Dictionary of Pali Proper Names v1.c12.2815

v1.c12.2815

It is said that the Buddha had three reasons for coming to Kusinārā to die: (1) Because it was the proper venue for the preaching of the Mahā-Sudassana Sutta; (2) because Subhadda would visit him there and, after listening to his sermon, would develop meditation and become an arahant while the Buddha was still alive; and (3) because the brahman Doṇa would be there, after the Buddha’s death, to solve the problem of the distribution of his relics.⁵ As the scene of his death, Kusinārā became one of the four holy places declared by the Buddha to be fit places of pilgrimage for the pious, the other three being Kapilavatthu, Buddhagayā and Isipatana.⁶ Mention is made of other visits paid to Kusinārā by the Buddha, prior to that when his death took place. Thus, once he went there from Āpaṇa and having spent some time at Kusinārā, proceeded to Ātumā. The Mallas of Kusinārā were always great admirers of the Buddha, even though not all of them were his followers, and on the occasion of this visit they decided that any inhabitant of Kusinārā who failed to go and meet the Buddha and escort him to the city, would be fined five hundred. It was on this occasion that Roja the Mallan was converted and gave to the Buddha and the monks a supply of green vegetables and pastries.⁷ During some of these visits the Buddha stayed in a wood called Baliharaṇa, and there he preached two of the Kusinārā Suttas⁸ and the “ Kinti ” Sutta.⁹ A third Kusinārā Sutta he preached while staying at Upavattana.¹⁰