The Life or Legend of Gaudama, the Buddha of the Burmese (Volume II)Bigandet, Paul Ambroise
Religion
The Life or Legend of Gaudama, the Buddha of the Burmese (Volume II)
Bigandet, Paul Ambroise
Buddhism -- Burma; Burma -- Religion; Gautama Buddha
King Adzatathat ordered a beautiful and well-levelled road, eight
oothabas broad, to be made from the city of Kootheinaron to that of
Radzagio. The distance is twenty-five youdzanas. He wished to adorn it,
in all its length, in the same manner as the Malla princes had done the
road leading from the place where the cremation of the corpse had taken
place to that where the relics had been deposited. At fixed and proper
distances houses were built for resting and spending the night. The
king, attended by a countless crowd of people, went to take the relics
and carry them into his country. During the journey, singing, dancing,
and playing of musical instruments were uninterrupted. Offerings of
perfumes and flowers were incessantly made by the people. At certain
intervals they stopped during seven days, when fresh honours were paid
to the relics in the midst of the greatest rejoicings. In this manner
seven months and seven days were employed in going over the distance
between the two countries. At Radzagio the relics were deposited in a
place prepared for that purpose, and a dzedi was erected over them. The
seven other kings built also dzedis over the relics they had obtained.
Dauna built one, too, over the golden vessel, and the Maurya princes
erected likewise one religious monument over the coals. Thus there were
at that time ten dzedis, situated respectively in Radzagio, Kootheinaron,
Wethalie, Kapilawot, Allakapata, Witadipaka, Rama, Pawa, the Dauna
village, and Papilawana. The partition of the relics happened on the
fifth of the waxing moon of Nayon (June). There were altogether eight
tsarouts of relics; that is to say, a basketful. Each prince had one
tsarout; that is to say, two pyis. The upper right canine tooth was taken
to the Nats’ seats; the lower right tooth was carried to the Gandala
country; the upper left tooth was removed to Kalingga, and the lower left
tooth to the Naga seat. The other teeth and hairs of the head and body
were distributed by the Nats in a great number of other worlds.
When the funeral ceremonies were completed, and the distribution of the
relics effected in a manner satisfactory to all parties, Kathaba, who was
the acknowledged head of the assembly, advised King Adzatathat to do away
with the Eetzana era, and establish a new one, that would be called the
era of religion, beginning with the year of Buddha’s Neibban, that is to
say, on the year 148 of the Eetzana era. The king joyfully assented to
the pious request of the Buddhist patriarch, and was exceedingly rejoiced
to have this opportunity of affording a fresh token of the great esteem
he had for Buddha’s person.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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