ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 25.11

25.11

and its riverbank was the only place that was not surrounded by the four divisions of the army. No one was on the riverbank.

“The Bodhisattva thought, ‘The deer can neither ford nor leap across the river, so they will not be able to escape. I will plant my feet in the middle of the river, then, and stay there.’ He called out to the deer, ‘Clamber over me, all of you! Use my back to support your legs and cross to the other side of the river.’ The Bodhisattva planted his feet in the middle of the river and stood still.

“Now bodhisattvas are strong and powerful, so the current did not move him, and as he stood there the deer all leapt onto his back, steadied their feet, and crossed to the other side of the river.

“Their hooves cut up the Bodhisattva’s back, and when the last deer saw this he became apprehensive and thought ‘I’m certain I won’t make it across.’ Noting his apprehension, the Bodhisattva reassured him, ‘Don’t be scared, friend. You needn’t be worried you will die,’ and he saw the deer safely across. Once the deer had arrived on the other side, the Bodhisattva passed away.

“O monks, what do you think? I am the one who led the herd of deer then, and lived the life of a bodhisattva. Those who were the five hundred deer then are none other than the five hundred athletes of Kuśinagarī. The one who was the last deer to cross is none other than Subhadra. At that time, amid the pain of dying, I delivered him from danger and set him down in safety. And now as well, stricken with illness and near to death, I have delivered Subhadra and the five hundred athletes from all the dangers of saṃsāra and established them in the unsurpassed, supreme welfare of nirvāṇa.”