many tears, unable to control themselves. Yet even those who
had put away all faults, sighed as they thought of the pain of birth and
death. And now the Malla host hearing that Buddha had attained Nirvana,
with cries confused, wept piteously, greatly moved, as when a flight of
herons meet a hawk. In a body now they reach the twin trees, and as they
gaze upon Tathagata dead, entered on his long sleep, those features
never again to awake to consciousness, they smote their breasts and
sighed to heaven; as when a lion seizing on a calf, the whole herd
rushes on with mingled sounds.

In the midst there was one Malla, his mind enamoured of the righteous
law, who gazed with steadfastness upon the holy law-king, now entered on
the mighty calm, and said: "The world was everywhere asleep, when Buddha
setting forth his law caused it to awake; but now he has entered on the
mighty calm, and all is finished in an unending sleep. For man's sake he
had raised the standard of his law, and now, in a moment, it has fallen;
the sun of Tathagata's wisdom spreading abroad the lustre of its 'great
awakening,' increasing ever more and more in glory, spreading abroad the
thousand rays of highest knowledge, scattering and destroying all the
gloom of earth, why has the darkness great come back again? His
unequalled wisdom lightening the three worlds, giving eyes that all the
world might see, now suddenly the world is blind again, bewildered,
ignorant of the way; in a moment fallen the bridge of truth that spanned
the rolling stream of birth and death, the swelling flood of lust and
rage and doubt, and all flesh overwhelmed therein, forever lost."

Thus all that Malla host wept piteously and lamented; whilst some
concealed their grief nor spoke a word; others sank prostrate on the
earth; others stood silent, lost in meditation; others, with sorrowful
heart, groaned deeply. Then on a gold and silver gem-decked couch richly
adorned with flowers and scents, they placed the body of Tathagata; a
jewelled canopy they raised above, and round it flags and streamers and
embroidered banners; then using every kind of dance and music, the lords
and ladies of the Mallas followed along the road presenting offerings,
whilst all the Devas scattered scents and flowers, and raised the sound
of drums and music in the heavens. Thus men and Devas shared one common
sorrow, their cries united as they grieved together. Entering the city,
there the men and women, old and