Last Words of the Buddha

    1. Then said the Exalted One to the venerable Ananda,
    2. " It may be, Ananda, that you will say: 'Gone is the word of the Master: we have no longer any Master now!' But you must not so regard it, Ananda; for the Norm and discipline taught and enjoyed by me, they shall be your teachers when I am gone.
    3. "Now, Ananda, whereas the brethren have the habit of calling one another ' friend'--when I am gone this habit must not be followed. By an elder brother, Ananda, a brother who is a novice should be called by his name or clan name or by the word 'friend'; but by a novice, Ananda, an elder brother should be addressed as 'Lord' or 'Your reverence.'
    4. "Again, Ananda, if the Order so desires, when I am gone, let it abolish the lesser and minor charges.
    5. "You know, Ananda, the brother Channa. How obstinate, perverse and devoid of the sense of discipline he is.
    6. "And to him, Ananda, let the extreme penalty be applied when I am gone."
    7. "What, Lord, do you mean by 'the extreme penalty'?"
    8.  The brother Channa, Ananda, whatever he may say, is not to be spoken to, not to be admonished, not to be instructed by the brethren. He should be left alone. It might improve him."
    9. Then the Exalted One addressed the brethren:
    10. "It may be, brothers, that in the mind of some one brother there is doubt or perplexity, either about the Buddha, or about the Norm, or the Order, or the Path, or the Way to the Path. If it be so, brothers, do ye ask now. Be not hereafter remorseful at the thought, 'Here was our Master face to face with us, and yet we had not the heart to question the Exalted One, though we were in His very presence.'"
    11. At these words the brethren were silent.
    12. Then a second time, and yet a third time did the Exalted One address the brethren in the same words. And a third time the brethren were silent.
    13. Then said the Exalted One: "May be, brethren, it is out of respect for the Master that ye ask not. Speak to me, then, as friend to friend, brethren."
    14. Whereat those brethren were silent.
    15. Then exclaimed the venerable Ananda to the Exalted One: "Strange it is, Lord! A marvel it is, Lord! Thus assured am I, Lord, of this Order of Brethren. There is not any one brother that has a single doubt or perplexity as to the Buddha, the Norm, the Order, or as to the Path, or the Way to the Path."
    16. "You speak out of assurance, Ananda. But in the Tathagata there is knowledge of the fact. There is not in any one brother a single doubt or perplexity as to this. Of these five hundred brethren of mine, Ananda, even he who is the most backward is a stream-winner, one who is assured from the Downfall, assured of reaching the Supreme Wisdom."
    17. Then said the Exalted One to the brethren:
    18. "Come now, brethren, I do remind ye, 'Subject to decay are all compounded things.' Do ye abide in heedfulness."
    19. Those were the last words of the Exalted One.