DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45392#0134
Buddha & the Gospel of Buddhism
free from the Intoxications of Sensuality, of Individuality,
Delusion and Ignorance.” And he praised the able service
of Ananda before the whole assembly.
Then the Master said to Ananda: “Go now into the
village of Kusinara, and inform the Mallas that the
Tathagata is about to pass away, to the end that they
may not afterwards reproach themselves by saying: ‘ In
our own village the Tathagata died, and we took not the
occasion to visit the Tathagata in his last hours.’ ” And
the Mallas of Kusinara, with their young men and maidens
and wives were grieved and saddened, and betook them-
selves to the Sala Grove where the Buddha was lying.
And Ananda presented them to the Master, family by
family, in the first watch of the night.
Now there was at this time a wanderer of the name of
Subhadda, to whom the Buddha’s approaching death
was made known: and he desired to speak with the
Master, for the dissipation of his doubt. To this end he
approached Ananda: but he refused access to the Master,
saying, “The Exalted One is weary, do not trouble him! ”
But the Exalted One overheard what was said, and desired
that Subhadda should be given access : for he knew that
the questions to be asked were sincere, and that Subhadda
would understand the answers. And this was what Sub-
hadda sought to know—whether the leaders of other
schools of thought, the masters of other congregations,
such as Nigantha Nataputta, or Sanjaya the former
teacher of Sariputta and Mogallana, esteemed as good
men by many, had, as they claimed, attained a true under-
standing of things, or had some of them so attained, and
not others ? And the Exalted One declared: “ In whatso-
ever doctrine and discipline, Subhadda, the Ariyan Eight-
fold Path is not found, there is not found any man of true
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free from the Intoxications of Sensuality, of Individuality,
Delusion and Ignorance.” And he praised the able service
of Ananda before the whole assembly.
Then the Master said to Ananda: “Go now into the
village of Kusinara, and inform the Mallas that the
Tathagata is about to pass away, to the end that they
may not afterwards reproach themselves by saying: ‘ In
our own village the Tathagata died, and we took not the
occasion to visit the Tathagata in his last hours.’ ” And
the Mallas of Kusinara, with their young men and maidens
and wives were grieved and saddened, and betook them-
selves to the Sala Grove where the Buddha was lying.
And Ananda presented them to the Master, family by
family, in the first watch of the night.
Now there was at this time a wanderer of the name of
Subhadda, to whom the Buddha’s approaching death
was made known: and he desired to speak with the
Master, for the dissipation of his doubt. To this end he
approached Ananda: but he refused access to the Master,
saying, “The Exalted One is weary, do not trouble him! ”
But the Exalted One overheard what was said, and desired
that Subhadda should be given access : for he knew that
the questions to be asked were sincere, and that Subhadda
would understand the answers. And this was what Sub-
hadda sought to know—whether the leaders of other
schools of thought, the masters of other congregations,
such as Nigantha Nataputta, or Sanjaya the former
teacher of Sariputta and Mogallana, esteemed as good
men by many, had, as they claimed, attained a true under-
standing of things, or had some of them so attained, and
not others ? And the Exalted One declared: “ In whatso-
ever doctrine and discipline, Subhadda, the Ariyan Eight-
fold Path is not found, there is not found any man of true
84