a follower of the Buddha, who made it her special care to minister in every possible way to the needs of the monks and nuns passing through. When she learned that a sick nun had arrived, she at once sought me out, brought Medini and myself to her house, and tended me there with great solicitude.
Moved by her kindness, I soon gave expression to the fear that was troubling me, and asked whether she thought it possible that the Master, who was of the same age as Sariputta, would also soon leave us?
At that, the pious soul burst into a flood of tears, and, in a voice broken by sobs, exclaimed—
"Ah! Then you don't know yet? Here, in Vesali—about two months ago—the Master himself foretold that he would enter Nirvana in about three months. And just to think! If only Ananda had possessed understanding enough, and had spoken at the right moment, it would never have taken place, and the Buddha would have lived on to the end of this world-period!"
I asked what the good Ananda had to do with it, and in what way he had deserved such blame.
"In this way," answered the woman. "One day the Master rested with Ananda outside of the town, in the neighbourhood of the Capala temple. In the course of the conversation, the Master told Ananda that whosoever had developed the spiritual powers within him to perfection could, if he so desired, remain alive through a whole world-period. Oh, that simpleton Ananda, that he didn't at once, even with this plain hint, say, 'O that the Master would deign to remain alive throughout a world-period, to the salvation of many'! His spirit must have been possessed by Mara, the Evil One, seeing that he only preferred his request when it was too late."
