41a: After the Passing of the Buddha

Utterings That Arouse Religious Urgency

When the Buddha passed away, there occurred simultaneously a great earthquake, so terrible as to cause the body hair to rise and gooseflesh to appear on the skin. Rumblings of celestial big drums reverberated in the sky. When the Buddha passed away, at the moment of his passing away, Brahma Sahampati uttered this verse:

Sabbe va nikkhipissanti, bhūtā loke samussayaṁ,
yattha etādiso Satthā, loke appaṭipuggalo,
Tathāgato balapatto Sambuddho parinibbuto.

In this transient world even such an incomparable person as the Self-Awakened Realised One, the teacher of humans, Devas and Brahmas, endowed with Ten Powers, has to pass away. All beings in this world, when the time of death is due, must lay down this body, which is a composite of mental and physical phenomena.

When the Buddha passed away, at the moment of his passing away, Sakka, the Lord of the Devas, uttered this verse:

Anicca vata saṅkhārā, uppādavaya dhammino,
upajjhitvā nirujjhanti, tesaṁ vūpasamo sukho

Impermanent indeed are all conditioned things, they are in the nature of arising and dissolution; having arisen, they cease to be, the realization of Nibbāna on their utter cessation is blissful peace.

When the Buddha passed away, at the moment of his passing away, Ven. Anuruddhā uttered this verse:

Nāhu assāsa-passāso, ṭhita cittassa tādino,
anejo santim-ārabbha, yaṁ kālam-akarī Muni.

Friend monastics! The Great Sage, Lord of the Three Worlds, free of craving for existence, has ended his span of life, intent on the peace of Nibbāna. No more breathing in or out is there.

Asallīnena cittena, [1083] vedānaṁ ajjhavāsayi,
pajjo tasseva Nibbānaṁ, vimokkho cetaso ahu.

Of him who was steadfast. Against the storm of worldly conditions, friends, our teacher endured the physical pain with fortitude. Like the extinction of a flame when the fuel is exhausted, his mind has attained total liberation from all bonds.

When the Buddha passed away, at the moment of his passing away, Ven. Ānanda uttered this verse which aroused spiritual urgency:

Tadāsi ya bhiṁsanakaṁ, tad-āsi lomahaṁ sanaṁ,
sabhā kāra va rūpete, Sambuddhe parinibbate.

At the moment of the passing away of our teacher, endowed with glorious qualities, there was a terrifying earthquake. Then at that moment, there occurred the hair-raising, goose flesh causing earthquake of sixfold intensity.

When the Buddha passed away, those monastics who had not been able to abandon attachment and anger, i.e., the Stream-enterers and the Once-returners wailed with their arms upraised; they flung themselves down, rolled in all directions, all the while lamenting: “All too soon has the Fortunate One realized Parinibbāna! All too soon has the Gracious One realized Parinibbāna! All too soon has the possessor of the Eye of Wisdom vanished from the world!”

But those monastics who had abandoned attachment and anger, i.e., the Non-returners, bore the event with fortitude in the keen contemplation that “all conditioned things are impermanent by nature, and hence, how would it be possible to find any permanence in this conditioned nature?”

Then Ven. Anuruddha said to the monastics: “Enough, friends, do not grieve, nor weep. Has not the Fortunate One previously expounded to you that it is the very nature of things most near and dear to us that we must part with them somehow, even while we are living, or when death divides us, or when we are on different planes of existence? Friends, in this matter, how could one expect anything that has the nature of arising, of appearing, of being conditioned, and of dissolution, not to disintegrate? It is not possible for anyone to wish so. Friends, the Devas are reproachful, saying, if even venerable ones cannot bear with it, how could they give comfort to others?”

At these words of Ven. Anuruddha, Ven. Ānanda asked: “But Ven. Anuruddha, according to your observation, what is the state of mind that is present in the Devas and Brahmas?”

“Friend Ānanda, the Devas who remain in the sky are standing there as if there was firm ground to stand on, having transformed the sky into firm ground by their divine power, and are wailing with dishevelled hair, their arms upraised, they fling themselves down, rolling on the fancied ground in all directions, all the while lamenting: ‘All too soon has the Fortunate One realized Parinibbāna! All too soon has the Gracious One realized Parinibbāna! All too soon has the Visionary vanished from the world!’

“Friend Ānanda, the Devas who remain on the earth are standing on the ground [1084] transforming the natural earth into supportable ground for their bodies of subtle corporeality, and are wailing with dishevelled hair, their arms upraised, they fling themselves down, rolling on the ground in all directions, all the while lamenting: “All too soon has the Fortunate One realized Parinibbāna! All too soon has the Gracious One realized Parinibbāna! All too soon has the Visionary vanished from the world!

But those Devas who are free from sensual attachment bear the event with fortitude, contemplating that ‘all conditioned things are impermanent by nature, and hence how would it be possible to find any permanence in this conditioned nature?’ ”

Then Ven. Anuruddha and Ven. Ānanda spent the rest of the small hours of the night in Dhamma discourse. They discussed the omnipresence of death: “Friend, death has no shame even to snatch away such a great unrivalled teacher of the three worlds. How should any common beings expect any shame from death? He would take away anyone without shame.” Thus they were talking Dhamma and soon it was dawn.

Then Ven. Anuruddha said to Ven. Ānanda: “Go, friend Ānanda, enter Kusinārā and tell the Malla princes: “Vāseṭṭhas, the Fortunate One has passed away. Do now what you deem fitting.” – “Very well, venerable sir,” Ānanda assented and he went into Kusinārā accompanied by a monastic.

At that time the Malla princes were engaged in a meeting at the Council Hall, discussing the details needed in connection with honouring the Buddha who had passed away, such as flowers and incense to be arranged, seating places for the Saṅgha, offerings of food, etc. Then Ven. Ānanda went to the Council Hall and said to them: “Vāseṭṭhas, the Fortunate One has passed away. Do now as you deem fitting.”

On hearing the news from Ven. Ānanda, the Malla princes, their sons and daughters, their daughter-in-laws, and their wives were grief-stricken, and sick at heart, and wailed, their hair dishevelled, their arms upraised; they flung themselves down rolling on the floor in all directions, all the while lamenting: “All too soon has the Fortunate One realized Parinibbāna! All too soon has the Gracious One realized Parinibbāna! All too soon has the Visionary vanished from the world!”

Last Rites for the Remains of the Buddha

Then the Malla princes of Kusinārā ordered their men to gather flowers, perfumes and all kinds of musical instruments in Kusinārā. Then they went to the Sāla grove where the body of the Buddha was, bringing flowers, perfumes and all kinds of musical instruments, as well as 500 sets of long cloth. And there they passed the day in song and dance by way of venerating, honouring, revering and paying homage to the remains of the Buddha. Flowers and perfumes were placed at suitable locations, canopies of cloth were made, and pavilions set up with long cloth. Then the Malla princes of Kusinārā decided that it was rather late for that day to cremate the remains of the Buddha. “We shall perform the cremation tomorrow,” they all agreed.

Then the second day was also passed in song and dance, by way of venerating, honouring, revering and paying homage to the remains of the Buddha, where flowers and perfumes were placed in suitable locations, canopies of cloth were made, and new pavilions set up with long cloth. In the same manner the third day, the fourth day, the fifth day and the sixth day were also spent.

Then on the seventh day, the Malla princes of Kusinārā conferred among themselves and decided thus: “We shall cremate the remains of the Fortunate One at the south of the town, to which place we shall carry the body by the southern road and perform the ceremony with song and dance, flowers and perfumes, thereby venerating, honouring, revering and paying homage to the remains of the Fortunate One.”

Thereupon, eight most senior Malla princes of robust build, after washing their heads and [1085] donning new clothes, thinking: “We shall now lift up the body of the Fortunate One,” exerted in unison to lift up the body of the Buddha, but the body did not budge.

Then the Malla princes of Kusinārā, being confident that Ven. Anuruddha as the foremost monastic in the power of divine eye should be able to explain it, asked him: “Ven. Anuruddha, these eight most senior Malla princes, after washing their heads and donning new clothes, thinking: ‘We shall lift up the body of the Fortunate One,’ exerted in unison to lift up the body of the Fortunate One, but the body did not budge. What is the reason, what is the cause of this?”

“Vāseṭṭhas, it is because you are working with a different intention from the Devas.”

“What, Ven. Anuruddha, is the will of the Devas?”

“Vāseṭṭhas, your intention is this: ‘We shall cremate the remains of the Fortunate One at the south of the town, where we shall carry the body by the southern road and perform the ceremony with song and dance, flowers and perfumes, thereby venerating, honouring, revering, and paying homage to the remains of the Fortunate One.’

The intention of the Devas however is this: ‘We shall cremate the remains of the Fortunate One at the east of the town near the Makuṭabandhana Shrine of the Malla princes, where we shall carry it first northwards by the northern road, hence via the North Gate into the town, then to the East Gate by the middle road, to the Makuṭabandhana Shrine, and perform the ceremony with song and dance, flowers and perfumes, thereby venerating, honouring, revering and paying homage to the remains of the Fortunate One.’ ”

“Venerable sir, let it be according to the wish of the Devas.”

At that time, Kusinārā, the home town of Malla princes, was thickly strewn with celestial Mandārava flowers everywhere, even including fence borders and rubbish heaps.

Then the Devas and the Malla princes of Kusinārā carried the remains of the Buddha northwards by the northern road; thence via the North Gate into the town, thence to the centre of the town by the middle road, venerating, honouring, revering and paying homage to the remains of the Buddha all along the route by both celestial and human dance and song, flowers and perfumes.

Mallikā, Widow of General Bandhula

While the remains of the Buddha was thus being paid homage to in the town, along the middle road, Mallikā, the widow of General Bandhula, on hearing the news, awaited in front of her house with her famous Great Creeper (Mahā-latā) gown which she had not garbed herself with since the death of her husband. She had it cleaned and washed in perfumed water to decorate the body of the Buddha with it as her unique way of honouring the memory of the Buddha.

The Great Creeper gown was a rare kind of dress which only three outstanding persons owned, viz., Visākhā, Mallikā and a robber called Devadāniyā. This dress is referred to as the Mallikā dress these days.

As the procession carrying the remains of the Buddha reached her door, Mallikā requested the people in the procession: “Princes, put down the body of the Fortunate One for a while here!” And when they complied with her request, she placed the Great Creeper gown around the body of the Buddha. It fitted well with the body from head to foot. The golden-hued body was then resplendent with the bejewelled dress wrought with the seven kinds of gems.

Mallikā was throbbing with joy at the glorious sight of the Buddha’s body being garbed in her bejewelled dress. “Fortunate One, may I, in all future existences in Saṁsāra, be blessed with a completely garbed person without the need to garb myself,” thus did she make her wish on that occasions. After she died, she was reborn in the Tāvatiṁsa Realm and her wish was fulfilled, see the commentary on the Story about Mallikā’s Heavenly Mansion (Mallikā-vimāna-vatthu, Vv 36). [1086]

Thereafter, the Malla princes carried the body of the Buddha with the Great Creeper gown and proceeded to the East Gate. They put it down at the Makuṭabandhana Shrine of the Malla princes to the east of the town.

The Funeral Rites

Then the Malla princes asked Ven. Ānanda: “Venerable sir, in what manner should the body of the Realised One be properly handled?” – “Vāseṭṭhas, it should be treated in the same way as is done to the remains of a Universal Monarch.” – “Venerable sir, what is the procedure in the case of treating the remains of a Universal Monarch?”

“Vāseṭṭhas, the body of a Universal Monarch is wrapped up in new cloth. Over that wrapping, there should be a wrapping of carded cotton wool. Over the cotton wool wrapping, there should be another layer of wrapping with new cloth. In this way the body of a Universal Monarch is wrapped up in 500 pairs of pieces of cloth. Then it is placed in an oil vat wrought with gold, and covered with a lid wrought with gold. Then it is placed upon a funeral pyre, which is built of various kinds of scented wood and then cremated. The relics, after the cremation, are then enshrined at the junction of the four highways. Vāseṭṭhas, this is the procedure in treating the remains of a Universal Monarch.

Vāseṭṭhas, in the same way as the procedure is followed with regard to the relics of a Universal Monarch, so also should the procedure be followed with regard to the relics of the Fortunate One. A relic shrine (stūpa) to the honour of the Fortunate One should be erected at the junction of the four highways. People will visit the shrine and make offerings of flowers or incense or fragrant powder, or pay homage, or will reflect on the Buddha’s attributes. And, for such deeds of devotion, these people will enjoy benefit and happiness for a long time.”

Then the Malla princes of Kusinārā ordered their men to collect cotton wool from the storehouses of the Malla princes. Then they treated the body of the Buddha as instructed by Ven. Ānanda. They wrapped it up in new cloth. Over that wrapping they made a cotton wool wrapping, and over that they again wrapped it up with new cloth. In this way the body of the Buddha was wrapped up in 500 pairs of pieces of cloth. Then they placed it in an oil vat wrought with gold, and covered it with a lid wrought with gold. A funeral pyre with various kinds of scented wood was built, on which they placed the embalmed body.

Ven. Mahā Kassapa

When the funeral ceremony of the Buddha was thus taking place in Kusinārā, Ven. Mahā Kassapa had finished the alms round in the city of Pāvā. And, with his mind set on going to Kusinārā, he was on his way from Pāvā to Kusinārā, accompanied by 500 monastics. On his way, he left the road and sat underneath a tree together with his company of monastics.

At that time a wandering ascetic was approaching them on the road from Kusinārā heading for Pāvā. He was holding a celestial Mandārava flower above his head with a stick as the prop of the umbrella. [1087]

Ven. Mahā Kassapa noticed the celestial Mandārava flower held in the ascetic’s hand. He knew that this flower is not seen on earth at all times and that it appears on earth only on such rare occasions as when some person of great power carries out an exercise in his psychic power, or when a Bodhisatta takes conception in his mother’s womb. “But,” he reflected, “this is not the day when some powerful person is carrying out an exercise in his psychic power, nor is it the day the Bodhisatta takes conception, nor the day he is being born, nor the day he attains Awakening, nor the day he delivers the Dhamma Wheel discourse, nor the day he displays the twin miracle, nor the day he descends from the Tāvatiṁsa Realm, nor the day he relinquishes the life-maintaining mental process, hence, this must be the day he has passed away.”

Ven. Mahā Kassapa wanted to verify his deduction and asked the wandering ascetic. But if he were to mention about the Buddha in his sitting posture it might be lacking in respect, so he thought, and therefore he rose up and moving a few steps away from where he was sitting, he covered his head with the dark-brown robe made from dust heap rags which the Buddha had offered him in exchange, just as the Chaddanta white elephant would cover his head with a ruby-studded ornamental headdress, and putting his ten fingers, with their lustre aglow, together in the raised hands atop his forehead, he stood facing the wandering ascetic and asked him: “Friend, do you know our teacher?”

On being asked by Ven. Mahā Kassapa, the wandering ascetic replied: “Yes, friend, I know of him. It is seven days now since the ascetic Gotama passed away. As a matter of fact, I have brought this celestial Mandārava flower from the place of his demise.”

Thereupon, some of the monastics who were with Ven. Mahā Kassapa, and had not abandoned attachment, wailed with their arms upraised; they flung themselves down rolling in all directions, all the while lamenting: “All too soon has the Fortunate One realized Parinibbāna! All too soon has the Gracious One realized Parinibbāna! All too soon has the Visionary vanished from the world!”

But, those among them who were free from sensual attachment bore the news with fortitude, contemplating that: “All conditioned things are impermanent by nature, and hence [1088] how could it be possible to find any permanence in this conditioned nature?”

Subhadda, the Elderly Monastic

Now, at that time there was an elderly monastic named Subhadda among Ven. Mahā Kassapa’s 500 monastics. He had became a monastic only late in his life. When the other monastics were crying and wailing helplessly, he said these ugly words to them: “Enough, friends. Do not grieve. Do not lament. Only now we are all well-liberated from that great ascetic (samaṇa). He had been hard upon us, always saying: ‘This is proper for you; that is not proper for you.’ Now we are free to do what we like, and equally free not to do what we do not like.”

Now to relate the story: Subhadda was a barber by profession before he became a monastic. He had two sons, both trainee barbers, living together with him in the town of Ātuma, who were gifted with pleasant speech and well-known as skilful barbers. Once, when the Buddha went to Ātuma from Kusinārā with a company of 1,250 monastics, he received the news of the happy event and, intending to offer a great offering of rice gruel, he said to his two trainee sons: “Sons, the Fortunate One is coming to Ātuma with 1,250 monastics. Go now, sons, carry your barber’s tools with you, and collect in vessels or in bags from every house in the town whatever provisions, such as rice, oil, salt, and other edibles, being offered. Let us prepare rice gruel with those things and offer gruel to the Fortunate One.”

Ven. Subhadda’s two trainee sons obeyed the instruction of their father. Thanks to their melodious speech and the skill in their profession, the townspeople sponsored them in their trade. Even those who did not actually need a hair cut or a hair-do submitted themselves to them. After the job was done they asked the trainee barbers: “Sons, what would you like as fees?” They would reply: “We are planning to offer rice gruel when the Fortunate One comes to our town. So we want only the necessary ingredients to make rice gruel.”

And the people were generous in their gifts to the novices. They did not even consider those gifts of rice, oil, salt and other edibles as fees. The provisions collected were of such an abundance that they could not carry them home. Instead, the supporters had to help to carry them.

Then with the arrival of the Buddha in Ātuma and his entering the straw-thatched monastery, the monk Subhadda went to the village gate in the evening and announced to the townspeople: “Disciples, I do not want any other thing but utensils to cook rice gruel from the provisions which my young sons have collected. I also would like you to lend a hand in the preparation of the rice gruel.” Then, after making ready the cooking place, he personally supervised the operations, with the dark-brown loin cloth and the dark-brown upper robe on. He prepared a special kind of gruel worth 100,000 which was to be in solid form and had to be first eaten and then drunk. The gruel contained ghee, honey, molasses, fish, meat, nectar, fruit juices, etc. It smelt like hair pomade and was also suitable to be used as such. Besides this rich rice gruel, he also prepared honey-cakes.

The Buddha, rising early, and having finished cleaning himself, went to the town of Ātuma, accompanied by a big following of monastics, for alms round. The people informed Ven. Subhadda: “The Fortunate One is now on the alms round. For whom is the rice-gruel being prepared?”

Ven. Subhadda, in his usual garb of dark-brown robes, sat in the Brahma sitting posture, with his right knee-top placed on the ground and holding a ladle and a big spoon in one hand, paid homage to the Buddha and said: “May the Fortunate One accept my thick gruel as a food offering.”

The Buddha inquired after how the food had been made, what ingredients were used, etc. as described in the Chapter about Medicines (Bhesajjakkhandhaka, Vin Mv 6) and being told of the facts, he reprimanded Ven. Subhadda on a number of counts. The Buddha then laid down fresh [1089] Vinaya rules: 1) Taking upon oneself improper activity which is liable to a wrong-doing (dukkaṭa) offence (akappiya-samādāna); and 2) keeping up the outfit of a barber by one who had been a barber, which is also liable to a wrong-doing offence (khura-baṇḍa-pariharaṇa).

He also enjoined the monastics from accepting Ven. Subhadda’s rice gruel in these words: “Monastics, you have spent millions and millions of aeons in search of food. The food now offered by Subhadda is improper for monastics. If you take this food, you will suffer in the four lower worlds for thousands of existences. Monastics, move away. Do not accept the food.” After saying so, the Buddha proceeded to the alms collecting area of the town. None of the monastics accepted any of the thick gruel that Ven. Subhadda offered.

Ven. Subhadda was greatly disappointed: “This ascetic (samaṇa) goes about declaring: ‘I am omniscient.’ If he could not accept my offering, he ought to have sent someone to say so. My food is totally spoilt and wasted. Cooked food cannot last seven days. If it were not yet cooked the provisions could have lasted for my whole life. This ascetic has ruined me. He is inimical and antagonistic towards me.” Thus thought Ven. Subhadda, and he bore a grudge against the Buddha. But he knew that: “This ascetic Gotama comes from the Sakyans, a superior social class. If I were to say anything, I could only face oppression,” and so he did not murmur while the Buddha was alive. Now he heard the news that the Buddha was no more, and he felt at ease and was greatly pleased, hence his vulgar remarks.

Ven. Mahā Kassapa’s Plan

On hearing the wild remarks uttered by Ven. Subhadda, Ven. Mahā Kassapa was very concerned. It was as though his heart had been dealt a blow, or as though he was struck by thunder on the head. “Alas, barely seven days have passed since the teacher passed away. His golden-hued body is still in existence. How soon has such a bad monastic, the scum of the religion, a thorn to the Saṅgha, arisen to threaten the existence of the teaching that the Fortunate One has so painfully set up. If such a monastic were to be left unchecked the number of his kind would grow to the detriment of the teaching.” Thus a spiritual urgency occurred to Ven. Mahā Kassapa.

Then the idea of convening a Council to recite and approve the doctrine was conceived by him, through the thoughts described as follows: “If I were to expel, on the spot, this old monastic, who is a late entrant to the Saṅgha, deriding him and sprinkling his body with ash, the people would say: ‘Even when the remains of the ascetic Gotama are still in existence, his disciples are already in disharmony.’ I must, therefore, hold my patience.

For the teachings of the Fortunate One are at present like a big heap of flowers not strung into garlands. Just as a lose heap of flowers could very well be blown away in all directions by the winds as time passes on, monastics of Subhadda’s sort would work havoc to the Discipline Collection (Vinaya-piṭaka) by one or two rescissions at first, the Discourse Collection (Sutta-piṭaka) would be diminished by revocation, at first by one or two dialogues; the Abstract Collection (Abhidhamma-piṭaka) would suffer by the omission of one or two of the ultimate things out of the existing doctrines, such as things pertaining to the sensuous sphere, things pertaining to the form realm, things pertaining to the formless realm, and things supermundane. In this manner, the disappearance of the teaching would come about, Collection by Collection, in turn. If the teaching rooted in the Discourses, the Discipline and the Abstract Collections were to disappear, the world would have nothing to stand on; where the branches of a tree are cut off, the guardian spirit of that tree can dwell in the stem of the tree; if the stem is destroyed the spirit can dwell in the roots; but if the roots are destroyed then the spirit will be rendered homeless. If the Three Baskets (Tipiṭaka) were to disappear, there would be nothing that the followers of the Buddha could point out as their religion. [1090]

Or, to take another simile: The father Yakkha has entrusted his Yakkha son with a charm that can make its holder invisible. If the Yakkha son loses this charm through forgetfulness or by being robbed of it, then he would be totally helpless. Similarly, if the Collections were to be lost then we all are lost. Therefore, we shall convene a Council and recite the Discourses and the Discipline. By doing so, we would be putting the teaching in proper order that would withstand assault just as flowers are carefully strung into garlands.

The Fortunate One had come to Kusinārā after travelling three miles to enable me to pay my last respects to him. He admitted me into the Saṅgha after three chapters of admonition. He gave me the robes he was wearing, in exchange for the robes I was wearing. When he discoursed on the practice with the similes of the moon, he referred to me by way of example. In these three events, he showed his intention of leaving the custodianship of his teaching to me (see SN 16.6-8).

So long as a true son of the Fortunate One such as myself is living, let this wicked man not grow in influence in this teaching. Before depravity gets a footing, before depravity mars the true Dhamma, before new fangled rules gain ground, before spurious regulations obstruct the Vinaya, before miscreants hold sway, before upholders of righteousness are on the wane, before those people who misrepresent the Fortunate One become a strong force, before the faithful exponents of the Fortunate One’s teaching are on the wane, I shall see to it that a Council is convened to recite and unanimously approve the Discipline, the Discourse and the Abstract Collections. When such a Council is convened, monastics will learn the teaching as much as they are capable of, and discuss the Discipline with the matters that are proper and improper. When such a session is held, this wicked old monastic will know where he stands and will be duly chastised and he will never be able to show his face. And, above all, the Buddha’s teaching will become well-defined and it will prosper.”

These thoughts occurred to Ven. Mahā Kassapa. However, he did not confide his plan to any other monastics or to any other person. He simply consoled the lamenting monastics by his discourse on the doctrine thus: “Enough, friends, do not grieve. Do not weep. Has not the Fortunate One previously expounded to you that it is in the very nature of things that regarding those most near and dear to us that we must part with them some day, even while we are living, or when death divides us, or when we are on different planes of existence? Friends, in this matter, how could one expect anything that has the nature of arising, of appearing, of being conditioned, and of dissolution, not to disintegrate? It is not possible for anyone to wish so.”

The Mallas Cremate the Body of the Buddha

Then four of the most senior Malla princes of robust physique washed their heads, donned themselves in new clothes, and intending to set fire to the funeral pyre of the Buddha, ignited it; but, try as they would, the pyre did not catch fire at all. Herein, the pyre of fragrant woods was 120 cubits high, when four strong men failed to ignite it, eight were engaged in it and when eight failed too, sixteen, and again 32 men were put to the task. All means to help ignite it were also employed, such as fanning and even blowing with the smith’s bellows, but all in vain. This may be explained like this: The 80 great disciples of the Buddha had great followings devoted to them, when these people, numbering 80,000 passed away they were reborn in the Deva realms. Among these Devas, the Devas who had particular devotion to Ven. Mahā Kassapa when they were lay supporters of the monastic, saw the critical situation that their esteemed monastic was still on the way from Pāvā to Kusinārā. So they made their wish that this funeral pyre be not lighted until he arrived on the scene. It was due to their will that no amount of human effort could ignite the funeral pyre.

Then the Malla princes asked Ven. Anuruddha for the reason the funeral pyre remained unburnt. He replied to them: “The Devas wish it otherwise.”

“Venerable sir, what is the wish of the Devas?” [1091]

“Vāseṭṭhas, Ven. Mahā Kassapa is now on his way from Pāvā to Kusinārā in the company of 500 monastics. The Devas have willed that, until he has paid homage at the Fortunate One’s feet, the funeral pyre of scented woods will remain unburnt.”

“Venerable sir, let the wish of the Devas prevail,” replied the Malla princes.

When the people heard that Ven. Mahā Kassapa was coming to pay homage at the feet of the Buddha, and that the funeral pyre of scented woods would not catch fire until he had done so, they were agog with excitement. “Friends, is that Ven. Mahā Kassapa dark complexioned or fair complexioned? Is he tall or short? How does he look? Friends, how could that be, that there lives such a great monastic, when the Fortunate One’s passing away has taken place?” Some of them took perfumes and flowers and went out to meet Ven. Mahā Kassapa while others prepared the roadway he was coming along and stood there waiting.

Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa arrived and went to the funeral pyre of scented woods at the Makuṭabandhana Shrine of the Malla princes in Kusinārā. He wore a folded robe on one shoulder, with joined palms raised to his forehead, and he walked around the funeral pyre keeping it on his right for three rounds. By his special powers he reflected on the embalmed body of the Buddha and knew for certain which end of the body was the Buddha’s feet. And standing at the end where the Buddha’s feet lay, he entered upon the fourth absorption (jhāna) which is the prelude or basis of special apperception and, rising from that absorption, he made the solemn wish: “May the Fortunate One’s feet, marked with 1,000 spokes at the wheels, push through the golden casket together with the multilayered wrappings of cotton-wool and 500 pairs of pieces of cloth, and come out to lie on my head.”

As soon as his solemn wish was made, the Buddha’s feet pushed through the 500 layers of cloth and cotton-wool wrappings like the full moon appearing from the clouds. Ven. Mahā Kassapa spread out his palms of pinkish red, like the new bloom lotus, and holding the golden hued feet of the Buddha firmly in his hands up to the ankles, placed the pair of feet on his head, thus paying homage in a most touching manner.

Witnessing the miraculous scene, the people raised a thunderous applause and made their offerings of perfumes, flowers and other things and paid their homage at the feet of the Buddha to their hearts’ content. The 500 monastics who accompanied Ven. Mahā Kassapa also wore folded robes on one shoulder and with their joined palms raised to their forehead, walked around the funeral pyre of scented wood keeping it on their right for three rounds, and paid homage at the feet of the Buddha.

After Ven. Mahā Kassapa, the people and the 500 monastics had paid homage at the Buddha’s feet as much as they liked, at the instant Ven. Mahā Kassapa let go the Buddha’s feet, the lac-coloured feet of the Buddha returned to their former place inside the casket, without any further wishing by Ven. Mahā Kassapa. As the feet disappeared into the golden casket, not a piece of scented wood was bestirred. As a matter of fact, as when the Buddha’s feet came out of the golden casket and as they re-entered it, nothing was disturbed, not a strand of cotton-wool, not a fibre of the cloth, not a droplet of oil, not a piece of scented firewood was caused to stir itself. When once the feet were inside the golden casket again, everything was perfectly intact.

But when the Buddha’s feet disappeared from view like the setting of the sun or the moon beyond the western mountain, the people wailed. They presented an even more pitiable sight than they did at the passing away of the Buddha.

After Ven. Mahā Kassapa and his 500 monastics had paid their last respects, the funeral pyre of scented wood burnt by itself, all at the same time without human effort but by the power of celestial beings; this is called the combustion by the element of heat (tejo).

Of the body of the Buddha that had burnt itself, the outer, thinner layer of the skin, the inner, thicker layer of the skin, flesh, sinews and sticky substances did not remain in the form of ash or soot; what remained was only the relics that were formed out of the body. It is just like the case of burning clear butter which leaves no ash or soot. Of the five [1092] hundred pieces of cloth that were wrapped round the body of the Buddha only the innermost and the outermost remained intact.

Notes on the Relics of the Buddha

Relics of the Buddhas that appear in the aeons when human lifespans are very long, by tens of thousands of years are of one solid mass of golden colour. Our Gotama Buddha appeared in the period when human lifespan was short, 100 years. The Buddha reflected thus before passing away: “My teaching has not spread to all directions at the time of my passing away. Let people from various places procure the relics from my body which may be as tiny as a mustard seed, enshrine them and make them a place of pilgrimage, and thus acquire merit leading to the good destination.” With that compassionate thought, he willed that the relics of his body be split up into many pieces.

In this matter, relics of the Buddha are of two broad classes: the relics that do not break up into many, and those that break up into many. Of the two classes, seven items belong to the first category: the four canines, the two collar bones, the frontal bone of the head. The remaining relics belong to the second category. About a basketful of the latter remained, of these: 1) The smallest are of the size of mustard seed, having the shape of the red jasmine buds, and a total collection of about six measures (aḷhaka); ^{Aḷhaka: An uncertain measure applied to grain.} 2) the medium size relics are of the size of broken rice, look like pearls, and have a total collection of about five measures; 3) the big-size relics are of the size of a grain of green gram, having a golden colour and a total collection of about five measures; see the commentaries on the Long Discourse about the Emancipation (Mahā-parinibbāna-sutta, DN 16) and the Chronicles of the Buddhas (Buddha-vaṁsa).

After the spontaneous combustion of the Buddha’s body by the element of heat had occurred, there came down from the sky, through the agency of Devas, huge columns of water, ranging in diameter from the thickness of a man’s arms, to that of a man’s calf, and to that of a palm tree, that quelled the fire arisen in the funeral pyre of scented wood. Fountains of water also sprang from the boughs of the Sāla trees. To cope with the size of the pyre which was 120 cubits high, thick columns of water with a diameter of a plough shaft sprang up from the ground on all sides of the pyre. The Malla princes of Kusinārā brought scented water in gold and silver pots and sprinkled it on the pyre. Then they combed the ashes with ploughs fitted with eight golden and silver ploughshares each, to scatter and cool the ashes. A particularly wonderful phenomenon here is that although the flames were rising fiercely through the boughs, branches and foliage of the Sāla trees around the funeral pyre, not a leaf or a blossom was burnt. Insects living in the Sāla trees were going about their own way, quite unharmed.

Last Rites for the Remains of the Buddha

After the funeral pyre had been quelled of the fire, the Mallas assembled at the Council Hall to prepare for a grand ceremony. They pounded into a cosmetic paint, four ingredients: the rhododendrons, the saffron, cloves and leaves of gum trees which they applied to various parts of the hall. Then they strew flowers, such as the primrose, the red jasmine, white durra grass, the saffron and parched grain. They made a canopy and decorated it with gold and silver spangles and hung fragrant things, flowers and precious jewels all about the Council Hall.

Then they made a ceremonial roadway from the Council Hall to the Makuṭabandhara Shrine with half a wall of matting and long cloth on either side of the route, along it they put up canopies which were studded with gold and silver spangles. Fragrant things, flowers and precious jewels were also hung about. Fresh bamboo poles, looking like solid pieces of emerald, were set up along the route with five coloured flags fluttering in the breeze, vying with the fluttering paper streamers. The route was made smooth and clean. Banana plants, water pots filled with water, and oil lamps in their stands were set up at regular intervals. Then they put the gold casket, which contained the relics of the Buddha, on the royal elephant fitted with bejewelled ornaments.

The Malla princes, in a ceremonial procession with song and dance, led the royal elephant bearing the golden casket containing the relics of the Buddha into Kusinārā town, making offerings of flowers and incense in front of the relics. In the town, in the council hall, they had erected a high platform, called the Sarabha, which was supported by sculpted figure of a lion and was a platform decorated with the seven kinds of jewels. There they placed the Buddha’s relics, above which, the white ceremonial parasol was set up.

Around the Council Hall, where the relics were placed in state, the security of the place was arranged in great elaboration. Around the Council Hall, there was stationed an army of elephants standing close to one another. Outside this ring of elephants, there was a cavalry with horses standing close to one another. And outside the ring of cavalry, there was an army of chariots standing close to one another. Outside the ring of chariots, infantry men stood guard in a ring, in close formation. Outside the ring of infantry, there was an army of archers in close formation. And outside the ring of archers, there was an army of lancers in close formation. Thus the security guard extended to a league on all sides which took on the appearance of one huge network of chain mail. For seven days the funeral celebrations were held in all gaiety.

The Malla princes staged these celebrations only a fortnight after the demise of the Buddha because, during the previous fortnight, they were busily engaged in attending to the Saṅgha’s needs regarding their lodging and meals. Now they thought: “Now we shall celebrate the great occasion in gay festivities that are connected with spiritual urgency for seven whole days. During these days of jollity we must make sure that the Buddha’s relics are safe against any thief, and so we shall mount guard over the relics to the best of our ability,” hence the elaborate security arrangements.

Distribution of the Relics

King Ajātasattu of Magadha heard that the Buddha had passed away in Kusinārā. The news reached him in the following manner: First the ministers of King Ajātasattu heard the news of the passing away of the Buddha and they said among themselves: “Even such a great person as the Buddha has passed away. Nothing in the world can make him alive again. Among worldlings, our king is unrivalled in the matter of devotion to the Buddha. If he were to learn this news in the normal course, he is sure to die of a broken heart. So it behoves us to see that he does not die of this news.” After conferring among themselves, they made ready three golden troughs filled with a concoction of the four nutriments of sesame oil, honey, butter and molasses.

Then they said to King Ajātasattu: “Your majesty, we had had a bad dream. To avert the evil consequences of the bad dream, we would advise your majesty to wear two layers of white cloth and lie in the trough immersed in the four nutriments, with only the nose above the concoction.”

The king believed the loyalty of his ministers and said: “Nobles, let it be as you say,” and putting on two layers of white cloth, he lay immersed in the concoction in the trough, with only his nose exposed.

Then an official, discarding the official garb and in plain clothes, with dishevelled hair, with his face directed towards Kusinārā where the demise of the Buddha had taken place, with joined palms raised, addressed King Ajātasattu: “Your majesty, no one can escape death. The preserver of our lives, our shrine, the fertile field to sow our merit, the person worthy of sprinkling with ceremonial water on the occasion of the king’s consecration and enthronement, the teacher of Devas and humans, has now passed away at Kusinārā!”

As soon as he heard this news, King Ajātasattu fainted. His body was so heated with sorrow that the concoction in which he lay immersed simmered. Thereupon, the officials removed the king from the trough and put him into a second trough filled with the concoction of four nutriments. Then King Ajātasattu regained his consciousness and asked: [1094] “What did you say, my nobles?”

“Your majesty, the Fortunate One has passed away.” And King Ajātasattu fainted again. The concoction in the trough simmered with the body heat of the king. Then the officials removed the king from the trough and placed him into a third trough filled with the concoction of the four nutriments. When King Ajātasattu regained consciousness, he again asked what was said to him. The news was repeated to him, and he fainted again. Then the officials took him out of the trough, bathed him in scented water, and poured pots of cool clear water over his head.

When King Ajātasattu regained consciousness, again he stood up and throwing down his dishevelled dark hair on his broad back, beat his chest in desperation and holding firmly his golden-hued chest with his lac-coloured fingers as if to check its breaking asunder, wailed helplessly and ran out along the high road like a lunatic.

Then King Ajātasattu, accompanied by a big company of embellished court dancers, left the town and went to the monastery in Jīvaka’s Mango Grove. There, gazing at the place where the Buddha used to deliver discourses, he lamented: “The Fortunate One, the omniscient Buddha! Have you not discoursed to me on the doctrine? Have you not removed the darts of sorrow from our hearts with your discourses? We are one of your disciples who go to you for refuge, who are established in the three refuges. But now you do not speak a word to me!

Venerable sir! In previous times, about this hour, I had had the good news of the Fortunate One and his big company of monastics having gone to the various places in this southern island continent. But now, I have only the bad news of your demise!”

Thus, he went on lamenting the passing away of the Buddha, recalling the glory of the Buddha in 60 verses. He then bethought to himself: “Lamenting alone will get me nowhere. There is the more serious business of procuring the relics of the Buddha.”

This is a more complete account of King Ajātasattu’s reaction on hearing the news of the passing away of the Fortunate One.

Then King Ajātasattu of Magadha sent an envoy to the Malla princes of Kusinārā, saying: “Malla princes of Kusinārā! The Fortunate One was of the ruling class; I too am of the ruling class. Therefore I am entitled to a share of the relics of the Fortunate One. I too shall build a relic shrine (stūpa) where the Fortunate One’s relics will be held and honoured.”

After sending an envoy, King Ajātasattu thought: “It would be well and good if the Malla princes comply with our demand. But in case they should refuse, we will get relics by force.” Accordingly, he marched to Kusinārā at the head of an array of the four wings of the armed forces: elephants, horses, chariots and foot soldiers.

Similar actions of sending envoys were taken by: the Licchavī princes of Vesālī; the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu; King Buli of Allakappa; and the Koḷiyan princes, natives of Rāmagāma.

Further, they also thought: “It would be well and good if the Malla princes comply with our demand. But in case they should refuse, we will get the relics by force.” Accordingly, they marched towards Kusinārā at the head of an array of the four wings of the armed forces: elephants, horses, chariots and foot soldiers.

The Brahmin of Veṭṭhadīpa heard that the Buddha had passed away at Kusinārā. He also sent an envoy to the Malla prices of Kusinārā saying: “Malla princes of Kusinārā, the Fortunate One was of the ruling class. I am of the Brahmin class, therefore, I am entitled to a share of the relics of the Fortunate One. I too shall build a shrine (stūpa) where the Fortunate One’s relics will be held and honoured.” Besides sending an envoy, the Brahmin also went to Kusinārā with his followers.

The Malla princes of Pāvā, like King Ajātasattu, sent an envoy to Kusinārā demanding their share of the relics. They also marched towards Kusinārā in full battle array of the [1095] four wings of the armed forces.

The seven rival claimants sent their respective envoys and at the same time surrounded the town of Kusinārā, declaring that if their demands were not met they would wage war.

The reply by the Malla princes of Kusinārā was this: “We did not ask, by messenger, for the Fortunate One to come to our place, nor personally did we go to the Fortunate One. As a matter of fact, the Fortunate One came here on his own accord and informed his arrival to us. Naturally, you will not part with whatever treasure that arises within your domain. In the world of Devas and all sentient beings there is no treasure as noble as the Buddha. We have the greatest of treasures that has come to us. So we cannot, by any means, share it with you. You had been nourished by your royal mothers, and so have we. You are brave men, and so are we. If you would choose war, then so be it.” Thus there was a vainglorious attitude on both sides. Tension was great.

Doṇa the Brahmin Distributes the Relics

When Doṇa, the Brahmin, learnt the tense situation between the seven disputants, he thought: “These princes are doing dishonour to the place where the Fortunate One passed away. This is most improper as no one is going to benefit from war. I will pacify them all.” So he went to the scene, stood on a small mound and uttered a series of verses extolling the glory of the Buddha. His verses are known as A Panegyric to the Buddha by Doṇa (Doṇa-gajjita). It describes the Buddha’s endowment of root causes, of results or fruits of merit, and of being a benefactor to all beings, known as the three endearments.

The story of how Brahmin Doṇa got the ability to versify such a weighty panegyric should be noted here. On a certain occasion, when the Buddha was travelling from Ukkaṭṭha to Setabya, he left his footprint with the solemn wish: “May this footprint of mine remain intact until Brahmin Doṇa has viewed it,” and then he rested underneath a tree.

When Brahmin Doṇa came along on the way and saw the footprint he knew for certain: “This is the footprint of the greatest person among all beings, including Devas.” Then he traced the track of the Buddha and met him resting under the tree. The Buddha gave a discourse to him and Brahmin Doṇa became devoted to the Buddha, hence his ability to sing in praise of the Buddha at such length.

Although the Brahmin’s verses were as lengthy as two recitals, since the disputing princes were squabbling, they did not hear the first half at all. It was only when the second half was nearly over that they recognized the voice. “Well, this is our teacher’s voice! Friends, this is the voice of our teacher, isn’t it?” Then all the tumult died down out of respect for Brahmin Doṇa, for in all Jambudīpa in those days almost all youths of good families had been pupils of Brahmin Doṇa. Very few of them would not know him as a teacher.

When Brahmin Doṇa knew that the princes were now paying attention to him he said to them: “Sirs, listen to one word of mine, our Fortunate One was an upholder of forbearance. It would not be proper to make war over the matter of sharing the relics of him who was of such noble nature. Sirs, let us all be united and in harmonious agreement to divide the relics into eight parts. There are the multitudes devoted to the Buddha. Let there be shrines to [1096] his honour, everywhere across the land.”

The squabbling princes assented. “Brahmin master,” they said, “in that case, divide fairly the relics of the Fortunate One into eight parts.” – “Very well, sirs,” Brahmin Doṇa agreed and caused the golden casket of relics to be opened. On seeing the golden-hued relics lying motionless inside the casket, all the princes lamented: “The All-Knowing Fortunate One! In previous times we used to see the resplendent sight of the Fortunate One with the golden complexion, marked with the 32 marks of the Great Man, emitting the six-hued radiance, and embellished by the 80 lesser marks of the Buddha. But now we are seeing only the golden relics that remind one of the Fortunate One. What a misfortune for us!”

When Brahmin Doṇa saw the princes in their grief and knew they would not notice him, he snatched the right canine tooth and hid it in his head gear. When the princes were in their stable senses, he took eight equal measures of the relics in a basket and distributed them, each sharing two measures (aḷhaka), for the whole amount of the relics was sixteen measures.

Even while Brahmin Doṇa was distributing the relics, Sakka was watching. “Where is the right canine tooth of the Buddha now, that of the Fortunate One, the expounder of the four truths that expelled all doubts in the minds of Devas and humans? Who has got it?” He scanned the scene and he saw the right canine tooth hidden in the head-gear of Brahmin Doṇa. He thought: “This canine tooth of the Buddha is such a cherished relic, I shall acquire it. And so he took it, it was a case of the robber being robbed. He took it from Brahmin Doṇa and placed it reverentially in a golden chalice and took it to the Tāvatiṁsa Realm where he enshrined it in the Cūḷāmaṇi Shrine.

After distributing the relics to the eight claimants, Brahmin Doṇa felt with his hand to reassure himself about the hidden relic in his head-gear but it was no longer there. But since he had stolen it himself, he dared not ask anybody about it. If he were to claim his share now, the princes would say: “Master, you distributed the relics yourself. Why did you not think of yourself to get a share for yourself?” So he consoled himself with the thought: “The basket-measure used in dividing up the relics has become sacrosanct. I shall be content with obtaining it. I shall put up a shrine enshrining it.”

So he said to the princes: “Sirs, let me keep the measure basket used in dividing the relics. I shall erect a shrine in its honour.” The princes agreed and so Brahmin Doṇa got the measure basket used in the division of the relics.

The Moriyan princes of Pippalivana also heard that the Buddha had passed away, and they also, like King Ajātasattu, sent an envoy to Kusinārā to demand their share of the relics and also marched to Kusinārā in full array of battle, with the four wings of their armed forces, but they reached there late.

The Malla princes of Kusinārā said to them: “There is no share of the Buddha’s relics remaining. All the claimants have divided the relics among themselves. Take the charred pieces of firewood from the site of the cremation.” And the Moriyan princes had to take away the charred pieces of firewood from the site of the cremation.

Building Relic Shrines in Reverence

Thus there were eight shrines of the Buddha-relics, with the ninth one, a shrine of the measuring-basket, and the tenth a shrine of charcoal, altogether making ten shrines.

King Ajātasattu’s Shrine

Of the above ten shrines, we shall relate the events connected with the building of King Ajātasattu’s shrine as told in the commentary and sub-commentary on the Long Discourse about the Emancipation (Mahā-parinibbāna-sutta, DN 16).

King Ajātasattu carried home his share of the relics in great ceremony. He prepared the 25 league stretch of the journey between Kusinārā and Rājagaha, a grand route of 5,000 metres wide, which was levelled. He made elaborate arrangements similar to what the Malla princes did with their passage route for the relics between the Makuṭabandhana Shrine and the Council Hall. Besides doing honour to the relics in various ways, he arranged for the opening of stalls at various places all along the route for the crowds. The golden casket of relics was placed in a golden coffin which was carried in all pomp and honour, escorted by a big army of lancers.

Before the relics arrived in Rājagaha, King Ajātasattu ordered the people to assemble in a gathering 500 kilometres wide. The festivities, which started in Kusinārā, continued all along the route under the escort of his big army. Wherever golden-coloured flower trees were in bloom, he placed the relics in the ring, surrounded by the army of lancers and made ceremonial offerings, which lasted for as long as the golden flowers were in bloom. Then the procession moved on from there. At every length of the ceremonial carriage, as it proceeded along, the procession halted to hold festivities and to make offerings, which lasted for seven days. The procession thus moved on at leisurely pace so that it lasted seven years, seven months and seven days to get to Rājagaha.

Believers in wrong views raised an outcry that King Ajātasattu held funeral ceremonies on the passing away of ascetic Gotama against the wishes of the people and that these festivities caused neglect of work by the people who had to suffer hardships. In denouncing thus the 86,000 holders of wrong views were motivated by malevolent thoughts about the Three Treasures, as a result of which, they were reborn in the four lower worlds.

The Arahats then reviewed the situation. The prolonged festivities over the carriage of the relics was causing transgressions against the Three Treasures amongst the people, which was indeed undesirable. So they thought of seeking the co-operation of the Devas to speed up the King’s procession to Rājagaha. They requested Sakka, the Lord of the Devas: “Sakka, think of some way to speed up the carriage of the relics to Rājagaha.”

Sakka replied: “Venerable sir, there is no worldling who is as devoted to the Three Treasures as King Ajātasattu. He will not take my advice. But I can use other means. One possible way is to assume myself a terrifying appearance as Māra is wont to do, to cause terrible sounds to possess people, to cause people to sneeze, to cause people to lose appetite, which are also [1098] Māra’s pet devices. When I use these means, the venerable ones should say to King Ajātasattu: “King, the prolonged festivities over the carriage of the relics has angered the Devas. Speed up the procession to Rājagaha.” On your advice only would King Ajātasattu speed up his procession.” Sakka did his part as suggested, causing terror among the people.

The Arahats then went to King Ajātasattu and said: “Great King, the prolonged festivities over the carriage of the relics has angered the Devas. Speed up the procession to Rājagaha.” King Ajātasattu replied: “Venerable sirs, I cannot fully satisfy myself in honouring the relics yet. However, I will follow your advice.” And so he ordered his men to speed up the carriage of the relics to Rājagaha. This order was given on the day when seven years and seven months had elapsed on the way to Rājagaha. Now in the next seven days the procession reached its destination.

King Ajātasattu erected a shrine in Rājagaha in honour of the relics which had arrived. Other kings and Brahmins who received their share of the relics or the measuring basket or charred firewood also put up shrines in honour of the relics, according to their means, in their own cities. These facts are recorded under the title: “The Honouring of the Relics by Raising Shrines,” which states: “King Ajātasattu of Magadha raised a shrine in Rājagaha in honour of the relics of the Buddha,” which was recited at the Second and Third Councils.

A Secret Relic Depository

After the various kings and Brahmins had erected their respective shrines at their own places where the Buddha-relics were enshrined, Ven. Mahā Kassapa by his special power of seeing into the future, saw:

So he went to King Ajātasattu and said solemnly: “Great King, it would be highly advisable that a secret depository be built to safeguard the relics.”

“Very well, venerable sir,” said King Ajātasattu, “leave the matter of building a secret depository to me, but how should the relics in other places be collected?”

“Great King, the collection of the relics that are with the other kings and Brahmins will be our responsibility, not yours.”

“Very well, venerable sir, let the venerable ones collect the relics. I shall build the depository.”

Having reached this understanding, Ven. Mahā Kassapa went around to the recipients of the relics, and explained to them his vision; and was able to collect the relics, leaving only an appropriate quantity of them for private homage at the various homes of the recipients. All the relics collected were brought to Rājagaha.

The relics at Rāma village were an exception. There, the Nāgas were guarding the relics and they were therefore secure against pilferers. Ven. Mahā Kassapa foresaw that, at a later time the relics of Rāma village would be enshrined when the Mahā Cetiya was erected at the Mahā Vihāra monastery in the island of Śrī Laṅkā, so relics from that place were not among the relics collected and brought to Rājagaha. There, at a site to the north east of the city, Ven. Mahā Kassapa made a solemn wish: “May the ground at this site be flawless and clean. If there be any rocks let them disappear now. Let no water arise here.”

King Ajātasattu then ordered earth digging work at that site. The earth dug up there was made into bricks. Then he built 80 shrines in honour of the 80 senior disciples. When asked what the project was. The king replied that it was the building project of shrines in honour of the 80 senior disciples. Nobody was allowed to know that the Buddha-relics were underneath. [1099]

The Enshrining of the Relics in Caskets

At the depth of 80 cubits, a copper platform was laid out, over which a copper chamber the size of a standard shrine was built. Then a series of eight sets of containers of various sizes beginning from golden sandalwood caskets and eight sets of shrines of golden sandalwood were made ready, each to be encased in another by turn in the following order: The relics of the Buddha were first put into a casket made of golden sandalwood. Then this was encased in a second casket of the same material. Then this was encased in a third casket of the same material. In this manner, eight caskets of golden sandalwood encased in one another in turn formed one casket of eight layers of golden sandalwood.

This eight-layered casket of golden sandalwood was enshrined in the series of eight shrines made of golden sandalwood, each shrine being encased in another in turn so that a shrine of eight layers of golden sandalwood was formed.

Likewise, this shrine of golden sandalwood was encased in a series of eight ivory caskets which formed one casket of eight layers of ivory caskets. This eight-layered ivory casket was enshrined in a series of eight ivory shrines, each being encased in another in turn, so that a shrine of eight layers of ivory shrines was formed.

Likewise, this ivory shrine was encased in a series of eight caskets wrought with the seven gems, which formed one casket of eight layers of the caskets of seven gems. This eight-layered casket of the seven gems was enshrined in a series of eight shrines wrought with the seven gems, each being encased in another in turn so that a shrine of eight layers of shrines of the seven gems was formed.

Likewise, this shrine of the seven gems was encased in a series of eight silver caskets which formed one casket of eight layers of silver caskets. This eight-layered silver casket was enshrined in a series of eight silver shrines, each being encased in another in turn so that a shrine of eight layers of silver shrines was formed.

Likewise, this silver shrine was encased in a series of eight emerald caskets which formed one casket of eight layers of emerald caskets. This eight-layered emerald casket was enshrined in a series of eight emerald shrines, each being encased in another in turn so that a shrine of eight layers of emerald shrines was formed.

Likewise, this emerald shrine was encased in a series of ruby caskets which formed one casket of eight layers of ruby caskets. This eight layered ruby casket was enshrined in a series of eight ruby shrines, each being encased in another in turn so that a shrine of eight layers of ruby shrines was formed.

Likewise, this ruby shrine was encased in a series of cat’s-eye caskets which formed one casket of eight layers of cat’s-eye caskets. This eight layered cat’s-eye casket was enshrined in a series of eight cat’s-eye shrines, each being encased in another in turn so that a shrine of eight layers of cat’s-eye shrines was formed.

Likewise, this cat’s-eye shrine was encased in a series of glass caskets which formed one casket of eight layers of glass caskets. This eight layered glass casket was enshrined in a series of eight glass shrines, each being encased in another in turn so that a shrine of eight layers of glass shrines was formed.

Thus systematically encased in turn, the outermost glass shrine had the size of the Thūpārāma in Sri Laṅkā. The glass shrine was placed in a shrine set with the seven gems. This again was sheltered inside in a golden shrine, which was again sheltered inside a silver shrine, and finally sheltered inside a copper shrine. Inside the copper shrine, seven jewels were strewn about as sand flooring above which thousand of flowers grown on land were scattered. Golden statuettes depicting the 550 Birth Stories (Jātaka), the 80 senior disciples, King Suddhodana, father of Buddha Gotama, Queen Māyā Devī, mother of Buddha Gotama, the seven remarkable conatals that were born or appeared at the birth of Bodhisatta, etc. were placed there. Five hundred golden pots and 500 silvers pots filled with water, 500 golden streamers, 500 golden lamps, 500 silver lamps fitted with wicks of white cloth filled with scented [1100] oil, were also set up inside.

Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa made a solemn wish: “May the flowers remain fresh, may the scents retain their fragrance, may the lighted lamps remain aglow.” On a golden sheet, he had the following inscription etched out and scaled: “At some future date a prince named Piyadassi will be enthroned as a righteous king by the name of Asoka. That King Asoka will spread these relics through the southern island continent of Jambudīpa.”

After having carried out all forms of doing honour to the relics, King Ajātasattu closed all entrances to the inner shrine wrought with the seven jewels; the same was done to the golden shrine and the silver shrine that successively housed the inner shrine. He locked up the outermost shrine made of copper.

Against the steel padlock he placed a big piece of ruby accompanied by an inscription that read: “Let some needy king of some future date utilise this ruby to meet the expenses of doing honour to the relics.”

Then Sakka, the Lord of the Devas, said to Vissakamma: “My good Vissakamma, King Ajātasattu had done his best for the security and preservation of the relics. You now see to the security of the depository.”

Vissakamma went to the relic depository and set up a complex mechanism which emitted searing heat and which presented an awful sight with interconnected moving parts. The moving parts were made of steel blades shining like glass, which turned at the speed of whirlwinds, and which were held by wooden statues of demons which guarded it on all sides. All these complex rotating blades had only a single key-switch. Having thus made the relic depository secure, Vissakamma returned to his celestial abode.

King Ajātasattu further put up stone walls around the depository as was usually erected in the construction of a masonry monastery. Atop the walls, he covered the whole area with a rock platform which was covered up with earth. The earth was made into an even surface upon which a stone shrine was erected.

The First Council

Ven. Mahā Kassapa remembered the special recognition shown by the Buddha to him. “The Fortunate One exchanged his double robe with me. He declared to the monastics: ‘Monastics, in abiding in the first absorption (jhāna), Kassapa is my equal; and so on,’ thus extolling my power of absorption (jhāna) attainments with reference to the successively higher absorptions, which embraced the nine absorption attainments that require abiding at each of the progressive levels, as well as the five supernormal powers.

Again, the Fortunate One remained in mid-air, and waving his hand, declared, that: ‘In the matter of detachment to the four types of followers, Kassapa is unequalled,’ and that: ‘In the attitude of equanimity, Kassapa conducts himself like the moon.’ These words of praise are truly unparalleled. I must live up to these attributes in no other way but by undertaking to convene a Saṅgha Council for reciting the Dhamma and the Discipline for their preservation.

Inasmuch as a king appoints his eldest son heir-apparent, conferring all his own regal paraphernalia and authority on the son with a view to perpetuating his sovereignty, so also the Fortunate One had indeed praised me so lavishly, in such extraordinary ways, seeing that I, Kassapa, would be able to perpetuate his teaching.”

After pondering deeply thus, Ven. Mahā Kassapa related to the monastic congregation the sacrilegious words of Subhadda, the old monastic and made this proposal: “Now, friends, before immorality has gained ground and becomes an obstruction to the Dhamma, before infamy has gained ground and becomes an obstruction to the Discipline, before upholders of immorality have gained strength, before upholders of the good doctrine have become weak, before upholders of infamy have gained strength, and before upholders of the Discipline have become weak, let us recite in unison the Doctrine and the Discipline and preserve them.”

On hearing his animated appeal, the congregation said to him: “Ven. Kassapa, may the venerable one select the monastics to carry out the reciting of the Doctrine and the Discipline.” Ven. Mahā Kassapa then selected 499 Arahats [1318] who had memorized the Dhamma-Vinaya, and most of whom were also endowed with the fourfold analytical knowledge, the three knowledges (vijjā), and the six supernormal powers, and were designated as the foremost monastic disciples by the Buddha.

When Ven. Mahā Kassapa informed the congregation about his having chosen 499 Arahats for the purpose, the congregation unanimously proposed Ven. Ānanda to be selected for the Council in spite of his still being a trainee (sekkha).

They said: “Ven. Mahā Kassapa, although Ven. Ānanda is still a trainee, he is not one who is likely to be misled into wrong judgment on any of the four unjust ways. Moreover, he is the monastic with the greatest learning imparted by the Buddha both on the Doctrine and the Discipline.” Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa put Ven. Ānanda on the list of the reciters. Thus there were 500 reciters selected with the approval of the congregation.

Then the venue for the holding of the recitals was considered by the congregation. They chose Rājagaha because it was a big city, big enough to provide daily alms food to the big gathering of monastics, and because it had many big monasteries where the monastics could stay. They also thought about the need to disallow other monastics outside of the Council to spend the Rains Retreat (Vassa) in Rājagaha, where the Council members would reside during that period.

Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa by making his formal proposal as an act-in-congregation, and getting the formal approval of the congregation, passed the Saṅgha resolution in the following terms:

Suṇātu me, āvuso Saṅgho, yadi Saṅghassa patta-kallaṁ,
Saṅgho imāni pañca bhikkhu-satāni
sammanneyya Rājagahe vassaṁ vasantāni,
Dhammañ-ca Vinayañ-ca saṅgāyituṁ,
na aññehi bhikkhūhi Rājagahe vassaṁ vasitabban-ti.

Esā ñatti.

The gist of this is: 1) Only 500 monastics, who were to recite the Doctrine and the Discipline, were to stay in Rājagaha during the Rains Retreat; and 2) that no other monastics were to stay in Rājagaha during the same period.

The above legal act of the Saṅgha-in-council took place 21 days after [1319] the passing away of the Buddha. After the act was performed, Ven. Mahā Kassapa made a proclamation to all the members of the congregation: “Friends, I allow you 40 days to enable you to attend to any of your personal obligations. After these 40 days, on no account will any excuses be accepted for failure to attend to the task of the recitation, whether for sickness, business concerning the preceptor, or parents or monastic requisites, such as alms bowls or robes. Every one of you is expected to be ready to begin the proceedings at the end of 40 days.”

After giving these strict instructions to the Saṅgha, Ven. Mahā Kassapa, accompanied by 500 monastic pupils, went to Rājagaha. The other members of the Council also went to various places, accompanied by their monastic disciples, to assuage the sorrow of the people by means of discourses on the good doctrine. Ven. Puṇṇa and his 700 monastic pupils remained at Kusinagara giving solace with their discourses to the devotees who mourned the demise of the Buddha.

Ven. Ānanda carried, as usual, the alms bowl and robes of the Buddha, and went to Sāvatthī accompanied by 500 monastic disciples. His following of monastics increased day by day. Wherever he went, devotees lamented and wailed.

When, going by stages, Ven. Ānanda reached Sāvatthī, and news of his arrival spread through the city and people came out with flowers and perfumes to welcome him. They wailed, saying: “Ven. Ānanda, you used to come in the Buddha’s company, but where have you left the Buddha now and come alone?” The people’s lamentation in seeing Ven. Ānanda alone was as pitiable as the day of the Buddha’s passing away.

Ven. Ānanda solaced them with discourses on the impermanence, suffering and non-self of conditioned existence. Then he entered the Jetavana monastery, paid homage before the Buddha’s Perfumed Chamber, opened the door, took out the cot and the seat, cleaned them, swept the precincts of the Chamber, and removed the withered flowers. Then he replaced the cot and the seat and performed the routine acts at the Buddha’s residence, as in the days when the Buddha was living.

Whenever he carried out these routine tasks, he would say, weeping: “Fortunate One, is this not the time for your taking a bath?” “Is this not the time for your delivering a discourse?” “Is this not the time to give admonition to monastics?” “Is this not the time to lie on the right side in all the Buddha’s grace like a lion?” “Is this not the time to wash your face?” He could not help weeping in the hourly routine activities in the usual service of the Buddha because, knowing well the benefits of the pacifying quality of the Fortunate One, he had a deep love for the Buddha, out of devotion as well as out of affection. He had not purged all the pollutants; he had a soft heart towards the Buddha owing to the mutual deeds of kindness that had taken place between him and the Buddha over millions of former existences.

Advice Given by a Forest-Deity

While he himself was suffering intense grief and lamentation over the loss of the Buddha, Ven. Ānanda was also giving much time to offering solace to the devotees who went to see him in sorrow on account of the Buddha’s passing away. As he was then staying at a forest in the kingdom of Kosala, the guardian spirit of the forest felt sorry for him; and to remind him of the need to check his sorrow, the spirit sang the following verse to him (SN 9.5):

Rukkha-mūla-gahanaṁ pasakkiya,
Nibbānaṁ hadayasmiṁ opiya.
Jhāya Gotama mā pamādo,
kiṁ te biḷi-biḷikā karissati. [1320]

Venerable one of the Gotama clan, resort to seclusion at the foot of a tree, immerse your mind in Nibbāna ^{Immerse your mind in Nibbāna means direct your mind to Nibbāna; see the commentary.} and abide in the absorption (jhāna) characterized by concentration on the object of meditation, and on its characteristics of impermanence, suffering, non-self. What good is there in your tittle-tattling with your visitors in your effort to solace them?

That admonition caused urgency (saṁvega) in Ven. Ānanda. Since the passing away of the Buddha, he had been standing and sitting too much so that he was feeling out of sorts, and to get relief, he took a laxative prepared from milk on the next day, and did not go out of the monastery.

On that day, Subha, son of the deceased Todeyya the Brahmin, went to invite Ven. Ānanda to an offering of a meal. Ven. Ānanda said to the youth that he could not accept the invitation that day because he had taken a laxative made from milk, but that he might be able to do so the next day. On the next day, Ven. Ānanda went to Subha’s residence where he was asked a question about the doctrine. Ven. Ānanda’s discourse, in reply to that question, can be found in the Discourse to Subha (Subha-sutta, DN 10).

Then Ven. Ānanda supervised the repairs to the Jetavana monastery. When the Rains Retreat (Vassa) was approaching, he left his monastic pupils at the monastery and went to Rājagaha. Other members who were selected for the Council to recite the Doctrine and Discipline also went to Rājagaha, at about the same time. All these members performed the Observance Day (Uposatha) on the full moon of July (Āsāḷha) and on the first waning day of the month they vowed to remain in Rājagaha for the three-month Rains Retreat (Vassa).

Rājagaha had eighteen monasteries around the city at that time. As they had been unoccupied for some period, the buildings and the precincts were in a state of despair and neglect. On the occasion of the Buddha’s passing away, all the monastics had left Rājagaha for Kusinārā and the monasteries remained unused and untended so that the buildings became mouldy and dusty, while there were broken panes and gaping walls.

The monastics held a meeting and decided that, as according to the Vinaya laid down by the Buddha on living places, the monastic buildings and compound should be repaired and maintained to proper condition. So they assigned the first month of the Rains Retreat (Vassa) period to the repairing and maintenance of the monasteries, and the middle month to the recitals. They attended to the repair work to honour the Buddha’s instructions found in the Discipline and also to avoid criticism by the religious sects outside the Buddha’s teaching, who would say: “The disciples of ascetic Gotama took care of the monasteries only when their teacher was living, but when he is dead and gone, they neglect them and let the valuable assets donated by their followers go to waste.”

After coming to the decision, the monastics went to King Ajātasattu’s palace. They were paid homage to by the king who asked them the purpose of their visit. They told him that they needed men to carry out repair work to the eighteen monasteries. The king provided men to repair the monasteries under the supervision of the monastics. In the first month the job was completed. The monastics then went to King Ajātasattu and said: “Great King, the repair work at the monasteries is completed. Now we shall convene the Council by reciting the Doctrine and the Discipline in unison.” The king said: “Venerable sirs, carry out your task freely. Let there be the joint operation of our regal authority with your doctrinal authority. Mention your needs and I will see to them.” The monastics said: “We need an Assembly Hall for the Saṅgha to carry out the task.” The king asked them the place of their choice, and they mentioned the mountain-side on Mount Vebhāra where the great Sattapaṇṇi tree stood.

A Grand Pavilion Donated by King Ajātasattu

“Very well, venerable sirs,” said King Ajātasattu and he built a grand pavilion for the Council, as splendid as one that might have been created by Vissakamma, the Deva architect. It had compartments for the efficient working of the Council, each with stairways and [1321] approaches, all the walls, pillars and balustrades beautifully painted with artistic designs. The whole pavilion would seem to outshine the royal palace and its gorgeousness, would seem to put a Deva mansion to ridicule. It presented itself as a magnificent mansion which attracted the eyes of its beholders, Devas and humans alike, as a pleasant river bank attracts all sorts of birds. In fact, it gave the impression of an object of delight which was the sum total of all delightful things put up together.

The Council Hall had a canopy laid with gems. Clusters of flowers of various sizes, shapes and hues hung from it. The flooring was inlaid with jewels which looked like a huge platform of solid ruby. On it were floral festoons of variegated hues forming a wondrous carpet as would decorate a Brahma’s mansion. The 500 seats for the 500 monastic-reciters were made of priceless material, yet suitable for monastic use. The throne, or the raised dais, for the elder in charge of posing questions, had its back leaning on the southern wall, facing north. In the middle, stood the throne or raised dais of the elder in charge of answering the question, facing east, which was suitable for use by the Buddha. On it was placed a ceremonial circular fan, made of ivory. Having made all these detailed arrangements, the king informed the Saṅgha that all was ready.

It was the fourth waning day in the month of August (Sāvaṇa). On that day, some of the monastics went about saying amongst themselves: “In this gathering of monastics, one can still stand with defilements,” which was plainly an allusion to Ven. Ānanda. When these words of ridicule reached Ven. Ānanda’s ear, he knew that no one else but himself was going about spreading the stink of defilements. He felt spiritual urgency (saṁvega) from those words. There were other monastics who said to him: “Friend Ānanda, the Council will begin tomorrow. You still have to gain the higher stages of the path. It would not be proper for you to participate in the proceedings as a noble one who is still training (sekkha) himself for becoming an Arahat. We would like you to be mindful in striving for becoming an Arahat in this time.”

Becoming an Arahat Outside of the Four Postures

Then Ven. Ānanda thought to himself: “Tomorrow, the Council begins. It would not be proper for me to participate in the proceedings as a mere Stream-enterer (Sotāpanna).” He meditated on the body the whole night. Early in the morning, he thought of getting some sleep. Going into the monastery, he mindfully reclined on the cot. As his two feet lifted off the ground and his head was not yet touching the pillow, he became an Arahat in a split second, outside of any of the four bodily postures.

It was on the fifth waning day, in the month of August (Sāvaṇa), the day after Ven. Ānanda had become an Arahat, after finishing their meal, the reciters selected for the Council kept their alms bowls and other requisites and congregated at the great pavilion to begin the recitation.

Ven. Ānanda Becomes an Arahat

He entered the pavilion when everybody was present. Donning his upper robe in the manner prescribed for monastics when appearing before a meeting or for going into the village, he stepped into the hall with a beaming face which looked as fresh as a toddy palm fruit just plucked, or a ruby placed on a white piece of velvet, or a full moon in a clear sky, or a lotus blooming forth on being radiated with dawn’s sunshine. It seemed to radiate with the inner purity of the Arahat. Its splendour proclaimed the Arahat fruition of the possessor.

On seeing Ven. Ānanda, Ven. Mahā Kassapa thought: “Ven. Ānanda looks glorious as an Arahat. If the Fortunate One were living, he would surely laud Ven. Ānanda today. Now I must say words of praise on behalf of the Fortunate One.” And he said: “Friend Ānanda, glorious it is indeed that you have become an Arahat.” He said these congratulatory words thrice aloud.

Proceedings of the Council

With the arrival of Ven. Ānanda, the Council was complete with the 500 selected reciters. Ven. Mahā Kassapa asked the Council where to begin their recitals, whether the doctrine including the Discourses and the Abhidhamma should be recited first, or whether the Discipline (Vinaya), should be recited first. The Saṅgha unanimously proposed: “Ven. Mahā Kassapa, the Vinaya is the lifeblood of the Buddha’s teaching. For, if the Vinaya lasts long, the Buddha’s teaching will lasts long. Therefore let us begin our recitals with the recital of the Vinaya.” Ven. Mahā Kassapa then asked: “Whom shall we make the leading monastic in reciting the Vinaya?” – “We will make Ven. Upāli the leading monastic.” – “Would Ven. Ānanda be incapable of it?” – “Ven. Ānanda would be quite capable of it. However, when the Fortunate One was living he had declared Ven. Upāli as the foremost among the male monastic disciples who have mastered the Vinaya. Therefore, we should make Ven. Upāli, after getting his consent, the leading monastic in reciting the Vinaya.”

Ven. Mahā Kassapa was the presiding monastic at the First Council. He also took the responsibility for the questioning. Ven. Upāli took the responsibility of answering the questions on the Vinaya. Both took the special seats made for them and conducted the proceedings. Each section of the Discipline was put as a question consisting of the subject, the background story, the person that was the cause of the Buddha’s prescribing the rule, the original rule, the amendment thereto if any, whether a breach of that rule amounts to an offence or not; and each question was answered fully under those headings. The Council then put them on record by reciting in unison, clothing the subject-matter with such formal expressions as: “At that time,” “It was then that,” “Then,” “When it was said,” etc. to give cohesion to the matter. The recitals were made in unison: “At that time the Fortunate One was staying at Verañjā, etc.”

When the reciting of the First Expulsion (Pārājika) rule was completed, the great earth trembled [1323] vehemently down to the sheet of water that supports it as if applauding the noble historic event.

The three remaining Expulsion rules were recited in the same manner, as also were the rest of the 227 rules, each framed as a question and followed by its answer. The whole of the text, which contains the Rules on Expulsion (Pārājika), Requiring a Meeting of the Saṅgha (Saṅghādisesa), the Undecided Rules (Aniyata), and the Confession Rules involving Forfeiture (Nissagiya-pācittiya), all of these together was entitled the Section on Expulsion (Pārājika-kaṇḍa); and together with the Simple Confession Rules (Suddha-pācittiyā), the Acknowledgment Rules (Pāṭidesanīyā), the Training Rules (Sekhiya) and the Settling of Legal Issues (Adhikaraṇa-samathā) became known as the Analysis of the Monks’ Rules (Bhikkhu-vibhaṅga), and is popularly referred to as the Great Analysis (Mahā-vibhaṅga). It was prescribed as the official text and has since been taught at the monasteries from generation to generation. At the conclusion of reciting the Great Analysis, the great earth also shook violently as before.

Then followed the 304 rules of the Analysis of the Nuns’ Rules (Bhikkhunī-vibhaṅga), containing the same sections, but more Rules, recited in the form of questions and answers as before. This Analysis of the Monks’ Rules and the Analysis of the Nuns’ Rules together are known as “the Twofold Analysis (Ubhato Vibhaṅga) of 64 recitals (bhāṇavāra), or over half a million syllables in length.” This was prescribed as the official text that has since been taught from generation to generation. At the conclusion of reciting the Twofold Analysis the great earth also shook violently as before.

The Council of 500 reciters entrusted the approved version of the Collection of Discipline (Vinaya-piṭaka) to Ven. Upāli with the mandate: “Friend, teach this Collection of Discipline to the disciples who come to you for instruction.” When the reciting of the Collection of Discipline was completed, Ven. Upāli, having done his task, laid down the ceremonial circular ivory fan on the throne of the monastic in charge of answering the questions, descended from it, paid his respect to the elders, and sat in the place marked out for him.

After the reciting of the Vinaya, the Dhamma, which includes the discourses and the Abhidhamma, was to be recited. So Ven. Mahā Kassapa asked the Council of reciters: “Which monastic shall we make the leader in reciting the Dhamma?” The Council unanimously named Ven. Ānanda for the post.

Then Ven. Mahā Kassapa named himself as the Questioner (Pucchaka) and Ven. Ānanda as the Answerer (Vissajjaka). Rising from his seat, rearranging his upper robe, and making his obeisance to the elders, Ven. Ānanda held the ceremonial circular ivory fan and sat on the throne prepared for the purpose. Then the plan of reciting the Dhamma was discussed by Ven. Mahā Kassapa and the participating elders:

Ven. Kassapa: Friends, as there are two divisions of the Dhamma, the Collection of Discourses (Sutta-piṭaka) and the Collection of the Abstract Teaching (Abhidhamma-piṭaka), which shall we take up first?

Elders: Venerable sir, let us start with the Collection of Discourses.

Ven. Kassapa: Friends, there are four Collections (Nikāya) of the discourses in the Collection of Discourses; which of them shall we take up first?

Elders: Venerable sir, let us start with the Collection of the Long Discourses (Dīgha-nikāya).

Ven. Kassapa: Friends, the Collection of Discourses contains 34 discourses (sutta) in three Divisions (Vagga), which Division shall we take up first?

Elders: Venerable sir, we shall start with the Division on the Category of Virtue (Sīlakkhandha-vagga).

Ven. Kassapa: Friends, the Division on the Category of Virtue contains 13 discourses, which discourse shall we take up first?

Elders: Venerable sir, the Discourse on the Supreme Net (Brahma-jāla-sutta, DN 1) portrays the three grades of morality. It is useful for the abandoning of deceitful talk or hypocrisy on the part of monastics which is detrimental to the teaching. It also explains the 62 kinds of wrong views. It had caused 62 times the shaking of the great earth when it was delivered by the Fortunate One. Therefore, let us start with the [1324] Discourse on the Supreme Net.

Having thus agreed upon the plan of verification, Ven. Mahā Kassapa posed appropriate questions on the Discourse on the Supreme Net to Ven. Ānanda regarding the background story, the persons connected with the discourse, the subject matter, etc. Ven. Ānanda answered every question completely, at the end of which the 500 reciters recited in unison the Discourse on the Supreme Net (Brahma-jāla-sutta). When the reciting of the discourse was completed, the great earth quaked violently as before.

Then followed the questioning and answering about the recital of the twelve other discourses in the Division on the Category of Virtue, which was recognized as the title of the Division and prescribed as part of the course of studies of the collections in respect of the discourses.

Then the Great Division (Mahā-vagga), which consisted of ten discourses, was next and followed by the Division beginning with the discourse about Pāthika, a naked ascetic (Pāthika-vagga), which consisted of eleven discourses, each with the questioning and answering. Hence the 34 discourses in three Divisions (Vagga), whose recitals (bhāṇavāra) numbered 24, were recorded as the Buddha’s words under the title of the Collection of the Long Discourses (Dīgha-nikāya). This approved version of the text was then entrusted to Ven. Ānanda with the following instruction from the elders: “Friend Ānanda, teach this Collection of the Long Discourses to the pupils who come to you for instruction.”

After that the Council approved the Collection of Middle Length Discourses (Majjhima-nikāya), after the usual questioning and answering, which took 80 recitals (bhāṇavāra, or 640,000 syllables) in all. Then they entrusted the approved version of the text to the pupils of Ven. Sāriputta, saying: “Friends, preserve this Collection of Middle Length Discourses well.”

Then the Council approved the Collection of Thematic Discourses (Saṁyutta-nikāya), after the usual questioning and answering, which took 100 recitals (800,000 syllables). They then entrusted the approved version of the text to Ven. Mahā Kassapa, saying: “Venerable sir, teach this Collection of Thematic Discourses, the sayings of the Fortunate One, to the pupils who come to you for instruction.”

Then the Council approved the Collection of Numerical Discourses (Aṅguttara-nikāya), after the usual questioning and answering, which took 120 recitals (960,000 syllables). Then they entrusted the approved version of the text to Ven. Anuruddha, saying: “Venerable sir, teach this Collection of Numerical Discourses to the pupils who come to you for instruction.”

Then the Council approved the seven books of the Abhidhamma: the Enumeration of Phenonema (Dhamma-saṅgaṇī), the Analyses (Vibhaṅga), the Discussion about Elements (Dhātu-kathā), the Designation of Persons (Puggala-paññatti), the Debates (Kathā-vatthu), the Pairs (Yamaka) and the Causal Relations (Paṭṭhāna), with the usual questionings, answerings and recitals. At the end of the recital of these Abhidhamma texts the great earth quaked violently as before.

Then the Council recited: the Birth Stories (Jātaka), the Expositions (Niddesa), The Path of the Analytic Knowledges (Paṭisambhidā-magga), the Traditions (Apadāna), the Discourse Anthology (Sutta-nipāta), the Supplementary Readings (Khuddaka-pāṭha), the Dhamma Verses (Dhammapada), the Exalted Utterances (Udāna), the This-Saids (Iti-vuttaka), the Stories about Heavenly Mansions (Vimāna-vatthu), the Stories about Petas (Peta-vatthu), the Verses of the Elder Monks (Thera-gāthā), and the Verses of the Elder Nuns (Therī-gāthā), after the usual questioning and answering. These thirteen books collectively were called the Collection of the Supplementary Texts (Khuddaka-nikāya).

According to the elders who had memorized the Collection of the Long Discourses (Dīgha-nikāya), it was said: “The Collection of the Supplementary Texts (Khuddaka-nikāya) was recited and approved along with the Abhidhamma.” But according to the elders who had memorized the Collection of Middle Length Discourses (Majjhima-nikāya), these 13 books, together with the Chronicles of the Buddhas (Buddha-vaṁsa) and the Basket of Conduct (Cariyā-piṭaka), making 15 books altogether, were named as the Collection of the Supplementary Texts (Khuddaka-nikāya) and are classified in the Collection of Discourses.

Thus Ven. Ānanda was a principal monastic in the First Council, in answering most competently all the questions concerning the Dhamma which comprised the Basket of Discourses (Dhamma-piṭaka) and the Basket of the Abstract Teaching (Abhidhamma-piṭaka). [1325]

King Asoka’s Shrines

After making the elaborate arrangements for the relic depository and the Council, Ven. Mahā Kassapa, living to the end of the span of life destined for him, passed away. King Ajātasattu also was dead and gone to his next existence according to his deeds, good and bad. People of those times also are dead and gone. Alas! All conditioned phenomena of mind and matter are of such an impermanent nature, such an unstable nature, such a suffering nature.

After more than 200 years from the year of the passing away of the Buddha, a Prince named Piyadassi was enthroned as King Asoka. He excavated the relics of the Buddha which was kept in the depository by Ven. Mahā Kassapa and erected many relic shrines (stūpa) all over Jambudīpa.

This story is related here: King Asoka became a great devotee of the Buddha through the help and assistance of the novice Nigrodha. His remarkable devotion to the Buddha and his teaching found expression in 84,000 monasteries.

After building them he said to the Saṅgha: “Venerable sir, I have built 84,000 monasteries, but where can I find the relics?”

The venerable ones said: “Great King, we have heard about a relic depository built by Ven. Mahā Kassapa and King Ajātasattu. But we do not know its exact location.”

King Asoka first searched for the relics in Rājagaha. In the hope of finding the relics, he pulled down the original shrine built by King Ajātasattu but failed to find anything there. He restored the shrine to its original condition. Then be organized a company of four types of assembly, namely male and female monastics, male and female lay disciples, and went to Vesālī.

In Vesālī, he searched for the relics inside the original shrine built by the Licchavī princes after pulling it down but found none. He restored the shrine to its original condition and searched for the relics inside the shrine built in Kapilavatthu. He failed again there and proceeded to Rāma village. [1101]

The Nāgas who had taken custody of the relics in Rāma village did not allow the shrine to be pulled down. All the implements that were used in the operation were broken up into pieces.

After the unsuccessful attempt at Rāma village, King Asoka went to other places where the relics were known to have been enshrined. He went to the Allakappa province, Veṭṭhadīpa province, Pāvā, Kusinārā, one by one, he pulled down the shrines at each place but finding no relics in any of them, he restored all those shrines into their original condition and so went back to Rājagaha again.

Back in Rājagaha, King Asoka held a meeting with the four assemblies and asked: “Is there anyone who has heard where King Ajātasattu had deposited the relics?”

An elderly monastic said: “Great King, the exact location of the depository is not known. But I remember how my father, an elderly monastic, said to me: ‘Come novice, in such and such an overgrowth of thickets there lies a stone shrine. Let us go and pay our homage there! We made offerings of flowers there.’ ” My father then said: ‘Novice, remember this place well,’ this all I know about it.”

King Asoka Discovered the Sacred Relic Chamber

King Asoka was able to locate the spot. “This must be the place where King Ajātasattu deposited the relics,” he decided and ordered the excavations. Clearing the overgrowth of vegetation, they found the stone shrine, and when the shrine and the earth underneath were removed the rock platform was revealed. Then tearing away the bricks and mortar, the depository came to view. They saw in wonderment the seven jewels spread on the flooring, and the wheeling blades held in the hands of a formidable ring of demon statues.

King Asoka engaged necromancers to try to halt the protective mechanism but they could not solve the mystery of the whirling blades. Then King Asoka invoked the Devas: “I intend to enshrine and honour these relics in the various monasteries numbering 84,000. May the Devas not cause any hindrance to my sincere efforts!”

At that moment Sakka, the Lord of the Devas, was on his round of travels and saw the event. He said to Vissakamma: “My good Vissakamma, King Asoka is now inside the precinct of the relic depository, wishing to get the relics. You now go and remove the protective mechanism.” Then Vissakamma took on the appearance of a young boy with five knots of hair. He went up to King Asoka with a bow in hand and said: “Great King, I shall remove those mechanical demons.” The king gladly said: “Go on, please, son!” Then Vissakamma in the guise of a young boy sent a shaft aimed at the key spot in the mechanical device and all the demon statues fell into pieces.

Then King Asoka inspected the padlock at the entrance and saw the inscription on the gold plate which reads: “Let some needy king of some future date utilise the ruby to meet the expenses of doing honour to the relics.”

King Asoka was displeased with the inscription. “How dare anyone say of me that I am a ‘needy’ king!” he remarked. Then after repeated efforts, he removed the many obstacles placed at the entrance and got inside the relic depository.

He found the lamps lit some 218 years ago still alight. The brown lotuses were as fresh as ever, and so were the bed of flowers strewn about the floor. The perfumes were as fragrant as though freshly prepared.

King Asoka took hold of the gold plate on which Ven. Mahā Kassapa had inscribed the words: [1102] “At some future date, a prince named Piyadassi will be enthroned as a righteous king by the name of Asoka. That King Asoka will spread these relics throughout Jambudīpa.”

He was exhilarated and cried out: “Friends! Ven. Mahā Kassapa had rightly foreseen me!” And bending his left arm, he slapped it with his right hand thereby producing loud clapping sounds.

King Asoka then removed much of the relics, leaving only an appropriate amount in the depository for local worshippers. He closed all entrances to the depository carefully as previously done, and restored the whole edifice to its original condition. He rebuilt a new stone relic shrine (stūpa) about it. Then he enshrined the relics inside the 84,000 monasteries that he built and donated.

Conclusion of the Chapters on the Buddha

We have come to the end of the chapter on the Buddha. You may have noticed, in going through this chapter, the seven auspicious days connected with the Buddha, namely:

These seven dates may be noted thus:

1. The Bodhisatta was conceived on Thursday, the full moon of July (Āsāḷha) in 564 BCE.

2. He was born on Friday, the full moon of May (Vesākha) in 563 BCE.

3. He renounced the world on Monday, on the full moon of July (Āsāḷha) in 534 BCE.

4. He attained Perfect Awakening on Wednesday, the full moon of May (Vesākha) in 528 BCE.

5. He delivered his first discourse on Saturday, the full moon of July (Āsāḷha) in 528 BCE.

6. He passed away on Tuesday, the full moon of May (Vesākha) in 483 BCE.

7. His body was consumed by the element of heat on Sunday, the twelfth waning day of May (Vesākha) in 483 BCE.

Ledi Sayādaw’s Verses on the Seven Memorable Days

The late Ledi Sayādaw composed the following rhymes on the above seven days for remembering and honouring the Buddha by the devotees:

1. Being implored in union by the Devas and Brahmas of the 10,000 world-element, the Lord of the Three Worlds, the object of my adoration, descended from the Tusita Realm into his royal mother’s womb on Thursday, the full moon of July (Āsāḷha) in 564 BCE, an occasion promising peace for Devas and humans.

2. Ten months after conception, on Friday, the full moon of May (Vesākha), in 563 BCE, the lord was born in the cool shade of the Lumbinī Park when the great earth quaked to honour the ominous event [1103] that laid out the road to the city of Nibbāna for Devas and humans.

3. At the young age of sixteen, being provided with the three princely palaces as seasonable residences he lived in regal splendour for thirteen years. Then at the youthful age of 29, being overcome by spiritual urgency on seeing the four omens conjured up by the Devas, he went forth into the homeless life in the quiet seclusion of the forest. That was on Monday, the full moon of July (Āsāḷha) in 534 BCE.

4. After six years of seclusion in the forest, came the time for the Perfect Awakening. On Wednesday, the full moon of May (Vesākha) in 528 BCE, sitting on the throne of victory, with the Tree of Awakening as a majestic canopy, he vanquished the vexatious hordes of Māra. The 10,000 world-element cheered the arising of the Fortunate One, the great event heralded spiritual security for the denizens of the three worlds.

5. Making his way to the Deer Park at Isipatana, the Buddha expounded the doctrine, the Discourse setting the Dhamma Wheel Turning (Dhamma-cakkappavattana-sutta, SN 56.11), to the Group-of-Five ascetics and to an assemblage of Devas and Brahmas coming from the 10,000 world-element. That was Saturday, the full moon of July (Āsāḷha) in 528 BCE, when the great drum of the Dhamma was first sounded.

6. Then for 45 years the Buddha, with the help of the Dhamma, ferried across to the yonder shore of safety the multitudes of the three worlds belonging to 10,000 world-element. At the ripe old age of 80, in 483 BCE, on Tuesday, the full moon of May (Vesākha), under the twin Sāla trees at Kusinārā in the province of the Mallas, the Buddha realized the ultimate cessation that cast gloom on the 10,000 world-element.

7. The remains of the Buddha, a wondrous golden corpse, burned by itself, thanks to the prior resolution of the Fortunate One, leaving for posterity eight portions of relics. That was a Sunday, on the waxing moon of May (Vesākha) in 483 BCE.

8. Reflecting on the seven memorable days [1104] connected with the Buddha, the Most Fortunate One amongst the exalted, Lord of the Three Worlds, I pay my deepest devotion by deed, word and thought to the great master. For this good deed, may every blessing come showering on me! [1105]