The Kushinagar Castle History

Lion's Roar said: "Oh, World Honored One! There are six great castles in sixteen great states [i.e., Gange’s states or castle-towns in the days of the Buddha], namely: Sravasti, Saketa, Campa, Vaisali, Varanasi, and Rajagriha. These great castles are the biggest in the world. Why is it that the Tathagata leaves these places and intends to enter Nirvana in this far-off, evil, very ugly and small Kushinagar Castle?"

"Oh, good man! Do not say that Kushinagar is a castle far-off, evil, very ugly and small. This castle is adorned with wonders and virtues. Why? Because this is a place which all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have visited. Oh, good man! Even the house of a humble person may be called 'great and perfect in virtue’, worthy of the visit by a great king, if he happens to come and go there. Oh, good man! [Imagine] a person who is seriously ill and who takes a dirty and mean medicine. His illness is cured, the joy arises, and this medicine becomes the best and most wonderful [of medicines]. He praises it and says that it truly has cured his illness.

Oh, good man! A man is in a ship on the great ocean. Suddenly, the ship breaks up, and there is nothing to depend upon. The man clings to a corpse and reaches the other shore. Gaining the other shore, he is very happy and praises the corpse greatly, saying that he was lucky to meet with this corpse and safely has gained peace. Same is the case with the Kushinagar Castle, which all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have visited. How could anyone say that it is a castle far-off, mean, narrow and small?

Oh, good man! I remember that once, in ancient times, as many kalpas ago, as innumerable as the sands of the Ganges, there was an age called the 'Suprabuda' kalpa. At that time, there was a holy king called Kausika. Fully endowed with the Seven Treasures and 1,000 children, this king then built this castle. It measured 12 yojanas in width and length. It was adorned with the Seven Treasures. The soil was good. There were rivers here, whose waters were pure and clear, and sweet taste. These were: Nairanjana, Airavati, Hiranyavati, Usmodaka, and Vipasa. There were some 500 other rivers. Both banks were fully grown with leafy trees that gave fruit and flowers, all fresh and pure. At that time, the life-span of the people was immeasurable. Then, after 100 years, the Chakravartin [mighty ruler] said: 'Just as the Buddha says, all things are non-eternal. Someone who practices the ten good deeds does away with all such sorrows of the non-eternal'. The people, on hearing this, all practiced the ten good deeds. I, at that time, hearing the Buddha's name, practiced the ten good deeds, meditated and aspired to unsurpassed Bodhi [Enlightenment]. My mind having aspired, I also transferred this Dharma to innumerable and boundless beings, and said that all things are non-eternal and subject to change and dissolution. Because of this, now I proceed and say that all things are non-eternal, are those that change and dissolve, and that only the Buddha-Body is Eternal. I remember what I did by the causal relations. That's why I came here now, I intend to enter Nirvana, and wish to repay what I owe to this place. For this reason, I say in the sutra: ‘My relatives know how to repay what they owe me'."

Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 36, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 4.

the kushinagar castle history.mp3