He then set forth accompanied by Ananda and several disciples.  Judging from the route adopted his intention was to go ultimately to Savatthi.  This was one of the towns where he resided from time to time, but we cannot tell what may have been his special motives for visiting it on the present occasion, for if the King of Kosala had recently massacred the Sakyas his presence there would have been strange.  The road was not direct but ran up northwards and then followed the base of the mountains, thus enabling travellers to cross rivers near their sources where they were still easy to ford.  The stopping-places from Rajagaha onwards were Nalanda, Pataliputra, Vesali, Bhandagama, Pava, Kusinara, Kapilavatthu, Setavya, Savatthi.  On his last journey the Buddha is represented as following this route but he died at the seventh stopping-place, Kusinara.  When at Pataligama, he prophesied that it would become a great emporium[373].  He was honourably entertained by the officers of the King who decided that the gate and ferry by which he left should be called Gotama’s gate and Gotama’s ferry.  The gate received the name, but when he came to the Ganges he vanished miraculously and appeared standing on the further bank.  He then went on to Vesali, passing with indifference and immunity from the dominions of the King of Magadha into those of his enemies, and halted in the grove of the courtezan Ambapali[374].  She came to salute him and he accepted her invitation to dine with her on the morrow, in spite of the protests of the Licchavi princes.

The rainy season was now commencing and the Buddha remained near Vesali in the village of Beluva, where he fell seriously ill.  One day after his recovery he was sitting in the shade with Ananda, who said that during the illness his comfort had been the thought that the Buddha would not pass away without leaving final instructions to the Order.  The reply was a remarkable address which is surely, at least, in parts the Buddha’s own words.

“What does the order expect of me, Ananda?  I have preached the truth without any distinction of esoteric or exoteric, for in respect of the truth, there is no clenched hand in the teaching of the Tathagata.  If there is anyone who thinks ‘it is I who will lead the brotherhood’ or ‘the order is dependent on me,’ it is he who should give instructions.  But the Tathagata does not think that he should lead the order or that the order is dependent on him.  Why then should he leave instructions?  I am an old man now, and full of years, my pilgrimage is finished, I have reached my sum of days, I am turning eighty years; and just as a worn-out cart can only be made to move along with much additional care, so can the body of the Tathagata be kept going only with much additional care.  It is only when the Tathagata, ceasing to attend to any outward thing becomes plunged in meditation, it is only then that the body of the Tathagata is at ease.  Therefore, Ananda, be a lamp and a refuge to yourselves.  Seek no other refuge.  Let the Truth be your lamp and refuge; seek no refuge elsewhere.