根本說一切有部毘奈耶雜事

Volume Thirty-Eight

Continuation of the account of the Parinirvana.

At that time, in the city of Kusinagara, there was a one-hundred-and-twenty-year-old adherent of an outside path named Subhadra, whose body was old and frail. The Mallas of Kusinagara all revered and honored Subhadra, made offerings to him, and regarded him as an arhat. Near the place where the brahmin Subhadra usually dwelt was a large lotus pond named Mandacir. On its bank stood an udumbara tree.

Long ago, while the bodhisattva was still dwelling in the Tusita Palace, when he assumed the form of a white elephant and entered his mother's womb, buds first appeared upon the udumbara tree. At his birth, the tree emitted light. During his youth, its blossoms emerged.

When, disillusioned with old age, sickness, and death, he went deep into the mountains, the blossoms gradually grew, becoming like vultures' beaks. While he practiced austerities, the blossoms appeared luxuriant. When he abandoned austerities and resumed eating and drinking—as related previously, up to the time he attained Complete and Perfect Awakening—the blossoms opened.

When Brahma invited the Buddha to go to Varanasi and turn the Wheel of Dharma, the tree and its blossoms shone with fresh, splendid radiance, and their exquisite fragrance pervaded everywhere. After the Buddha, out of great compassion, had delivered all sentient beings in this world who possessed the appropriate conditions, and then went to Kusinagara and lay down for the final time, the tree and its blossoms withered in form and color.

All who saw them were astonished and lamented.

Seeing this transformation in the tree, Subhadra thought, "Surely some calamity is about to befall the city of Kusinagara."

At that time, a guardian deity of the realm proclaimed loudly to everyone:

– At midnight tonight, the Tathagata will enter nirvana without remainder.

Upon hearing this, Subhadra thought, "How grievous! How painful! The great ascetic Gautama will surely enter nirvana at midnight tonight. Yet I still harbor doubts concerning the Dharma I have attained and have often wondered when and by what means I might meet him and ask about what I have not yet understood. Alas, before long the Dharma-eye will be no more. Therefore, I must go personally at once and question him. If the Great Compassionate One mercifully resolves my doubts, I shall clearly understand all that still perplexes me."

Having reflected thus, Subhadra left the city of Kusinagara and went to the Grove of Twin Sala Trees.

Seeing that the sun of the Buddha was about to set, Ananda, overcome with sorrow, was walking back and forth upon the open ground before the monastery gate. Seeing him, Subhadra approached and asked:

– Venerable Ananda! I have heard that the ascetic Gautama possesses omniscience and delivers sentient beings impartially. Yet I still have doubts concerning the Dharma I have attained and have always wished to hear what I do not know, but until now my wish has not been fulfilled.

Today I heard the devas announce that the Tathagata will certainly enter nirvana tonight. Venerable sir, could you obtain permission for me to meet the Buddha and ask him about these doubts?

Ananda said to Subhadra:

– You should not speak so, for you would disturb the Blessed One. My Teacher is presently weary and unwell.

Although Subhadra made this request three times, permission was not granted. He then said:

– Venerable Ananda, I once heard virtuous and well-disciplined brahmin seers say, "The appearance of Buddhas in the world is like the blossoming of the udumbara flower: only once in hundreds of millions of kalpas does one appear." Today the Tathagata will certainly enter nirvana. I remain deluded and wish to question him. Venerable sir, please obtain permission for me to meet the Buddha; that would indeed be most fortunate.

Ananda said:

– Subhadra, my Teacher's body is now extremely weary and ill at ease. You must not disturb him.

Three times Subhadra earnestly pleaded as before, but the venerable one still did not consent. While Ananda and Subhadra were conversing before the monastery, the Blessed One, with his purified, superhuman divine ear, heard every word clearly and said to Ananda:

– You must not hinder Subhadra. Allow him to meet me and ask whatever he wishes. Why is this? Subhadra is the last adherent of an outside path to whom I shall teach the Dharma and inspire pure faith. I shall personally summon and welcome him and accept him as a disciple.

Hearing that the Buddha had compassionately granted permission, Subhadra's heart overflowed with joy. He went to the Blessed One, exchanged greetings with him, then sat to one side and said:

– Gautama, please permit me to ask a question and answer it for me.

The Buddha said:

– Brahmin, ask whatever you wish.

He asked:

– Gautama! I have studied the various outside paths. Each establishes its own doctrine, such as Purana Kasyapa, Maskarin Gosaliputra, Samjayin Vairatiputra, Ajita Kesakambaliputra, Nirgrantha Jnatiputra, and others. Each of these teachers expounds the distinctive tenets of his own school. Which of them is correct?

The Blessed One spoke these verses to Subhadra:

– At twenty-nine years of age,

I went forth to seek the wholesome Dharma.

For more than fifty years,

I practiced morality, concentration, and wisdom,

Single-mindedly, without distraction,

Seeking only the truth.

Apart from this true Dharma,

No ascetic is found among the outside paths.

Having spoken these verses, the Blessed One said to Subhadra:

– This is the Noble Eightfold Path taught by the Buddhas. It is exceedingly rare and exceedingly difficult to encounter. Apart from this Dharma, it is impossible to seek and attain the first, second, third, or fourth fruit of the ascetic life. Therefore, one must seek the fruits of the ascetic life through the Noble Eightfold Path within this perfectly proclaimed Dharma and discipline, for they will certainly be attained.

Furthermore, Subhadra, because the ascetics and brahmins of the outside paths have departed from the Noble Eightfold Path, they are all bound by their own views. Thus they assert that throughout the three periods of time there are neither causes nor effects, and that all merit cultivated through practice is false and fruitless. Therefore, among those ascetics and brahmins, I have uttered the lion's roar that all who cultivate in accordance with the true Dharma attain the fruits of the Path.

When the Buddha taught this Dharma, the brahmin Subhadra became free from dust and defilement and attained the pure Dharma-eye. He acquired unshakable faith in the true Dharma, crossed the river of craving, shattered the net of doubt, and penetrated the wondrous Dharma. Rising from his seat, he arranged his robes, joined his palms toward the venerable Ananda, and said:

– It is indeed difficult to gain an opportunity to question the revered Great Teacher. Through you, venerable sir, I have obtained complete benefit and have been fortunate enough to encounter the unsurpassed Dharma King, the supreme anointed sovereign among teachers. Through his power, I have attained realization. I now also wish to go forth and receive full ordination in the well-proclaimed Dharma and discipline, attain the status of a bhiksu, and cultivate the ascetic life.

The venerable Ananda said to the Buddha:

– Blessed One, Subhadra has now heard the Dharma and attained clear understanding. His heart desires to go forth and attain the status of a bhiksu. May the Blessed One compassionately deliver him.

The Blessed One said to Subhadra:

– Excellent! Come, bhiksu, and cultivate the holy life.

Immediately after the Buddha spoke these words, Subhadra became fully endowed with dignified deportment. He went forth, received full ordination, and attained the status of a bhiksu. Single-minded, courageous, and heedful, he contemplated why good men shave off their hair and beards, don Dharma robes, and, with true faith, leave the household life to cultivate the holy life in the unsurpassed Path and Dharma. In this very life, he directly realized: "Birth is ended; the holy life has been established; what had to be done has been done; there will be no further existence."

When he aroused his mind and contemplated with such thorough insight, Subhadra immediately attained the fruit of arhatship. Having attained liberation of mind, Subhadra thought: “I cannot bear to behold the Buddha enter nirvana. I should therefore enter cessation first.”

Having thought thus, Subhadra approached, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, sat to one side, and addressed the Buddha:

– Venerable Blessed One! I ask to enter nirvana first.

The Buddha said to Subhadra:

– Will you enter nirvana at this very moment?

He replied:

– Yes, Venerable One.

After asking him three times, the Buddha said:

– All conditioned phenomena are impermanent. You have determined the time for what you intend to do; what more can I say?

As he was about to enter nirvana, Subhadra thought: “I should establish five empowering resolutions before passing into cessation. When people come to view my body, they shall all see that I have shaved off my hair and beard and am wearing the sanghati; they must not see me in the appearance of a non-Buddhist ascetic. When the non-Buddhist ascetics come to carry me away, they shall be unable to move my body; only my fellow practitioners of the holy life shall be able to carry it.

When my body is placed in water to be washed, the feet of the non-Buddhist ascetics shall be unable to reach the bottom; my fellow practitioners of the holy life shall be able to wash my body. When the non-Buddhist ascetics enter the water, they shall be harassed by fish and turtles and find no peace, but my fellow practitioners of the holy life shall suffer no harm. The non-Buddhist ascetics shall be unable to cremate my remains, but my fellow practitioners of the holy life shall be able to kindle the fire.”

Having directed his mind toward these five empowering resolutions, he entered nirvana.

When they heard that the brahmin Subhadra had entered nirvana, the non-Buddhist ascetics brought various kinds of music, banners, streamers, and parasols and went to the city of Kushinagara. At a crossroads, they told the people:

– You should know this! The Great Shramana Gautama often declares that only within his teaching are there the Noble Eightfold Path and the fruits of shramanahood, and that they do not exist among non-Buddhist ascetics ... as explained fully before ... even to the point of uttering the lion’s roar. Yet the great teacher Subhadra, a fellow practitioner of the holy life in our teaching, has also attained nirvana. How is he any different from them?

The bhikshus said:

– If you say that this man was one of your companions, you may carry him away as you please.

Many non-Buddhist ascetics came together and tried to lift him, but they could not even move him, much less carry him away. The bhikshus said:

– If you cannot do it, leave it to us.

They replied:

– As you please.

When the bhikshus carried him away, the non-Buddhist ascetics could only remain silent.

Furthermore, when the non-Buddhist ascetics came to the pond to wash him, the bhikshus said:

– Wash the body of your fellow practitioner of the holy life.

They stepped into the water, but their feet could not reach the bottom of the pond, and they were harassed by fish and turtles. The bhikshus, however, suffered no such trouble.

The bhikshus again said:

– If this man was your fellow practitioner of the holy life, cremate him yourselves.

Although the non-Buddhist ascetics tried to light the pyre, the fire would not catch.

At that time, all the people reproached them together, and the non-Buddhist ascetics bowed their heads in shame and departed.

Seeing such a wondrous event, the Malla warriors of Kushinagara became still more reverent toward the Blessed One. With minds of pure faith and loving devotion, they said:

– The greatly compassionate Blessed One is lying down for his final rest. His present body is afflicted by illness, and his limbs are ill at ease; nevertheless, he still taught the Dharma to Subhadra, enabling him swiftly to attain the fruit of arhatship, and also brought excellent benefit to the Malla warriors of Kushinagara.

At that time, the bhikshus all had doubts and addressed the Blessed One:

– Although the Tathagata’s present body is afflicted by illness and his limbs are ill at ease, he still enabled the brahmin Subhadra to escape the ocean of birth and death, attain the fruit of arhatship, reach ultimate nirvana, and bring all suffering to an end.

The Buddha told the bhikshus:

– You should know that this is not extraordinary. I have now eradicated the three fundamental poisons and am liberated from birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and affliction. Endowed with omniscience and complete mastery in all realms, it is not difficult for me to free Subhadra from the ocean of birth and death, bring him to the ultimate end, and enable him to attain nirvana. In the past, while I was still wandering in birth and death, fully possessed of greed, hatred, and delusion, and had not yet eliminated birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, suffering, and affliction, I dwelt in the body of an ignorant animal, yet still relinquished my body and life for the sake of the brahmin Subhadra and the Malla warriors of Kushinagara. Listen carefully as I recount it ... Long ago, in a vast mountainous wilderness, there was a wise deer king who could foresee the proper occasion. He lived in the forest with a herd of one thousand deer. Hunters discovered the place where the deer lived and reported it to the king. The king ordered his soldiers to surround and capture them. The deer king thought: “If I do not save this herd, they will certainly be killed by the hunters.”

Surveying the four directions, the deer king thought: “What means can I employ to save this herd from disaster?” He saw at the foot of the mountain a gorge through which a swift stream flowed out of the valley. Lacking strength, the herd could not wade across it. The deer king stepped down and stood crosswise in the current, then cried aloud: “Come here quickly!

Climb from this bank onto my back and run across to the other bank, and you will escape death. If you do not, you will all be killed.” Thus, one after another, the deer trod upon the deer king’s back, crossed the swift current, and escaped disaster. Trampled by the hooves of the herd, the skin and flesh on the deer king’s back were entirely torn away, exposing his spine.

Although in great pain, the deer king remained steadfast and endured it, allowing the herd to cross safely. He continued to look back with concern to see whether any deer remained behind. There was one fawn in the herd that could not cross.

Although suffering intense pain, the deer king, moved by loving compassion and heedless of his own body, emerged from the gorge, supported the fawn and placed it upon his back, then crossed to the opposite bank. Looking everywhere and knowing that the entire herd had crossed, the deer king, his strength exhausted and his death approaching, made this vow:

– Without cherishing my body or life, I have rescued this herd of deer and this fawn from calamity. May I, in a future life, upon attaining perfect and complete awakening, deliver them from the net of birth and death and bring them to the ultimate state of sublime nirvana.

The Buddha told the bhikshus:

– What do you think? Do not entertain any other notion. The deer king at that time was none other than I myself; the herd of deer is now the Malla warriors of Kushinagara; and the fawn is now Subhadra.

Furthermore, bhikshus, when I still bore the body of an ignorant animal, my breathing was failing, I endured many sufferings, and the skin and flesh of my body were torn apart, yet I still rescued Subhadra and brought him to safety. Listen carefully. Long ago, in Varanasi, there was a king named Brahmadatta, who governed the realm according to the Dharma, as extensively related in the sutras. The king possessed a Wise Horse that could foresee events before they occurred, and therefore neighboring kingdoms came to offer tribute. When the Wise Horse died, the lesser kings sent envoys to deliver this message:

– King Brahmadatta, collect taxes and distribute them among us; otherwise, you shall not be permitted to leave the city. If you disobey this command, we shall come together and destroy your kingdom.

The king told the envoys:

– I shall neither pay tribute nor leave the city.

The king searched throughout his realm and later obtained another Wise Horse from elsewhere. At the beginning of spring, the trees grew luxuriantly, and the birds sang resoundingly, creating a most delightful scene. Mounted upon the Wise Horse, the king went with the women of the inner palace to roam through a flower garden, joyfully taking their pleasure.

Hearing that King Brahmadatta, together with his officials and the women of his inner palace, was traveling outside the city without apprehension and had not yet returned, the lesser kings conferred among themselves, then led their fourfold armies to the city gates.

A chief minister addressed the king:

– The minor kings do not respect Your Majesty’s commands. They have dared to raise armies in rebellion and have come knocking at the city gates. Please make preparations.

Hearing this report, the king ordered the Wise Horse:

– Lead forth the four divisions of the army. I shall personally go and suppress the rebels.

The king then led out his army and pledged before everyone to fight the enemy. Relying on his own might, the king advanced alone at the forefront. His horse was struck by an enemy spear, and its entrails protruded from its body. The pain and suffering were unbearable, and it was on the verge of death. The horse thought, “The king is in mortal peril. If I do not save him, I shall truly betray the righteous way. I must therefore endure this agony, rescue the king from danger, and carry him back through the city gates to safety.”

Having thought thus, the horse looked all around but saw no way into the city. Outside the city, however, near the royal palace, there was a great moat called Wondrous Brahma. Throughout its waters grew four kinds of lotuses—blue, yellow, red, and white. Paying no heed to its own life, the Wise Horse leapt into the moat and raced across the lotus leaves, carrying the king out of danger and straight into the palace. As soon as the king dismounted, the horse died.

When the minor kings fought their way into the garden, they searched everywhere but could not find the king. They therefore led their armies in plundering raids and then returned to their own countries.

Having escaped disaster and preserved his life, King Brahmadatta asked the ministers and the people of Varanasi:

– If someone saved the life of a consecrated kshatriya king, how should that kindness be repaid?

The ministers replied that half the kingdom should be given to that person. The king said:

– This Wise Horse saved my life, but it has now died. How, then, can I repay it?

The ministers replied:

– An extraordinary White Lotus Assembly should be held for the Wise Horse. Abundant alms should be given and meritorious deeds cultivated to aid the Wise Horse on its journey after death.

The king replied:

– Excellent. Carry this out at once.

The king then commanded the crown prince and the women of the inner palace, while the officials ordered the people, to adorn all the crossroads and arrange incense, flowers, banners, canopies, and bright lamps everywhere throughout the assembly grounds, making them as delightful and pleasing as the Garden of Joy. The king ordered drums to be beaten to proclaim far and near:

– Tomorrow, for the sake of the Wise Horse, I shall hold an extraordinary White Lotus Assembly at the crossroads. Inform one another and gather together at the assembly grounds to receive my offerings.

At the appointed time, everyone assembled and was provided with whatever they desired according to their needs. O bhikshus, what do you think? The Wise Horse at that time was none other than I myself. For the sake of that king, I endured every kind of suffering; though my body was shattered, I gave no thought to my own life and rescued the king from danger.

The bhikshus then had another doubt and asked the Blessed One:

– Venerable Sir, what karma did the venerable Subhadra create that he has now become the Master’s final disciple?

The Buddha told the bhikshus:

– You should know that he is now experiencing the result of karma he previously created ... as explained extensively elsewhere, up to the recitation of the verse ... O bhikshus, in the past, during this Fortunate Aeon, when human beings had a lifespan of twenty thousand years, a Buddha named Kasyapa, endowed with the ten epithets, appeared in the world and dwelt in the Deer Park at the Place Where the Seers Descended in Varanasi. The Blessed One had a maternal nephew named Asoka who went forth in search of liberation. Believing that the fruit of liberation would be attained naturally, he did not diligently cultivate the Noble Eightfold Path. Thus, although he had long been ordained, he had attained no fruit, and he wandered among the people, entering the rains retreat wherever he pleased.

At that time, the Tathagata had completed the liberation of those with the necessary conditions, and his work had been fulfilled. Like a fire extinguished when its fuel is exhausted, he was about to enter nirvana at midnight. The bhikshu was then beneath an Asoka tree. When the tree deity heard that the Tathagata Kasyapa was about to enter nirvana, the deity wept sorrowfully, and its tears fell and moistened the tree trunk. Looking upward, the bhikshu asked the deity:

– Why are you weeping so?

The tree deity replied:

– At midnight tonight, the Buddha Kasyapa will enter nirvana.

Hearing this, the bhikshu was overwhelmed by pain and sorrow, as though an arrow had pierced his heart, and he wept and cried aloud.

The tree deity asked:

– Why are you grieving and weeping so?

He replied:

– The Tathagata Kasyapa, the Arhat, the Perfectly Awakened One, is my maternal uncle. Although I took refuge under him, I did not diligently cultivate the path. That place is very far away, and it is truly difficult to go and pay homage to him. As an ordinary person, I lack the power to reach him swiftly, and therefore I grieve and weep.

The tree deity said:

– I have the power to take you there swiftly, but I do not know what benefit you would gain from seeing the Buddha.

The bhikshu replied:

– My resolve is very strong. If I can see the Buddha, I shall certainly cultivate according to his teaching and attain the fruit.

Using divine power, the tree deity swiftly brought the bhikshu before the Buddha. After seeing the Buddha, the bhikshu gave rise to a mind of purity and made a great vow. In accordance with his faculties, the Blessed One taught him the wondrous Dharma, enabling him to attain the fruit of arhatship. Yet because he could not bear to witness the Buddha entering nirvana, he entered final cessation first.

Seeing the Blessed One and the bhikshu enter final cessation in this way, the tree deity felt devoted attachment and thought, “This venerable one attained the supreme fruit through my assistance. By the merit of this deed, in a future life, when—just as Buddha Kasyapa predicted for the young brahmin—human beings have a lifespan of one hundred years and he becomes a Buddha named Sakyamuni, may I attain the fruit beyond training of a sravaka when that Buddha is about to enter nirvana, and may I pass into final cessation before him.”

O bhikshus, what do you think? That deity is now Subhadra. For this reason, at all times you should keep far away from evil friends and associate closely with good friends. You should train in this way.

At that time, the venerable Ananda said to the Buddha:

– Blessed One, while in a secluded place, I reflected that spiritual friendship constitutes half of the holy life. Those who practice and attain accomplishment do so through the power of good friends; by having good friends, they separate themselves from evil friends. For this reason, it may be understood that spiritual friendship is half of the holy life.

The Buddha said:

– Ananda, do not say that spiritual friendship is half of the holy life. Why is this? Spiritual friendship is the whole of the holy life. Through good friends, one separates oneself from evil friends, commits no evil deeds, and constantly cultivates entirely pure and wholesome qualities, thereby fully perfecting the character of the holy life. For this reason, whoever encounters and lives together with good friends can easily attain nirvana; therefore, spiritual friendship is called the whole of the holy life. Why is this? Ananda, through being a spiritual friend, I enable sentient beings to gain liberation from birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and distress. Were they separated from spiritual friendship, this could not occur. Ananda, you must train in accordance with my teaching.

The Buddha further told the bhikshus:

– For the reason stated above, from this time onward, followers of other paths should not hastily be admitted to the going forth and full ordination, except for members of the Sakya clan and matted-haired fire-worshiping ascetics. If they come wearing the garments of followers of other paths and request the going forth and full ordination, they may be accepted if, upon examination, they are found to have none of the disqualifying impediments. Why is this? The Sakyas are my kinsmen and possess the necessary conditions. Fire-worshipers teach that karma has efficacy, that there are causes and conditions, and that diligent effort bears fruit. Such people need not undergo a probationary period of communal residence but should immediately be granted the going forth and full ordination. When other followers of non-Buddhist paths come seeking the going forth and full ordination, their preceptor should provide them with robes and the Sangha’s daily food and require them to dwell in probation for four months. Only after observing that their nature and conduct have become gentle and amenable to instruction should they be granted the going forth and full ordination. You should understand this accordingly.

Furthermore, O bhiksus, whatever teachings can foster benefit and well-being in the present and the future, you should receive and retain them, read and recite them, and expound them to others. Do not allow them to be forgotten. Thus the holy life will long endure in the world, bringing peace and happiness to gods and humans and benefiting all sentient beings.

These teachings are: sutra, geyya, vyakarana, gatha, udana, nidana, itivrttaka, jataka, vaipulya, adbhuta-dharma, avadana, and upadesa. Whoever receives and retains these twelve divisions of the teaching, reads and recites them, and practices in accordance with what has been taught will obtain benefit and well-being in the present and the future ... and so forth ... compassionately caring for all beings and causing the Buddha-Dharma to remain in the world for a long time.

O bhiksus, after I have entered nirvana, if any bhiksu thinks, “Now I no longer have a Great Teacher,” he should relinquish that notion. I have prescribed that every half-month you recite the Pratimoksha discipline. It shall be your Great Teacher and your refuge, no different from My remaining in the world.

Furthermore, from this day onward, junior bhiksus must not address their seniors by their personal or family names, but should call them “Venerable Sir” or “Long-lived One.” An elder bhiksu should call a younger bhiksu “Long-lived One.” Senior bhiksus should lovingly protect their juniors with a mind of loving-kindness, providing them with robes, bowls, bowl bags, and waistbands so that they lack nothing, or instructing them in reading, recitation, and meditative contemplation so that they increasingly benefit day by day. In this way My teaching will flourish ever more; if they act otherwise, the teaching will swiftly perish.

Furthermore, O bhiksus, upon this earth there are four places that men and women of pure faith should constantly remember throughout their lives and toward which they should maintain a reverent mind. These four places are:

One: The place where the Buddha was born.

Two: The place where the Buddha attained perfect enlightenment.

Three: The place where the Wheel of Dharma was turned.

Four: The place where the Buddha entered great nirvana.

Those who frequently visit these four places and personally pay homage there, or who face toward them and pay homage with sincere mindfulness, give rise to pure faith, and constantly maintain it in this way, will certainly be reborn in the heavenly realms after death.

(Master Yijing personally visited the places where the Tathagata dwelt during the more than fifty years of His lifetime. There are eight such places: One: The place of His birth; Two: The place where He attained enlightenment; Three: The place where He turned the Wheel of Dharma; Four: Vulture Peak; Five: the city of Vaishali; Six: the place where He descended from the heavenly realm; Seven: Jeta Grove; Eight: the place of nirvana in the grove of twin sala trees. Four of these are fixed locations, while the others are not fixed.

Summary verse:

Birth, enlightenment, Dharma, and Vulture;

Vaishali, descent, Jeta Grove, and the sala forest;

With steadfast sincerity and single-minded recollection,

The merit surpasses a thousand pieces of gold.)

O bhiksus, if you have any doubts, you should now ask. Whether concerning the treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, or concerning suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path—the Four Noble Truths—whoever has any doubt, I shall resolve it.

At that time, the Long-lived Ananda addressed the Buddha:

“World-Honored One! As I understand the Buddha’s words, You are telling any bhiksus who still have doubts to ask questions. Yet in this assembly there is not a single person who still has any doubt concerning the treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha or the truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, such that he would need to ask.”

The Buddha said:

“Excellent, excellent! Ananda, your understanding is indeed correct, and thus you have spoken. Contemplating this assembly with wisdom, I see that no one still has any doubt concerning the Three Jewels or the Four Noble Truths.”

What follows was the Tathagata’s final act. With great compassion, the Tathagata drew aside His upper robe and revealed His body, saying to the bhiksus:

“Bhiksus, behold the body of the Buddha! Bhiksus, behold the body of the Buddha! Why is this? Because a Tathagata, Worthy One, Perfectly and Completely Enlightened One is as difficult to encounter as the udumbara flower.”

Then, while the bhiksus remained silent, the Buddha said:

“All conditioned things are thus, for all formations are impermanent. This is My final instruction.”

Having spoken these words, the World-Honored One, with a peaceful mind and right mindfulness, entered the first dhyana. Emerging from that absorption, He proceeded successively into the second dhyana ... continuing until the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception ... and then entered the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling, where He remained utterly still and silent.

At that time, Ananda asked the Venerable Aniruddha:

“Has my Great Teacher now entered nirvana or not?”

He replied:

“The Buddha has not yet entered nirvana. He is merely abiding in the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling.”

Ananda asked:

“I myself heard the Buddha teach that if the Buddha, the World-Honored One, entered the final absorption and became utterly still and unmoving, then immediately thereafter the Eye of the World would close and He would certainly enter nirvana.”

At that time, the World-Honored One emerged from the attainment of the cessation of perception and feeling and, in reverse order, successively entered the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. Emerging from the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, He entered the sphere of nothingness ... the sphere of infinite consciousness ... the sphere of infinite space ... the fourth dhyana ... the third ... the second ... and the first. Emerging from the first dhyana, He entered the second, the third, and the fourth dhyana, and then, utterly still and unmoving, entered the realm of wondrous nirvana without remainder.

After the World-Honored One entered nirvana, the earth quaked, meteors streaked across the sky in broad daylight, and every direction blazed with light. In the sky, the gods beat their celestial drums.

At that time, the Long-lived Mahakasyapa was staying at Kalandaka Lake in Bamboo Grove near the city of Rajagrha. Seeing the earth quake, he mindfully contemplated what had occurred and immediately perceived that the Tathagata had entered the great Parinirvana. The Long-lived Mahakasyapa thought, “Now I no longer have the Great Teacher and can live only in reliance upon the Dharma. Conditioned things are thus—what more can be done? King Ajatasatru, son of King Bimbisara, has only recently developed the faculty of faith. If he hears that the Buddha has entered nirvana, he will surely vomit blood and die. I should therefore prepare a skillful means beforehand.”

After thinking thus, Mahakasyapa said to the minister Varshakara in the city:

“Do you know that the Buddha has entered nirvana? King Ajatasatru has only recently developed the faculty of faith. If he hears that the Buddha has entered nirvana, the king will surely vomit blood and die. We should therefore prepare a skillful means beforehand and disclose it to the king gradually. Quickly go into a garden and, in accordance with the Dharma, paint scenes from the Buddha’s former lives upon a beautiful pavilion.”

While the bodhisattva was dwelling in the Tusita heaven, when the time approached for him to descend and take birth, he contemplated five matters. Devas of the Desire Realm purified his mother’s body three times. Manifesting in the form of a white elephant, he entered his mother’s womb.

After his birth, he went beyond the city walls and renounced the household life, practiced austerities for six years, and sat upon the vajra seat beneath the Bodhi tree, where he attained Perfect and Complete Awakening. He then went to Varanasi and, for the five bhiksus, turned the Dharma wheel of the Four Noble Truths in three turnings and twelve aspects. Next, in the city of Shravasti, he manifested great supernatural powers before devas and humans.

He then ascended to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and expounded the essential Dharma to his mother, Maya, after which he descended to Jambudvipa by three jeweled stairways, for the people of the city of Sankashya greatly longed to see him. He taught and transformed beings throughout the various lands. When his work of benefiting beings had been perfectly fulfilled and he was about to enter final nirvana, he went to the grove of twin sala trees in the city of Kushinagara, lay down with his head toward the north, and entered Great Nirvana.

After scenes depicting the events of the Tathagata’s lifelong teaching and transformation have been painted, also prepare eight great tubs, each large enough to hold a person, and place them beside that building. Fill the first seven tubs with fresh ghee. Fill the eighth with fragrant water scented with ox-head sandalwood.

When the king goes out, you should report to him: ‘May the royal carriage graciously proceed for a short while to the flower garden to view the paintings.’ Upon seeing them, the king will ask Varshakara what events these paintings portray. You should explain each event in sequence according to the pictures, beginning with the Tusita palace, where the bodhisattva descended in spirit and entered his mother’s womb ... and ending in the grove of twin trees, where he lay with his head toward the north.

When the king hears this, he will lose consciousness and fall to the ground. Quickly place him in the first tub, then likewise in the second, third, and fourth, continuing through the seventh. Finally, place him in the fragrant water, and the king will recover.

After giving these instructions in due sequence, the venerable one departed for Kushinagara. Varshakara carried them out exactly as the venerable one had directed. When the king went outside, the minister reported:

– May the royal carriage graciously proceed for a short while to the flower garden to view the paintings.

When he reached the flower garden and saw the newly made paintings in the building, beginning with the Buddha’s birth and ending with his lying in the grove of twin sala trees, the king asked the minister whether the Blessed One had entered nirvana.

Varshakara remained silent and did not reply. Seeing this, the king knew that the Buddha had entered nirvana. He cried out, fainted, and fell to the ground. The officials hurriedly placed him in the tub of ghee and then successively through the seventh tub, after which they placed him in the fragrant water. Thereupon the king recovered.

When the Tathagata entered nirvana, the fragrant sala blossoms fell of themselves, covering his golden body completely.

Seeing this, a bhiksu spoke this verse:

When the Blessed One entered nirvana,

The most excellent grove of sala trees

Lowered its branches to cover him fully

And scattered fragrant flowers.

Shakra, Lord of the Devas, spoke this verse:

All conditioned things are impermanent;

Their nature is to arise and cease.

When arising and ceasing have themselves ceased,

Quiescence is bliss.

Brahma, King of Heaven, spoke this verse:

All phenomena in the world,

Once arisen, must meet death.

The mighty blade of impermanence

Destroys all conditioned things.

The Great Teacher, Eye of the World,

The unsurpassed One endowed with the Ten Powers,

His conditions for teaching and transforming now fulfilled,

Attained quiescence amid the twin trees.

The venerable Aniruddha spoke this verse:

The Buddha no longer breathes in or out;

His inner mind is serene and still.

The Eye of the World has closed

And entered unmoving quiescence.

The Blessed One, endowed with the Ten Powers,

His work of teaching complete, has entered cessation.

Those beings who see or hear of this

Are terrified, their hair standing on end.

Let your minds not sink into stupor,

Nor should you give way to sorrow.

The Buddha has realized true moksha,

Like a lamp whose flame has gone out.

Seeing that the Buddha had entered nirvana, all the bhiksus were overwhelmed with grief. Some, distraught, rolled upon the ground, beat their breasts, and cried out in anguish. Others contemplated the principles of the Dharma and said, “We must now be patient. The Blessed One constantly taught that all splendid, lovely, delightful, and cherished things, however greatly valued, ultimately return to impermanence and must inevitably be parted from us.”

The venerable Aniruddha said to Ananda:

– Venerable one, you should admonish the assembly to restrain themselves, not transgress proper deportment, and not weep or grieve excessively. Why is this? At this very place there are long-lived devas who have lived for hundreds of thousands of kalpas. They are all displeased and say, “Why are these bhiksus, who have renounced the household life under the well-proclaimed Dharma and discipline of the Blessed One, unable to contemplate impermanence correctly, and thus give rise to such sorrow?”

Ananda asked:

– How many of those devas are there?

He replied:

– From this city of Kushinagara to the Hiranyavati River, from the sala grove to the Makutabandhana Stupa of the Malla clan, throughout this area of twelve yojanas, those devas of great majestic power are everywhere. Not even an empty space remains in which a staff could be planted. Seeing that the Buddha has entered nirvana, these devas too are grief-stricken, beating their breasts in anguish and falling to the ground ... As before, they exhort one another to strive to restrain themselves, saying ... all things must return to impermanence and all must be parted from one another.

The venerable Aniruddha then extensively expounded the essential Dharma to Ananda and the assembly until daybreak. The bhiksus listened in silence.

Aniruddha again said to Ananda:

– Go to the city of Kushinagara and tell the Mallas: “The Tathagata, the Great Teacher, entered the wondrous nirvana of the remainderless realm at midnight last night. You should quickly do whatever must be done, lest you later have regrets. The Tathagata, the Great Teacher, entered nirvana within your own city; why do you not gather together to make offerings and repay the Buddha’s kindness?”

After hearing these words, Ananda handed his outer robe to an attendant bhiksu and went with him to the Mallas’ assembly hall. At that time, five hundred people were present there. The venerable one told them:

– Worthy Mallas and all assembled here, the Tathagata, the Great Teacher, entered the wondrous nirvana of the remainderless realm at midnight last night. You should quickly do whatever ought to be done, lest you later have regrets.

Furthermore, the Tathagata, the Great Teacher, entered nirvana within your own city. Why do you not prepare offerings to repay the Buddha’s compassionate kindness?

Hearing these words, some Mallas lost consciousness and fell to the ground, beating their breasts and crying aloud, their bodies trembling beyond their control. Others cried aloud, “I myself once heard the Buddha teach that the world is impermanent and that all must inevitably part.”

The Mallas said to one another:

– Quickly bring every kind of flower garland, scented oil, powdered incense, burning incense, beautiful objects, horns, drums, and musical instruments to the sala grove, so that we may personally make offerings.

Together with the chief ministers, deputy ministers, and their retinues, men and women, old and young, close friends and acquaintances, they departed from the city of Kushinagara and went to the grove of twin sala trees. Upon arriving, they stood before the lion couch on which the Buddha lay and lamented with deepest sorrow. They then presented offerings of every kind of beautiful flower and finest fragrance, countless canopies, banners, and standards, rare foods and drinks, and performances of many kinds of music.

Afterward, they said to Ananda:

– The unsurpassed Dharma King has entered final nirvana. We do not know how his body should now be enshrouded and prepared.

The venerable one replied:

– Previously, I received the Buddha’s instruction that his body should be prepared according to the rite used for a wheel-turning king.

They asked:

– What is that rite?

He replied:

– First, wrap the body in white silk, then wind one thousand sheets of white cotton cloth completely around it. Place it in a golden coffin filled with fragrant oil and cover it with a golden lid. Pile fragrant candana and hai-ngan wood around it and cremate it. Afterward, pour cow’s milk over the fire to extinguish it. Place the remaining relics in a golden urn. At the crossroads of the great thoroughfare, build a stupa, hang banners and parasols all around it, apply fragrant paste, burn incense, perform various kinds of music as reverent offerings, and hold a great almsgiving assembly. This is the rite for cremating a wheel-turning king. For the Tathagata, the Great Teacher, even more than this should be done.

Hearing this, the warriors said to the venerable one:

– We accept your instruction, but how could this be completed in one, two, or three days? If we are given seven days, the undertaking can be completed.

He replied:

– That may be done.

Then, in accordance with the previously described funeral rite for a wheel-turning king, the people carried out everything fully, without omission. Throughout the area extending twelve yojanas around the city of Kusinagara as far as the Mukuta-bandhana Stupa, immeasurable numbers of beings, filled with reverence, gathered like clouds, bringing flowers, incense, and various musical instruments as offerings. The families of the warriors all left the city and went to the sala grove. Before the lion couch, they sincerely presented their offerings. One elder warrior said to the people:

– Among the great assembly present here, let the women carry banners and pennants, and let the men draw the carriage. Together, let us bring various flowers, silks, fragrant paste, powdered incense, burning incense, and musical instruments through the western gate of Kusinagara and out through the eastern gate. Then, crossing the Golden Sands River, let us proceed to the Mukuta-bandhana Stupa, where we shall place the coffin in the finest spot for cremation.

Hearing this, the people vied with one another to come forward and lift the golden coffin. Although they all exerted their utmost strength together, they could not move it.

At that time, the Venerable Ananda said to the Venerable Aniruddha:

– Although the warriors of Kusinagara have exerted all their strength, they still cannot move the Buddha’s golden coffin. I do not understand why this is so.

The venerable one replied:

– It is because the devas think: “Together with the warriors and the people—with the women carrying banners and pennants and the men drawing the noble carriage, following the Tathagata with solemn and dignified bearing—we devas shall carry flowers and five-colored silks, burn fragrant incense, perform celestial music, and present many offerings. We shall enter through the western gate of the city, depart through the eastern gate, cross the Golden Sands River, and proceed to the Mukuta-bandhana Stupa.” Because they have not yet been allowed to participate with all these rites, the golden coffin cannot be moved.

The Venerable Ananda said:

– If that is so, let us comply with the wishes of the devas.

After the warriors had complied with the wishes of the devas and fully prepared everything as described, they came to lift the carriage. They raised the golden coffin with ease, placed it upon their shoulders, and set forth. Then, from the sky, blue, yellow, red, and white lotus flowers rained down, together with fragrant powders of agarwood, candana, da-yet-la-da-ma-la, and mandara flowers. Hundreds of thousands of kinds of celestial music sounded simultaneously. The flower parasols of the devas followed as an escort, numerous as clouds, and countless celestial garments were scattered down. The warriors of Kusinagara said to one another:

– The devas have made their offerings; now it is our turn.

Then the warriors, together with all the other men and women, noble and humble alike, arranged flowers and incense with solemn and dignified bearing. They brought forth hundreds of thousands of myriads of offerings, too numerous to count, and followed the golden coffin out of the city, across the Golden Sands River, to the Mukuta-bandhana Stupa. So many flowers were scattered that they rose as high as the knees.

At that time, having heard that the Buddha had passed into nirvana, a brahmin ascetic of another path went to the sala grove, took several flowering branches, and departed for the village of Pava. Along the way, he encountered Mahakasyapa and his five hundred disciples, proceeding with solemn and dignified bearing toward the Twin Sala Grove to pay homage to the Great Teacher.

Upon meeting the ascetic, Kasyapa asked:

– From where have you come, and where are you going?

He replied:

– I have come from Kusinagara and am going to the village of Pava.

Although he already knew, Kasyapa deliberately asked:

– Since you have come from there, do you know whether the four great elements of our Great Teacher, the Tathagata Sakyamuni, are still in good health?

He replied:

– I have come directly from that place. I myself saw that the Venerable Gautama entered nirvana seven days ago. Devas and humans are now bringing flowers, incense, and various ceremonial offerings, together making offerings to his remaining body and relics. I obtained these flowers from that ceremony.

Among the five hundred disciples traveling under Mahakasyapa’s leadership was an elderly bhiksu who was by nature foolish and unable to distinguish good from evil. Hearing the ascetic’s words, he immediately spoke these evil words:

– What joy! What happiness! From now on, we shall no longer be constrained by the precepts and instructions telling us, “This should be done; this should not be done.” That is now ended. Henceforth, whether we observe them or not is entirely up to us. We may do what we wish and cast aside what we do not need.

When the elderly bhiksu spoke thus, the devas in the sky heard these words contrary to the Dharma and immediately used their spiritual power to conceal the sound, preventing everyone from hearing it; only Kasyapa clearly knew what had been said.

In order to admonish that bhiksu, the venerable one rested for a while by the roadside, sat down together with the great assembly, and said:

– Venerable ones! All conditioned phenomena in the world are impermanent. By nature, they are unstable, untrustworthy, and do not endure; all return to destruction. Therefore, become disenchanted and do not cling to them. Let us set this matter aside for now and hasten onward so that we may behold the Buddha’s entire body.

Afterward, they all continued on their way together.

The warriors and the fourfold assembly had previously wrapped the Tathagata’s body in cloth, wound one thousand sheets of white cotton cloth around it, and placed it in a golden coffin filled with fragrant oil, covering it with a golden lid. Together they brought fragrant wood and, in accordance with the prescribed rite, attempted to cremate the golden coffin, but the fire would not ignite. The Venerable Aniruddha said to Ananda:

– Although they wish to kindle it, the fire will not burn.

Ananda asked:

– Why is this so?

He replied:

– Because the devas will not allow the fire to burn.

Ananda asked:

– Why not?

He replied:

– Mahakasyapa and his five hundred disciples are on their way here. He wishes to see the Tathagata’s entire golden-hued body and personally witness the cremation. Because they are waiting for him, the devas will not allow the fire to burn.

Ananda then informed everyone that the Venerable Mahakasyapa and his disciples would soon arrive.

Seeing the venerable one and the great assembly approaching, the people of Kusinagara together brought flowers, incense, and various kinds of music to that place and bowed with their heads at the venerable one’s feet.

Immeasurable hundreds of thousands of people followed the venerable one to the Blessed One’s resting place. They removed the fragrant wood, lifted the golden lid, and opened the thousand layers of silk and white cotton cloth. Together, they gazed reverently upon his countenance and bowed with their heads at the Blessed One’s feet. At that time, there were four elder great sravakas: the Venerable Ajnata Kaundinya, the Venerable Nanda, the Venerable Dasabala Kasyapa, and the Venerable Mahakasyapa. Among them, Mahakasyapa alone possessed great merit and received abundant offerings of valuable robes, alms bowls, and medicines for illness, so that whatever he needed was always more than sufficient. The venerable one thought, “I shall personally present offerings to the Blessed One.”

He brought one thousand sheets of white cotton cloth and white silk. The venerable one wrapped the Blessed One in the white silk and then wound the white cotton cloth around the outside. He placed the body in the golden coffin, filled it with oil, covered it with the golden lid, piled fragrant wood upon it, and withdrew to one side.

Through the residual spiritual power of the Buddha and the power of the devas, fire spontaneously arose from within the fragrant wood.

Ānanda circumambulated the funeral pyre clockwise and recited this verse:

The Tathagata, adorned with the excellent marks, has entered final nirvana;

Fire arose spontaneously and consumed his body,

Leaving only the relics within.

The thousand outer layers of cloth were entirely burned away.

At that time, the strongmen of the city of Kuśinagara wished to extinguish the fire with milk. Before they could pour it, however, four trees suddenly sprang up amid the flames: a golden milk-tree, a red milk-tree, a bodhi tree, and an udumbara tree. Milk flowed naturally from these four trees and extinguished the fire.

People of high and low station in Kuśinagara gathered the relics together, placed them in a golden vessel, and set it upon a carriage adorned with the seven precious substances. They arranged various fragrant flowers, sandalwood and agarwood incense, powdered incense, burning incense, banners, canopies, and streamers, and played all kinds of music as offerings. They carried the relics into the city, placed them in the center of a magnificent hall, and continued to make solemn offerings as before.

The strongmen of the settlement of Pāvā heard that the Blessed One had entered nirvana in the city of Kuśinagara and that, for seven days, countless devas and humans had conducted a magnificent offering ceremony. They assembled the four divisions of their army—elephants, cavalry, chariots, and infantry—in their own settlement. All were equipped with various weapons, and together they proceeded to Kuśinagara, intending to obtain a share of the relics. Upon arriving, they said to the people:

“Regarding the unsurpassed Dharma King, the compassionate father of sentient beings, all of us have long made offerings to him with reverence and have received his instruction to uphold the true Dharma. Now that he has passed into final nirvana, he has left relics behind. We wish to receive a portion and take it back to the settlement of Pāvā, where we shall build a stupa, enshrine the relics, and make offerings to them.”

Upon hearing this, the people of the city all declared:

“The Blessed One, our Great Teacher and compassionate father, personally instructed us and entered nirvana within our territory. Therefore, all his relics must remain here so that we may make offerings to them forever. They cannot be divided among people from outside our settlement.”

The people of Pāvā then sent an envoy who said:

“If you give us a share, all will be well. If you do not, we shall seize it by force.”

Hearing this, the people of the city replied:

“Even if you fight, your efforts will be in vain. You will not be able to take them!”

At that time, people from the settlements of Già Lạc Ca, Đô Lỗ Ca, A La Ma, and Phệ Suất Nô, the Śākyas of the city of Kapilavastu, and the Licchavis of the city of Vaiśālī all gathered there. King Ajātaśatru of Magadha heard that the Buddha, the Blessed One, had entered nirvana in the city of Kuśinagara and that all the devas and humans were conducting a great offering ceremony. Deeply grieved, he said to his minister Varṣakāra:

“Do you know that I have heard the Blessed One has entered nirvana and that a great offering ceremony is being held in the city of Kuśinagara? Because of the contention, people from various places are hastening there, wishing to obtain the relics. We too should go there and request a share of the relics.”

He replied:

“Indeed! The troops should be put in order, and we should proceed to the city of Kuśinagara.”

King Ajātaśatru wished to ride a white elephant to the place where the Buddha lay. As soon as he mounted the elephant, he recalled the Buddha’s profound kindness, lost consciousness, and fell to the ground. After some time, he regained consciousness and set out on horseback. Again recalling the Buddha’s profound kindness, he could not restrain himself and once more fell to the ground. After a long while, he regained consciousness and said to his minister Varṣakāra:

“I am unable to go personally to the Buddha’s resting place. You must command the four divisions of the army and proceed to the city of Kuśinagara. Convey my words and ask the strongmen whether they have little illness and little affliction, whether they are in good health, and whether they dwell in peace and happiness. While the Blessed One was still in the world, he always received and guided us with earnest care and was my Great Teacher. Now he has entered nirvana in your settlement and has left relics behind. Please allow us to receive a portion and take it back to the city of Rājagṛha, where we shall build a stupa. I shall personally venerate it and make offerings of various kinds of incense, flowers, and music.”

Varṣakāra replied:

“I shall obey the king’s command.”

He then led the four divisions of the army to the city of Kuśinagara and said to the strongmen:

“Listen well. King Ajātaśatru of Magadha asks after your welfare ... as stated above. Our Great Teacher, the Blessed One, always brought us benefit and happiness and is truly worthy of reverence. Now he has entered nirvana in your settlement and has left relics behind. Please divide them and give us a portion to take back to the city of Rājagṛha, where we shall build a stupa and make offerings.”

The strongmen said:

“It is true that the Blessed One brought benefit and happiness to all living beings and is worthy of honor and reverence. Yet he has now entered nirvana in our settlement and left relics behind. Though the king desires a share, it will be exceedingly difficult for him to obtain one.”

Varṣakāra said to the strongmen:

“If you give us a portion, all will be well. If you do not divide them and give us a share, I shall bring military forces to seize them and carry them away.”

They replied:

“Do as you please.”

At that time, everyone gathered and surrounded the place so densely that the uproar shook that corner of the city. The men and women of the strongmen’s clan within the city were all skilled in archery. They assembled all four divisions of their army—elephants, cavalry, chariots, and infantry—determined to fight the soldiers of the other seven groups.

MŪLASARVĀSTIVĀDA

VINAYA KṢUDRAKAVASTU

Here ends Fascicle Thirty-Eight.