The Life of the Buddha: The Funeral Rites.
On the next day Ananda informed the Mallas of Kusinara that the Exalted One had passed away; and they too stretched forth their arms and wept, or fell prostrate on the ground, or reeled to and fro in anguish at the thought: "Too soon has the Exalted One died!" And they took perfumes and garlands, and all the music in Kusinara, and proceeded to the Sala Grove, where the body of the Exalted One was lying. And they spent there six days paying honour and homage to the remains of the Exalted One, with dancing and hymns and music, and with garlands and perfumes. On the seventh day they bore the body of the Exalted One through the city and out by the Eastern gate to the shrine of the Mallas, there to be burnt upon the pyre. They wrapped the body in layers of carded cotton wool and woven cloth, and placed it in a vessel of iron, and that again in another; and building a funeral pyre of perfumed woods, they laid the body of the Exalted One upon it. Then four chieftains of the Mallas bathed their heads and clad themselves in new garments with the intention of setting on fire the funeral pyre.
But lo, they were not able to set it burning. Now the reason of this was that the venerable Maha Kassapa was then journeying from Pava to Kusinara with a company of five hundred Brethren; and it was willed by the gods that the pyre should not take fire until the venerable Maha Kassapa together with these Brethren had saluted the feet of the Master. And when Maha Kassapa came to the place of the funeral pyre, then he walked thrice round about it and bowed in reverence to the feet of the Exalted One, and so did the five hundred Brethren. And when this was ended, the funeral pyre caught fire of itself.
And what was burnt was the flesh and the fluids of the body, and all the wrappings, and only the bones were left behind; and when the body was thus burnt, streams of water fell from the sky and rose up from the ground and extinguished the flames, and the Mallas also extinguished the fire with vessels of scented water. They laid the bones in state in the Council Hall of the Mallas, set round with a lattice-work of spears and a rampart of bows, and there for seven days they paid honour and reverence to them with dancing and music and garlands and perfumes.
Now these matters were reported to Ajatasattu, and to the Licchavis of Vesali, and to the Sakyas of Kapilavatthu, and the Bulis of Allakappa, and the Koliyas of Ramagama, and to the Brahman of Vethadipa; and all these, with the Mallas of Kusinara, laid claim to the remains of the Exalted One, and wished to erect a mound above them, and to celebrate a feast of honour. The Mallas, however, saying that the Exalted One had died in their village, refused to part with the remains. Then a certain Brahman of the name of Dona reminded the assembled chieftains that the Buddha was wont to teach forbearance, and he recommended that the remains should be divided into eight portions, and that a monument should be erected by each of those who laid claim, in their several territories; and this was done accordingly. Dona himself erected a monument over the the vessel in which the remains had been guarded, and the Moriyas of Pippalivana, who made claim to a share when the distribution had already been made, erected a mound above the ashes of the fire. And thus there were eight monuments for the remains of the Exalted One, and one other for the vessel and another for the ashes.
On the next day Ananda informed the Mallas of Kusinara that the Exalted One had passed away; and they too stretched forth their arms and wept, or fell prostrate on the ground, or reeled to and fro in anguish at the thought: "Too soon has the Exalted One died!" And they took perfumes and garlands, and all the music in Kusinara, and proceeded to the Sala Grove, where the body of the Exalted One was lying. And they spent there six days paying honour and homage to the remains of the Exalted One, with dancing and hymns and music, and with garlands and perfumes. On the seventh day they bore the body of the Exalted One through the city and out by the Eastern gate to the shrine of the Mallas, there to be burnt upon the pyre. They wrapped the body in layers of carded cotton wool and woven cloth, and placed it in a vessel of iron, and that again in another; and building a funeral pyre of perfumed woods, they laid the body of the Exalted One upon it. Then four chieftains of the Mallas bathed their heads and clad themselves in new garments with the intention of setting on fire the funeral pyre.
But lo, they were not able to set it burning. Now the reason of this was that the venerable Maha Kassapa was then journeying from Pava to Kusinara with a company of five hundred Brethren; and it was willed by the gods that the pyre should not take fire until the venerable Maha Kassapa together with these Brethren had saluted the feet of the Master. And when Maha Kassapa came to the place of the funeral pyre, then he walked thrice round about it and bowed in reverence to the feet of the Exalted One, and so did the five hundred Brethren. And when this was ended, the funeral pyre caught fire of itself.
And what was burnt was the flesh and the fluids of the body, and all the wrappings, and only the bones were left behind; and when the body was thus burnt, streams of water fell from the sky and rose up from the ground and extinguished the flames, and the Mallas also extinguished the fire with vessels of scented water. They laid the bones in state in the Council Hall of the Mallas, set round with a lattice-work of spears and a rampart of bows, and there for seven days they paid honour and reverence to them with dancing and music and garlands and perfumes.
Now these matters were reported to Ajatasattu, and to the Licchavis of Vesali, and to the Sakyas of Kapilavatthu, and the Bulis of Allakappa, and the Koliyas of Ramagama, and to the Brahman of Vethadipa; and all these, with the Mallas of Kusinara, laid claim to the remains of the Exalted One, and wished to erect a mound above them, and to celebrate a feast of honour. The Mallas, however, saying that the Exalted One had died in their village, refused to part with the remains. Then a certain Brahman of the name of Dona reminded the assembled chieftains that the Buddha was wont to teach forbearance, and he recommended that the remains should be divided into eight portions, and that a monument should be erected by each of those who laid claim, in their several territories; and this was done accordingly. Dona himself erected a monument over the the vessel in which the remains had been guarded, and the Moriyas of Pippalivana, who made claim to a share when the distribution had already been made, erected a mound above the ashes of the fire. And thus there were eight monuments for the remains of the Exalted One, and one other for the vessel and another for the ashes.
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place time topic people language
India - Ancient - Religion/philosophy - Indians/Buddhists - English
India - Ancient - Religion/philosophy - Indians/Buddhists - English
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