Geography of Early Buddhism c7.60

c7.60

In the Mahāparinibbāna Suttanta of the Dīgha Nikāya it is stated that Ānanda requested the Buddha not to attain Mahāparinibbāna in a small town like Kusinārā. He suggested the names of great cities like Campā, Rājagaha, Sāvatthi, Sāketa, Kosambī, and Bārānasi. But the Blessed One selected Kusinārā as the place of his Mahāparinibbāna and silenced Ānanda by narrating the former glories of Kusāvatī. The ancient city of Kusāvatī had seven ramparts, four gates, and seven avenues of palm trees. The Buddha himself says that Kusinārā is ancient Kusāvatī. It was a capital city, and was 12 yojanas in length from east to west, and 7 yojanas in width north to south (DN., II, pp. 146-147).