old-path-white-clouds-thich-nhat-hanh

The town officials had planned a funeral fit for a king. The Buddha’s body was wrapped in many layers of cloth and then placed in an
iron coffin which was placed in another, larger iron coffin. It was then placed on a great funeral pyre of fragrant wood.
The moment to light the pyre had come. Just as the authorities approached with their torches, a messenger on horseback rode up and
asked them to wait. He informed them that Venerable Mahakassapa and five hundred bhikkhus were on their way to the funeral from Pava.
Venerable Mahakassapa had been teaching the Dharma in Campa. He learned of the Buddha’s imminent death in Vesali and that the
Buddha was traveling north. The venerable immediately set out to find the Buddha. Everywhere he went, other bhikkhus asked to join him.
By the time he reached Bhanagama, there were five hundred with him. When they reached Pava, they met a traveler coming from the
opposite direction with a sal flower tucked in his shirt. The man informed them that the Buddha had already passed away in the sal forest
near Kusinara six days earlier. With that news, Mahakassapa’s search came to an end, and he led his bhikkhus towards Kusinara. They
met a man on horseback who agreed to gallop ahead to inform Venerable Anuruddha that they were on their way to attend the funeral.
At noon, Venerable Mahakassapa and the five hundred bhikkhus reached Makuta-Bandhana temple. The Venerable placed the end of
his robe over his right shoulder, joined his palms and solemnly walked around the altar three times. He faced the Buddha and prostrated
along with the five hundred bhikkhus. After they completed their third bow, the pyre was lit. Everyone, bhikkhus and laity alike, knelt down
and joined their palms. Venerable Anuruddha invited the bell to sound and led everyone in reciting passages on impermanence, emptiness
of self, non-attachment, and liberation. It was a most majestic sound.
When the fire died down, perfume was poured over the ashes. The coffin was lowered and opened up, and the authorities placed the
Buddha’s relics into a golden jar, which was placed on the temple’s main altar. Senior disciples took turns guarding the relics. News of the
Buddha’s death had been sent several days earlier to other cities, and delegations from neighboring kingdoms arrived to pay their respects.
They were given a share of the Buddha’s relics to be kept in stupas. There were representatives from Magadha, Vesali, Sakya, Koliya,
Bulaya, Pava, and Vetha. They divided the relics into eight portions. The people of Magadha would build a stupa in Rajagaha, the people