Editing The Buddha (section)

=== Posthumous events ===
{{See also|Śarīra|Relics associated with Buddha}}
According to the ''Mahaparinibbana sutta,'' the Mallians of Kushinagar spent the days following the Buddha's death honouring his body with flowers, music and scents.{{sfnp|Ñāṇamoli Bhikkhu|1992|p=327}} The sangha{{efn|name="Upaddha"}} waited until the eminent elder [[Mahākāśyapa|Mahākassapa]] arrived to pay his respects before cremating the body.{{sfnp|Ñāṇamoli Bhikkhu|1992|p=330}}

The Buddha's body was then cremated and the remains, including his bones, were kept as [[relic]]s and they were distributed among various north Indian kingdoms like Magadha, Shakya and [[Koliya]].{{sfnp|Ñāṇamoli Bhikkhu|1992|p=331}} These relics were placed in monuments or mounds called [[stupa]]s, a common funerary practice at the time. Centuries later they would be exhumed and enshrined by [[King Ashoka|Ashoka]] into many new stupas around the [[Maurya Empire|Mauryan realm]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/83105/Buddha/230773/The-Buddhas-relics |first=Donald |last=Lopez |title=The Buddha's relics |access-date=21 June 2022 |archive-date=7 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507022035/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/83105/Buddha/230773/The-Buddhas-relics |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfnp|Strong|2007|pp=136–137}} Many supernatural legends surround the history of alleged relics as they accompanied the spread of Buddhism and gave legitimacy to rulers.

According to various Buddhist sources, the [[First Buddhist Council]] was held shortly after the Buddha's death to collect, recite and memorize the teachings. Mahākassapa was chosen by the sangha to be the chairman of the council. However, the historicity of the traditional accounts of the first council is disputed by modern scholars.<ref>Harvey, Peter (2013), ''An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices'' (PDF) (2nd ed.), New York: [[Cambridge University Press]], p. 88, {{ISBN|978-0-521-85942-4}}</ref>