THE LIFE OF THE BUDDHA
Ministry of Religious
Affairs, Myanmar
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The Last Day of the Buddha
The Buddha, the Supreme Being of the three
worlds, went into the Sal Grove of the Malla princes which is situated at
the road-bend leading to the entrance of Kusinara town. At the Sal Grove.
the Buddha said thus:
"Ananda, lay Out the couch with
its head to the north between the twin Sal trees. I am tired. I shall lie
down". When the couch was ready, the Buddha lay down on his right side.
At that time the Sal trees
completely burst forth in bloom out of season. The fragrant sal flowers
scattered all over the body of the Buddha. Celestial flowers and
sandalwood powder fell from the sky over the sacred body. Celestial
musical sounds filled the air as a token of reverence to the Buddha. Many
devas and brahmas from the ten thousand world systems gathered around the
Buddha to pay their last homage to him.
The Buddha sent Venerable Ananda
to the Malla princes to report about the Parinibbana of the Buddha.
When Venerable Ananda appeared
before the Malla princes, they were convening the People's Assembly and
when they heard the words of Ananda, they were overwhelmed with great
despair and they cried bitterly. They quickly gathered their families and
went to pay homage to the Buddha group by group.
The Last
Disciple of the Buddha
At that time Subhadda, a wandering
ascetic, was in Kusinara and he heard that the Buddha would attain the
Mahaparinibbana in the last watch of that night. So he tried to approach
the Buddha to ask some questions to dispel his doubts about the Doctrine.
But Venerable Ananda prevented him from seeing the Buddha three times.
When the Buddha overheard the conversation between Venerable Ananda and
the wandering ascetic, the Buddha told Venerable Ananda to allow Subhadda
to see him.
The wandering ascelic Subhadda
asked the Buddha whether the leaders of heretics such as Purana Kassapa,
Mokkhaligosala and so on, were real Buddhas as they had claimed. The
Buddha told the ascetic to set aside that question and to listen to him.
'Subhadda, I shall expound the
Doctrine to you. Listen to me and bear it well in mind.
In the Teachings in which the
Noble Eightfold Path is not expounded there cannot be found the
first-stage Ariya, the second-stage Ariya. the third-stage Ariya and the
fourth-stage Ariya (Noble Persons). In the Teaching in which the Noble
Eightfold Path has been expounded, all the Four Ariyas can exist. In my
reaching the Noble Eightfold Path has been expounded. So in this Teaching
only, the Four Noble persons can be found. All the other teachings, being
void of Ariyas. are futile. So long as the bhikkhus live well practising
the teachings themselves and teaching others righteously, the world will
not be deplete of Arahats.'
The wandering ascetic Subhadda was
well satisfied with the clear-cut exposition of the Buddha and requested
to be ordained as a bhikkhu. After becoming a bhikkhu, he practised the
Noble Eightfold Path and soon became an Arahat. He was the last disciple
io become an Arahat in the presence of the Buddha. In fact the reason why
the Buddha made the last journey of over six miles from Pava to Kusinara
under the extreme hot weather, inspite of his severe ill-ness, resting
twenty-five times on the way, was threefold, namely, to straighten the
view of Subhadda to teach Mahasudassana Sutta and to have his relics
distributed to eight kings peace fully by the brahmin Dona.
The Last
Words of the Buddha
Then retiring to his bhikkhu who
had assembled silently the Buddha said. "Ananda, when the Tathagata passes
away, you may consider that you have no teacher. Don't consider this way.
The Doctrine and the Discipline I have taught and laid down to all of you
will be your teacher when I pass away."
And the Buddha added. "Bhikkhus if
any of you should happen to have ally doubt or perplexity regarding the
Buddha, the Dhamma, the Samgha, the Path, or the Practice ask me now. Do
not let yourselves feel regret later for not asking me. Do not hesitate to
ask questions.
All the bhikkhus remained silent
and no one asked any question
This event finally proved beyond
doubt that the Buddha's Discourses were true and genuine. Then the Buddha
paused for a short moment and gave his last words to the bhikkhus as
follows:
'Handa dani bhikkhave amantayami
vo vaya dhamma sankhara appamadena Sampadetha
"Oh Bhikkhus! These are my last
words now. All conditioned and compounded things have the nature of decay
and disintegration. With steadfast mindfulness, endeavour diligently for
your own liberation."
The
Buddha's Mahaparinibbana
The whole Sal grove was in deep
silence. The full moon of Kason (Visakha} was about to set in the west and
the small hours of the next day began. There was no more voice of the
Buddha to be heard.
Some bhikkhus, men, devas and
brahmas, who were Non-returners and Arahats paid their last homage to the
Buddha. reflecting and contemplating the nature of Dhamma. Some bhikkhus,
men, devas and brahmas, who were ordinary worldings, Stream-winners, and
Once-returners wept and lamented silently.
The Buddha with his eyes closed,
entered the First Jhana, then the second Jhana and so on till
Nevasannasanya-yatana Jhana.. Then from that Jhana, he came down step by
step to the first Jhana. And again from the first Jhana he went up step by
step to the fourth Thana and passed into Parinibbana.
It was in the early summer morning
past midnight of the full-moon day of Vesakha (Kason), on Tuesday, in the
year 148 Maha Era, that the Buddha attained Parinibbana. At that moment
the earth trembled violently and thunder-roars with flashes of lightning
appeared in the sky. The whole world seemed to be plunged into deep
darkness.
The
Arrival of Venerable Mahakassapa
The Malla Princes of Kusinara
spent the whole week in paying homage and reverence to the sacred body of
the Buddha with flowers, perfumes and musical performances. At that time
Venerable Mahakassapa together with five hundred bhikkhus was on the way
from Pava to Kusinara. When they learnt of the Buddha's Parinibbana, the
bhikkhus who were not free from defilements wept vehemently. Then one of
the bhikkhus, Subhadda, who had become a bhikkhu in his old age after
leading a married life said to other bhikkhus. "Friends, do not grieve and
do not weep. Now we are free from the hands of the great Samana Gotama who
has oppressed is by saying, "This is proper for you; that is not proper
for you! From now on, we can do what we like."
On hearing those words, Venerable
Mahakassapa was struck with awe and he thought to himself: "Only seven
days have passed since the Buddha's Parinibbana. Now a great obstacle
endangering the Buddha's Teaching has arisen Before the enemy to the
Teachings get stronger, the Buddha's Teachings should be kept well in
order. Just like the scattering flowers which have not yet been made into
a beautiful garland, so also the Buddha's Teachings given throughout the
forty-five years have not yet been grouped into similarities and
classified in systematic ways. It is proper that after the cremation of
the Buddha's sacred body, these Teachings should be recited together in
the Samgha Assembly as soon as possible."
The Malla princes moved the
Buddha's body from the Sal grove to the royal place where the auspicious
ceremony of wearing the top-knot (hair) was held by Malla Princes. And
when they tried to kindle the funeral pyre, they were unable to set it on
fire. On the seventh day Venerable Mahakassapa and his disciples arrived
at the scene. They circled the funeral pyre three times with clasped hands
rasied to their forehead. Then they paid obeisance to the Buddha by
touching the feet of the Buddha with their forehead. At that very moment,
the funerai pyre burst into flames spontaneously.
The
Distribution of The Sacred Relics
After the spontaneous cremation of
the Buddha's body, the relics left behind were collected and venerated in
ceremony for a whole week. Meanwhile, the seven Kings from seven
countries, such as Rajagaha, Vesali, Kapilavatthu. etc.. heard about the
Parinibbana of the Buddha and marched towards Kusinara with (heir
respective armies in order to get their share of the relics. Due to the
persuasion of the Branmin Dona, who had been the revered teacher of the
seven kings and the Malla princes, the relics were divided into eignt
equal portions and distributed among the Malla princes and the eight
kingdoms. These kings and princes enshrined the relics in Thupas for
public reverence in their respective countries.
The first Buddhist Council was
held in Rajagaha by five hundred arahats headed by Maha Kassapa under the
sponsorship of King Ajatasatthu. After the Council, Venerable Mahakassapa,
foreseeing the danger to the Buddha's relics, advised King Ajatasattu to
keep them in safety in a single place in Rajagaha. Then employing his
supernormal power. Venerable Mahakassapa collected all the relics and
placed them in a safe place in Rajagaha.
When the third Buddhist Council
was held in the year 235 Buddhist Era, the Great Emperor Asoka asked the
head of the Samgha, Venerable Mahamoggaliputtatissa, the numerical extent
of the Buddha's Teaihings. The Maha Thera answered that the Buddha's
Teachings consist of 84000 dhammakkhandhas (dhamma groups). In veneration
to the Buddha's Teachings, he ordered his ministers to build 84000
monasteries and 84000 thupas in 84000towns. The Maha Thera obtained the
Buddha's relics from Rajagaha and let the emperor enshrine them in the
thupas he had built.
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Update : 01-05-2002
