..续本文上一页putta had his final passing away, did he take from you your portion of virtue, or your portion of concentration, or your portion of the knowledge and vision of deliverance

　　"

　　"Not so, Lord. When the Venerable Sariputta had his final passing away he did not take my portion of virtue... concentration... wisdom... deliverance, or my portion of the knowledge and vision of deliverance. But O Lord, the Venerable Sariputta has been to me a mentor, teacher, and instructor, one who rouses, inspires and gladdens, untiring in preaching Dhamma, a helper of his fellow monks. And we remember how vitalizing, enjoyable and helpful his Dhamma instruction was."

　　"Have I not taught you aforetime, Ananda, that it is the nature of all things near and dear to us that we must suffer separation from them, and be severed from them

　　 Of that which is born, come to being, put together, and so is subject to dissolution, how should it be said that it should not depart

　　 That, indeed, is not possible. It is, Ananda, as though from a mighty hardwood tree a large branch should break off, so has Sariputta now had his final passing away from this great and sound community of bhikkhus. Indeed, Ananda, of that which is born, come to being, put together, and so is subject to dissolution, how should it be said that it should not depart

　　 This, indeed, is not possible.

　　"Therefore, Ananda, be ye an island unto yourself, a refuge unto yourself, seeking no external refuge; with the Teaching as your island, the Teaching your refuge, seeking no other refuge."

　　The Commentary takes up the narrative thus:

　　The Master stretched forth his hand, and taking the filter with the relics, placed it on his palm, and said to the monks:

　　"These, O monks, are the shell-colored relics of the bhikkhu who, not long ago, asked for permission to have his final passing away. He who fulfilled the Perfections for an incalculable aeon and a hundred thousand kalpas — this was that bhikkhu. He who obtained the seat next to me — this was that bhikkhu. He who, apart from me, had none to equal him in wisdom throughout the whole ten-thousandfold universe — this was that bhikkhu. Of great wisdom was this bhikkhu, of broad wisdom, bright wisdom, quick wisdom, of penetrative wisdom was this bhikkhu. Few wants had this bhikkhu; he was contented, bent on seclusion, not fond of company, full of energy, an exhorter of his fellow monks, censuring what is evil. He who went forth into homelessness, abandoning the great fortune obtained through his merits in five hundred existences — this was that bhikkhu. He who, in my Dispensation, was patient like the earth — this was that bhikkhu. Harmless like a bull whose horns had been cut — this was that bhikkhu. Of humble mind like a Candala boy — this was that bhikkhu.

　　"See here, O monks, the relics of him who was of great wisdom, of broad, bright, quick, keen and penetrative wisdom; who had few wants and was contented, bent on seclusion, not fond of company, energetic — see here the relics of him who was an exhorter of his fellow monks, who censured evil!"

　　Then the Buddha spoke the following verses in praise of his Great Disciple:

　　"To him who in five times a hundred lives

　　Went forth to homelessness, casting away

　　Pleasures the heart holds dear, from passion free,

　　With faculties controlled — now homage pay

　　To Sariputta who has passed away!

　　To him who, strong in patience like the earth,

　　Over his own mind had absolute sway,

　　Who was compassionate, kind, serenely cool,

　　And firm as earth withal — now homage pay

　　To Sariputta who has passed away!

　　Who, like an outcaste boy of humble mind,

　　Enters the town and slowly wends his way

　　From door to door with begging bowls in hand,

　　Such was this Sariputta — now homage pay

　　To Sariputta who has passed away!

　　One who in town or jungle, hu…

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