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"Is Bhagavan liberated"?
"No, not yet; he is in sanjñā-vedayita-nirodha samāpatti".
Then the Buddha rose above sanjñā-vedayitanirodha and attained naivas anjnanasanjnayatana. Then, one by one, having completed all the stages in the reverse order, he returned to the first meditation. Then again he moved up to come to the fourth, after having passed through the second and the third, and then he entered into his liberation. At the time the earth shook severely and the heavenly drums were beaten incessantly.
After the Buddha had passed away. Sahampati Brahmā, Sakra who is the Indra of the gods, longlived Anuruddha and long-lived Ananda offered prayers to the departed Master.
At that time, the monks who had not yet transgressed attachment-detachment, began to lament and cry. They fell on the ground like hewn trees. Anuruddha tried to make them free from attachment.
The long-lived Ananda came to Kusinārā, met the Mallās at the public hall and said to them,
He
"The Bhagavān has entered into liberation. is no more".
The entire city of Kusinara had a shadow of gloom cast on it at this sad news.
The Mallas performed the liberation rites for six days. They made necessary preparat ions for the
On the seventh day, eight Mallās lifted the body of the Buddha. They were followed by gods and men. The funeral procession stopped at a caitya name Mukuta-bandhana which was dedicated by the Mallās. Having received the Buddha's wishes from Ananda, they arranged the funeral of a Cakravartin for him. Having completed the rites in due order, they placed the body on the pyre.
