Maha-parinibbana Sutta:Great Discourse Chapter 6*

[Anne Terri]

DN 16
PTS: D ii 137
chapter 6
Maha-parinibbana Sutta: The Great Discourse on the Total Unbinding
(excerpt)
translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
© 1998–2013

6.

Then the Blessed One said to Ven. Ananda, "Now, if it occurs to any of you — 'The teaching has lost its authority; we are without a Teacher' — do not view it in that way. Whatever Dhamma & Vinaya I have pointed out & formulated for you, that will be your Teacher when I am gone.

"At present, the monks address one another as 'friend,' but after I am gone they are not to address one another that way. The more senior monks are to address the newer monks by their name or clan or as 'friend.' The newer monks are to address the more senior monks as 'venerable' or 'sir.'

"After I am gone, the sangha — if it wants — may abolish the lesser & minor training rules.[7]

"After I am gone, the monk Channa should be given the brahma penalty."

"What, lord, is the brahma penalty?"

"Channa may say what he wants, Ananda, but he is not to be spoken to, instructed, or admonished by the monks."[8]

Then the Blessed One addressed the monks, "If even a single monk has any doubt or perplexity concerning the Buddha, Dhamma, or Sangha, the path or the practice, ask. Don't later regret that 'The Teacher was face-to-face with us, but we didn't bring ourselves to cross-question him in his presence.'"

When this was said, the monks were silent.

A second time, the Blessed One said, "If even a single monk has any doubt or perplexity concerning the Buddha, Dhamma, or Sangha, the path or the practice, ask. Don't later regret that 'The Teacher was face-to-face with us, but we didn't bring ourselves to cross-question him in his presence.'"

A second time, the monks were silent.

A third time, the Blessed One said, "If even a single monk has any doubt or perplexity concerning the Buddha, Dhamma, or Sangha, the path or the practice, ask. Don't later regret that 'The Teacher was face-to-face with us, but we didn't bring ourselves to cross-question him in his presence.'"

A third time, the monks were silent.

Then the Blessed One addressed the monks, "Now, if it's out of respect for the Teacher that you don't ask, let a friend inform a friend."

When this was said, the monks were silent.

Then Ven. Ananda said to the Blessed One, "It's amazing, lord. It's marvelous. I'm confident that, in this community of monks, there is not even a single monk who has any doubt or perplexity concerning the Buddha, Dhamma, or Sangha, the path or the practice."

"You, Ananda, speak out of confidence, while there is knowledge in the Tathagata that, in this community of monks, there is not even a single monk who has any doubt or perplexity concerning the Buddha, Dhamma, or Sangha, the path or the practice. Of these 500 monks, the most backward is a stream-winner, not destined for the planes of deprivation, headed to self-awakening for sure."

Then the Blessed One addressed the monks, "Now, then, monks, I exhort you: All fabrications are subject to decay. Bring about completion by being heedful." Those were the Tathagata's last words.

Then the Blessed One entered the first jhana. Emerging from that he entered the second jhana. Emerging from that, he entered the third... the fourth jhana... the dimension of the infinitude of space... the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness... the dimension of nothingness... the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. Emerging from that, he entered the cessation of perception & feeling.

Then Ven. Ananda said to Ven. Anuruddha, "Ven. Anuruddha,[9] the Blessed One is totally unbound."

"No, friend Ananda. The Blessed One isn't totally unbound. He has entered the cessation of perception & feeling."

Then the Blessed One, emerging from the cessation of perception & feeling, entered the dimension of neither perception nor non-perception. Emerging from that, he entered the dimension of nothingness... the dimension of the infinitude of consciousness... the dimension of the infinitude of space... the fourth jhana... the third... the second... the first jhana. Emerging from the first jhana he entered the second... the third... the fourth jhana. Emerging from the fourth jhana, he immediately was totally Unbound.

When the Blessed One was totally Unbound, simultaneously with the total Unbinding, there was a great earthquake, awesome & hair-raising, and the drums of the devas sounded.

When the Blessed One was totally Unbound, simultaneously with the total Unbinding, Sahampati Brahma uttered this verse:
All beings — all — in the world, will cast off the bodily heap in the world where a Teacher like this without peer in the world the Tathagata, with strength attained, the Rightly Self-Awakened One, has been totally Unbound.

When the Blessed One was totally Unbound, simultaneously with the total Unbinding, Sakka, ruler of the gods, uttered this verse:
How inconstant are compounded things! Their nature: to arise & pass away. They disband as they are arising. Their total stilling is bliss.

When the Blessed One was totally Unbound, simultaneously with the total Unbinding, Ven. Anuruddha uttered this verse:
He had no in-&-out breathing, the one who was Such, the firm-minded one, imperturbable & bent on peace: the sage completing his span. With heart unbowed he endured the pain. Like a flame's unbinding was the liberation of awareness.

When the Blessed One was totally Unbound, simultaneously with the total Unbinding, Ven. Ananda uttered this verse:
It was awe-inspiring. It was hair-raising when, displaying the foremost accomplishment in all things, the Rightly Self-Awakened One was totally Unbound.

When the Blessed One was totally Unbound, simultaneously with the total Unbinding, some of the monks present who were not without passion wept, uplifting their arms. As if their feet were cut out from under them, they fell down and rolled back & forth, crying, "All too soon is the Blessed One totally unbound! All too soon is the One Well-gone totally unbound! All too soon, the One with Eyes has disappeared from the world!" But those monks who were free from passion acquiesced, mindful & alert: "Fabrications are inconstant. What else is there to expect?"

Then Ven. Anuruddha addressed the monks, "Enough, friends. Don't grieve. Don't lament. Hasn't the Blessed One already taught the state of growing different with regard to all things dear & appealing, the state of becoming separate, the state of becoming otherwise? What else is there to expect? It's impossible that one could forbid anything born, existent, fabricated, & subject to disintegration from disintegrating. The devatas, friends, are complaining."

[Ananda:] "But, Ven. Anuruddha, what is the state of the devatas the Blessed One is referring to?"

"Friend Ananda, there are devatas who perceive space to be earth. Tearing at their hair, they are weeping. Uplifting their arms, they are weeping. As if their feet were cut out from under them, they fall down and roll back & forth, crying, 'All too soon is the Blessed One totally unbound! All too soon is the One Well-gone totally unbound! All too soon, the One with Eyes has disappeared from the world!' Then there are devatas who perceive earth to be earth. Tearing at their hair, they are weeping. Uplifting their arms, they are weeping. As if their feet were cut out from under them, they fall down and roll back & forth, crying, 'All too soon is the Blessed One totally unbound! All too soon is the One Well-gone totally unbound! All too soon, the One with Eyes has disappeared from the world!' But those devatas who are free from passion acquiesce, mindful & alert: 'Fabrications are inconstant. What else is there to expect?'"

Then Ven. Anuruddha & Ven. Ananda spent the remainder of the night in Dhamma talk.

Then Ven. Anuruddha said to Ven. Ananda, "Go, friend Ananda. Entering Kusinara, announce to the Kusinara Mallans, 'The Blessed One, Vasitthas, is totally unbound. Now is the time for you to do as you see fit.'"

Responding, "As you say, sir," Ven. Ananda in the early morning put on his robe and — carrying his bowl & outer robe — went unaccompanied into Kusinara. Now at that time the Kusinara Mallans had met for some business in their assembly hall. Ven. Ananda went to the assembly hall and on arrival announced to them, "The Blessed One, Vasitthas, is totally unbound. Now is the time for you to do as you see fit."

When they heard Ven. Ananda, the Mallans together with their sons, daughters, & wives were shocked, saddened, their minds overflowing with sorrow. Some of them wept, tearing at their hair; they wept, uplifting their arms. As if their feet were cut out from under them, they fell down and rolled back & forth, crying, "All too soon is the Blessed One totally unbound! All too soon is the One Well-gone totally unbound! All too soon, the One with Eyes has disappeared from the world!"

Then the Kusinara Mallans ordered their men, "In that case, I say, gather scents, garlands, & all the musical instruments in Kusinara!" Then, taking scents, garlands, & all the musical instruments in Kusinara, along with 500 lengths of cloth, the Kusinara Mallans went to the Blessed One's body in Upavattana, the Mallans' sal-grove near Kusinara. On arrival, they spent the entire day in worshipping, honoring, respecting, & venerating the Blessed One's body with dances, songs, music, garlands, & scents, in making cloth canopies and arranging floral wreaths. Then the thought occurred to them, "It's too late today to cremate the Blessed One's body. We'll cremate the Blessed One's body tomorrow." And so they spent the second day, the third day, the fourth day, the fifth day, the sixth day in worshipping, honoring, respecting, & venerating the Blessed One's body with dances, songs, music, garlands, & scents, in making cloth canopies and arranging floral wreaths.

Then on the seventh day the thought occurred to them, "Worshipping, honoring, respecting, & venerating to the Blessed One's body with dances, songs, music, garlands, & scents, let's carry it to the south, around the outside of the town, and cremate it to the south of the town."

Then eight leading Mallans, having bathed their heads and wearing new linen cloth, thinking, "We'll lift up the Blessed One's body," were unable to lift it. So the Kusinara Mallans asked Ven. Anuruddha, "What is the reason, Ven. Anuruddha, what is the cause, why these eight leading Mallans, having bathed their heads and wearing new linen cloth, thinking, 'We'll lift up the Blessed One's body,' are unable to lift it?"

"Your intention, Vasitthas, is one thing. The devas' intention is another."

"But what, Ven. Anuruddha, is the devas' intention?"

"Your intention, Vasitthas, is, 'Worshipping, honoring, respecting, & venerating the Blessed One's body with dances, songs, music, garlands, & scents, let's carry it to the south, around the outside of the town, and cremate it to the south of the town.' The devas' intention is, 'Worshipping, honoring, respecting, & venerating the Blessed One's body with heavenly dances, songs, music, garlands, & scents, let's carry it to the north of the town, enter the town through the north gate, carry it through the middle of the town and out the east gate to the Mallans' memorial called Makuta-bandhana, to cremate it there.'"

"Then let it be, venerable sir, in line with the devas' intention."

Now at that time Kusinara — even to its rubbish heaps & cesspools — was strewn knee-deep in coral-tree flowers. So the devas & the Kusinara Mallans, worshipping, honoring, respecting, & venerating the Blessed One's body with heavenly & human dances, songs, music, garlands, & scents, carried it to the north of the town, entered the town through the north gate, carried it through the middle of the town and out the east gate to the Mallans' memorial called Makuta-bandhana. There they set it down.

Then the Kusinara Mallans said to Ven. Ananda, "Venerable sir, what course should we follow with regard to the Tathagata's body?"

"The course they follow with regard to the body of a wheel-turning monarch, Vasitthas, is the course that should be followed with regard to the body of the Tathagata."

"And what, venerable sir, is the course they follow with regard to the body of a wheel-turning monarch?"

"Vasitthas, they wrap the body of a wheel-turning monarch in new linen cloth. Having wrapped it in new linen cloth, they wrap it in teased cotton-wool. Having wrapped it in teased cotton-wool, they wrap it in new linen cloth. Having done this 500 times, they place the body in an iron oil-vat, cover it with an iron lid, make a pyre composed totally of perfumed substances, and cremate the body. Then they build a burial mound for the wheel-turning monarch at a great four-way intersection. That is the course that they follow with regard to the body of a wheel-turning monarch. The course they follow with regard to the body of a wheel-turning monarch, Vasitthas, is the course that should be followed with regard to the body of the Tathagata. A burial mound for the Tathagata is to be built at a great, four-way intersection. And those who offer a garland, a scent, or a perfume powder there, or bow down there, or brighten their minds there: that will be for their long-term welfare & happiness."

So the Kusinara Mallans ordered their men, "In that case, I say, gather the Mallans' teased cotton-wool."

Then they wrapped the Blessed One's body in new linen cloth. Having wrapped it in new linen cloth, they wrapped it in teased cotton-wool. Having wrapped it in teased cotton-wool, they wrapped it in new linen cloth. Having done this 500 times, they placed the body in an iron oil-vat, covered it with an iron lid, made a pyre composed totally of perfumed substances, and set the body on the pyre.

Now at that time Ven. Maha Kassapa was traveling on the highway from Pava to Kusinara with a large community of monks, approximately 500 monks in all. Leaving the road, he sat down at the foot of a tree. Meanwhile, a certain naked ascetic, carrying a coral-tree flower from Kusinara, was traveling on the highway to Pava. Ven. Maha Kassapa saw the naked ascetic coming from afar, and on seeing him said to him, "Do you know our teacher, friend?"

"Yes, friend, I know him. Seven days ago Gotama the contemplative was totally unbound. That's how I got this coral-tree flower."

With that, some of the monks present who were not without passion wept, uplifting their arms. As if their feet were cut out from under them, they fell down and rolled back & forth, crying, "All too soon is the Blessed One totally unbound! All too soon is the One Well-gone totally unbound! All too soon, the One with Eyes has disappeared from the world!" But those monks who were free from passion acquiesced, mindful & alert: "Fabrications are inconstant. What else is there to expect?"

Now at that time a monk named Subhadda[10] who had gone forth when old was sitting among the group. He said to the monks, "Enough, friends. Don't grieve. Don't lament. We're well rid of the Great Contemplative. We've been harassed by [his saying], 'This is allowable. This is not allowable.' But now we will do what we want to do, and not do what we don't want to do."[11]

Then Ven. Maha Kassapa addressed the monks, "Enough, friends. Don't grieve. Don't lament. Hasn't the Blessed One already taught the state of growing different with regard to all things dear & appealing, the state of becoming separate, the state of becoming otherwise? What else is there to expect? It's impossible that one could forbid anything born, existent, fabricated, & subject to disintegration from disintegrating."

Then four leading Mallans, having bathed their heads and wearing new linen cloth, thinking, "We'll ignite the Blessed One's pyre," were unable to ignite it. So the Kusinara Mallans asked Ven. Anuruddha, "What is the reason, Ven. Anuruddha, what is the cause, why these four leading Mallans, having bathed their heads and wearing new linen cloth, thinking, 'We'll ignite the Blessed One's pyre,' are unable to ignite it?"

"Your intention, Vasitthas, is one thing. The devas' intention is another."

"But what, Ven. Anuruddha, is the devas' intention?"

"The devas' intention, Vasitthas, is, 'This Ven. Maha Kassapa is traveling on the highway from Pava to Kusinara with a large community of monks, approximately 500 monks in all. The Blessed One's pyre will not catch fire until Ven. Maha Kassapa has worshipped the Blessed One's feet with his head.'"

"Then let it be, venerable sir, in line with the devas' intention."

So Ven. Maha Kassapa went to the Blessed One's pyre at Makuta-bandhana, the Mallans' memorial near Kusinara. On arrival, arranging his robe over one shoulder, he placed his hands palm-to-palm over his heart, circumambulated the pyre, uncovered the Blessed One's feet,[12] and worshipped them with his head. And the 500 monks, arranging their robes over one shoulder, placed their hands palm-to-palm over their hearts, circumambulated the pyre, and worshipped the Blessed One's feet with their heads. As soon as it had been worshipped by Ven. Maha Kassapa and the 500 monks, the Blessed One's pyre caught fire of its own accord. In the burning of the Blessed One's body, no cinder or ash of the outer skin, inner skin, flesh, tendons, or oil of the joints could be discerned. Only the bone-relics[13] remained. Just as in the burning of ghee or oil, no cinder or ash can be discerned; in the same way, in the burning of the Blessed One's body, no cinder or ash of the outer skin, inner skin, flesh, tendons, or oil of the joints could be discerned. Only the bone-relics remained. And of the 500 twin-wrappings only two were burnt: the innermost & the outermost.

When the Blessed One's body was consumed, a cascade of water fell from the sky, extinguishing the Blessed One's pyre. Water shot up from a sal-tree as well, extinguishing the Blessed One's pyre. The Kusinara Mallans, with all kinds of scented water, extinguished the Blessed One's pyre. Then for seven days they kept the bone-relics in their assembly hall — setting them round with a lattice of spears surrounded by ramparts of bows — worshipping, honoring, respecting, & venerating them with dances, songs, music, garlands, & scents.

Then King Ajatasattu Vedehiputta of Magadha heard, "The Blessed One, they say, has been totally unbound in Kusinara." So he sent an envoy to the Kusinara Mallans: "The Blessed One was a noble warrior. I, too, am a noble warrior. I deserve a share of the Blessed One's bone-relics. I, too, will build a burial mound and hold a ceremony for them."

The Licchavis of Vesali heard, "The Blessed One, they say, has been totally unbound in Kusinara." So they sent an envoy to the Kusinara Mallans: "The Blessed One was a noble warrior. We, too, are noble warriors. We deserve a share of the Blessed One's bone-relics. We, too, will build a burial mound and hold a ceremony for them."

The Sakyans of Kapilavatthu heard, "The Blessed One, they say, has been totally unbound in Kusinara." So they sent an envoy to the Kusinara Mallans: "The Blessed One was the greatest of our relatives. We deserve a share of the Blessed One's bone-relics. We, too, will build a burial mound and hold a ceremony for them."

The Buliyans of Allakappa... The Koliyans of Ramagama heard, "The Blessed One, they say, has been totally unbound in Kusinara." So they sent an envoy to the Kusinara Mallans: "The Blessed One was a noble warrior. We, too, are noble warriors. We deserve a share of the Blessed One's bone-relics. We, too, will build a burial mound and hold a ceremony for them."

The Brahman of Vetha Island heard, "The Blessed One, they say, has been totally unbound in Kusinara." So he sent an envoy to the Kusinara Mallans: "The Blessed One was a noble warrior. I am a brahman. I deserve a share of the Blessed One's bone-relics. I, too, will build a burial mound and hold a ceremony for them."

The Pava Mallans heard, "The Blessed One, they say, has been totally unbound in Kusinara." So they sent an envoy to the Kusinara Mallans: "The Blessed One was a noble warrior. We, too, are noble warriors. We deserve a share of the Blessed One's bone-relics. We, too, will build a burial mound and hold a ceremony for them."

When this was said, the Kusinara Mallans said to the groups & factions, "The Blessed One was totally unbound within the borders of our own town. We will not give up a share of the Blessed One's bone-relics."

When this was said, Dona the brahman addressed the groups & factions,
Listen, good sirs, to a word from me. Our Awakened One taught forbearance. It's not good that there should be combat over the relics of the highest one. Let's unite in concord, on friendly terms, and make eight shares. Let there be burial mounds in the various directions, many people made confident in the One with Eyes.

"In that case, brahman, you yourself divide the Blessed One's bone-relics into eight equal shares."

Responding, "As you say, good sirs," to the groups & factions, Dona the brahman divided the Blessed One's bone-relics into eight equal shares and then said to the groups & factions, "Good sirs, give me this urn. I will build a burial mound and hold a ceremony for the urn." They gave him the urn.

Then the Moriyans of Pipphalivana heard, "The Blessed One, they say, has been totally unbound in Kusinara." So they sent an envoy to the Kusinara Mallans: "The Blessed One was a noble warrior. We, too, are noble warriors. We deserve a share of the Blessed One's bone-relics. We, too, will build a burial mound and hold a ceremony for them."

"There is no [remaining] share of the Blessed One's bone-relics. They have been divided. Take the embers from here." They took the embers from there.

Then King Ajatasattu Vedehiputta of Magadha built a burial mound and held a ceremony for the Blessed One's relics in Rajagaha.

The Licchavis of Vesali built a burial mound and held a ceremony for the Blessed One's relics in Vesali.

The Sakyans of Kapilavattu built a burial mound and held a ceremony for the Blessed One's relics in Kapilavattu.

The Buliyans of Allakappa built a burial mound and held a ceremony for the Blessed One's relics in Allakappa.

The Koliyans of Ramagama built a burial mound and held a ceremony for the Blessed One's relics in Ramagama.

The brahman of Vettha Island built a burial mound and held a ceremony for the Blessed One's relics on Vettha Island.

The Pava Mallans built a burial mound and held a ceremony for the Blessed One's relics in Pava.

The Kusinara Mallans built a burial mound and held a ceremony for the Blessed One's relics in Kusinara.

Dona the brahman built a burial mound and held a ceremony for the urn.

The Moriyans of Pipphalivana built a burial mound and held a ceremony for the embers in Pipphalivana.

Thus there were eight burial mounds for the bone-relics, a ninth for the urn, and a tenth for the embers.

That is how it was in the past.
Eight portions were the relics of the One with Vision, the highest, the foremost of men: seven honored in Jambudipa, and one in Ramagama honored by kings of the nagas. One tooth the devas of the Thirty-three worship; one is honored in Gandharapura; one in the realm of the king of Kalinga; another is honored by kings of the nagas. These, with their splendor, their excellent gifts, embellish this wealth-bearing earth. Thus the relics of the One with Vision are honored by those honored by those who are honored. He is worshiped by deva kings, naga kings, human kings, and likewise is worshiped by the most excellent people. So pay homage to him, with hands palm-to-palm over the heart, for the Awakened are rarely encountered in the course of one hundred eons.


Notes

1.
In preceding sections of the discourse, the standard phrase describing the Buddha's act of lying down to rest reads, "Then the Blessed One lay down on his right side in the lion's sleeping posture, with one foot on top of the other, mindful & alert, having made a mental note to get up." Here, however, the Buddha is lying down for the last time and will pass away in this posture, so he makes no mental note to get up.
2.
SN 12.67 states: "If a monk practices for the sake of disenchantment, dispassion, & cessation with regard to aging & death... birth... becoming... clinging/sustenance... craving... feeling... contact... the six sense media... name & form... consciousness... fabrications... ignorance, he deserves to be called a monk who practices the Dhamma in accordance with the Dhamma."

www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn12/sn12.067.than.html

3.
From Vedic times, it has been considered auspicious in India to gaze on a holy person or heavenly being, and to be gazed on by such a being as well. Here the fact that heavenly beings themselves want to gaze on the Buddha indicates the high regard they have for him (this is also the motive for their Great Meeting in DN 20); the phrase later in this paragraph, "the One with Eyes," indicates that they also regarded his gaze as highly auspicious for them. Later passages in this discourse indicate that human beings have similar feelings about the auspiciousness of the Buddha's gaze and the Buddha as an object of one's own gaze. A great deal of the later history of Buddhism in India — including devotional practice, Buddhology, meditation practice, and even the architecture of monasteries — grew out of the continuing desire to have a vision of the Buddha and to be gazed on by the Buddha, even after his Parinibbana.

www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.20.0.than.html

It is sometimes assumed, based on a passage in SN 22.87, that the Pali canon is uniformly negative toward this aspect of Buddhist tradition. There, Ven. Vakkali, who is ill, states that "For a long time have I wanted to come & see the Blessed One, but I haven't had the bodily strength to do so," and the Buddha comforts him, "Enough, Vakkali. Why do you want to see this filthy body? Whoever sees the Dhamma sees me; whoever sees me sees the Dhamma." It should be noted, however, that the Buddha's treatment of this topic is sensitive to the context. In SN 22.87, he is talking to a monk who (1) is too sick to come see the Buddha on his own strength; and (2) is on the verge of arahantship. Here in DN 16, however, the Buddha dismisses Ven. Upavana so as to honor the desire of the devas who want to see him in his last hour; and he sends Ven. Ananda into Kusinara to inform the lay people there so that they too will be able to see him in his last hour. His motive here may be similar to that given for encouraging the building of a burial mound dedicated to him: seeing him will help human & heavenly beings brighten their minds, and that will be for their long-term welfare & happiness. Thus the attitudes expressed on this topic in the Pali canon, when taken in their entirety, are more complex than is generally recognized.

4.
Reading chinna-pada with the Thai edition.
5.
The desire to have one's name announced to a holy person appears to have been a part of pre-Buddhist devotional practice in India. This passage, along with others in the Canon, indicates that it was quickly adopted into Buddhist devotional practice as well. It lived on in later Buddhist practice in the custom of having the donor's name inscribed in bas-reliefs placed near or on a stupa, even in locations where the name would not be visible to human eyes.
6.
The commentary notes that Subhadda makes this statement based on non-Buddhist practices he knew from his previous sectarian affiliation.
7.
The Cullavagga (XI.9) tells of how the monks at the First Council could not agree on which rules should be classed as lesser & minor. Ven. Ananda himself confessed that he neglected to ask the Buddha on this point. One of the monks made a motion that — since many of the rules affect the laity, and the laity would look down on the monks for rescinding them after the Buddha's death — none of the rules should be rescinded. This motion was adopted by the Council.
8.
A monk named Channa is depicted at several spots in the Vinaya as despising all other monks on the grounds that "The Buddha is mine, the Dhamma is mine, it was by my young master that the Dhamma was realized." (Sanghadisesa 12) This would fit in with the post-canonical tradition identifying Channa as the horseman who accompanied the young Prince Siddhartha on the night of the latter's Great Renunciation. Two rules in the Vinaya — Sanghadisesa 12 & Pacittiya 12 — depict him as devious & impossible to admonish. Cv.XI reports events after the Parinibbana, telling of how news of the brahma-penalty shocked Channa to his senses. As a result, he changed his ways and eventually became an arahant. As Ven. Ananda then explains in that passage, the brahma-penalty was automatically lifted at the moment of Ven. Channa's final attainment. SN 22.90 tells a different version of how Ven. Channa changed his attitude and broke through to the Dhamma.

www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn22/sn22.090.than.html

9.
Ven. Ananda, assuming that the Buddha has passed away, addresses Ven. Anuruddha — his senior — as "venerable sir," in line with the Buddha's instructions.
10.
A different Subhadda from the Buddha's last face-to-face disciple.
11.
In Cullavagga XI.1, Ven. Maha Kassapa cites this statement as good reason to hold a council for standardizing the Dhamma & Vinaya "before what is not-dhamma shines out and dhamma is obscured, before what is not-discipline shines out and discipline is obscured; before those who speak what is not-dhamma become strong and those who speak what is dhamma become weak; before those who speak what is not-discipline become strong and those who speak what is discipline become weak." Thus the First Council was held during the Rains Retreat following the Buddha's Parinibbana.
12.
The commentary notes that Ven. Maha Kassapa entered the fourth jhana, which he used as the basis for a feat of psychic power so that the Buddha's feet would appear out of their extensive wrappings.
13.
Up to this point in the narrative, the Buddha's body is called a sarira (singular). Here the noun becomes plural, with the meaning of "relics," and remains plural for the remainder of the narrative.

See also:links off site:

AN 3.72
www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.072.than.html

AN 3.78;
www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an03/an03.078.than.html

AN 4.42
www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.042.than.html

AN 4.192.
www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.192.than.html

Provenance:
©1998 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.
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How to cite this document (one suggested style): "Maha-parinibbana Sutta: The Great Discourse on the Total Unbinding" (DN 16), translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. link