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

Then the Mallas of Kusinara said to the venerable Anuruddha : — l What, lord, can be the reason, what can be the cause, that eight chieftains of the Mallas who have bathed their heads, and clad themselves in new garments with the intention of bearing the body of the Exalted One, are unable to lift it up ? '

1 It is because you, O Vase///^as, have one purpose, and the spirits have another purpose.'

15. ' But what, lord, is the purpose of the spirits ? '

' Your purpose, O Vase///^as, is this : — Let us carry the body of the Exalted One, by the south and outside, to a spot on the south, and outside of the city, — paying it honour, and reverence, and respect, and homage, with dance, and song, and music, with garlands and perfumes, — and there, to the south of the city, let us perform the cremation ceremony. But the purpose of the spirits, Vase^as, is this : — Let us carry the body of the Exalted One by the north to the north of the city, and entering the city by the north gate, let us bring it through the midst of the city into the midst thereof. And going out again by the eastern gate, — paying honour, and reverence, and respect, and homage to the body of the Exalted One, with heavenly dance, and song, and music, and garlands, and perfumes, — let us carry it to the shrine of the Mallas called Maku/a-bandhana, to the east of the city, and there let us perform the cremation ceremony.'

' Even according to the purpose of the spirits, so, lord, let it be.'

p. 1

1 6. Then immediately all Kusinara down even to the dust bins and rubbish heaps became strewn kneedeep with Mandarava flowers from heaven ! and while both the spirits from the skies, and the Mallas of Kusinara upon earth, paid honour, and reverence, and respect, and homage to the body of the Exalted One, with dance, and song, and music, [l6l] with garlands, and with perfumes, they carried the body by the north to the north of the city ; and entering the city by the north gate they carried it through the midst of the city into the midst thereof; and going out again by the eastern gate they carried it to the shrine of the Mallas, called Maku/a-bandhana ; and there, to the east of the city, they laid down the body of the Exalted One1.

172. Then the Mallas of Kusinara said to the venerable Ananda : — ' What should be done, lord, with the remains of the Tathagata ? '

' As men treat the remains of a king of kings,
so, Vase/Mas, should they treat the remains of a
Tathagata.'

' And how, lord, do they treat the remains of a king of kings ? '

' They wrap the body of a king of kings, Vase/Z/^as, in a new cloth. When that is done they wrap it in carded cotton wool. When that is done they wrap it in a new cloth,— and so on till they have wrapped the body in five hundred successive layers of both kinds. Then they place the body in an oil vessel of iron, and cover that close up with another oil vessel of iron. The}- then build a funeral pyre of all kinds of perfumes,

D. ii. 162. THE BOOK OF THE GREAT DECEASE. 1 83

and burn the body of the king of kings. And then at the four cross roads they erect a cairn to the king of kings. This. Vase/^as, is the way in which they treat the remains of a king of kings.

1 The point of this interesting legend is that the inhabitants of an Indian village of that time would have considered it a desecration or pollution to bring a dead body into or through their village. Authorities differ as to the direction in which it should be taken to avoid this. The old custom, according to Caland (p. 23) was to take it to the East or the West. Later priestly books (Manu, for instance, V, 92) say to the North. The Mallas wanted to go to the South. The remedy proposed by the spirits who are shocked at this impropriety, is more shocking still.

2 Compare Chap. V, §§ 11, 12.

' And as they treat the remains of a king of kings, so, Vase////as, should they treat the remains of the Tathagata. At the four cross roads a cairn should be erected to the Tathagata. And whosoever shall there place garlands or perfumes or paint, or make salutation there, or become in its presence calm in heart — that shall long be to them for a profit and a joy.'

18. Therefore the Mallas gave orders to their attendants, saying : — ' Gather together all the carded cotton wool of the Mallas ! '