The Buddha “lays down his body” an eighth time at Kusinārā?

Textual Scholarship
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At the end of DN 17 , the Buddha is laying down between the sal trees near Kusinārā, and says:

Six times, Ānanda, I recall having laid down my body at this place. And the seventh time was as a wheel-turning monarch, a just and principled king, at which time my dominion extended to all four sides, I achieved stability in the country, and I possessed the seven treasures.
But Ānanda, I do not see any place in this world with its gods, Māras, and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans where the Realized One would lay down his body for the eighth time.

He’s saying that there is no place in the world where he would lay down his body for an eighth time, but isn’t he about to do just that in this place? Or should we interpret “lay down his body” to imply [and be reborn somewhere else]?

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from here: The Buddha "lays down his body" an eighth time at Kusinārā? - #5 by Dhammanando - Discussion - Discuss & Discover

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Mv mmpara 272

ayaṃ sattamo sarīranikkhepo. na kho panāhaṃ, ānanda, taṃ padesaṃ samanupassāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya yattha tathāgato aṭṭhamaṃ sarīraṃ nikkhipeyyā"ti. idamavoca bhagavā, idaṃ vatvāna sugato athāparaṃ etadavoca satthā –
"aniccā vata saṅkhārā, uppādavayadhammino,
uppajjitvā nirujjhanti, tesaṃ vūpasamo sukho"ti.
mahāsudassanasuttaṃ niṭṭhitaṃ catutthaṃ.

na kho panāhaṃ, ānanda, taṃ padesaṃ samanupassāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya yattha tathāgato aṭṭhamaṃ sarīraṃ nikkhipeyyā”ti.
but ānanda, i do not see any place in this world with its gods, māras, and brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans where the realized one would lay down his body for the eighth time.”

idamavoca bhagavā.
that is what the buddha said.

idaṃ vatvāna sugato athāparaṃ etadavoca satthā:
then the holy one, the teacher, went on to say:

“aniccā vata saṅkhārā,
“oh! conditions are impermanent,

uppādavayadhammino;
their nature is to rise and fall;

uppajjitvā nirujjhanti,
having arisen, they cease;

tesaṃ vūpasamo sukho”ti.
their stilling is true bliss.”

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chatgpt pali translator gpt

Commentary: Mv 272

  • sarīraṃ nikkhipeyyāti sarīraṃ chaḍḍeyya.
  • “One should dispose of the body, which means to discard the body.”
  • idāni aññassa sarīrassa nikkhepo vā paṭijagganaṃ vā natthi kilesapahīnattā, ānanda, tathāgatassāti vadati.
  • “Now, there is no need for either disposal or care of another’s body because the defilements have been abandoned. He says to Ānanda, ‘This applies to the Tathāgata.’”
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