Ep.25 : The Creamation | The Life of the Buddha

Ep.25 The Creamation The unenlightened monk disciples, hearing of the Buddha's passing away, break out crying Before the Buddha's passing away, the many monks who had gone out to spread the Buddha's teaching in different states and cities, hearing that the Buddha was to pass away at Kusinara, made their different ways toward that city. Those who were nearby arrived in time to see the Buddha, but those who were farther away didn't get there in time. Venerable Maha Kassapa was a senior monk who the Buddha had once praised very highly as being of equal honor in some respects to himself. He was journeying together with many hundreds of monks. Arriving at Pava the sun was extremely hot, so he led the monks to rest for a time under the shade of some trees. Just then, Maha Kassapa saw an ascetic of another sect walking towards them from the direction of Kusinara. In his hand was a mandarava flower. Maha Kassapa asked him for news of the Buddha. The ascetic informed them that the Samana Gotama had passed away seven days before, and he held up the mandarava flower to show them, saying he had picked it up from the place where the Buddha had passed away.