Surrendering the Life Force · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral
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Evaṁ me sutaṁ— ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ viharati mahāvane kūṭāgārasālāyaṁ. Atha kho bhagavā pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya vesāliṁ piṇḍāya pāvisi. Vesāliyaṁ piṇḍāya caritvā pacchābhattaṁ piṇḍapātapaṭikkanto āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi: “gaṇhāhi, ānanda, nisīdanaṁ. Yena cāpālaṁ cetiyaṁ tenupasaṅkamissāma divāvihārāyā”ti.
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Vesālī, at the Great Wood, in the hall with the peaked roof. Then the Buddha robed up in the morning and, taking his bowl and robe, entered Vesālī for alms. Then, after the meal, on his return from almsround, he addressed Venerable Ānanda: “Ānanda, get your sitting cloth. Let’s go to the Cāpāla Shrine for the day’s meditation.”
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paṭissutvā nisīdanaṁ ādāya bhagavantaṁ piṭṭhito piṭṭhito anubandhi. Atha kho bhagavā yena cāpālaṁ cetiyaṁ tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Nisajja kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi:
“Yes, sir,” replied Ānanda. Taking his sitting cloth he followed behind the Buddha. Then the Buddha went up to the Cāpāla Shrine, where he sat down on the seat spread out. When he was seated he said to Venerable Ānanda:
“Ramaṇīyā, ānanda, vesālī; ramaṇīyaṁ udenaṁ cetiyaṁ; ramaṇīyaṁ gotamakaṁ cetiyaṁ; ramaṇīyaṁ sattambaṁ cetiyaṁ; ramaṇīyaṁ bahuputtaṁ cetiyaṁ; ramaṇīyaṁ sārandadaṁ cetiyaṁ; ramaṇīyaṁ cāpālaṁ cetiyaṁ. Yassa kassaci, ānanda, cattāro iddhipādā bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā, so ākaṅkhamāno (…) kappaṁ vā tiṭṭheyya kappāvasesaṁ vā. Tathāgatassa kho, ānanda, cattāro iddhipādā bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā. Ākaṅkhamāno, ānanda, tathāgato kappaṁ vā tiṭṭheyya kappāvasesaṁ vā”ti.
“Ānanda, Vesālī is lovely. And the Udena, Gotamaka, Seven Maidens, Many Sons, Sārandada, and Cāpāla Shrines are all lovely. Whoever has developed and cultivated the four bases of psychic power—made them a vehicle and a basis, kept them up, consolidated them, and properly implemented them—may, if they wish, live for the proper lifespan or what’s left of it. The Realized One has developed and cultivated the four bases of psychic power, made them a vehicle and a basis, kept them up, consolidated them, and properly implemented them. If he wished, the Realized One could live for the proper lifespan or what’s left of it.”
Evampi kho āyasmā ānando bhagavatā oḷārike nimitte kayiramāne, oḷārike obhāse kayiramāne, nāsakkhi paṭivijjhituṁ; na bhagavantaṁ yāci: “tiṭṭhatu, bhante, bhagavā kappaṁ; tiṭṭhatu sugato kappaṁ bahujanahitāya bahujanasukhāya lokānukampāya atthāya hitāya sukhāya devamanussānan”ti, yathā taṁ mārena pariyuṭṭhitacitto. Dutiyampi kho …pe… tatiyampi kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi:
But Ānanda didn’t get it, even though the Buddha dropped such an obvious hint, such a clear sign. He didn’t beg the Buddha, “Sir, may the Blessed One please remain for the proper lifespan! May the Holy One please remain for the proper lifespan! That would be for the welfare and happiness of the people, out of sympathy for the world, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans.” For his mind was as if possessed by Māra. For a second time … For a third time, the Buddha said to Ānanda:
“Ramaṇīyā, ānanda, vesālī; ramaṇīyaṁ udenaṁ cetiyaṁ; ramaṇīyaṁ gotamakaṁ cetiyaṁ; ramaṇīyaṁ sattambaṁ cetiyaṁ; ramaṇīyaṁ bahuputtaṁ cetiyaṁ; ramaṇīyaṁ sārandadaṁ cetiyaṁ; ramaṇīyaṁ cāpālaṁ cetiyaṁ. Yassa kassaci, ānanda, cattāro iddhipādā bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā, so ākaṅkhamāno kappaṁ vā tiṭṭheyya kappāvasesaṁ vā. Tathāgatassa kho, ānanda, cattāro iddhipādā bhāvitā bahulīkatā yānīkatā vatthukatā anuṭṭhitā paricitā susamāraddhā. Ākaṅkhamāno, ānanda, tathāgato kappaṁ vā tiṭṭheyya kappāvasesaṁ vā”ti.
“Ānanda, Vesālī is lovely. And the Udena, Gotamaka, Seven Maidens, Many Sons, Sārandada, and Cāpāla Shrines are all lovely. Whoever has developed and cultivated the four bases of psychic power—made them a vehicle and a basis, kept them up, consolidated them, and properly implemented them—may, if they wish, live for the proper lifespan or what’s left of it. The Realized One has developed and cultivated the four bases of psychic power, made them a vehicle and a basis, kept them up, consolidated them, and properly implemented them. If he wished, the Realized One could live for the proper lifespan or what’s left of it.”
Evampi kho āyasmā ānando bhagavatā oḷārike nimitte kayiramāne, oḷārike obhāse kayiramāne, nāsakkhi paṭivijjhituṁ; na bhagavantaṁ yāci: “tiṭṭhatu, bhante, bhagavā kappaṁ; tiṭṭhatu sugato kappaṁ bahujanahitāya bahujanasukhāya lokānukampāya atthāya hitāya sukhāya devamanussānan”ti, yathā taṁ mārena pariyuṭṭhitacitto.
But Ānanda didn’t get it, even though the Buddha dropped such an obvious hint, such a clear sign. He didn’t beg the Buddha, “Sir, may the Blessed One please remain for the proper lifespan! May the Holy One please remain for the proper lifespan! That would be for the welfare and happiness of the people, out of sympathy for the world, for the benefit, welfare, and happiness of gods and humans.” For his mind was as if possessed by Māra.
Atha kho bhagavā āyasmantaṁ ānandaṁ āmantesi: “gaccha tvaṁ, ānanda, yassadāni kālaṁ maññasī”ti. “Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā ānando bhagavato paṭissutvā uṭṭhāyāsanā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā avidūre aññatarasmiṁ rukkhamūle nisīdi.
Then the Buddha said to Venerable Ānanda, “Go now, Ānanda, at your convenience.” “Yes, sir,” replied Ānanda. He rose from his seat, bowed, and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before sitting at the root of a tree close by.
Atha kho māro pāpimā, acirapakkante āyasmante ānande, yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhāsi. Ekamantaṁ ṭhito kho māro pāpimā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
And then, not long after Ānanda had left, Māra the Wicked went up to the Buddha, stood to one side, and said to him:
“Parinibbātu dāni, bhante, bhagavā; parinibbātu sugato; parinibbānakālo dāni, bhante, bhagavato. Bhāsitā kho panesā, bhante, bhagavatā vācā: ‘na tāvāhaṁ, pāpima, parinibbāyissāmi yāva me bhikkhū na sāvakā bhavissanti viyattā vinītā visāradā bahussutā dhammadharā dhammānudhammappaṭipannā sāmīcippaṭipannā anudhammacārino, sakaṁ ācariyakaṁ uggahetvā ācikkhissanti desessanti paññapessanti paṭṭhapessanti vivarissanti vibhajissanti uttānīkarissanti uppannaṁ parappavādaṁ sahadhammena suniggahitaṁ niggahetvā sappāṭihāriyaṁ dhammaṁ desessantī’ti. Etarahi kho pana, bhante, bhikkhū bhagavato sāvakā viyattā vinītā visāradā bahussutā dhammadharā dhammānudhammappaṭipannā sāmīcippaṭipannā anudhammacārino sakaṁ ācariyakaṁ uggahetvā ācikkhanti desenti paññapenti paṭṭhapenti vivaranti vibhajanti uttānīkaronti uppannaṁ parappavādaṁ sahadhammena suniggahitaṁ niggahetvā sappāṭihāriyaṁ dhammaṁ desenti. Parinibbātu dāni, bhante, bhagavā; parinibbātu sugato; parinibbānakālo dāni, bhante, bhagavato.
“May the Blessed One now be fully extinguished! May the Holy One now be fully extinguished! Now is the time for the full extinguishment of the Buddha. Sir, you once made this statement: ‘Wicked One, I shall not be fully extinguished until I have monk disciples who are competent, educated, assured, learned, have memorized the teachings, and practice in line with the principle of the teaching. Not until they practice properly, living in line with the teaching. Not until they’ve learned their own denomination, and explain, teach, assert, establish, disclose, analyze, and make it clear. Not until they can legitimately and completely refute the doctrines of others that come up, and teach with a demonstrable basis.’ Today you do have such monk disciples. May the Blessed One now be fully extinguished! May the Holy One now be fully extinguished! Now is the time for the full extinguishment of the Buddha.
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