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- THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA
- Ministry of Religious Affairs, Myanmar
The Last Day of the Buddha
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 Thana 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 Branmin 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.
Part I
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