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V, 26.
MAHẬPARINIRVÂNA.
307
rejoice therefore, as when a friend, afflicted grievously, his sickness healed, escapes from pain. 2099
'For I have put away this painful vessel (my painful body), I have stemmed the flowing sea (sea current) of birth and death, free for ever now, from pain (the mass of sorrow)! for this you should exult with joy! 2100
Now guard yourselves aright, let there be no remissness! that which exists will all return to nothingness! and now I die. 2101
From this time forth my words are done, this is my very last instruction. Then entering the Samadhi of the first Dhyana, he went successively through all the nine in a direct order; 2102
Then inversely he returned throughout and entered on the first, and then from the first he raised himself and entered on the fourth. 2103
Leaving the state of Samadhi, his soul without a resting-place (a house to lodge in), forthwith he reached Nirvana. And then, as Buddha died, the great earth quaked throughout. 2104
In space, on every hand, was fire like rain (it rained fire) [or, possibly, there was rain and fire'), no fuel, self-consuming? And so from out the earth great flames arose on every side (the eight points of the earth), 2105
Thus up to the heavenly mansions flames burst forth; the crash of thunder shook the heavens and earth, rolling along the mountains and the valleys, 2106
Even as when the Devas and Asuras fight with sound of drums and mutual conflict. A wind tempestuous from the four bounds of earth arose
? That is, the fire was self-originated, and was supported without fuel.
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