1Thus have I heard. [n.137] This incident is recorded in the Mahaparinibbāna Sutta, at DN II 98–101. Spk assigns the incident to the tenth month before the Master's demise. On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesālī in Beluvagāmaka. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus:

"Come, bhikkhus, enter upon the rains wherever you have friends, acquaintances, and intimates in the vicinity of Vesālī. I myself will enter upon the rains right here in Beluvagāmaka."

"Yes, venerable sir," those bhikkhus replied, and they entered upon the rains wherever they had friends, acquaintances, and intimates in the vicinity of Vesālī, while the Blessed One entered upon the rains right there in Beluvagāmaka.

2Then, when the Blessed One had entered upon the rains, a severe illness arose in him and terrible pains bordering on death assailed him. But the Blessed One endured them, mindful and clearly comprehending, without becoming distressed. Then the thought occurred to the Blessed One: "It is not proper for me to attain final Nibbāna without having addressed my attendants and taken leave of the Bhikkhu Saṅgha. Let me then suppress this illness by means of energy and live on, having resolved upon the life formation." [n.138] Jīvitasaṅkhāraṃ adhiṭṭhāya. Spk: The life formation is life itself (Spk-pṭ: because of revitalizing the body without letting it fail) as well as fruition attainment, by which life is vitalized, sustained, prolonged. The latter is intended here. The concise meaning is, "I will attain fruition attainment, which is capable of prolonging life." He entered the attainment with the determination, "Let the pain not arise for another ten months," and the pain, suppressed by the attainment, did not arise for another ten months. sn.v.153 Then the Blessed One suppressed that illness by means of energy and lived on, having resolved upon the life formation.

3The Blessed One then recovered from that illness. Soon after he had recovered, he came out from his dwelling and sat down in the seat that had been prepared in the shade behind the dwelling. The Venerable Ānanda then approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him: "It's splendid, venerable sir, that the Blessed One is bearing up, splendid that he has recovered! [n.139] I follow Se and Ee, which do not include the initial exclamation found in Be, diṭṭho me bhante bhagavato phāsu; the latter, however, is at DN II 99,21. I think Ee is correct in retaining diṭṭha; in Se and Be the word is taken as a past participle and is represented as neuter diṭṭhaṁ, but here it seems to function idiomatically with the meaning "lucky" or "splendid." See DN III 73,18: diṭṭhā bho satta jīvasi, "It's splendid, sir being, that you’re alive." The lines that follow are at SN22:84 (III 106,19–21); see III, n. SN22:149. Here Spk explains dhamma pi nappaṭibhanti as meaning, "The teachings on the establishments of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhānadhammā) are not clear to me." Possibly the expression means simply, "Things (in general) aren’t clear to me." But, venerable sir, when the Blessed One was ill my body seemed as if it were drugged, I had become disoriented, the teachings were not clear to me. Nevertheless, I had this much consolation: that the Blessed One would not attain final Nibbāna without having made some pronouncement concerning the Bhikkhu Saṅgha."

4"What does the Bhikkhu Saṅgha now expect from me, Ānanda? I have taught the Dhamma, Ānanda, without making a distinction between inside and outside. [n.140] Anantaraṁ abāhiraṁ. Spk: Without making a distinction of inside and outside with respect either to Dhamma or persons. One makes the distinction with respect to Dhamma when one thinks, "I will teach so much Dhamma to others but this much I won’t teach." One does so with respect to persons when one thinks, "I’ll teach this person but not that one." The Master did not teach in this way. The "teacher's closed fist" (ācariyamuṭṭhi) is found among outsiders, who reserve certain teachings for their favourite pupils only when they are lying on their deathbed; but the Tathāgata does not have this.
In connection with these two ideas, see Mil 144–45, 159–60. The Tathāgata has no closed fist of a teacher in regard to the teachings. If, Ānanda, anyone thinks, ‘I will take charge of the Bhikkhu Saṅgha,’ or ‘The Bhikkhu Saṅgha is under my direction,’ it is he who should make some pronouncement concerning the Bhikkhu Saṅgha. But, Ānanda, it does not occur to the Tathāgata, ‘I will take charge of the Bhikkhu Saṅgha,’ or ‘The Bhikkhu Saṅgha is under my direction, ’ so why should the Tathāgata make some pronouncement concerning the Bhikkhu Saṅgha? Now I am old, Ānanda, aged, burdened with years, advanced in life, come to the last stage. My age is now turning eighty. Just as an old cart keeps going by a combination of straps, [n.141] Readings of this obscure compound vary. Be has vekhamissakena, Se veghamissakena (the reading at Ee DN II 100,14–15), Ee vedhamissakena. In a note Be proposes veṭhamissakena, the actual reading in the gloss given by Spk (both Be and Se). A similar expression occurs at Th 143a, in Ee veghamissena. At EV I, n. to 143, Norman presents the case for veṭha (= Skt veṣṭa, "band, noose"). Gombrich discusses the problem in "Old Bodies Like Carts," arguing for the reading vedha, "trembling," but it is hard to see how this sits comfortably in a compound with missakena. Hence I follow Spk and Norman in reading veṭhamissakena.
Spk: By a combination of straps: by a combination of straps through being repaired with bands for the arms, bands for the wheels, etc. (bāhābandhacakkabandhādinā paṭisaṅkharaṇena veṭhamissakena). So it seems … keeps going (maññe yāpeti): He shows, "Like an old cart, it seems it is by a combination of straps, i.e., by being strapped with the fruition of arahantship (arahattaphalaveṭhanena), that the body of the Tathāgata assumes the four modes of deportment."
It should be noted that this passage would hardly make sense if the commentaries were right in holding that Ānanda was born on the same day as the Bodhisatta, for the Buddha would not need to insist on the frailties of old age if Ānanda too was an old man. See II, n. 296. so it seems the body of the Tathāgata keeps going by a combination of straps. sn.v.154

5"Whenever, Ānanda, by nonattention to all signs and by the cessation of certain feelings, the Tathāgata enters and dwells in the signless concentration of mind, on that occasion, Ānanda, the body of the Tathāgata is more comfortable. [n.142] The expression used here is animitta cetosamādhi, but this concentration must be different from the one with the same name mentioned at SN40.9. Spk explains the latter as deep insight concentration, the present one as fruition attainment (phalasamāpatti). This would then make it identical with the animitta cetovimutti of SN41.7 (IV 297,4–6). Therefore, Ānanda, dwell with yourselves as your own island, with yourselves as your own refuge, with no other refuge; dwell with the Dhamma as your island, with the Dhamma as your refuge, with no other refuge.

6And how, Ānanda, does a bhikkhu dwell with himself as his own island, with himself as his own refuge, with no other refuge; with the Dhamma as his island, with the Dhamma as his refuge, with no other refuge? Here, Ānanda, a bhikkhu dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. He dwells contemplating feelings in feelings … mind in mind … phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world.

"Those bhikkhus, Ānanda, either now or after I am gone, who dwell with themselves as their own island, with themselves as their own refuge, with no other refuge; with the Dhamma as their island, with the Dhamma as their refuge, with no other refuge—it is these bhikkhus, Ānanda, who will be for me topmost of those keen on the training." [n.143] The attadīpa exhortation is also at SN22.43. Spk explains dhamma in dhammadīpa, dhammasaraṇa as the ninefold supramundane Dhamma (the four paths, four fruits, and Nibbāna). Tamatagge has been much puzzled over in the scholarly literature on the Mahaparinibbāna Sutta. Spk (which parallels Sv II 548–49) takes the term as equivalent to tama-agge, with -t- inserted as a euphonic conjunct (padasandhi). It is possible that tamatagge should be understood as equivalent to tamato agge, on the analogy of ajjatagge or daharatagge, but this would still leave the problem of meaning unsolved; "from the darkness on" hardly makes good sense here. Spk is evidently perplexed about the meaning and, without quite admitting uncertainty, wavers between taking tama as the superlative suffix (transposed by metathesis) and as "darkness": "These are topmost (aggatamā), hence tamatagga. Thus, ‘having cut the entire stream of darkness (tamasotaṁ in both Be and Se, but tamayogaṁ, bond of darkness, in the parallel passage at Sv II 549,1), these bhikkhus of mine will be at the extreme top, in the highest place. They will be at the top of them. Among all those keen on the training, just those whose range is the four satipaṭṭhānas will be at the top.’ Thus he brings the teaching to its culmination in arahantship." Spkpṭ explains tama-agge: "In the absence of the bond of darkness (tamayoga!), (they will be) at the top of the world with its gods."
The words are not preserved in the fragments of the Turfan Skt version, but the Tibetan and Chinese parallels, probably based on Skt texts, point to a meaning as "the highest." I have followed suit with "topmost," though I cannot account for the exact meaning of the original or for the use of the locative. I have also gone along with the commentaries in taking ye keci sikkhākāmā as an implicit genitive.

1Evaṁ me sutaṁ—​ ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā vesāliyaṁ vihārati veḷuvagāmake. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

"etha tumhe, bhikkhave, samantā vesāliyā yathāmittaṁ yathāsandiṭṭhaṁ yathāsambhattaṁ vassaṁ upetha. Idhevāhaṁ veḷuvagāmake vassaṁ upagacchāmī"ti.

"Evaṁ, bhante"ti kho te bhikkhū bhagavato paṭissutvā samantā vesāliyā yathāmittaṁ yathāsandiṭṭhaṁ yathāsambhattaṁ vassaṁ upagacchuṁ. Bhagavā pana tattheva veḷuvagāmake vassaṁ upagacchi.

2Atha kho bhagavato vassūpagatassa kharo ābādho uppajji, bāḷhā vedanā vattanti māraṇantikā. Tatra sudaṁ bhagavā sato sampajāno adhivāsesi avihaññamāno. Atha kho bhagavato etadahosi: "na kho me taṁ patirūpaṁ, yohaṁ anāmantetvā upaṭṭhāke anapaloketvā bhikkhusaṅghaṁ parinibbāyeyyaṁ. Yannūnāhaṁ imaṁ ābādhaṁ vīriyena paṭipaṇāmetvā jīvitasaṅkhāraṁ adhiṭṭhāya vihareyyan"ti. Atha kho bhagavā taṁ ābādhaṁ vīriyena paṭipaṇāmetvā jīvitasaṅkhāraṁ adhiṭṭhāya vihāsi. Atha kho bhagavato so ābādho paṭippassambhi.

3Atha kho bhagavā gilānā vuṭṭhito aciravuṭṭhito gelaññā vihārā nikkhamitvā vihārapacchāyāyaṁ paññatte āsane nisīdi. Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: "diṭṭho me, bhante, bhagavato phāsu; diṭṭhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato khamanīyaṁ; diṭṭhaṁ, bhante, bhagavato yāpanīyaṁ. Api ca me, bhante, madhurakajāto viya kāyo, disāpi me na pakkhāyanti, dhammāpi maṁ nappaṭibhanti bhagavato gelaññena. Api ca me, bhante, ahosi kācideva assāsamattā: ‘Na tāva bhagavā parinibbāyissati, na yāva bhagavā bhikkhusaṅghaṁ ārabbha kiñcideva udāharatī’"ti.

4"Kiṁ pana dāni, Ānanda, bhikkhusaṅgho mayi paccāsīsati? Desito, Ānanda, mayā dhammo anantaraṁ abāhiraṁ karitvā. Natthānanda, tathāgatassa dhammesu ācariyamuṭṭhi. Yassa nūna, Ānanda, evamassa: ‘Ahaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ pariharissāmī’ti vā, ‘mamuddesiko bhikkhusaṅgho’ti vā, so nūna, Ānanda, bhikkhusaṅghaṁ ārabbha kiñcideva udāhareyya. Tathāgatassa kho, Ānanda, na evaṁ hoti: ‘Ahaṁ bhikkhusaṅghaṁ pariharissāmī’ti vā, ‘mamuddesiko bhikkhusaṅgho’ti vā. Sa kiṁ, Ānanda, tathāgato bhikkhusaṅghaṁ ārabbha kiñcideva udāharissati. Etarahi kho panāhaṁ, Ānanda, jiṇṇo vuddho mahallako addhagato vayoanuppatto. Āsītiko me vayo vattati. Seyyathāpi, Ānanda, jajjarasakaṭaṁ veḷamissakena yāpeti; evameva kho, Ānanda, veḷamissakena maññe tathāgatassa kāyo yāpeti.

5Yasmiṁ, Ānanda, samaye tathāgato sabbanimittānaṁ amanasikārā ekaccānaṁ vedanānaṁ nirodhā animittaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja vihārati, phāsutaro, Ānanda, tasmiṁ samaye tathāgatassa kāyo hoti. Tasmātihānanda, attadīpā vihāratha attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, dhammadīpā dhammasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā.

6Kathañcānanda, bhikkhu attadīpo vihārati attasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo, dhammadīpo dhammasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo? Idhānanda, bhikkhu kāye kāyānupassī vihārati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; vedanāsu … pe … citte … pe … dhammesu dhammānupassī vihārati ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ.

Evaṁ kho, Ānanda, bhikkhu attadīpo vihārati attasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo, dhammadīpo dhammasaraṇo anaññasaraṇo. Ye hi keci, Ānanda, etarahi vā mamaccaye vā attadīpā viharissanti attasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā, dhammadīpā dhammasaraṇā anaññasaraṇā; tamatagge mete, Ānanda, bhikkhū bhavissanti ye keci sikkhākāmā"ti.

Navamaṁ.