E'en as a bright flame dies away, so was
His last deliverance from the bonds of life!"

When the Blessed One died, the venerable Ananda, at the moment of his
passing away from existence, uttered this stanza:

"Then was there terror!
Then stood the hair on end!
When he endowed with every grace--
The supreme Buddha--died!"

When the Blessed One died, of those of the brethren who were not free
from the passions, some stretched out their arms and wept, and some fell
headlong to the ground, rolling to and fro in anguish at the thought:
"Too soon has the Blessed One died! Too soon has the Happy One passed
away from existence! Too soon has the Light gone out in the world!" But
those of the brethren who were free from the passions (the Arahats) bore
their grief collected and composed at the thought: "Impermanent are all
component things! How is it possible that [they should not be
dissolved]?"

Then the venerable Anuruddha exhorted the brethren, and said: "Enough,
my brethren! Weep not, neither lament! Has not the Blessed One formerly
declared this to us, that it is in the very nature of all things near
and dear unto us, that we must divide ourselves from them, leave them,
sever ourselves from them? How, then, brethren, can this be
possible--that whereas anything whatever born, brought into being, and
organized, contains within itself the inherent necessity of
dissolution--how then can this be possible that such a being should not
be dissolved? No such condition can exist! Even the spirits, brethren,
will reproach us."

"But of what kind of spirits is the Lord, the venerable Anuruddha,
thinking?"

"There are spirits, brother Ananda, in the sky, but of worldly mind, who
dishevel their hair and weep, and stretch forth their arms and weep,
fall prostrate on the ground, and roll to and fro in anguish at the
thought: 'Too soon has the Blessed One died! Too soon has the Happy One
passed away! Too soon has the Light gone out in the world!'

"There are spirits, too, Ananda, on the earth, and of worldly mind, who
tear their hair and weep, and stretch forth their arms and weep, fall
prostrate on the ground, and roll to and fro in anguish at the thought:
'Too soon has the Blessed One died! Too soon has the Happy One passed
away! Too soon has the Light gone out in the world!'

"But the spirits who are free from passion hear it, calm and
self-possessed, mindful of the saying which begins, 'Impermanent indeed