The Discourse about the Great Emancipation

The Sixth Chapter for Recitation
After this was said, the brahmin Doṇa said this to their community and
group: 197
“Listen, dear Sirs, to a sentence of mine:
Our Buddha was one who spoke about forebearance
It is not good that there should be a battle
About sharing the relics of the Best Man.
Let us united, in concord, dear Sirs,
With joyful minds, make eight shares (of the relics),
And set up Shrines in every direction
(So that) many people may gain faith in the Visionary One.”
“Now, brahmin, you must divide the Gracious One's bodily relics in
eight equal divisions.”
“Certainly, dear Sir,” said Doṇa the brahmin, after replying to that
community and group, and dividing the Gracious One's bodily relics in
eight equal divisions, he said this to that community and group:
“Please give me this urn, dear Sirs, and I also will make a Shrine and
hold a festival for the urn.” 198 They gave the urn to Doṇa the brahmin.
197 The name Doṇa means Measurer, and is therefore a mythical name. The
Commentary records that before he spoke the verses below, he recited
another (spontaneous?) poem, which became known as Doṇagajjitaṁ,
Doṇa's Roar. It is said to have been 500 verses long (dvibhāṇavāra).
Unfortunately there appears to be no record of this poem.
198 The Commentary tells a rather embarrassing story here. It says that Doṇa
stole the right eye-tooth of the Buddha while the others were distracted and
continued on next page
193