to the north, attained to pan-nirvana and died. There also are the
places where Subhadra, [1] the last of his converts, attained to Wisdom
and became an Arhat; where in his coffin of gold they made offerings to
the World-honored one for seven days, where the Vajrapani laid aside his
golden club, and where the eight kings divided the relics of the burnt
body: at all these places were built topes and monasteries, all of which
are now existing.

In the city the inhabitants are few and far between, comprising only the
families belonging to the different societies of monks.

Going from this to the southeast for twelve yojanas, they came to the
place where the Lichchhavis wished to follow Buddha to the place of his
pari-nirvana, and where, when he would not listen to them and they kept
cleaving to him, unwilling to go away, he made to appear a large and
deep ditch which they could not cross over, and gave them his alms-bowl,
as a pledge of his regard, thus sending them back to their families.
There a stone pillar was erected with an account of this event engraved
upon it.

[Footnote 1: A Brahman of Benares, said to have been one hundred and
twenty years old, who came to learn from Buddha the very night he died.
Ananda would have repulsed him; but Buddha ordered him to be introduced;
and then putting aside the ingenious but unimportant question which he
propounded, preached to him the Law. The Brahman was converted and
attained at once to Arhatship.]

CHAPTER XXV

~The Kingdom of Vaisali~

East from this city ten yojanas, the travellers came to the kingdom of
Vaisali. North of the city so named is a large forest, having in it the
double-galleried vihara where Buddha dwelt, and the tope over half the
body of Ananda. Inside the city the woman Ambapali [1] built a vihara in
honor of Buddha, which is now standing as it was at first. Three li
south of the city, on the west of the road, is the garden which the same
Ambapali presented to Buddha, in which he might reside. When Buddha was
about to attain to his pari-nirvana, as he was quitting the city by the
west gate, he turned round, and, beholding the city on his right, said
to them, "Here I have taken my last walk." Men subsequently built a tope
at this spot.

Three li northwest of the city there is a tope called, "Bows and weapons
laid down." The reason why it got that name was this: The inferior wife
of a king, whose country lay along the river Ganges, brought f