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hikkhus, and headed towards Kusinara. All along the way, his stomach cramps worsened until he was forced to stop and rest beneath a
tree. Venerable Ananda folded the Buddha’s extra sanghati and placed it beneath the tree for the Buddha to rest upon. The Buddha asked
Ananda to fetch some water for him to ease his thirst.
Ananda said, “Lord, the stream here is filled with muddy water because a caravan of cattle carts recently passed by. Please wait until we
reach Kakuttha. The water there will be clear and sweet. I will fetch you water there for both washing and drinking.”
But the Buddha said, “Ananda, I am too thirsty. Please get me some water here.”
Ananda did as he was told. To his surprise, when he scooped up the muddy water into a jug, it turned perfectly clear. After he drank the
water, the Buddha lay down to rest. Venerables Anuruddha and Ananda sat close by. The other bhikkhus sat in a circle around the
Buddha.
At that very moment, a man from Kusinara happened to walk by. When he saw the Buddha and the bhikkhus, he bowed down low. He
introduced himself as Pukkusa, a member of the Malla clan. He had once been a disciple of Master Alara Kalama, the same teacher the
young Siddhartha had studied with. Pukkusa had heard a great deal about the Buddha. He bowed again and then offered the Buddha two
new robes. The Buddha accepted one and then asked Pukkusa to offer the other robe to Venerable Ananda. Pukkusa asked to be
accepted as a disciple. The Buddha spoke to him of the teaching and gave him the refuges. Overjoyed, Pukkusa thanked the Buddha and
then took his leave.
The Buddha’s robe was travel-worn and stained, and so Ananda helped him change into the new robe. Then the Buddha stood up and,
together with the bhikkhus, continued to walk toward Kusinara. When they reached the banks of the Kakuttha River, the Buddha bathed
and drank more water. Then he headed for a nearby mango grove. He asked Bhikkhu Cundaka to fold his extra robe and place it on the
ground for him to lie upon.
The Buddha called Venerable Ananda and said, “Ananda, the meal we ate at lay disciple Cunda’s home was the Tathagata’s last meal.
People may accuse Cunda of serving me an unworthy meal, so I want you to tell him that the two meals I treasure the most in my life were
the one I ate just before attaining the Way and my last meal before passing into Nirvana. He should feel nothing but happiness for having
served me one of those meals.”
To Ananda’s surprise, when he scooped up the muddy water into a jug, it turned perfectly clear.