The Buddha Renounces the Life Principle

The Buddha and Ananda then made their way to the Capala Shrine. There the Buddha remarked upon the beauty of Vaishali and the various shrines including the Capala Shrine. He then made a curious statement that anyone, such as the Tathagata himself, who developed the four ways to power consisting of the concentration of desire, energy, consciousness, and investigation, could use that power to live for a kalpa, a kalpa meaning either a century or a period of time as long as 16 million years or more. The Buddha had made this statement at other times and places, and on this occasion as on the previous ones he repeated it three times. This was intended as a hint to Ananda that he should request the Buddha to prolong his lifespan for the full kalpa for the sake of all beings. But on none of these occasions did Ananda to think to make such a request. This was due to his mind being possessed by Mara. What this means is not made clear, though perhaps it indicates that Ananda was too preoccupied with his own worries and concerns or that he had come to take the Buddha’s presence for granted, though the latter seems unlikely considering how distraught he became over the Buddha’s illness during the last rains retreat. In any case, Ananda took his leave.

Soon after Ananda had left, Mara the Evil One came to the Lord, stood to one side and said: “Lord, may the Blessed Lord now attain final nirvana, may the Well Farer now attain final nirvana. Now is the time for the Blessed Lord’s final nirvana. Because the Blessed Lord has said this: ‘Evil One, I will not take final nirvana till I have monks and disciples who are accomplished, trained, skilled, learned, knowers of the Dharma, trained in conformity with the Dharma, correctly trained and walking in the way of the Dharma, who will pass on what they have gained from their Teacher, teach it, declare it, establish it, expound it, analyze it, make it clear; till they shall be able by means of the Dharma to refute false teachings that have arisen, and teach the Dharma of wondrous effect.’” (Long Discourses, pp. 246-247)

The Buddha had also previously refused to take final nirvana until his nuns, laymen, and laywomen had all been similarly accomplished and competent to pass on the Dharma, refute error, and teach the Dharma of wondrous effect. In summary the Buddha said:

“Evil One, I will not take final nirvana till this holy life has been successfully established and flourishes, is widespread, well known far and wide, well proclaimed among people everywhere.” (Ibid, p. 247)

Mara insisted that all this had come about and so the Buddha could now attain final nirvana. Mara’s hope was that the damage the Buddha’s Dharma had done to Mara’s domain could be minimized with his early departure from this world, and that in the Buddha’s absence he could set to work undermining the Sangha until the Dharma had also been corrupted or better yet forgotten.

At this the Lord said to Mara: “You need not worry, Evil One. The Tathagata’s final passing will not be long delayed. Three months from now, the Tathagata will take final nirvana.”

So the Lord, at the Capala Shrine, mindfully and in full awareness renounced the life principle, and when this occurred there was a great earthquake, terrible, hair-raising and accompanied by thunder. And when the Lord saw this he uttered the verse:

“Gross or fine, things become the sage abjured.

Calm, composed, he burst becoming’s shell.”

(Ibid, p. 247)

When Ananda expressed his amazement, the Buddha explained eight different causes or occasions for such an earthquake. These eight are:

1. The movements of the elements that make up the natural world.

2. The spiritual powers of sages or gods.

3. When the bodhisattva in his last rebirth enters into his mother’s womb.

4. When the bodhisattva in his last rebirth is born.

5. When the Buddha attains enlightenment.

6. When the Buddha sets in motion the Wheel of the Dharma.

7. When the Buddha renounces the life principle.

8. When the Buddha passes away, attaining final nirvana.

The Buddha then taught Ananda many other things but ended his discourse by recounting to him his conversation with Mara and informing him that the Buddha’s final nirvana was at hand.

At this the Venerable Ananda said: “Lord, may the blessed Lord stay for a kalpa, may the Well Farer stay for a kalpa for the benefit and happiness of the multitude, out of compassion for the world, for the benefit and happiness of gods and humans!” “Enough, Ananda! Do not beg the Tathagata, it is not the right time for that!”

And a second and a third time the Venerable Ananda made the same request.

“Ananda, have you faith in the Tathagata’s enlightenment?” “Yes, Lord.”

“Then why do you bother the Tathagata with your request up to three times?”

“But Lord, I have heard from the Lord’s own lips, I have understood from the Lord’s own lips: ‘Whoever has developed the four ways to power … could undoubtedly live for a kalpa, or for the remainder of one.’”

“Have you faith, Ananda?” “Yes, Lord.”

“Then, Ananda, yours is the fault, yours is the failure that, having been given such a broad hint, such a clear sign by the Tathagata you did not understand and did not beg the Tathagata to stay for a kalp … If, Ananda, you had begged him, the Tathagata would have twice refused you, but the third time he would have consented. Therefore, Ananda, yours is the fault, yours is the failure.” (Ibid, pp. 251-252)

All of this seems a bit contrived. Ananda’s requests sound like a liturgical formula wherein one requests three times that the Buddha remain in the world. Such a request shows that one does not take the Buddha for granted and that one wishes the Buddha to remain in the world for the sake of all beings. On the other hand, it also expresses the inability of Ananda to accept the Buddha’s imminent death. The Buddha addresses this denial next.

“Ananda, have I not told you before: All those things that are dear and pleasant to us must suffer change, separation and alteration? So how could this be possible? Whatever is born, become, compounded, is liable to decay – that it should not decay is impossible. And that has been renounced, given up, rejected, abandoned, forsaken: the Tathagata has renounced the life principle. The Tathagata has said once for all: ‘The Tathagata’s final passing will not be long delayed. Three months from now the Tathagata will take final nirvana.’ That the Tathagata should withdraw such a declaration in order to live on is not possible. Now come, Ananda, we will go to the Gabled Hall in the Great Forest.” “Very good, Lord.” (Ibid, pp. 252-253)

In this way, the Buddha impressed upon Ananda the inevitability of change, separation, even death. At the same time, in voluntarily renouncing the life principle, the Buddha is portrayed as being in control of the forces of life and death. He is not the helpless victim of the cycle of birth and death, but is consciously living in accord with the cycle. He accepted death by renouncing the life principle as he had earlier renounced life in the palace, this time he would attain parinirvana or “final nirvana” and exemplify how an awakened one passes away for the sake of his disciples and lay followers.

At the Gabled Hall of the Great Forest Monastery near Vaishali the Buddha had Ananda gather the monks living there together so that he could announce to them his impending death, and impress upon them a summary of Buddhist practice in terms of the 37 requisites of enlightenment, explained in detail in a previous article, so that the Dharma would continue on after his passing.

Then the Lord entered the assembly hall and sat down on the prepared seat. Then he said to the monks: “Monks, for this reason those matters which I have discovered and proclaimed should be thoroughly learnt by you, practiced, developed and cultivated, so that this holy life may endure for a long time, that it may be for the benefit and happiness of the multitude, out of compassion for the world, for the benefit and happiness of gods and humans. And what are these matters … They are: The four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four ways to power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the noble eightfold path.

Then the Lord said to the monks: “And now, monks, I declare to you – all conditioned things are of a nature to decay – strive on untiringly. The Tathagata’s final passing will not be long delayed. Three months from now the Tathagata will take his final nirvana.”

Thus the Lord spoke. The Well Farer having thus spoken, the Teacher said this:

“Ripe I am in years. My life span’s determined.

Now I go from you, having made myself my refuge.

Monks, be untiring, mindful, disciplined,

Guarding your minds with well collected thought.

He who, tireless, keeps to law and discipline,

Leaving birth behind will put an end to woe.” (Ibid, pp. 253-254)

This was, in essence the Buddha’s last will and testament. The statement, “all conditioned things are of a nature to decay – strive on untiringly,” will be repeated again by the Buddha on his deathbed. They were in fact his last words and final exhortation to his monks and other disciples and followers to not cling to anything, even to him, but to put his teachings into practice and realize the truth of them directly for themselves.