sharp knife divides the wood, so constant change divides the world.  The gloom of ignorance like the deep water, lust like the rolling billow, sorrow like the floating bubbles, false views like the Makara fish, amidst all these the ship of wisdom only can carry us across the mighty sea.  The mass of ills are like the flowers of the sorrow-tree, old age and all its griefs, the tangled boughs; death the tree’s tap-root, deeds done in life the buds, the diamond sword of wisdom only strong enough to cut down the mundane tree!  Ignorance the burning-glass, covetous desire the scorching rays, the objects of the five desires the dry grass, wisdom alone the water to put out the fire.  The perfect law, surpassing every law, having destroyed the gloom of ignorance, we see the straight road leading to quietness and rest, the end of every grief and sorrow.  And now the loving one, converting men, impartial in his thoughts to friend or foe, the all-knowing, perfectly instructed, even he is going to leave the world!  He with his soft and finely modulated voice, his compact body and broad shoulders, he, the great Rishi, ends his life!  Who then can claim exemption?  Enlightened, now he quickly passes hence! let us therefore seek with earnestness the truth, even as a man meets with the stream beside the road, then drinks and passes on.  Inconstancy, this is the dreaded enemy—­the universal destroyer—­sparing neither rich nor poor; rightly perceiving this and keeping it in mind, this man, though sleeping, yet is the only ever-wakeful.”

Thus the Likkhavi lions, ever mindful of the Buddha’s wisdom, disquieted with the pain of birth and death, sighed forth their fond remembrance of the man-lion.  Retaining in their minds no love of worldly things, aiming to rise above the power of every lustful quality, subduing in their hearts the thought of light or trivial matters, training their thoughts to seek the quiet, peaceful place; diligently practising the rules of unselfish, charitable conduct; putting away all listlessness, they found their joy in quietness and seclusion, meditating only on religious truth.  And now the all-wise, turning his body round with a lion-turn, once more gazed upon Vaisali, and uttered this farewell verse:—­

“Now this, the last time this, I leave Vaisali—­the land where heroes live and flourish!  Now am I going to die.”  Then gradually advancing, stage by stage he came to Bhoga-nagara, and there he rested in the Sala grove, where he instructed all his followers in the precepts:—­

“Now having gone on high I shall enter on Nirvana:  ye must rely upon the law—­this is your highest, strongest, vantage ground.  What is not found in Sutra, or what disagrees with rules of Vinaya, opposing the one true system of my doctrine, this must not be held by you.  What opposes Dharma, what opposes Vinaya, or what is contrary to my words, this is the result of ignorance:  ye must not hold such doctrine, but with haste reject it.