Once more the Blessed One began to speak: "Behold now,
brethren," said he, "I exhort you, saying, 'Decay is inherent in
all component things, but the truth will remain forever!' Work
out your salvation with diligence!" This was the last word of the
Tathāgata. Then the Tathāgata fell into a deep meditation, and
having passed through the four jhānas, entered Nirvāna. 25
When the Blessed One entered Nirvāna there arose, at his passing
out of existence, a mighty earthquake, terrible and
awe-inspiring: and the thunders of heaven burst forth, and of
those of the brethren who were not yet free from passions some
stretched out their arms and wept, and some fell headlong on the
ground, in anguish at the thought: "Too soon has the Blessed One
died! Too soon has the Happy One passed away from existence! Too
soon has the Light of the world gone out!" 16
Then the venerable Anuruddha exhorted the brethren and said:
"Enough, my brethren! Weep not, neither lament! Has not the
Blessed One formerly declared this to us, that it is in the very
nature of all things near and dear unto us, that we must separate
from them and leave them, since everything that is born, brought
into being, and organized, contains within itself the inherent
necessity of dissolution? How then can it be possible that the
body of the Tathāgata should not be dissolved? No such condition
can exist! Those who are free from passion will bear the loss,
calm and self-possessed, mindful of the truth he has taught us." 27
And the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Ānanda spent the
rest of the night in religious discourse. 28
Then the venerable Anuruddha said to the venerable Ānanda: "Go
now, brother Ānanda, and inform the Mallas of Kusinārā saying,
'The Blessed One has passed away: do, then, whatsoever seemeth to
you fit!'" 29
And when the Mallas had heard this saying they were grieved, and
sad, and afflicted at heart. 30
Then the Mallas of Kusinārā gave orders to their attendants,
saying, "Gather together perfumes and garlands, and all the music
in Kusinārā!" And the Mallas of Kusinārā took the perfumes and
garlands, and all the musical instruments, and five hundred
garments, and went to the sāla grove where the body of the
Blessed One lay. There they passed the day in paying honor and
reverence to the remains of the Blessed One, with hymns, and
music, and with garlands and perfumes, and in making canopies of
their garments, and preparing decorative wreaths to hang thereon.
And they burned the remains of the Blessed One as they would do
to the body of a king of kings. 31
When the funeral pyre was lit, the sun and moon withdrew their
shining, the peaceful streams on every side were torrent-swollen,
the earth quaked, and the sturdy forests shook like aspen leaves,
whilst flowers and leaves fell untimely to the ground, like
scattered rain, so that all Kusinārā became strewn knee-deep with
mandāra flowers raining down from heaven. 32
When the burning ceremonies were over, Devaputta said to the
multitudes that were assembled round the pyre: 33
"Behold, O brethren, the earthly remains of the Blessed One have
been dissolved, but the truth which he has taught us lives in our
minds and cleanses us from all error. 34
"Let us, then, go out into the world, as compassionate and
merciful as our great master, and preach to all living beings the
four noble truths and the eightfold path of righteousness, so
that all mankind may attain to a final salvation, taking refuge
in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha." 35
And when the Blessed One had entered into Nirvāna, and the Mallas
had burned the body with such ceremonies as would indicate that
he was the great king of kings, ambassadors came from all the
empires that at the time had embraced his doctrine, to claim a
share of the relics; and the relics were divided into eight parts
and eight dāgobas were erected for their preservation. One dāgoba
was erected by the Mallas and seven others by the seven kings of
those countries, whose people had taken refuge in the Buddha. 36