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216 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
was held soon after the death of the Buddha at Rajagraha.
III
Kassyappa presided over the congregation. Anand, Upali and many others who belonged to Kapilavatsu and who wandered with him wherever he went and were with him till his death were present.
But what did Kassyappa the President do ?
He asked Anand to repeat the Dhamma and put the question to the congregation, “Is this right?” They answered in the affirmative. And Kassyappa then closed the question.
Thereafter he asked Upali to repeat the Vinaya and put the question to the congregation, “Is this right ?” They answered in the affirmative. Kassyappa then closed the question.
Kassyappa then should have put the third question to someone present in the congregation to record some important incidents in the life of the Buddha.
But Kassyappa did not. These were the only two questions with which he thought the Sangh was concerned.
If Kassyappa had collected the record of the Buddha’s life we would have had today a full-fledged biography of the Buddha.
Why did it not strike Kassyappa to collect the record about the Buddha’s life?
It could not be indifference. The only answer one can give is that the Buddha had carved no niche for himself in his religion.
The Buddha and his religion were quite apart.
Another illustration of the Buddha keeping himself out of his religion is to be found in his refusal to appoint a successor.
Twice or thrice the Buddha was requested by his followers to appoint a successor.
Every time the Buddha refused.
His answer was, “The Dhamma must be its own successor.