are all component things. How then is it possible [that such a being
should not be dissolved]?'"

Now the venerable Anuruddha and the venerable Ananda spent the rest of
that night in religious discourse. Then the venerable Anuruddha said to
the venerable Ananda: "Go now, brother Ananda, into Kusinara and inform
the Mallas of Kusinara, saying, 'The Blessed One, O Vasetthas, is dead:
do, then, whatever seemeth to you fit!'"

"Even so, Lord!" said the venerable Ananda, in assent to the venerable
Anuruddha. And having robed himself early in the morning, he took his
bowl, and went into Kusinara with one of the brethren as an attendant.

Now at that time the Mallas of Kusinara were assembled in the council
hall concerning that very matter.

And the venerable Ananda went to the council hall of the Mallas of
Kusinara; and when he had arrived there, he informed them, saying, "The
Blessed One, O Vasetthas, is dead; do, then, whatever seemeth to you
fit!"

And when they had heard this saying of the venerable Ananda, the Mallas,
with their young men and their maidens and their wives, were grieved,
and sad, and afflicted at heart. And some of them wept, dishevelling
their hair, and some stretched forth their arms and wept, and some fell
prostrate on the ground, and some reeled 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!"

Then the Mallas of Kusinara gave orders to their attendants, saying,
"Gather together perfumes and garlands, and all the music in Kusinara!"

And the Mallas of Kusinara took the perfumes and garlands, and all the
musical instruments, and five hundred suits of apparel, and went to the
Upavattana, to the Sala Grove of the Mallas, where the body of the
Blessed One lay. There they passed the day in paying honor, reverence,
respect, and homage to the remains of the Blessed One with dancing, and
hymns, and music, and with garlands and perfumes; and in making canopies
of their garments, and preparing decoration wreaths to hang thereon.

Then the Mallas of Kusinara thought: "It is much too late to burn the
body of the Blessed One to-day. Let us now perform the cremation
to-morrow." And in paying honor, reverence, respect, and homage to the
remains of the Blessed One with dancing, and hymns, and music, and with
garlands and perfumes; and in making canopies of their garments, and
preparing decoration w