Part 2 - Last Rites for The Remains of The Buddha

Then the Malla princes of Kusināra ordered their men to gather flowers, perfumes and all kinds of musical instruments in Kusināra. Then they went to the Sal grove where the body of the Buddha was, bringing flowers, perfumes and all kinds of musical instruments, as well as five hundred sets of long cloth. And there they passed the day in song and dance by way of venerating, honouring, revering and paying homage to the remains of the Buddha. Flowers and perfumes were placed at suitable locations, canopies of cloth were made, and pavilions set up with long cloth. Then the Malla princes of Kusināra decided that it was rather late for that day to cremate the remains of the Buddha. “We shall perform the cremation tomorrow,” they all agreed.

Then the second day was also passed in song and dance, by way of venerating, honouring, revering and paying homage to the remains of the Buddha, where flowers and perfumes were placed in suitable locations, canopies of cloth were made, and new pavilions set up with long cloth. In the same manner the third day, the fourth day, the fifth day and the sixth day were also spent.

Then on the seventh day, the Malla princes of Kusināra conferred among themselves and decided thus:

“We shall cremate the remains of the Bhagavā at the south of the town, to which place we shall carry the body by the southern road and perform the ceremony with song and dance, flowers and perfumes, thereby venerating, honouring revering and paying homage to the remains of the Bhagavā.”

Thereupon, eight senior most Malla princes of robust built, after washing their heads and donning new clothes, thinking: “We shall now lift up the body of the Bhagavā,” exerted in unison to lift up the body of the Buddha, but the body did not budge.

Then the Malla princes of Kusināra, being confident that the Venerable Anuruddha as the foremost bhikkhu in the power of Divine Eye should be able to explain it, asked him:

“Venerable Anuruddha, these eight senior most Malla princes, after washing their heads and donning new clothes, thinking: ‘We shall lift up the body of the Bhagavā,’ exerted in unison to lift up the body of the Bhagavā, but the body did not budge. What is the reason, what is the cause of this?”

“Vasetthas, (it is because) you are working with different intention from the devas.”

“What, Venerable Anuruddha, is the will of the devas?”

“Vasetthas, your intention is this: ‘We shall cremate the remains of the Bhagavā at the south of the town, where we shall carry the body by the southern road and perform the ceremony with song and dance, flowers and perfumes, thereby venerating, honouring, revering, and paying homage to the remains of the Bhagavā.’ The intention of the devas (however) is this: ‘We shall cremate the remains of the Bhagavā at the east of the town near the Makuṭabandhana Shrine of the Malla princes, where we shall carry it first northwards by the northern road, hence via the North Gate into the town, then to the East Gate by the middle road, to the Makuṭabandhana Shrine, and perform the ceremony with song and dance, flowers and perfumes, thereby venerating, honouring, revering and paying homage to the remains of the Bhagavā.’ ”

“Venerable Sir, let it be according to the wish of the devas.”

At that time, Kusināra, the home town of Malla princes, was thickly strewn with celestial Mandāvara flowers everywhere, even including fence borders and rubbish heaps.

Then the devas and the Malla princes of Kusināra carried the remains of the Buddha northwards by the northern road;thence via the North Gate into the town, thence to the centre of the town by the middle road, venerating, honouring, revering and paying homage to the remains of the Buddha all along the route by both celestial and human dance and song, flowers and perfumes.

Mallikā, Widow of General Banjul, honoured The Remains of The Buddha

While the remains of the Buddha was thus being paid homage in the town, along the middle road, Mallikā, widow of General Banjul, on hearing the news, awaited in front of her house with her famous Mahālatā great gown which she had not garbed herself with since the death of her husband. She had it cleaned and washed in perfumed water to decorate the body of the Buddha with it (as her unique way of honouring the memory of the Buddha).

(The Mahālatā great gown was a rare kind of dress which only three outstanding persons owned, viz., Visākhā, Mallikā and a robber called Devadānniya. This dress is referred to as Mallikā dress in these days.)

As the procession carrying the remains of the Buddha reached her door, Mallikā requested the people in the procession: “Princes, put down the body of the Bhagavā for a while here!” And (when they complied with her request,) she placed the Mahālatā dress around the body of the Buddha. It fitted well with the body from head to foot. The goldenhued body was then resplendent with the bejewelled dress wrought with the seven kinds of gems.

Mallikā was throbbing with joy at the glorious sight of the Buddha’s body being garbed in her bejewelled dress. “Venerable Bhagavā, may I, in all future existences in saṃsāra, be blessed with a completely garbed person without the need to garb myself,” thus did she make her wish on that occasions. After she died, she was reborn in the Tāvatiṃsa Deva realm and her wish fulfilled. (Ref: Vimāna Vatthu, Commentary on Paricchattakavagga, Mallikāvimāna Vatthu.)

Thereafter, the Malla princes carried the body of the Buddha with the Mahālatā dress on, and proceeded to the East Gate. They put it down at the Makuṭabandhana Shrine of the Malla princes on the east of the town.

The Funeral Rites

Then the Malla princes asked the Venerable Ānanda: “Venerable Sir, in what manner should the remains of the Tathāgata be properly handled?”

“O Vaseṭṭhas, it should be treated in the same way as is done to the remains of a Universal Monarch?”

“Venerable Sir, what is the procedure in the case of treating the remains of a Universal Monarch?”

“Vaseṭṭhas, the body of a Universal Monarch is wrapped up in new cloth. Over that wrapping, there should be a wrapping of carded cotton wool. Over the cotton wool wrapping, there should be another layer of wrapping with new cloth. In this way the body of a Universal Monarch is wrapped up in five hundred pairs of pieces of cloth. Then it is placed in an oil vat wrought with gold, and covered with a lid wrought with gold. Then it is placed upon a funeral pyre, which is built of various kinds of scented wood and then cremated. The relics, after the cremation, are then enshrined at the junction of the four highways. Vaseṭṭhas, this is the procedure in treating the remains of a Universal Monarch.”

“O Vaseṭṭhas, as is the procedure followed with regard to the relics of a Universal Monarch, so also should the procedure be followed with regard to the relics of the Bhagavā. A stupa to the honour of the Bhagavā should be erected at the junction of the four highways. People will visit the stupa and make offerings of flowers or incense or fragrant powder, or pay homage, or will reflect on the Buddha’s attributes. And, for such acts of devotion, these people will enjoy benefit and happiness for a long time. These instructions were the Bhagava’s instructions as has been described above.”

Then the Malla princes of Kusināra ordered their men to collect cotton wool from the store-houses of the Malla princes. Then they treated the body of the Buddha as instructed by the Venerable Ānanda. They wrapped it up in new cloth. Over that wrapping they made a cotton wool wrapping, and over that they again wrapped it up with new cloth. In this way the body of the Buddha was wrapped up in five hundred pairs of pieces of cloth. Then they placed it in an oil vat wrought with gold, and covered it with a lid wrought with gold. A funeral pyre with various kinds of scented wood was built, on which they placed the embalmed body.