The Buddha's last meal

By Premasara Epasinghe

The last meal of the Buddha was offered by a leading jeweller, Chundakarmara of Pava. He was a generous and kind-hearted man who looked after his employees well. Further, he helped the poor. He was a devout Buddhist who had attained Srotapanna (stream Enterer), the first of the four stages towards the realisation of liberation leading to Arahatship.

After completing 45 years of great missionary activities, at the age of 80 years, the Buddha arrived at the beautiful Upavartana Park.

The Buddha announced his passing away on the Vesak Full Moon Poya Day. He left the City of Vesali and covered a fair distance passing the city of Bhoga, arrived at the Upavartana Park, the day before His Passing Away.

The garden-keeper of Upavartana, Usira informed about the arrival of the Buddha to Chundakarmara.

He and his wife immediately prepared grapes and uguressa (Flacourtia – Inermis) and sent them through Usira who offered them to the Buddha. Further, Chundakarmara Situ, prepared alms for the Bhikkhus who accompanied the Buddha on his last mission.

Stomach problem

The Buddha was ill. He was ailing for nearly nine months with some kind of a stomach problem. The Nigantas, the disciples of Mahavira or Nigantanathaputra, spread a rumour that the Buddha fell ill, due to his partaking Sukara Maddava or pork. The story was transmitted to discredit the Buddha. However, this is a total misinterpretation. In Sumangalavilasini and Dighanikaya, we find references:

“Eke Bhanant, Sukara Maddavam Pana Mudu Odanassa
Pannchagorasa Usapachanavidanassa Nama Metanti”.

The term Sukara Maddava means a kind of soft healthy kind of rice according to Dighanikaya. It was supposed to be a highly nutritious type of rice. In Udana Atuwawa, Bhikkhu Dharmapala says that it's a kind of mushroom grown in a muddy place where swines were reared.

Tripitaka

There are a few kinds of mushrooms that people in Nepal and India eat. These mushrooms are commonly known even today as Sukara Maddawa, Aja Maddawa, Gomaddawa and Beluwa Maddawa.

The word Maddawa in Pali never refers to meat or flesh of an animal. In the Tripitaka, meat or flesh is mentioned as Maccha Mansa.

At present, the cities of Pava and Kusinara belong to the Gorakhpur district. In my recent visit to Gorakhpur, India, some of the farmers told me that there were some types of small potatoes – called “Sukar-Bun”, which are commonly found in the villages.

I presume, the Buddha must have eaten Sukar-Bun potatoes with rice for his last meal. Further, during the Buddha's time, the Indian society abhorred eating the flesh of animals. Hinduism and Jainism existed in India before Buddhism.

The followers of those two religions never ate fish or meat. They were vegetarians.

According to the Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist literature Sukara Maddava was a highly nutritious type of mushrooms. These facts are endorsed by the erudite scholar Dr. Rockhill.

The Buddha took his last meal at the Chundakarmara's mansion. The Buddha attended the alms giving with more than 500 Bhikkhus.

The great devotee who knew that the Buddha would pass away in the afternoon was deeply moved. Therefore, he invited his kinsmen and the business community for the almsgiving.

Two or three centuries after the passing away of the Buddha and after the Emperor Asoka's era, the Brahamins and Hindus dominated the social and religious lives of India.

Buddhism started fading away from the very country where it flourished. Even the fabricated story that the Buddha partook pork would have tarnished His image and Buddhism to a certain extent.

The uneducated people in India at the time would have believed such rumours. The Buddha loved the environment and nature.

He loved not only human beings, but also animals. He never encouraged anyone to take the life of any human being or animal. He was the fountain of compassion.