When Buddha went towards the place of his Nirvana, the city of Vaisali was as if deserted, as when upon a dark and cloudy night the moon and stars withdraw their shining.  The land that heretofore had peace, was now afflicted and distressed; as when a loving father dies, the orphan daughter yields to constant grief.  Her personal grace unheeded, her clever skill but lightly thought of, with stammering lips she finds expression for her thoughts; how poor her brilliant wit and wisdom now!  Her spiritual powers ill regulated without attractiveness, her loving heart faint and fickle, exalted high but without strength, and all her native grace neglected; such was the case at Vaisali; all outward show now fallen, like autumn verdure in the fields bereft of water, withered up and dry; or like the smoke of a half-smouldering fire, or like those who having food before them yet forget to eat, so these forgot their common household duties, and nought prepared they for the day’s emergencies.  Thinking thus on Buddha, lost in deep reflection, silent they sat nor spoke a word.  And now the lion Likkhavis manfully enduring their great sorrow, with flowing tears and doleful sighs, signifying thereby their love of kindred, destroyed forever all their books of heresy, to show their firm adherence to the true law.  Having put down all heresy, they left it once for all; severed from the world and the world’s doctrines, convinced that non-continuance was the great disease.  Moreover thus they thought:  “The lord of men now enters the great quiet place (Nirvana), and we are left without support, and with no saviour; the highest lord of ‘means’ is now about to extinguish all his glory in the final place of death.  Now we indeed have lost our steadfast will, as fire deprived of fuel; greatly to be pitied is the world, now that the lord gives up his world-protecting office, even as a man bereft of spiritual power throughout the world is greatly pitied.  Oppressed by heat we seek the cooling lake, nipped by the cold we use the fire; but in a moment all is lost, the world is left without resource; the excellent law, indeed, is left, to frame the world anew, as a metal-caster frames anew his work.  The world has lost its master-guide, and, men bereaved of him, the way is lost; old age, disease, and death, self-sufficient, now that the road is missed, pervade the world without a way.  What is there now throughout the world equal to overcome the springs of these great sorrows?  The great cloud’s rain alone can make the raging and excessive fire, that burns the world, go out.  So only he can make the raging fire of covetous desire go out; and now he, the skilful maker of comparisons, has firmly fixed his mind to leave the world!  And why, again, is the sword of wisdom, ever ready to be used for an uninvited friend, only like the draught of wine given to him about to undergo the torture and to die?  Deluded by false knowledge the mass of living things are only born to die again; as the