The … story has to do with the events occurring in the last hours of Shakyamuni’s life at the foot of the twin sala trees in the grove just outside the town of Kushinagara. As Shakyamuni lay down, the twin trees, filled with bloom out of season, shed a rain of flowers on his body. Heavenly mandarava flowers and sandalwood perfume fell from the sky, and divine music played in honor of the Tathagata, the World-honored One.

Shakyamuni turned to Ananda and said that this was not the right way to pay homage to him. The right way was for the monks and nuns of the Order and all the lay believers to trust and understand the Buddha’s Law correctly and to live in accordance with it. Then he exhorted all those present to understand and trust the law and follow it in daily life.

At this time, Shakyamuni said sternly to Upavana, an arhat who was in front fanning him, “Brother, stand aside. Do not stand in front of me.” Finding this command odd, Ananda said to Shakyamuni, “World-honored One, the venerable Upavana has long been your faithful follower and attendant. Why do you order him away at this final moment?”

Then Shakyamuni said, “Ananda, many gods from the universe, the worlds of the ten directions, have gathered here to see the last hour of the Tathagata. Many great gods are gathered here for twelve leagues around the twin sala trees. And they murmur, ‘In the last watches of this night, one of the rare Tathagatas to appear in this world must die. We have come from afar to see the last moments of the Tathagata, but a powerful monk stands in front of him blocking our view.’ ”

This … story, too, reveals Shakyamuni’s supernatural ability to see things—in this case, divinities—that were invisible to his followers and other ordinary human beings.