經律異相 7.7

7.7

King Śuddhodana fell ill. His limbs and joints felt as if they were coming apart, and his breath was like a rushing current. Various treatments were of no benefit. His two younger brothers, the other kings, and the ministers all said: "Great King, you have never committed evil; you have planted virtue insatiably; you have nurtured and employed everyone so that none failed to find peace. Why are you troubled with grief?" The king said: "I regret only that I have not seen Siddhārtha, Nanda, Ānanda, Rāhula, and the others, to dispel my longing." His tears fell like rain. At that time the Buddha was in Rājagṛha, fifty yojanas away. The king was now growing weaker, and it was feared they would not meet in time. The Buddha, knowing his father's mind, at once instructed Nanda, Rāhula, and the others, and using his supernormal powers he leapt into the air and suddenly appeared in Kapilavastu, emitting a great radiance. The people of the realm saw it from afar and wept aloud, saying: "If the Great King passes away and abandons this Śākya realm, it will surely be broken off and ended!" The people in the city wept sorrowfully toward the Buddha, writhing and throwing themselves to the ground. The Buddha said: "Separation through impermanence has existed from ancient times to the present. Samsāra is suffering; only the Path is true." The Buddha's light shone brilliantly, penetrating within and without, and illuminated the king's body. The king said: "What light is this? Upon touching my body, my suffering has ceased. It must be the light seen before from my Siddhārtha!" Those returning from outside reported: "The Buddha, Ānanda, Rāhula, and the others have arrived riding through the air." The king's heart leapt with joy, and unconsciously he sat up, saying: "I wish only that the Tathāgata would touch my body with his hand. My body is like pressed oil, agonizing beyond endurance; if I could see the Bhagavat, my affliction would instantly be dispelled." The Buddha said to Nanda: "Look upon the king's former appearance: majestic and towering, with renown heard far and wide. Now, in grave illness and emaciation, he is almost unrecognizable. Where have his countenance, strength, and renown gone?" The king single-mindedly joined his palms. [The Buddha said:] "I pray you do not grieve. Your virtue is pure and unblemished." Touching the king's forehead with his hand, he said: "The king is a person of pure moral conduct, whose mental defilements are already removed. You should only rejoice; it is not fitting to worry or grieve. You should contemplate deeply and be mindful of the doctrines of the scriptures; regarding what is unstable, attain an unshakeable resolve to plant wholesome roots. The king ought to rejoice." The Great Victorious King wished, saying: "The Buddha, Nanda, Ānanda, and Rāhula—these four sons have broken the net of Māra!" (He first praised the virtues of the four sons individually; the text is extensive and is not recorded here.) The king was then filled with joy. The Buddha preached the *Canda-pabbata Jātaka* for him, and the king attained the fruit of anāgāmin. Grasping the Buddha's hand, he held it to his heart. The Buddha expounded the Dharma further, and he attained the fruit of arhat. His life came to an end and his breath ceased. The Śākyas wailed bitterly. They bathed his body with scented water, wrapped it in kalpa-cotton, silks, and batting, and placed it in the coffin. It was adorned with the seven jewels, with real pearl nets hanging all around it. They lifted the coffin and placed the corpse on a lion throne, scattering flowers and burning incense. The Buddha and Nanda were at the head; Ānanda and Rāhula were at the feet. Nanda and the others said to the Buddha: "We respectfully recall his gracious upbringing and beg to carry the coffin ourselves." For the sake of future unfilial sentient beings who do not repay the kindness of their upbringing, the Buddha wished to carry it in person. The great trichiliocosm trembled, and all the mountains rocked like boats upon waves. Innumerable retinues from the six heavens of the kāmadhātu came together to attend the funeral. The Four Heavenly Kings, leading hundreds of thousands of millions of ghosts and spirits, all raised their voices in mourning. The kings said to the Buddha: "We are disciples of the Buddha; having heard the Dharma from the Buddha, we have become srotāpannas. We ought to carry it." The Buddha permitted the Four Heavenly Kings to carry it. They immediately transformed their bodies into human forms, lifted the coffin with their hands, and placed it upon their shoulders. The Buddha's awesome radiance was like ten thousand suns; holding an incense burner in his hand, he walked at the very front. Arriving at the burial site, a thousand arhats from Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain arrived through the air, bowed their heads at the Buddha's feet, and asked for instructions on what to do. The Buddha said: "Go to the islets of the great ocean and bring back ox-head candana and various fragrant woods." In the space of a finger-snap they brought the various pieces of fragrant firewood. The great assembly gathered them together and used them to burn the coffin. When the assembly saw the flames arise, they wailed even more sorrowfully. The Buddha said: "Suffering, emptiness, and impermanence are just like illusions, reflections of the moon in water, or images in a mirror." When the burning of the body was finished, they quenched it with milk, gathered the bones into a vajra casket, and together erected a stūpa. The great assembly inquired where his consciousness was reborn. The Buddha said: "He was born in the Śuddhāvāsa heavens." (From the *Sūtra on King Śuddhodana's Nirvāṇa*.)