THE
LIFE OF BUDDHA
( Follow
from page 3)
He
went first to Mrigadava in Varanasi where the five mendicants
who had lived with him during the six years of his ascetic
life were staying. At first they shunned him, but soon after
the Buddha preached his sermon at the Deer Park at Sarnath,
they believed in him and became his first followers. He then
went to the Rajagriha Castle and won over King Bimbisara who
had always been his friend. From there he went about the country
living on alms and teaching men to accept his way of life.
Men responded to him as the thirsty seek water and the hungry
food. Two great disciples, Sariputra and Maudgalyayana came
to him. Soon afterward, two thousand and more followers had
joined the Buddha.
King Shuddhodana
was still inwardly suffering because of his son's decision
to leave the palace, remained aloof; but then he too became
his faithful disciple. Mahaprajapati, the Buddha's step- mother,
and Princess Yashodhara,his wife, and all the members of the
Shakya clan began to follow him. Multitudes of others also
became his devoted and faithful followers. For forty-five
years the Buddha went about the country preaching and persuading
men to follow his way of life. But when he was eighty, at
Vaisali and on his way from Rajagriha to Shravasti, he became
ill and predicted that after three months he would enter Nirvana.
Still he journeyed on until he reached Pava where he fell
seriously ill from some food offered by Chunda, a blacksmith.
Eventually, in spite of great pain and weakness, he reached
the forest that bordered Kusina- gara. Lying between two large
sala trees, he continued teaching his disciples until his
last moment. Thus he entered into perfect tranquility after
he had completed his work as the world's greatest teacher.
Under
the guidance of Ananda, the Buddha's favorite disciple, the
body was cremated by his friends in Kusinagara. Seven neighboring
rulers as well as King Ajatasatru demanded that the relics
be divided among them. The People of Kusinagara at first refused
and the dispute even threatened to end in war; but under the
advice of a wise man named Drona, the crisis passed and the
relics were divided among the eight great countries. The ashes
of the funeral pyre and the earthen jar that contained the
relics were also given to two other rulers to be likewise
honored. Thus ten great towers commemorating the Buddha were
built to enshrine his relics and ashes.
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