THE GREAT CHRONICLE OF BUDDHAS
1082
Chapter 41
UTTERINGS THAT AROUSE EMOTIONAL RELIGIOUS AWAKENING
hen the Buddha passed away, there occurred simultaneously a great earthquake, so
terrible as to cause the body hair to rise and gooseflesh to appear on the skin.
Rumblings (of celestial big drums) reverberated in the sky.
When the Buddha passed away, at the moment of His passing away, BrahmÈ Sahampati
uttered this stanza:
Sabbe va nikkhi pissanti
Bh|tÈ loke samussayaÑ
Yattha etÈdiso satthÈ
Loke appaÔipuggalo
TathÈgato balapatto
Sambuddho parinibbuto
In this transient word
Even such an incomparable person
As the Self-Enlightened TathÈgata,
The Teacher of devas, humans and BrahmÈs,
Endowed with Ten Powers,
Has to pass away.
All beings in this world,
When the time of death is due,
Must lay down this body,
A composite of mental and physical phenomena.
When the Buddha passed away, at the moment of His passing away, Sakka, King of
Devas, uttered this stanza:-
Anicca vata sa~khÈrÈ
UppÈdavaya dhammino
UpajjhitvÈ nirujjhanti
TesaÑ v|pasamo sukho
Impermanent indeed are all conditioned things.
They are in the nature of arising and dissolution.
Having arisen; they cease to be.
The realization of NibbÈna on their utter cessation
Is blissful peace.
When the Buddha passed away, at the moment of His passing away, the Venerable
AnuruddhÈ uttered this stanza:-
NÈhu, assÈsapassÈso
Thita citassa tÈdino
Anejo santimÈrabbha
YaÑ kÈlamakarÊ Muni.
(Friend
bhikkhus
!)
The Great Sage, Lord of the three worlds,
Free of craving for existence,
Has ended His span of life,
Intent on the peace of NibbÈna.
No more breathing in or out is there.
AsallÊnena cittena
W