śākyas is extinguished.”

The King of the Paranirmitavaśavartin also composed a verse:

“The world is forever decaying in darkness,
The king of stars, the moon, has suddenly set.
Obscured by impermanence,
The great wisdom sun is forever blotted out.”

A certain monk also composed verses:

“This body being like a foam bubble,
How will something so fragile be happy?
The Buddha had attained the vajra body,
Which still was impermanent and changing.

The vajra bodies of buddhas
All return to impermanence, too.
They cease quickly like a little snow;
Why hope for anything else to remain?”

Paying Last Respects

The Buddha had parinirvāṇa-ed. The monks lamented his death. They threw themselves to the ground, twisting and crying loudly. They couldn’t control themselves. Sobbing, they said, “How quick the Tathāgata’s extinguishment was! How swift the Bhagavān’s extinguishment was! How fast the great Dharma falls into obscurity! The multitude of beings will decline for a long time! The world will go blind!”

They were like a large tree pulled up by the roots with its branches chopped off. They were like a cut snake that twists, turns, and writhes in a frenzy, not knowing where to go. The monks were likewise as they lamented his death. They threw themselves to the ground, twisting and crying loudly. They couldn’t control themselves. Sobbing, they said, “How quick the Tathāgata’s extinguishment was! How swift the Bhagavān’s extinguishment was! How fast the great Dharma falls into obscurity! The multitude of beings will decline for a long time! The world will go blind!”

The elder Aniruddha then told the monks, “Stop, stop! Don’t cry! There are gods above us. They might consider it strange and fault you for it!”

The monks asked Aniruddha, “How many gods are there above us?”

Aniruddha said, “They fill the sky. Who could count them all? They are roaming around the sky, distraught, crying, and beating their breasts. With tears streaming, they say, ‘How quick the Tathāgata’s extinguishment was! How swift the Bhagavān’s extinguishment was! How fast the great Dharma falls into obscurity! The multitude of beings will decline for a long time! The world will go blind!’

“They’re like a large tree pulled up by the roots with its branches chopped off. They’re like a cut snake that twists, turns, and writhes in a frenzy, not knowing where to go. The gods are likewise. They’re roaming around the sky, distraught, crying, and beating their breasts. With tears streaming, they say, ‘How quick the Tathāgata’s extinguishment was! How swift the Bhagavān’s extinguishment was! How fast the great Dharma falls into obscurity! The multitude of beings will decline for a long time! The world will go blind!’”

The monks discussed the teaching throughout the night until daybreak. Aniruddha told Ānanda, “Perhaps you should go to the city and tell the Mallas, ‘The Buddha has been extinguished. If you’d like to give offerings, now would be a good time to do it.’”

Ānanda got up, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, and then led another monk to the city, crying as they went. They saw a group of 500 Mallas gathered in one place for some minor reason. The Mallas saw Ānanda coming and they got up to watch him approached. After bowing at his feet and standing aside, they said to Ānanda, “Why have you come this morning?”

Ānanda replied, “Now, I’ve come here to benefit all of you. You should know that the Tathāgata was extinguished last night. If you’d like to give offerings, now is a good time to do it.”

After hearing him say this, all the Mallas lamented loudly. Wiping their tears, they said, “The Buddha parinirvāṇa-ed so fast! The world went blind so swiftly!”

Ānanda responded, “Stop, stop! Gentlemen, don’t cry! The desire for this conditioned life to not change is impossible. As the Buddha said before, ‘What’s born has its death, and what comes together also falls apart. All that we love is impermanent.’”

The Mallas then said to each other, “We each should return home, pick out fragrant flowers and musical instruments, and then go quickly to that pair of trees to give offerings to the Buddha’s remains! After a day, we’ll put his remains on a bed. Young Malla men will carry the bed at each corner. We’ll carry banners and parasols, burn incense, scatter flowers, and play music as offerings. We’ll enter the city’s east gate and pass through neighborhood after neighborhood so that people can give offerings. Afterward, we’ll exit through the west gate, take the bed to an elevated place, and cremate him there.”

Once they had had this discussion, the Mallas each returned to their homes and picked out fragrant flowers and musical instruments for their offerings. They then went to that place between a pair of trees to give offerings to the Buddha’s remains. After a day, his remains were placed on a bed, but when the Mallas [attempted to] lift the bed, none of them could manage it.

Aniruddha then said to the Mallas, “Stop, all of you! Don’t exhaust yourselves needlessly. The gods are going to lift the bed.”

The Mallas asked, “What do the gods have in mind? They’re going to lift this bed?”

Aniruddha said, “You were going to give offerings of fragrant flowers and music to the Buddha’s remains. After a day, you would place the remains on a bed and have young Malla men carry it at each corner. You would carry banners and parasols, burn incense, scatter flowers, and play music as offerings. You then would enter the city’s east gate and pass through neighborhood after neighborhood so that people can make offerings. Afterward, you would exit through the west gate, take the bed to an elevated place, and cremate him there.

“But the gods wish to leave his remains here for seven days to give offerings of incense, flowers, and music and to pay our respects. Afterward, the Buddha’s remains will be placed on a bed. Young Malla men will carry the bed at each corner. You’ll carry banners and parasols, scatter flowers, burn incense, and play music as offerings to his remains. You’ll enter the city’s east gate and go through neighborhood after neighborhood so that people can give offerings. Afterward, you’ll exit through the north gate, ford the Nairañjanā River, and go to the Heavenly Crown Temple. He’ll be cremated there. This is what gods above want, so they are not allowing the bed to be moved.”

The Mallas said, “Oh, that sounds good! We’ll follow the wishes of the gods.”

The Mallas then said to each other, “We should go to the city first and put the streets in the neighborhoods in order. We’ll sweep them and burn incense. Then, we can come back here to give offerings to his remains for seven days.”

The Mallas then went together to the city and put the streets in order, going from neighborhood to neighborhood. They swept up refuse and burned incense. When they were finished, they left the city and returned to the place between a pair of trees. They gave offerings of incense, flowers, and music to the Buddha’s remains. When the sun set after seven days had passed, they placed the Buddha’s remains on a bed. Young Malla men carried it at each corner. A crowd of Mallas carried banners and parasols, burned incense, scattered flowers, and played music. They followed the bed bearers in front and back, walking peacefully as they went.

The Trāyastriṃśa gods scattered mandara flowers, utpala flowers, padma flowers, kumuda flowers, puṇḍarīka flowers, and heavenly sandalwood powder onto the Buddha’s remains, such that it filled up the roadway. The gods played music, and yakṣa spirits sang songs.

The Mallas said to each other, “Let’s set aside our human music in favor of the music the gods are playing as offerings to the Buddha’s remains.”

The Mallas carrying the bed made their way to the city and entered the east gate. They stopped at intersections, where they burned incense, scattered flowers, and played music as offerings. There was then the Malla woman *Royī who was a believer in the Buddha’s path. She carried a gold flower in her hand as large as a cartwheel, which she gave as an offering to his remains.

There was an elderly grandmother who raised her voice in praise, “These Mallas will get a great reward! For the whole nation delights in giving the final offerings to the Tathāgata after his extinguishment!”

Interment of the Buddha

After the Mallas had given their offerings, they left through the north gate, forded the Nairañjanā River, and went to Heavenly Crown Temple. They placed the bed on the ground and told Ānanda, “What else should we give as an offering?”

Ānanda responded, “I personally heard this from the Buddha, personally received this instruction from the Buddha: When we inter his remains, it should be as a noble wheel-turning king is interred.”

Again, they asked Ānanda, “How is a noble wheel-turning king interred?”

He replied, “‘This is the way of interring a noble [wheel-turning] king: First, his body is bathed in fragrant water. He’s wrapped all around with fresh cotton. Next, he’s wrapped in 500 layers of cloth. His body is placed in a gold coffin and sesame oil is poured onto it. The gold coffin is lifted and placed in a second larger iron coffin. Sandalwood incense is next layered outside of that coffin. Firewood of many fragrances is piled on top of fine robes, and then he is cremated. When it’s done, his remains are placed in a shrine built at a crossroads. It’s exterior is hung with silks, and people from the country travel to see the Dharma king’s shrine. They think longingly about the correct teaching that benefited many people.

“‘Ānanda, when you inter me, first bathe my body in fragrant water and then wrap it all around with fresh cotton. Wrap it in 500 layers of cloth, place my body inside a gold coffin and pour sesame oil on it. Lift the gold coffin and place it in a second larger iron coffin. Next, layer sandalwood incense on the outside of that coffin. Pile firewood of many fragrances on top of fine robes, and then cremate me. When it’s done, place my remains in a shrine built at a crossroads. Hang its exterior with silks, and have people from the country travel to see the Buddha’s shrine. They’ll think longingly about the Tathāgata, the Dharma king, and his awakened teaching. While they’re alive, they will get merits and rewards, and they’ll be born up in heaven when they die, aside from those who attain awakening.’”

The Mallas then said to each other, “Let’s go back to the city and fetch the supplies for his interment, such as incense, flowers, cotton, coffins, fragrant oil, and white cloth.”

The Mallas then went to the city together, arranged the supplies for the interment, and returned to Heavenly Crown Temple. They bathed the Buddha’s body in fragrant water and then wrapped it all around with fresh cotton. They wrapped it in 500 layers of cloth, placed his body inside a gold coffin, and poured fragrant oil on it. They lifted the gold coffin and placed it in a second larger iron coffin. Next, they layered sandalwood on the outside of that coffin. They piled firewood of many fragrances on top of it.

Cremation of the Buddha

The great minister of the Mallas named *Royī carried a large torch and tried to light the Buddha’s firewood, but the fire wouldn’t start. Other prominent Mallas came forward to light the wood, but again the fire wouldn’t start.

Aniruddha then said to the Mallas, “Stop, stop! Gentlemen, you won’t be able to light it. The fire goes out and doesn’t burn because that’s what the gods want.”

The Mallas asked, “Why are the gods preventing the fire from lighting?”

Aniruddha said, “The gods would like Mahākāśyapa to bring 500 disciples from Pāvā. At the moment, they are halfway here on the road. Don’t cremate him yet. They want to look at the Buddha’s body. The gods know his wish, so they are preventing the fire from lighting.”

The Mallas again said, “Please let them get what they want.”

Mahākāśyapa then was leading those 500 disciples from Pāvā. As they walked on the road, they encountered a Nirgrantha carrying a mandara flower in his hand. When he saw the Nirgrantha, Mahākāśyapa stopped him and asked, “Where are you coming from?”

He replied, “I’m coming from Kuśinagara.”

Kāśyapa again asked, “Do you know about our teacher?”

“I do.”

“Do you know where he is?”

“It’s been seven days since his extinguishment. I am going there to give this heavenly flower.”

When Kāśyapa heard this, he became depressed and unhappy. When the other 500 monks heard the Buddha was extinguished, they cried loudly, twisting, turning, and wailing. They couldn’t control themselves. Wiping their tears, they said, “How quick the Tathāgata’s extinguishment was! How swift the Bhagavān’s extinguishment was! How fast the great Dharma falls into obscurity! The multitude of beings will decline for a long time! The world will go blind!” They were like a large tree pull up by the roots with its branches chopped off. They were like a cut snake that twists, turns, and writhes in a frenzy, not knowing where to go.

There was a Śākya man in his assembly named Upananda. He stopped the monks by saying, “Don’t be sad! The Bhagavān is extinguished. We’re free now! He was always saying, ‘You must do this; you mustn’t do that.’ From now on, we can do as we like.”

When Kāśyapa heard that, he was depressed and unhappy. He told the monks, “Quickly, get your robes and bowls. We’ll need to get to that pair of trees before he is cremated if we are to see the Buddha.”

When they heard what he said, the monks rose from their seats and followed Kāśyapa as he went to Kuśinagara. They forded the Nairañjanā River, arrived at Heavenly Crown Temple, and went to Ānanda. After exchanging greetings, they stood to one side. Kāśyapa said to Ānanda, “We would like to see the remains before he is cremated. Would it be possible to see him?”

Ānanda answered, “Although he hasn’t been cremated yet, it’ll be difficult to see him. Why is that? The Buddha’s body was bathed in fragrant water and then wrapped all around with fresh cotton. They wrapped it in 500 layers of cloth and placed his body inside a gold coffin, which was placed in an iron coffin. They layered sandalwood on the outside of that coffin. It’ll be difficult to view the Buddha’s body because of that.”

Kāśyapa made his request three times, and Ānanda answered as he did the first time: “… It will be difficult to view the Buddha’s body because of that.”

Mahākāśyapa went over to the fragrant firewood. He uncovered the Buddha’s feet inside the double casket, and they had changed color. Seeing that, Kāśyapa was shocked. He asked Ānanda, “The Buddha’s body is golden. Why have his feet changed?”

Ānanda replied, “There was an elderly mother earlier who was lamenting and touched the Buddha’s feet with her hand, and her tears were on them. That’s the only reason they changed color.”

Hearing this, Kāśyapa was even more unhappy. He went to the fragrant firewood and bowed to the Buddha’s remains. The fourfold assembly and the gods above also bowed together at the same time. Thereupon, the Buddha’s feet suddenly disappeared.

Mahākāśyapa circled the firewood three times and composed these verses:

“Buddhas are unparalleled,
Their noble wisdom is inestimable.
To the unequalled noble wisdom,
I now bow my head.

The unparalleled ascetic
Was supreme and flawless.
The Muni who broke the branch of craving,
That great sage is honored by gods and humans.
To the supreme hero of humans,
I now bow my head.

His ascetic practice had no counterpart,
He taught people to part with attachment.
He was unstained and undirtied;
I bow my head to the Unsurpassed Sage.

The three defilements being ended,
He was happy practicing in tranquility.
To the Peerless and Companionless,
I bow my head to the Ten-Powered Sage.

The Well Gone One was the highest,
The sage honored among bipeds.
Awakened to the calm of the four truths,
I bow my head to the Peaceful Sage.

Unsurpassed among ascetics,
He led the perverse to what’s right.
The Bhagavān having been extinguished,
I bow my head to the profound path.

Without passion and flawless,
His mind was tranquil and settled.
He removed the contaminants,
So I bow my head to the Undefiled Sage.

The Wisdom Eye had no limit,
And the Immortal had power and fame.
He was extraordinarily hard to conceive;
I bow my head to the Unequalled One.

Roaring like a lion,
He lived in the forest fearlessly.
He defeated Māra and transcended the four clans,
Therefore, I bow my head to him.”

Mahākāśyapa possessed great majesty and had perfected the four kinds of eloquence. After saying these verses, the Buddha’s firewood spontaneously ignited. The Mallas said to each other, “Now, the fire is burning fiercely! The fire grows so much, it’ll be difficult to stop; it’ll cremate his remains until they disappear! Perhaps we should douse it with water?”

Then, the spirit of the sal trees was in the firewood, and it believed in the Buddha’s path. It immediately used it’s miraculous power to douse the fire burning the Buddha’s firewood.

The Mallas again said to each other, “There are fragrant flowers for twenty yojanas left and right of Kuśinagara. We should collect all of them and offer them to the Buddha’s remains!” They immediately went to the city and picked those fragrant flowers to use as offerings.

Division of the Buddha’s Remains

The Malla people of Pāvā heard that the Buddha had parinirvāṇa-ed between a pair of trees. They thought to themselves, “Now, we ought to go and get a portion of his remains. Ours was his homeland, after all! We’ll build a shrine and give offerings to it.”

Those Mallas of Pāvā raised from their vassals a fourfold army consisting of elephant troops, horse troops, chariot troops, and foot troops. They went to Kuśinagara and sent an envoy. They said, “We’ve heard that the Buddha, the Bhagavān, stopped and has been extinguished. He was our teacher, too, and dear to our hearts. We are coming to request a portion of his bones. We will build a shrine in his homeland and give offerings to it.”

The King of Kuśinagara replied, “Yes, yes! Indeed, it’s as you say. However, it was in this land that the Bhagavān fell ill, and it was here that he parinirvāṇa-ed. The country’s officials and people gave their own offerings. You gentlemen have come from far away, but you cannot have a portion of his remains.”

Then, an assembly of Bula people from Calakalpa, an assembly of Kraudya people from Rāmagrāma, an assembly of Brāhmaṇa people from Viṣṇudvīpa, an assembly of Śākya people from Kapilavastu, an assembly of Licchavi people from Vaiśālī, and King Ajātaśatru from Magadha heard that the Tathāgata had chosen to parinirvāṇa between a pair of trees near Kuśinagara. They thought to themselves, “Now, we ought to go and seek a portion of his remains.”

The kings of these countries like Ajātaśatru then raised from their vassals fourfold armies consisting of elephant troops, horse troops, chariot troops, and foot troops, and they advanced to cross the Gaṅgā River. They ordered the priest Dhūmragotra, “Go to Kuśinagara in my name and put this question to the Mallas: ‘Has life been easy? Have your travels been difficult? We extend every respect to you gentlemen. We’re friendly neighbors who’re never in conflict. We’ve heard that the Tathāgata chose to parinirvāṇa in your country, sir. Only the unsurpassed sage was our true deity, so we’ve traveled from far away to request a portion of his bones. We’ll take them back to our homelands and build shrines for giving offerings to them. If you were to give this to us, it would enrich the whole country, and we’d share that with you, sir.’”

Accepting the king’s instruction, the priest Dhūmragotra went to that city and said to the Mallas, “The great king of Magadha asks immeasurably: ‘Has life been easy? Have your travels been difficult? We extend every respect to you gentlemen. We’re friendly neighbors who’re never in conflict. We’ve heard that the Tathāgata chose to parinirvāṇa in your country, sir. Only the unsurpassed sage was our true deity, so we’ve traveled from far away to request a portion of his bones. We’ll take them back to our homelands and build shrines for giving offerings to them. If you were to give this to us, it would enrich the whole country, and we’d share that with you, sir.’”

The Mallas replied to Dhūmragotra, “Yes, yes! Indeed, it’s as you say, sir. However, it was in this land that the Bhagavān fell ill, and it was here that he parinirvāṇa-ed. The country’s officials and people gave their own offerings. You gentlemen have come from far away, but you cannot have a portion of his remains.”

The kings of those countries then assembled their ministers, and held a discussion. They composed these verses:

“We’ve spoken peacefully,
Having traveled far and bowed.
We humbly asked for our portion,
But you won’t share them.

Our fourfold army is here;
They don’t begrudge their lives.
If we can’t get it with reason,
We’ll take it by force.”

The ministers of Kuśinagara assembled and held a discussion on the matter. They composed these verses in answer:

“You gentleman have traveled far,
And you’ve bowed in humility.
The Tathāgata’s remains,
We can’t bring ourselves grant you.

Those armies that you’ve raised
Are possessed by us as well.
They’ll fight to the death
Before they’ll have any fear.”

The priest Dhūmragotra announced to the assembly, “Gentlemen, we’ve accepted the Buddha’s instruction for so long. We’ve recited the Dharma’s words and our hearts follow his humane education. All sentient beings are constantly mindful of him and desire peace. Would they rather us fight over the Buddha’s remains and hurt each other? They would want the Tathāgata’s remains to be of broad benefit. We should simply divide his remains now.”

The assembly all hailed this as good, and they immediately discussed this: “Who is qualified to divide them up?”

They said, “The priest Dhūmragotra is a humane sage and balanced. We could have him divide them up.”

The kings then commanded Dhūmragotra, “You will divide up the Buddha’s remains equally into eight portions.”

Dhūmragotra heard the kings say this and went to the remains. He bowed his head to them deeply, and then picked up the Buddha’s upper teeth. He divided them and put them aside. He sent someone to deliver the Buddha’s upper teeth to King Ajātaśatru.

He told the courier, “Using my name, go up to the great king and say, ‘Has life been easy? Have your travels been difficult? Is the wait for the Buddha’s remains taking forever? Now, I’ve dispatched his courier to deliver the Tathāgata’s upper teeth. They are worthy of offerings. I hope that the dividing of the remains will be completed by the time the morning star rises. I will present them myself.’”

The messenger accepted Dhūmragotra’s statement and went to king Ajātaśatru. He said, “The priest Dhūmragotra has sent me to ask immeasurably, ‘Has life been easy? Have your travels been difficult? Is the wait for the Buddha’s remains taking forever? Now, I’ve been dispatched to deliver the Tathāgata’s upper teeth. They are worthy of offerings. I hope that the dividing of the remains will be completed by the time the morning star rises. I will present them myself.’”

Dhūmragotra then received one stone [weight of remains] and divided them with a jar. Once the eight portions were equal, he told the assembled people, “Using this vase, please see that the remains are being given out fairly. You can build your own shrines to house them and give offerings to them.”

They said, “That’s wise! When the time comes, we’ll permit the distribution together.”

Someone from the village of Pippala said to the assembled people, “I beg to have the charcoal from the ground. We’ll build a shrine and give offerings to it!”

“We’ll give it to you.”

The Eleven Shrines to the Buddha

The people of Kuśinagara received their share of the remains. They then built a shrine in their land and gave offerings to it.

The people of Pāvā, Calakalpa, Rāmagrāma, Viṣṇudvīpa, Kapilavastu, Vaiśālī, and King Ajātaśatru of Magadha received their shares of the remains. They each returned to their country, built a shrine, and gave offerings to it. The priest Dhūmragotra brought the vase for building a shrine. The person from Pippala took their portion to their land. They built a shrine to the charcoal of the cremation.

At the time, eight shrines were built for the Tathāgata’s remains, a ninth shrine for the vase, a tenth shrine for the charcoal, and an eleventh shrine for hair from the Buddha’s birth.

Final Eulogy

On what day was the Buddha born? On what day did he achieved awakening? On what day did he parinirvāṇa? He was born when the star Puṣya rose. He left home when the star Puṣya rose. He achieved awakening when the star Puṣya rose. He parinirvāṇa-ed when the star Puṣya rose.

When was the sage of bipeds born?
When did he escape the jungle of suffering?
When did he find the unsurpassed path?
When did he enter the city of nirvāṇa?

The sage of bipeds was born when Puṣya rose.
He escaped the jungle when Puṣya rose.
He found the unsurpassed path when Puṣya rose.
He entered the city of Nirvāṇa when Puṣya rose.

On the eighth day, the Tathāgata was born.
On the eighth day, the Buddha left home.
On the eighth day, he achieved awakening.
On the eighth day, he chose to parinirvāṇa.

On the eighth day, the sage of bipeds was born.
On the eighth day, he escaped the jungle.
On the eighth day, he found the unsurpassed path.
On the eighth day, he entered the city of nirvāṇa.

In the second month, the Tathāgata was born.
In the second month, the Buddha left home.
In the second month, he achieved awakening.
On the eighth day, he chose to parinirvāṇa.

In the second month, the sage of bipeds was born.
In the second month, he escaped the jungle.
In the second month, he found the unsurpassed path.
On the eighth day, he entered the city of nirvāṇa.

The sal flowers were blooming,
Shining with a all sorts of light.
In his original birthplace,
The Tathāgata chose to parinirvāṇa.

The Great Compassionate One’s parinirvāṇa Is praised and honored by many people. Having entirely forded terrible things, He decided to parinirvāṇa.

This sūtra is part of the Dharma Pearls translation project.

Prepared by Charles Patton for SuttaCentral.