dirty and disturbed. But, Lord, the River Kakutthā nearby has
clean water, pleasant, cool, pure, with beautiful banks, delightful.
There the Lord shall drink the water and cool his limbs.’
4.23. A second time the Lord said: ‘Ānanda, bring me
some water...’ and Ānanda replied as before.
4.24. A third time the Lord said: ‘Ānanda, bring me some
water: I am thirsty and want to drink.’ ‘Very good, Lord,’ said
Ānanda and, taking his bowl, he went to the stream. And that
stream whose water had been churned up by the wheels and
was not good, dirty and disturbed, as Ānanda approached it
began to flow pure, bright and unsullied.
4.25. And the Venerable Ānanda thought: ‘Wonderful,
marvellous are the Tathāgata’s great and mighty powers! This
water was churned up by wheels... and at my approach it flows
pure, bright and unsullied!’ He took water in his bowl, brought
it to the Lord and told him of his thought, saying: ‘May the Lord
drink the water, may the Well‐Farer drink!’ And the Lord drank
the water.
4.26. At that moment Pukkusa the Malla, a pupil of Ālāra
Kālāma, was going along the main road from Kusinārā to Pāvā.
Seeing the Lord sitting under a tree, he went over, saluted him
and sat down to one side. Then he said: ‘It is wonderful, Lord, it
is marvellous how calm these wanderers are!
4.27. ‘Once, Lord, Ālāra Kālāma was going along the
main road and, turning aside, he went and sat down under a
nearby tree to take his siesta. And five hundred carts went
rumbling by very close to him. A man who was walking along
behind them came to Ālāra Kālāma and said: “Lord, did you not
see five hundred carts go by?” “No, friend, I did not.” “But didn’t
you hear them, Lord?” “No, friend, I did not.” “Well, were you
asleep, Lord?” “No, friend, I was not asleep.” “Then, Lord, were
you conscious?” “Yes, friend.” “So, Lord, being conscious and
awake you neither saw nor heard five hundred carts passing
close by you, even though your outer robe was bespattered with
dust?” “That is so, friend.”
‘And that man thought: “It is wonderful, it is marvellous!
These wanderers are so calm that though conscious and
awake, a man neither saw nor heard five hundred carts passing
close by him!” And he went away praising Ālāra Kālāma’s lofty
powers.’
4.28. ‘Well, Pukkusa, what do you think? What do you
consider is more difficult to do or attain to — while conscious
and awake not to see or hear five hundred carts passing nearby
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or, while conscious and awake, not to see or hear anything when
the rain‐god streams and splashes, when lightning flashes and
thunder crashes?’
4.29. ‘Lord, how can one compare not seeing or hearing
five hundred carts with that — or even six, seven, eight,
nine or ten hundred, or hundreds of thousands of carts to that?
To see or hear nothing when such a storm rages is more
difficult...’
4.30. ‘Once, Pukkusa, when I was staying at Ātumā, at
the threshing‐floor, the rain‐god streamed and splashed, lightning
flashed and thunder crashed, and two farmers, brothers,
and four oxen were killed. And a lot of people went out of Ātumā
to where the two brothers and the four oxen were killed.
4.31. ‘And, Pukkusa, I had at that time gone out of the
door of the threshing‐floor and was walking up and down
outside. And a man from the crowd came to me, saluted me and
stood to one side. And I said to him:
4.32. ‘“Friend, why are all these people gathered here?”
“Lord, there has been a great storm and two farmers, brothers,
and four oxen have been killed. But you, Lord, where have you
been?” “I have been right here, friend.” “But what did you see,
Lord?” “I saw nothing, friend.” “Or what did you hear, Lord?” “I
heard nothing, friend.” “Were you sleeping, Lord?” “I was not
sleeping, friend.” “Then, Lord, were you conscious?” “Yes,
friend.” “So, Lord, being conscious and awake you neither saw
nor heard the great rainfall and floods and the thunder and
lightning?” “That is so, friend.”
4.33. ‘And, Pukkusa, that man thought: “It is wonderful,
it is marvellous! These wanderers are so calm that they neither
see nor hear when the rain‐god streams and splashes, lightning
flashes and thunder crashes!” Proclaiming my lofty powers, he
saluted me, passed by to the right and departed.’
4.34. At this, Pukkusa the Malla said: ‘Lord, I reject the
lofty powers of Ālāra Kālāma as if they were blown away by a
mighty wind or carried off by a swift stream or river! Excellent,
Lord, excellent! It is as if someone were to set up what had been
knocked down, or to point out the way to one who had got
lost, or to bring an oil lamp into a dark place, so that those with
eyes could see what was there. Just so the Blessèd Lord has
expounded the Dhamma in various ways. And I, Lord, go for
refuge to the Blessèd Lord, the Dhamma and the Sangha. May
the Blessèd Lord accept me from this day forth as a lay‐follower
as long as life shall last!’
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4.35. Then Pukkusa said to one man: ‘Go and fetch me
two fine sets of robes of cloth‐of‐gold, burnished and ready to
wear.’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ the man replied, and did so. And Pukkusa
offered the robes to the Lord, saying: ‘Here, Lord, are two fine
sets of robes of cloth‐of‐gold. May the Blessèd Lord be graciously
pleased to accept them!’ ‘Well then, Pukkusa, clothe me in one
set and Ānanda in the other.’ ‘Very good, Lord,’ said Pukkusa,
and did so.
4.36. Then the Lord instructed, inspired, fired and
delighted Pukkusa the Malla with a talk on Dhamma. Then
Pukkusa rose from his seat, saluted the Lord, passed by to the
right, and departed.
4.37. Soon after Pukkusa had gone, Ānanda, having
arranged one set of the golden robes on the body of the Lord,
observed that against the Lord’s body it appeared dulled. And
he said: ‘It is wonderful, Lord, it is marvellous how clear and
bright the Lord’s skin appears! It looks even brighter than the
golden robes in which it is clothed.’ ‘Just so, Ānanda. There are
two occasions on which the Tathāgata’s skin appears especially
clear and bright. Which are they? One is the night in which the
Tathāgata gains supreme enlightenment, the other is the night
when he attains the Nibbāna‐element without remainder at his
final passing. On these two occasions the Tathāgata’s skin
appears especially clear and bright.
4.38. ‘Tonight, Ānanda, in the last watch, in the Sāla
grove of the Mallas near Kusinārā, between two Sāla trees, the
Tathāgata’s final passing will take place. And now, Ānanda, let
us go to the River Kakutthā.’ ‘Very good, Lord,’ said Ānanda.
Two golden robes were Pukkusa’s offering:
Brighter shone the Teacher’s body than its dress.
4.39. Then the Lord went with a large number of monks
to the River Kakutthā. He entered the water, bathed and drank
and, emerging, went to the mango grove, where he said to the
Venerable Cundaka: ‘Come, Cundaka, fold a robe in four for
me. I am tired and want to lie down.’ ‘Very good, Lord,’ said
Cundaka, and did so.
4.40. Then the Lord adopted the lion‐posture, lying on
his right side, placing one foot on the other, mindfully and with
clear awareness bearing in mind the time of awakening. And
the Venerable Cundaka sat down in front of the Lord.
4.41. The Buddha having gone to Kakutthā the river,
With its clear, bright and pleasant waters,
Therein the Teacher plunged his weary body.
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