Chapter 11
Of the said three kinds of
moneyya-puggalas
, Venerable Nalaka was an
ukkaÔÔhÈ-p|ggala
who practised the
paÔipadÈ
with the greatest effort. Reflecting and knowing that he would
live only for seven months and that his
Èyusa~khÈra
[continuum of life vitality
(
jivitindriya
)] would soon come to an end, so he took a bath to keep his body clean. And
then wearing the lower robe correctly and neatly and girdling it with the waist-belt and then
putting on the upper robe together with the big robe, he faced the direction of RÈjagaha
where the Buddha was dwelling and made obeisance to the Him in the five-fold posture of
worship, i.e., the two hands. the two knees and the forehead touching the ground. And then
raising the joined hands in adoration, standing erect and leaning against the mountain by
the name of Hingulaka, he attained ParinibbÈna which was the cessation and the end of
existence.
Construction of a Shrine (CetÊya) over The Relics
Thereupon, the Buddha, knowing the Venerable NÈlaka Thera's attainment of
ParinibbÈna, proceeded to the said place in a company of
bhikkhus
and had the remains
cremated under His personal supervision. And then, after supervising the collection of the
relics and the construction of a shrine over them, the Buddha returned to RÈjagaha city.