“When I am gone address not one another as hitherto, saying ‘Friend.’  An elder brother may address a younger brother by his name or family-name or as friend, but a younger brother should say to an elder, Sir, or Lord.

“When I am gone let the order, if it should so wish, abolish all the lesser and minor precepts.”

Thus in his last address the dying Buddha disclaims, as he had disclaimed before in talking to Ananda, all idea of dictating to the order:  his memory is not to become a paralyzing tradition.  What he had to teach, he has taught freely, holding back nothing in “a clenched fist.”  The truths are indeed essential and immutable.  But they must become a living part of the believer, until he is no longer a follower but a light unto himself.  The rest does not matter:  the order can change all the minor rules if expedient.  But in everyday life discipline and forms must be observed:  hitherto all have been equal compared with the teacher, but now the young must show more respect for the older.  And in the same spirit of solicitude for the order he continues: 

“When I am gone, the highest penalty should be imposed on Channa.”  “What is that, Lord?” “Let him say what he likes, but the brethren should not speak to him or exhort him or admonish him[381].”

The end approaches.  “It may be, that there is some doubt or misgiving in the mind of some as to the Buddha, or the truth, or the path, or the way.  Enquire freely.  Do not have to reproach yourselves afterwards with the thought, ’Our teacher was face to face with us and we could not bring ourselves to enquire when we were face to face with him.’” All were silent.  A second and third time he put the same question and there was silence still.  “It may be, that you put no questions out of awe for the teacher.  Let one friend communicate to another.”  There was still silence, till Ananda said “How wonderful, Lord, and how marvellous.  In this whole assembly there is no one who has any doubt or misgiving as to the Buddha, the truth, the path and the way.”  “Out of the fulness of faith hast thou spoken Ananda, but the Tathagata knows for certain that it is so.  Even the most backward of all these five hundred brethren has become converted and is no longer liable to be born in a state of suffering and is assured of final salvation.”

“Behold, I exhort you saying, The elements of being are transitory[382].  Strive earnestly.  These were the last words of the Tathagata.”  Then he passed through a series of trances (no less than twenty stages are enumerated) and expired.

An earthquake and thunder, as one might have predicted, occurred at the moment of his death but comparatively little stress is laid on these prodigies.  Anuruddha seems to have taken the lead among the brethren and bade Ananda announce the death to the Mallas.  They heard it with cries of grief:  “Too soon has the Blessed One passed away.  Too soon has the light gone out of the world.”