Dialogues of the Buddha, Part II — trans. T. W. and C. A. F. Rhys Davids (1910)

On that of those of the brethren who not yet free from the passions, some stretched out their arms and wept, and some fell headlong on the ground, and some reeled to and fro in anguish at the thought : ' Too soon has the Exalted One died ! Too soon has the Happy One passed away ! Too soon has the Light gone out in the world ! ' But those of the brethren who were free from the passions (the Arahants) bore their grief self-possessed and composed at the thought : ' Impermanent are all component things ! How is it possible that (they should not be dissolved?).'

Now at that time a brother named Subhadda, who had been received into the Order in his old age, was seated in that company. And Subhadda, the recruit in his old age, said to those brethren : ' Enough, Sirs ! Weep not, neither lament ! We are well rid of the great Sama//a. We used to be annoyed by being told : " This beseems you, this beseems you not." But now we shall be able hundred of the brethren. And I left the high road and sat myself down at the foot of a certain tree. Just at that time a certain ascetic who had picked up a Mandarava flower in Kusinara was coming along the high road to Pava. Now I saw that ascetic coming in the distance, and on seeing him I said to that ascetic : ' O friend ! surely thou knowest our Master?'

'Yea, friend! I know him. This day the Samara Gotama has been dead a week. That is how I obtained this Mandarava flower.'

On that, Sirs, of those of the brethren who were not yet free from the passions, some stretched out their arms and wept, and some fell headlong on the ground, and some reeled to and fro in anguish at the thought : ' Too soon has the Exalted One died ! Too soon has the Happy One passed away ! Too soon has the Light gone out in the world ! ' But those of the brethren who were free from. the passions (the Arahants) bore their grief self-possessed and composed at the thought : ' Impermanent are all component things ! How is it possible that (they should not be dissolved ?).'

Then I, Sirs, spoke thus to the Bhikkhus : ' Enough, my brethren, weep not, neither lament ! Has not the Exalted One, Sirs, formerly declared this> that it is in the very nature of all things near and dear to us that we must divide ourselves from them, leave them, sever ourselves from them. How, then, can this be possible — whereas anything whatever born, brought into being,

INTRODUCTION.

to do whatever we like ; and what we do not like, that we shall not do!'

But the venerable Maha Kassapa exhorted the brethren : ' Enough, my brethren ! Weep not, neither lament ! Has not the Exalted One formerly declared this, that it is in the very nature of all things near and dear unto us that we must divide ourselves from them, leave them, sever ourselves from them? How then, brethren, can this be possible — whereas anything whatever born, brought into being, and organized contains within itself the inherent necessity of dissolution — how then can this be possible that such a being should not be dissolved? No such condition can exist ! '

and organized contains within itself the inherent necessity of dissolution — how then can this be possible that such a beingshould not be dissolved ? No such condition can exist ! '

Now at that time, Sirs, a brother named Subhadda, who had been received into the Order in his old age, was seated in that company. And Subhadda, Sirs, the recruit in his old age, said to those brethren : ' Enough, Sirs ! Weep not, neither lament ! We are well rid of the great Samara. We used to be annoyed by being told : " This beseems you, this beseems you not." But now we shall be able to do whatever we like ; and what we do not like that we shall not do.'