Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1ere, Pukkusa, I said to the man : * " Why then, sir, is this great multitude of people assembled together ? " 4 " But just now, the falling rain began to beat and to splash, and the lightnings to flash forth, and the thunderbolts to crash ; and two peasants, bro- thers, were killed, and four oxen. Therefore is this great multitude of people gathered together. But where, Lord, were you ? " 4 " I, sir, have been here all the while." 4 " But, Lord, did you see it ? " ' " I, sir, saw nothing." 4 " But, Lord, did you hear it ? " ' 44 1, sir, heard nothing." 4 " Were you then, Lord, asleep ? " 4 " I, sir, was not asleep." 4 " Were you then conscious, Lord ? " 4 " Even so, sir." 4 " So that you, Lord, being conscious and awake, neither saw, nor heard the sound thereof when the falling rain went on beating and splashing, and the lightnings were flashing forth, and the thunderbolts were crashing." ' " That is so, sir." 42. * Then, Pukkusa, the thought occurred to that man : mahA-parinibbana-sutta. 79 4 " How wonderful a thing is it, and marvellous, that those who have gone forth out of the world should pass their time in a state of mind so calm ! — so that a man being conscious and awake neither sees nor hears the sound thereof when the falling rain is beating and splashing, and the lightnings are flashing forth, and the thunderbolts are crashing." And after giving utterance to his deep faith in me, he departed from me with the customary demonstra- tions of respect/ 43. And when he had thus spoken Pukkusa, the young Mallian, addressed the Blessed One in these words : 4 Now I, Lord, as to the faith that I had in A/ira K&l&ma, that I winnow away as in a mighty wind, and wash it away as in a swiftly running stream. Most excellent, Lord, are the words of thy mouth, most excellent! Just as if a man were to set up that which is thrown down, or were to reveal that which is hidden away, or were to point out the right road to him who has gone astray, or were to bring a lamp into the darkness, so that those who have eyes can see external forms — just even so, Lord, has the truth been made known to me, in many a figure, by the Blessed One. And I, even I, betake myself, Lord, to the Blessed One as my refuge, to the Truth, and to the Brotherhood. May the Blessed One accept me as a disciple, as a true believer, from this day forth, as long as life endures 1 ! ' 1 This is a stock phrase constituting the final answer of a hitherto unconverted man at the end of one of those argumentative dialogues by which Gotama overcame opposition or expounded the truth. After a discussion of exalted themes it fits in very appropriately ; here and elsewhere it is incongruous and strained. See below, V, 50. 8o THE BOOK OF THE GREAT DECEASE. CH. 44.
2man at the end of one of those argumentative dialogues by which Gotama overcame opposition or expounded the truth. After a discussion of exalted themes it fits in very appropriately ; here and elsewhere it is incongruous and strained. See below, V, 50. 8o THE BOOK OF THE GREAT DECEASE. CH. 44. Now Pukkusa, the young Mallian, addressed a certain man, and said: ' Fetch me, I pray you, my good man, a pair of robes of cloth of gold, burnished and ready for wear/ 'So be it, sir!' said that man, in assent, to Pukkusa, the young Mallian ; and he brought a pair of robes of cloth of gold, burnished and ready for wear. 45. And the Mallian Pukkusa presented the pair of robes of cloth of gold, burnished and ready for wear, to the Blessed One, saying, ' Lord, this pair of robes of burnished cloth of gold is ready for wear. May the Blessed One show me favour and accept it at my hands ! ' 4 In that case, Pukkusa, robe me in one, and Ananda in one/ ' Even so, Lord ! ' said Pukkusa, in assent, to the Blessed One ; and in one he robed the Blessed One, and in one, Ananda. 46. Then the Blessed One instructed and aroused and incited and gladdened Pukkusa, the young Mal- lian, with religious discourse. And Pukkusa, the young Mallian, when he had been instructed and aroused and incited and gladdened by the Blessed One with religious discourse, arose from his seat, and bowed down before the Blessed One ; and keep- ing him on his right hand as he past him, departed thence. 47. Now not long after the Mallian Pukkusa had gone, the venerable Ananda placed that pair of robes of cloth of gold, burnished and reidy for wear, on the body of the Blessed One, and when it was so IV, maha-parinibbAna-sutta. 81 placed on the body of the Blessed One it appeared to have lost its splendour 1 ! 48. And the venerable Ananda said to the Blessed One : 4 How wonderful a thing is it, Lord, and how marvellous, that the colour of the skin of the Blessed One should be so clear, so exceeding bright ! For when I placed even this pair of robes of burnished cloth of gold and ready for wear on the body of the Blessed One, lo! it seemed as if it had lost its splendour ! ' 49. 4 It is even so, Ananda. Ananda, there are two occasions on which the colour of the skin of a Tathi- gata becomes clear and exceeding bright. What are the two ? ' 50. 'On the night, Ananda, on which a Tathd- gata attains to the supreme and perfect insight, and on the night in which he passes finally away in that utter passing away which leaves nothing whatever to remain — on these two occasions the colour of the skin of the Tath&gata becomes clear and exceeding bright. 51. * And now this day, Ananda, at the third watch of the night, in the Upavattana of Kusin&r£, in the Sila Grove of the Mallians, between the twin Sala 1 The commentator says, Bhagavato kSyam upan&mitan ti nivasana-p drupana-vasena alliyapita/rc : Bhagavd pi tato ekajw nivasesi eka/rc pdrupi. Vita££ika/8 (MS.
3this day, Ananda, at the third watch of the night, in the Upavattana of Kusin&r£, in the Sila Grove of the Mallians, between the twin Sala 1 The commentator says, Bhagavato kSyam upan&mitan ti nivasana-p drupana-vasena alliyapita/rc : Bhagavd pi tato ekajw nivasesi eka/rc pdrupi. Vita££ika/8 (MS. kkh) viya* ti yatha (MS. tatha) vita££iko angaro antanten eva ^ottti bahi pan' assa pabhd n' atthi, evam bahi pa££^inna- (MS. pa^iwwa-) pabha hutv& kh&yati ti. My MS. of the text reads vitasika/8 (as did Yatr&mulle's MS. here, and one MS. of FausbolFs at Gataka I, 153, 154). There the word is used of embers in which food is cooked, 'without flame,' = 'glowing, smoldering/ Vita£££ik&, 'an eruption on the skin/ belongs to the root £ar£. [11] G 82 THE BOOK OF THE GREAT DECEASE. CH. trees, the utter passing away of the Tath&gata will take place. Come, Ananda! let us go on to the river Kakutthl' 1 Even so, Lord ! ' said the venerable Ananda, in assent, to the Blessed One. 52. The pair of robes of cloth of gold, All burnished, Pukkusa had brought, Clad on with them the Master then Shone forth in colour like to gold 1 ! 53. Now the Blessed One with a great company of the brethren went on to the river KakutthA ; and when he had come there, he went down into the water, and bathed, and drank. And coming up out again on the other side he went on to the Mango Grove. 54. And when he was come there he addressed the venerable -ffundaka, and said : ' Fold, I pray you, ./sfundaka, a robe in four and spread it out. I am weary, A'undaka, and would lie down/ ' Even so, Lord ! ' said the venerable A^undaka, in assent, to the Blessed One. And he folded a robe in four, and spread it out. 1 We have here the commencement of the legend which after- wards grew into an account of an actual ' transfiguration ' of the Buddha. It is very curious that it should have taken place soon after the Buddha had announced to Ananda his approaching death, and that in the Buddhist Sutta it should be connected so closely with that event; for a similar remark applies also to the Trans- figuration mentioned in the Gospels. The M&lilankdra-vatthu, for instance, says, ' His body appeared shining like a flame. Ananda was exceedingly surprised. Nothing of this kind had, as yet, happened. " Your exterior appearance/' said he to Budha, " is all at once white, shining, and beautiful above all expression." " What you say, O Ananda, is perfectly true. There are two occasions [Ac, much as above]. The shining light emanating from my body is a certain forerunner of this great event [his Parinibb&na]." ' IV. mahA-parinibbAna-sutta. 83 55. And the Blessed One laid himself down on his right side, with one foot resting on the other ; and calm and self-possessed, he meditated on the idea of rising up again in due time. And the venerable ^undaka seated himself there in front of the Blessed One. 56.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1ere, Pukkusa, I said to the man : * " Why then, sir, is this great multitude of people assembled together ? " 4 " But just now, the falling rain began to beat and to splash, and the lightnings to flash forth, and the thunderbolts to crash ; and two peasants, bro- thers, were killed, and four oxen. Therefore is this great multitude of people gathered together. But where, Lord, were you ? " 4 " I, sir, have been here all the while." 4 " But, Lord, did you see it ? " ' " I, sir, saw nothing." 4 " But, Lord, did you hear it ? " ' 44 1, sir, heard nothing." 4 " Were you then, Lord, asleep ? " 4 " I, sir, was not asleep." 4 " Were you then conscious, Lord ? " 4 " Even so, sir." 4 " So that you, Lord, being conscious and awake, neither saw, nor heard the sound thereof when the falling rain went on beating and splashing, and the lightnings were flashing forth, and the thunderbolts were crashing." ' " That is so, sir." 42. * Then, Pukkusa, the thought occurred to that man : mahA-parinibbana-sutta. 79 4 " How wonderful a thing is it, and marvellous, that those who have gone forth out of the world should pass their time in a state of mind so calm ! — so that a man being conscious and awake neither sees nor hears the sound thereof when the falling rain is beating and splashing, and the lightnings are flashing forth, and the thunderbolts are crashing." And after giving utterance to his deep faith in me, he departed from me with the customary demonstra- tions of respect/ 43. And when he had thus spoken Pukkusa, the young Mallian, addressed the Blessed One in these words : 4 Now I, Lord, as to the faith that I had in A/ira K&l&ma, that I winnow away as in a mighty wind, and wash it away as in a swiftly running stream. Most excellent, Lord, are the words of thy mouth, most excellent! Just as if a man were to set up that which is thrown down, or were to reveal that which is hidden away, or were to point out the right road to him who has gone astray, or were to bring a lamp into the darkness, so that those who have eyes can see external forms — just even so, Lord, has the truth been made known to me, in many a figure, by the Blessed One. And I, even I, betake myself, Lord, to the Blessed One as my refuge, to the Truth, and to the Brotherhood. May the Blessed One accept me as a disciple, as a true believer, from this day forth, as long as life endures 1 ! ' 1 This is a stock phrase constituting the final answer of a hitherto unconverted man at the end of one of those argumentative dialogues by which Gotama overcame opposition or expounded the truth. After a discussion of exalted themes it fits in very appropriately ; here and elsewhere it is incongruous and strained. See below, V, 50. 8o THE BOOK OF THE GREAT DECEASE. CH. 44.
2man at the end of one of those argumentative dialogues by which Gotama overcame opposition or expounded the truth. After a discussion of exalted themes it fits in very appropriately ; here and elsewhere it is incongruous and strained. See below, V, 50. 8o THE BOOK OF THE GREAT DECEASE. CH. 44. Now Pukkusa, the young Mallian, addressed a certain man, and said: ' Fetch me, I pray you, my good man, a pair of robes of cloth of gold, burnished and ready for wear/ 'So be it, sir!' said that man, in assent, to Pukkusa, the young Mallian ; and he brought a pair of robes of cloth of gold, burnished and ready for wear. 45. And the Mallian Pukkusa presented the pair of robes of cloth of gold, burnished and ready for wear, to the Blessed One, saying, ' Lord, this pair of robes of burnished cloth of gold is ready for wear. May the Blessed One show me favour and accept it at my hands ! ' 4 In that case, Pukkusa, robe me in one, and Ananda in one/ ' Even so, Lord ! ' said Pukkusa, in assent, to the Blessed One ; and in one he robed the Blessed One, and in one, Ananda. 46. Then the Blessed One instructed and aroused and incited and gladdened Pukkusa, the young Mal- lian, with religious discourse. And Pukkusa, the young Mallian, when he had been instructed and aroused and incited and gladdened by the Blessed One with religious discourse, arose from his seat, and bowed down before the Blessed One ; and keep- ing him on his right hand as he past him, departed thence. 47. Now not long after the Mallian Pukkusa had gone, the venerable Ananda placed that pair of robes of cloth of gold, burnished and reidy for wear, on the body of the Blessed One, and when it was so IV, maha-parinibbAna-sutta. 81 placed on the body of the Blessed One it appeared to have lost its splendour 1 ! 48. And the venerable Ananda said to the Blessed One : 4 How wonderful a thing is it, Lord, and how marvellous, that the colour of the skin of the Blessed One should be so clear, so exceeding bright ! For when I placed even this pair of robes of burnished cloth of gold and ready for wear on the body of the Blessed One, lo! it seemed as if it had lost its splendour ! ' 49. 4 It is even so, Ananda. Ananda, there are two occasions on which the colour of the skin of a Tathi- gata becomes clear and exceeding bright. What are the two ? ' 50. 'On the night, Ananda, on which a Tathd- gata attains to the supreme and perfect insight, and on the night in which he passes finally away in that utter passing away which leaves nothing whatever to remain — on these two occasions the colour of the skin of the Tath&gata becomes clear and exceeding bright. 51. * And now this day, Ananda, at the third watch of the night, in the Upavattana of Kusin&r£, in the Sila Grove of the Mallians, between the twin Sala 1 The commentator says, Bhagavato kSyam upan&mitan ti nivasana-p drupana-vasena alliyapita/rc : Bhagavd pi tato ekajw nivasesi eka/rc pdrupi. Vita££ika/8 (MS.
3this day, Ananda, at the third watch of the night, in the Upavattana of Kusin&r£, in the Sila Grove of the Mallians, between the twin Sala 1 The commentator says, Bhagavato kSyam upan&mitan ti nivasana-p drupana-vasena alliyapita/rc : Bhagavd pi tato ekajw nivasesi eka/rc pdrupi. Vita££ika/8 (MS. kkh) viya* ti yatha (MS. tatha) vita££iko angaro antanten eva ^ottti bahi pan' assa pabhd n' atthi, evam bahi pa££^inna- (MS. pa^iwwa-) pabha hutv& kh&yati ti. My MS. of the text reads vitasika/8 (as did Yatr&mulle's MS. here, and one MS. of FausbolFs at Gataka I, 153, 154). There the word is used of embers in which food is cooked, 'without flame,' = 'glowing, smoldering/ Vita£££ik&, 'an eruption on the skin/ belongs to the root £ar£. [11] G 82 THE BOOK OF THE GREAT DECEASE. CH. trees, the utter passing away of the Tath&gata will take place. Come, Ananda! let us go on to the river Kakutthl' 1 Even so, Lord ! ' said the venerable Ananda, in assent, to the Blessed One. 52. The pair of robes of cloth of gold, All burnished, Pukkusa had brought, Clad on with them the Master then Shone forth in colour like to gold 1 ! 53. Now the Blessed One with a great company of the brethren went on to the river KakutthA ; and when he had come there, he went down into the water, and bathed, and drank. And coming up out again on the other side he went on to the Mango Grove. 54. And when he was come there he addressed the venerable -ffundaka, and said : ' Fold, I pray you, ./sfundaka, a robe in four and spread it out. I am weary, A'undaka, and would lie down/ ' Even so, Lord ! ' said the venerable A^undaka, in assent, to the Blessed One. And he folded a robe in four, and spread it out. 1 We have here the commencement of the legend which after- wards grew into an account of an actual ' transfiguration ' of the Buddha. It is very curious that it should have taken place soon after the Buddha had announced to Ananda his approaching death, and that in the Buddhist Sutta it should be connected so closely with that event; for a similar remark applies also to the Trans- figuration mentioned in the Gospels. The M&lilankdra-vatthu, for instance, says, ' His body appeared shining like a flame. Ananda was exceedingly surprised. Nothing of this kind had, as yet, happened. " Your exterior appearance/' said he to Budha, " is all at once white, shining, and beautiful above all expression." " What you say, O Ananda, is perfectly true. There are two occasions [Ac, much as above]. The shining light emanating from my body is a certain forerunner of this great event [his Parinibb&na]." ' IV. mahA-parinibbAna-sutta. 83 55. And the Blessed One laid himself down on his right side, with one foot resting on the other ; and calm and self-possessed, he meditated on the idea of rising up again in due time. And the venerable ^undaka seated himself there in front of the Blessed One. 56.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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