~Where Buddha Renounced the World~
East from here four yojanas, there is the place where the heir-apparent
sent back Chandaka, with his white horse; and there also a tope was
erected.
Four yojanas to the east from this, the travellers came to the Charcoal
tope, where there is also a monastery.
Going on twelve yojanas, still to the east, they came to the city of
Kusanagara, on the north of which, between two trees, on the bank of the
Nairañjanâ river, is the place where the World-honored one, with his
head to the north, attained to pan-nirvâna and died. There also are the
places where Subhadra, [1] the last of his converts, attained to Wisdom
and became an Arhat; where in his coffin of gold they made offerings to
the World-honored one for seven days, where the Vajrapâni laid aside his
golden club, and where the eight kings divided the relics of the burnt
body: at all these places were built topes and monasteries, all of which
are now existing.
In the city the inhabitants are few and far between, comprising only the
families belonging to the different societies of monks.
Going from this to the southeast for twelve yojanas, they came to the
place where the Lichchhavis wished to follow Buddha to the place of his
pari-nirvâna, and where, when he would not listen to them and they kept
cleaving to him, unwilling to go away, he made to appear a large and
deep ditch which they could not cross over, and gave them his alms-bowl,
as a pledge of his regard, thus sending them back to their families.
There a stone pillar was erected with an account of this event engraved
upon it.
[Footnote 1: A Brahman of Benâres, said to have been one hundred and
twenty years old, who came to learn from Buddha the very night he died.
Ânanda would have repulsed him; but Buddha ordered him to be introduced;
and then putting aside the ingenious but unimportant question which he
propounded, preached to him the Law. The Brahman was converted and
attained at once to Arhatship.]