be,
brethren, that you put no questions out of reverence for the teacher.
Let one friend communicate to another."

And when he had thus spoken the brethren were silent.

And the venerable Ananda said to the Blessed One: "How wonderful a thing
is it, Lord, and how marvellous! Verily, I believe that in this whole
assembly of the brethren there is not one brother who has any doubt or
misgiving as to the Buddha, or the truth, or the path, or the way!"

"It is out of the fulness of faith that thou hast spoken, Ananda! But,
Ananda, the Tathagata knows for certain that in this whole assembly of
the brethren there is not one brother who has any doubt or misgiving as
to the Buddha, or the truth, or the path, or the way! For even the most
backward, Ananda, of all these five hundred brethren has become
converted, and is no longer liable to be born in a state of suffering,
and is assured of final salvation."

Then the Blessed One addressed the brethren, and said: "Behold now,
brethren, I exhort you, saying, 'Decay is inherent in all component
things! Work out your salvation with diligence!'"

This was the last word of the Tathagata!

Then the Blessed One entered into the first stage of deep meditation.
And rising out of the first stage he passed into the second. And rising
out of the second he passed into the third. And rising out of the third
stage he passed into the fourth. And rising out of the fourth stage of
deep meditation he entered into the state of mind to which the infinity
of space is alone present. And passing out of the mere consciousness of
the infinity of space he entered into the state of mind to which nothing
at all was specially present. And passing out of the consciousness of
no special object he fell into a state between consciousness and
unconsciousness. And passing out of the state between consciousness and
unconsciousness he fell into a state in which the consciousness both of
sensations and of ideas had wholly passed away.

Then the venerable Ananda said to the venerable Anuruddha: "O my Lord, O
Anuruddha, the Blessed One is dead!"

"Nay! brother Ananda, the Blessed One is not dead. He has entered into
that state in which both sensations and ideas have ceased to be!"

Then the Blessed One passing out of the state in which both sensations
and ideas have ceased to be, entered into the state between
consciousness and unconsciousness. And passing out of the state between
consciousness and unconsciousne