Mahaparinibbanasuttam (DN 16) - Ancient Buddhist Texts

The Second Chapter for Recitation - 84
so nūna Ānanda Bhikkhusaṅghaṁ ārabbha kiñcid-eva udāhareyya.
let him speak, Ānanda, regarding the Community of monks.
Tathāgatassa kho Ānanda na evaṁ hoti:
But to the Realised One, Ānanda, this (thought) does not occur:
‘Ahaṁ kho Bhikkhusaṅghaṁ pariharissāmī’ ti vā
‘I will lead the Community of monks’
‘mamuddesiko Bhikkhusaṅgho’ ti vā.
or ‘I am the instructor of the Community of monks’.
Sa kiṁ Ānanda Tathāgato Bhikkhusaṅghaṁ ārabbha kiñcid-eva udāharissati?
Then why, Ānanda, should the Realised One speak regarding the Community of
monks? 116
Ahaṁ kho pan’ Ānanda etarahi jiṇṇo vuḍḍho mahallako,
I, Ānanda, at present, am old, elderly, of great age,
addhagato vayo-anuppatto asītiko me vayo vattati.
far gone, advanced in years, I am eighty years old.
Seyyathā pi Ānanda jarasakaṭaṁ veḷumissakena 117 yāpeti,
It is like, Ānanda, an old cart, which (only) keeps going when shored up with bamboo,
evam-eva kho Ānanda veḷumissakena maññe Tathāgatassa kāyo yāpeti.
just so, Ānanda, I think the Realised One’s body (only) keeps going when shored up with
bamboo.
Yasmiṁ Ānanda samaye Tathāgato sabbanimittānaṁ amanasikārā,
When the Realised One doesn’t pay attention, Ānanda, to any of the signs,
ekaccānaṁ vedanānaṁ nirodhā, animittaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharati,
when all feelings have ceased, he lives having established the signless mindconcentration,
118
116 I cannot understand this section which seems so out of keeping with the discourses elsewhere.
The Buddha was the recognised leader of the Community, and in the previous section, has
himself said: It is not suitable that I, without having addressed my attendants, without having
given notice to the Community of monks, should attain Final Emancipation, and yet here he is
denying that he is their leader and declaring he has nothing to say to them!
117 BJT: jajjarasakaṭaṁ vekkhamissakena; ChS: jajjarasakaṭaṁ veṭhamissakena; PTS: veghamissakena,
and similarly below. As can be seen there is a lot of confusion as to the correct
reading here, and consequently there must be doubt about the translation.
118 In Paṭisambhidāmagga and Visuddhimagga this is known as animittācetovimutti, which is the
fruition of Worthiness, it arises for one who applies his mind to impermanence as the
predominant sign of existence.