Mahaparinibbanasuttam (DN 16) - Ancient Buddhist Texts

The Sixth Chapter for Recitation - 232
‘Idaṁ vo kappati, idaṁ vo na kappatī.’ ti
‘This is allowable for you, this is not allowable for you.’
Idāni pana mayaṁ yaṁ icchissāma taṁ karissāma,
But now we will do whatever we wish,
yaṁ na icchissāma taṁ na karissāmā.” ti
and we will not do whatever we do not wish.” 263
Atha kho āyasmā Mahākassapo bhikkhū āmantesi:
Then venerable Mahākassapa addressed the monks, (saying): 264
“Alaṁ, āvuso, mā socittha, mā paridevittha,
“Enough, friends, do not grieve, do not lament,
na nu etaṁ āvuso Bhagavatā paṭikacceva akkhātaṁ:
were you not warned by the Gracious One, friends, when he declared this:
‘Sabbeheva piyehi manāpehi nānābhāvo vinābhāvo aññathābhāvo.’
‘There is alteration in, separation from, and changeability in all that is dear and
appealing.’
Taṁ kutettha āvuso labbhā yaṁ taṁ,
How can it be otherwise, friends, for that which is obtained,
jātaṁ bhūtaṁ saṅkhataṁ palokadhammaṁ?
born, become, in process, subject to dissolution?
‘Taṁ vata mā palujjī’ ti netaṁ ṭhānaṁ vijjatī.” ti
It is not possible (to say) this: ‘It should not dissolve’.
Tena kho pana samayena cattāro Mallapāmokkhā,
Now at that time four leaders of the Mallas,
sīsaṁ nahātā ahatāni vatthāni nivatthā:
having washed their heads and put on clean clothes, (said):
“Mayaṁ Bhagavato citakaṁ āḷimpessāmā,” ti na sakkonti āḷimpetuṁ.
“Let us burn the Gracious One’s funeral pyre,” but they were not able to burn (it).
263 The Commentary relates a long story here telling how Subhadda after ordaining had once
prepared a meal for the Buddha and the Community, but had been rebuked by the Buddha for
breaking Vinaya rules in its preparation. He thereafter held a grudge against the Buddha and
against the Vinaya.
264 Note that here Ven. Mahākassapa does not answer what was said by Subhadda at all, but
instead exhorts the monks. One can’t help feeling that the narrative has been poorly stiched
together here. In the Vinaya account of this story Cullavagga 11, beginning), Subhadda’s outburst
comes after Ven. Mahākassapa’s exhortation, which is much more fitting.