The Great Chronicle of Buddhas
by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw | 1990 | 1,044,401 words
This page describes The Demise of The Two Chief Disciples contained within the book called the Great Chronicle of Buddhas (maha-buddha-vamsa), a large compilation of stories revolving around the Buddhas and Buddhist disciples. This page is part of the series known as the Buddha Declared the Seven Factors of Non-Decline for Rulers. This great chronicle of Buddhas was compiled by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw who had a thorough understanding of the thousands and thousands of Buddhist teachings (suttas).
Part 18 - The Demise of The Two Chief Disciples
After spending the last vassa period at Veluva village. At the end of that period, the Buddha left the village for Sāvatthi. Travelling by stages, He arrived at Sāvatthi and He stayed in the Jetavana monastery. [It was about the eighth day of the lunar month Tazaungmon, (November)].
On that day, the Venerable Sāriputta, knowing that he had just seven days more to live, bade farewell to the Buddha and took a seven day journey to his native village, Nālaka village in the Province of Rājagaha. There in the brick house where he was born, the Venerable Sāriputta passed away and entered parinibbāna on the full moon day of Tazaungmon (November).
(The details of this event will be described in the chapter on the Sangha.)
After the funeral rites were finished, Venerable Cunda, younger brother of the Venerable Sāriputta, took Venerable Sāriputta’s alms-bowl, robe, etc., together with the remains to Sāvatthi. These relics were enshrined under the Buddha’s instruction at Sāvatthi. Thereafter, the Buddha went to Rājagaha. When He was in Rājagaha, on the day of the new moon in Tazaungmon, the Venerable Mahā Moggallāna entered parinibbāna.
(The details of the event will be described in the chapter on the Sangha.)
The relics of the the Venerable Mahā Moggallāna were enshrined under the Buddha’s instructions at Rājagaha. After that the Buddha proceeded on His journey and, travelling by stages, arrived at Ukkacela. There, at the landing place on the Gaṅgā river, He gave a discourse concerning the demise of the two Chief Disciples (Refer to Ukkacela Sutta, Saṃyutta III.)
Then, in the morning, He went into Vesālī on His alms-round, and after His meal, leaving the place of eating, He said to Venerable Ānanda: “Ānanda, bring the leather sheet seat, let us go to the Capata shrine to spend the day there.”
“Very well, Venerable Sir,” said Ānanda, and taking a leather sheet seat, followed closely behind the Buddha.