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THE LAST DAYS OF THE BUDDHA

From "The Teachings of the Buddha"

Ministry of Religious Affairs, Myanmar

1998

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          The Buddha, the Supreme Being of the three worlds, went into the Sal Grove of the Malla princes which is situated at the road-bend leading to the entrance of Kusinara town. At the Sal Grove. the Buddha said thus:

          "Ananda, lay Out the couch with its head to the north between the twin Sal trees. I am tired. I shall lie down". When the couch was ready, the Buddha lay down on his right side.

          At that time the Sal trees completely burst forth in bloom out of season. The fragrant sal flowers scattered all over the body of the Buddha. Celestial flowers and sandalwood powder fell from the sky over the sacred body. Celestial musical sounds filled the air as a token of reverence to the Buddha. Many devas and brahmas from the ten thousand world systems gathered around the Buddha to pay their last homage to him.

          The Buddha sent Venerable Ananda to the Malla princes to report about the Parinibbana of the Buddha.

          When Venerable Ananda appeared before the Malla princes, they were convening the People's Assembly and when they heard the words of Ananda, they were overwhelmed with great despair and they cried bitterly. They quickly gathered their families and went to pay homage to the Buddha group by group.


The Last Disciple of the Buddha

         At that time Subhadda, a wandering ascetic, was in Kusinara and he heard that the Buddha would attain the Mahaparinibbana in the last watch of that night. So he tried to approach the Buddha to ask some questions to dispel his doubts about the Doctrine. But Venerable Ananda prevented him from seeing the Buddha three times. When the Buddha overheard the conversation between Venerable Ananda and the wandering ascetic, the Buddha told Venerable Ananda to allow Subhadda to see him.

         The wandering ascelic Subhadda asked the Buddha whether the leaders of heretics such as Purana Kassapa, Mokkhaligosala and so on, were real Buddhas as they had claimed. The Buddha told the ascetic to set aside that question and to listen to him.

          'Subhadda, I shall expound the Doctrine to you. Listen to me and bear it well in mind.

          In the Teachings in which the Noble Eightfold Path is not expounded there cannot be found the first-stage Ariya, the second-stage Ariya. the third-stage Ariya and the fourth-stage Ariya (Noble Persons). In the Teaching in which the Noble Eightfold Path has been expounded, all the Four Ariyas can exist. In my reaching the Noble Eightfold Path has been expounded. So in this Teaching only, the Four Noble persons can be found. All the other teachings, being void of Ariyas. are futile. So long as the bhikkhus live well practising the teachings themselves and teaching others righteously, the world will not be deplete of Arahats.'

          The wandering ascetic Subhadda was well satisfied with the clear-cut exposition of the Buddha and requested to be ordained as a bhikkhu. After becoming a bhikkhu, he practised the Noble Eightfold Path and soon became an Arahat. He was the last disciple io become an Arahat in the presence of the Buddha. In fact the reason why the Buddha made the last journey of over six miles from Pava to Kusinara under the extreme hot weather, inspite of his severe ill-ness, resting twenty-five times on the way, was threefold, namely, to straighten the view of Subhadda to teach Mahasudassana Sutta and to have his relics distributed to eight kings peace fully by the brahmin Dona.


The Last Words of the Buddha

          Then retiring to his bhikkhu who had assembled silently the Buddha said. "Ananda, when the Tathagata passes away, you may consider that you have no teacher. Don't consider this way. The Doctrine and the Discipline I have taught and laid down to all of you will be your teacher when I pass away."

         And the Buddha added. "Bhikkhus if any of you should happen to have ally doubt or perplexity regarding the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Samgha, the Path, or the Practice ask me now. Do not let yourselves feel regret later for not asking me. Do not hesitate to ask questions.

          All the bhikkhus remained silent and no one asked any question

         This event finally proved beyond doubt that the Buddha's Discourses were true and genuine. Then the Buddha paused for a short moment and gave his last words to the bhikkhus as follows:

          'Handa dani bhikkhave amantayami vo vaya dhamma sankhara appamadena Sampadetha

          "Oh Bhikkhus! These are my last words now. All conditioned and compounded things have the nature of decay and disintegration. With steadfast mindfulness, endeavour diligently for your own liberation."


The Buddha's Mahaparinibbana

          The whole Sal grove was in deep silence. The full moon of Kason (Visakha} was about to set in the west and the small hours of the next day began. There was no more voice of the Buddha to be heard.

          Some bhikkhus, men, devas and brahmas, who were Non-returners and Arahats paid their last homage to the Buddha. reflecting and contemplating the nature of Dhamma. Some bhikkhus, men, devas and brahmas, who were ordinary worldings, Stream-winners, and Once-returners wept and lamented silently.

         The Buddha with his eyes closed, entered the First Jhana, then the second Jhana and so on till Nevasannasanya-yatana Jhana.. Then from that Jhana, he came down step by step to the first Jhana. And again from the first Jhana he went up step by step to the fourth Jhana and passed into Parinibbana.

          It was in the early summer morning past midnight of the full-moon day of Vesakha (Kason), on Tuesday, in the year 148 Maha Era, that the Buddha attained Parinibbana. At that moment the earth trembled violently and thunder-roars with flashes of lightning appeared in the sky. The whole world seemed to be plunged into deep darkness.


The Arrival of Venerable Mahakassapa

          The Malla Princes of Kusinara spent the whole week in paying homage and reverence to the sacred body of the Buddha with flowers, perfumes and musical performances. At that time Venerable Mahakassapa together with five hundred bhikkhus was on the way from Pava to Kusinara. When they learnt of the Buddha's Parinibbana, the bhikkhus who were not free from defilements wept vehemently. Then one of the bhikkhus, Subhadda, who had become a bhikkhu in his old age after leading a married life said to other bhikkhus. "Friends, do not grieve and do not weep. Now we are free from the hands of the great Samana Gotama who has oppressed is by saying, "This is proper for you; that is not proper for you! From now on, we can do what we like."

          On hearing those words, Venerable Mahakassapa was struck with awe and he thought to himself: "Only seven days have passed since the Buddha's Parinibbana. Now a great obstacle endangering the Buddha's Teaching has arisen Before the enemy to the Teachings get stronger, the Buddha's Teachings should be kept well in order. Just like the scattering flowers which have not yet been made into a beautiful garland, so also the Buddha's Teachings given throughout the forty-five years have not yet been grouped into similarities and classified in systematic ways. It is proper that after the cremation of the Buddha's sacred body, these Teachings should be recited together in the Samgha Assembly as soon as possible."

          The Malla princes moved the Buddha's body from the Sal grove to the royal place where the auspicious ceremony of wearing the top-knot (hair) was held by Malla Princes. And when they tried to kindle the funeral pyre, they were unable to set it on fire. On the seventh day Venerable Mahakassapa and his disciples arrived at the scene. They circled the funeral pyre three times with clasped hands rasied to their forehead. Then they paid obeisance to the Buddha by touching the feet of the Buddha with their forehead. At that very moment, the funerai pyre burst into flames spontaneously.


The Distribution of The Sacred Relics

         After the spontaneous cremation of the Buddha's body, the relics left behind were collected and venerated in ceremony for a whole week. Meanwhile, the seven Kings from seven countries, such as Rajagaha, Vesali, Kapilavatthu. etc.. heard about the Parinibbana of the Buddha and marched towards Kusinara with (heir respective armies in order to get their share of the relics. Due to the persuasion of the Bramin Dona, who had been the revered teacher of the seven kings and the Malla princes, the relics were divided into eignt equal portions and distributed among the Malla princes and the eight kingdoms. These kings and princes enshrined the relics in Thupas for public reverence in their respective countries.

          The first Buddhist Council was held in Rajagaha by five hundred arahats headed by Maha Kassapa under the sponsorship of King Ajatasatthu. After the Council, Venerable Mahakassapa, foreseeing the danger to the Buddha's relics, advised King Ajatasattu to keep them in safety in a single place in Rajagaha. Then employing his supernormal power. Venerable Mahakassapa collected all the relics and placed them in a safe place in Rajagaha.

          When the third Buddhist Council was held in the year 235 Buddhist Era, the Great Emperor Asoka asked the head of the Samgha, Venerable Mahamoggaliputtatissa, the numerical extent of the Buddha's Teaihings. The Maha Thera answered that the Buddha's Teachings consist of 84000 dhammakkhandhas (dhamma groups). In veneration to the Buddha's Teachings, he ordered his ministers to build 84000 monasteries and 84000 thupas in 84000towns. The Maha Thera obtained the Buddha's relics from Rajagaha and let the emperor enshrine them in the thupas he had built.

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