sed One, with dance and song and music, with garlands and with
perfumes, they carried the body by the north to the north of the city;
and entering the city by the north gate they carried it through the
midst of the city into the midst thereof; and going out again by the
eastern gate they carried it to the shrine of the Mallas, called
Makuta-bandhana; and there, to the east of the city, they laid down the
body of the Blessed One.

Then the Mallas of Kusinara said to the venerable Ananda: "What should
be done, Lord, with the remains of the Tathagata?"

"As men treat the remains of a king of kings, so, Vasetthas, should they
treat the remains of a Tathagata."

"And how, Lord, do they treat the remains of a king of kings?"

"They wrap the body of a king of kings, Vasetthas, in a new cloth. When
that is done they wrap it in cotton wool. When that is done they wrap it
in a new cloth,--and so on till they have wrapped the body in five
hundred successive layers of both kinds. Then they place the body in an
oil vessel of iron, and cover that close up with another oil vessel of
iron. They then build a funeral pile of all kinds of perfumes, and burn
the body of the king of kings. And then at the four cross roads they
erect a dagaba to the king of kings. This, Vasetthas, is the way in
which they treat the remains of a king of kings. And as they treat the
remains of a king of kings, so, Vasetthas, should they treat the remains
of the Tathagata. At the four cross roads a dagaba should be erected to
the Tathagata. And whosoever shall there place garlands or perfumes or
paint, or make salutation there, or become in its presence calm in
heart--that shall long be to them for a profit and a joy."

Therefore the Mallas gave orders to their attendants, saying, "Gather
together all the carded cotton wool of the Mallas!"

Then the Mallas of Kusinara wrapped the body of the Blessed One in a new
cloth. And when that was done they wrapped it in cotton wool. And when
that was done, they wrapped it in a new cloth,--and so on till they had
wrapped the body of the Blessed One in five hundred layers of both
kinds. And then they placed the body in an oil vessel of iron, and
covered that close up with another vessel of iron. And then they built a
funeral pile of all kinds of perfumes, and upon it they placed the body
of the Blessed One.

Now at that time the venerable Maha Kassapa was journeying along the
high road from Pava to Kusinara with a g