[6]
[Footnote 1: The modern Peshawur.]
[Footnote 2: A first cousin of Sakyamuni, and born at the moment when he
attained to Buddhaship. Under Buddha's teaching, Ananda became an Arhat,
and is famous for his strong and accurate memory; and he played an
important part at the first council for the formation of the Buddhist
canon. The friendship between Sakyamuni and Ananda was very close and
tender; and it is impossible to read much of what the dying Buddha said
to him and of him, as related in the Mahapari-nirvana Sutra, without
being moved almost to tears. Ananda is to reappear on earth as Buddha in
another Kalpa.]
[Footnote 3: On his attaining to nirvana, Sakyamuni became the Buddha,
and had no longer to mourn his being within the circle of
transmigration, and could rejoice in an absolute freedom from passion,
and a perfect purity. Still he continued to live on for forty-five
years, till he attained to pari-nirvana, and had done with all the life
of sense and society, and had no more exercise of thought. He died; but
whether he absolutely and entirely ceased to be, in any sense of the
word being, it would be difficult to say. Probably he himself would not
and could not have spoken definitely on the point. So far as our use of
language is concerned, apart from any assured faith in and hope of
immortality, his pari-nirvana was his death.
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