70 THE BOOK OF THE GREAT DECEASE. CH.
and fit in with the rules of the order, then you
may come to the conclusion, "Verily, this is the word
of the Blessed One, and has been well grasped by
that brother." This, brethren, you should receive
as the fourth Great Reference/
' These, brethren, are the Four Great References.'
12. There, too, the Blessed One held that com-
prehensive religious talk with the brethren on the
nature of upright conduct, and of earnest contem-
plation, and of intelligence. 'Great is the fruit,
great the advantage of earnest contemplation when
set round with upright conduct. Great is the fruit,
great the advantage of intellect when set round with
earnest contemplation. The mind set round with
intelligence is freed from the great evils — that is
to say, from sensuality, from individuality, from
delusion, and from ignorance/
13. Now when the Blessed One had remained
as long as he desired at Bhoga-gama, he addressed
the venerable Ananda, and said : * Come, Ananda,
let us go on to Pfivi/
' Even so, Lord ! ' said the venerable Ananda, in
assent, to the Blessed One. And the Blessed One
proceeded with a great company of the brethren to
Pdvd.
And there at P&va the Blessed One stayed at
the Mango Grove of Aunda, who was by family a
smith.
14. Now Aunda, the worker in metals, heard
that the Blessed One had come to P£v&, and was
staying there in his Mango Grove.
mahA-parinibbAna-sutta.
And Aunda, the worker in metals, went to the
place where the Blessed One was, and saluting him
took his seat respectfully on one side. And when
he was thus seated, the Blessed One instructed,
aroused, incited, and gladdened him with religious
discourse.
15. Then he, instructed, aroused, incited, and
gladdened by the religious discourse, addressed the
Blessed One, and said : ' May the Blessed One do
me the honour of taking his meal, together with the
brethren, at my house to-morrow/
And the Blessed One signified, by silence, his consent.
16. Then seeing that the Blessed One had con-
sented, Aunda, the worker in metals, rose from his
seat and bowed down before the Blessed One, and
keeping him on his right hand as he past him,
departed thence.
17. Now at the end of the night, .A'unda, the
worker in metals, made ready in his dwelling-place
sweet rice and cakes, and a quantity of dried boars
flesh. And he announced the hour to the Blessed
One, saying, ' The hour, Lord, has come, and the
meal is ready.'
18. And the Blessed One robed himself early in
the morning, and taking his bowl, went with the bre-
thren to the dwelling-place of jfifunda, the worker in
metals. When he had come thither he seated him-
self on the seat prepared for him. And when he
was seated he addressed Aunda, the worker in
metals, and said : ' As to the dried boars flesh you
have made ready, serve me with it, jfifunda ; and as
to the other food, the sweet rice and cakes, serve
the brethren with it/
72 THE BOOK OF THE GREAT DECEASE. Ctf.
4 Even so, Lord ! ' said -ATunda, the worker in
metals, in assent, to the Blessed One. And the
dried boars flesh he had made ready he served to
the Blessed One ; whilst the other food, the sweet
rice and cakes, he served to the members of the
order.
19. Now the Blessed One addressed -ATunda, the
worker in metals, and said : ' Whatever dried boars
flesh, -ATunda, is left over to thee, that bury in a hole.
I see no one, .A'unda, on earth nor in M&ras heaven,
nor in Brahma's heaven, no one among Samaras
and Brfihma^as, among gods and men, by whom,
when he has eaten it, that food can be assimilated,
save by the Tath&gata/
* Even so, Lord ! ' said iSfunda, the worker in
metals, in assent, to the Blessed One. And what-
ever dried boars flesh remained over, that he buried
in a hole.
20. And he went to the place where the Blessed
One was; and when he had come there, took his
seat respectfully on one side. And when he was
seated, the Blessed One instructed and aroused
and incited and gladdened iSfunda, the worker in
metals, with religious discourse. And the Blessed
One then rose from his seat and departed thence.
21. Now when the Blessed One had eaten the
food prepared by iSfunda, the worker in metal, there
fell upon him a dire sickness, the disease of dysen-
tery, and sharp pain came upon him, even unto
death. But the Blessed One, mindful and self-
possessed, bore it without complaint.
22. And the Blessed One addressed the venerable
Ananda, and said : ' Come, Ananda, let us go on to
Kusin&riL'
mahA-parinibbAna-sutta.
' Even so, Lord ! ' said the venerable Ananda, in assent, to the Blessed One.
23. When he had eaten ATunda's food,
The copper-smiths — thus have I heard —
He bore with fortitude the pain,
The sharp pain even unto death !
And from the dried flesh of the boar, as soon as
he had eaten it,
There fell upon the teacher sickness dire,
Then after nature was relieved the Blessed One
announced and said :
4 I now am going on to Kusinari V
24. Now the Blessed One went aside from the
path to the foot of a certain tree; and when he
had come there he addressed the venerable Ananda,
and said : ' Fold, I pray you, Ananda, the robe ; and
spread it out for me. I am weary, Ananda, and
must rest awhile ! '
' Even so, Lord ! ' said the venerable Ananda, in
assent, to the Blessed One, and spread out the robe
folded fourfold.
25. And the Blessed One seated himself on the
seat prepared for him ; and when he was seated, he
addressed the venerable Ananda, and said : ' Fetch
me, I pray you, Ananda, some water. I am thirsty,
Ananda, and would drink/
26. When he had thus spoken, the venerable Ananda said to the Blessed One : * But just now,
1 ' It should be understood,' says Buddhaghosa, ' that these are verses by the Theras who held the council/ And he repeats this at §§ 52, 56.
Lord, about five hundred carts have gone over. That
water stirred up by the wheels has become shallow
and flows fouled and turbid. This river KakuttM,
Lord, not far off, is clear and pleasant, cool and
transparent, easy to get down into, and delightful.
There the Blessed One may both drink the water,
and cool his limbs V
27. Again the second time the Blessed One
addressed the venerable Ananda, and said : 4 Fetch
me, I pray you, Ananda, some water. I am thirsty,
Ananda, and would drink/
28. And again the second time the venerable
Ananda said to the Blessed One : ' But just now,
Lord, about five hundred carts have gone over. That
water stirred up by the wheels has become shallow
and flows fouled and turbid. This river KakutthcL,
Lord, not far off, is clear and pleasant, cool and
transparent, easy to get down into, and delightful.
There the Blessed One may both drink the water,
and cool his limbs/
29. Again the third time the Blessed One ad-
dressed the venerable Ananda, and said: ' Fetch me,
I pray you, Ananda, some water. I am thirsty,
Ananda, and would drink/
30. ' Even so, Lord ! ' said the venerable Ananda,
in assent, to the Blessed One ; and taking a bowl he
went down to the streamlet. And lo ! the streamlet
which, stirred up by the wheels, was but just now
become shallow, and was flowing fouled and turbid,
had begun, when the venerable Ananda came up to it,
to flow clear and bright and free from all turbidity.
1 A^^odika" tipasannodikd: satodikd ti madhurodhikd:
sitodika ti tanu-sitala-salila : setaka ti nikkaddamd:
supatitthd ti sundara-titthl (S.V. thru) Comp. IV, 56.
IV,
mahA-parinibbAna-sutta.
31. Then Ananda thought: 1 How wonderful,
how marvellous is the great might and power of
the Tathigata ! For this streamlet which, stirred up
by the wheels, was but just now become shallow and
flowing foul and turbid, now, as I come up to it, is
flowing clear and bright and free from all turbidity/
32. And taking water in the bowl he returned
towards the Blessed One ; and when he had come
where the Blessed One was he said to him : 4 How
wonderful, how- marvellous is the great might and
power of the Tathigata ! For this streamlet which,
stirred up by the wheels, was but just now become
shallow and flowing foul and turbid, now, as I come
up to it, is flowing clear and bright and free from
all turbidity. Let the Blessed One drink the water !
Let the Happy One drink the water ! '
Then the Blessed One drank of the water.
33. Now at that time a man named Pukkusa 1 ,
a, young Mallian, a disciple of A/dra K&l&ma's, was
passing along the high road from Kusin&ri to Pdvd.
34. And Pukkusa, the young Mallian, saw the
Blessed One seated at the foot of a tree. On
seeing him, he went up to the place where the
Blessed One was, and when he had come there he
saluted the Blessed One, and took his rest respect-
fully on one side. And when he was seated
1 The Pukkusa caste was one of the lower castes of Sudras. Compare Assalayana Sutta (Pischel), pp. 13, 35; Burnoufs 'In- troduction/ &c, pp. 144, 208 ; Lalita Vistara XXI, 17. But Bud- dhaghosa says Pukkusa must here be simply a name, as the Mallas were of the Khattiya caste. He adds that this Pukkusa was the owner of the five hundred carts that had just passed by ; and that A/ara Kalama was called A/ara because he was Dfgha-pingalo, Kalama being his family name.
Pukkusa, the young Mallian, said to the Blessed
One : 4 How wonderful a thing is it, Lord ! and
how marvellous, that those who have gone forth out
of the world should pass their time in a state of
mind so calm ! '
35. 4 Formerly, Lord, A/dra K&l&ma was once
walking along the high road ; and leaving the road
he sat himself down under a certain tree to rest
during the heat of the day. Now, Lord, five hun-
dred carts passed by one after the other, each close
to A/ara Kal&ma. And a certain man, who was fol-
lowing close behind that caravan of carts, went up to
the place where A/ara Kalima was, and when he was
come there he spake as follows to A/ira Kilima :
4 44 But, Lord, did you see those five hundred carts go by ? "
* 44 No, indeed, sir, I saw them not."
* 44 But, Lord, did you hear the sound of them ? " * " No, indeed, sir, I heard not their sound."
* " But, Lord, were you then asleep ? " 4 " No, sir, I was not asleep."
4 44 But, Lord, were you then conscious ? "
* 44 Yes, I was conscious, sir."
4 " So that you, Lord, though you were both con-
scious and awake, neither saw, nor heard the sound
of five hundred carts passing by, one after the other,
and each close to you. Why, Lord, even your robe
was sprinkled over with the dust of them ! "
4 44 It is even so, sir."
36. 4 Then thought that man: 44 How wonderful a
thing is it, and how marvellous, that those who have
gone forth out of the world should pass their time
in a state of mind so calm ! So much so that a
man though being both conscious and awake,
mahA-parinibbAna-sutta.
neither sees, nor hears the sound of five hundred
carts passing by, one after the other, and each close
to him."
'And after giving utterance to his deep faith in A/dra K&lima, he departed thence/
37. ' Now what think you, Pukkusa, which is the
more difficult thing either to do or to meet with —
that a man being conscious and awake should
neither see, nor hear the sound of five hundred
carts passing by, one after the other, close to him,
— or that a man, being conscious and awake, should
neither see, nor hear the sound thereof when the
falling rain goes on beating and splashing, and the
lightnings are flashing forth, and the thunderbolts
are crashing ? 9
38. 'What in comparison, Lord, can these five
hundred carts do, or six or seven or eight or nine
or ten hundred, yea, even hundreds and thousands
of carts. That certainly is more difficult, both to
do and to meet with, that a man being conscious
and awake should neither see, nor hear the sound
thereof when the falling rain goes on beating and
splashing, and the lightnings are flashing forth, and
the thunderbolts are crashing/
39. 4 Now on one occasion, Pukkusa, I was dwelling
at Atumi, and was at the Threshing-floor 1 . And at
that time the falling rain begun to beat and to
splash, and the lightnings to flash forth, and the
thunderbolts to crash ; and two peasants, brothers,
and four oxen were killed. Then, Pukkusa, a great
multitude of people went forth from Atumi, and
went up to the place where the two peasants,
brothers, and the four oxen, lay killed.