According to the early Pāli discourse about the Buddha's last days and passing into Nirvāṇa (), Mahākāśyapa learnt about the Buddha's "parinirvāṇa" (; death and attainment of final Nirvāṇa) after seven days. He was resting from a journey with a following of monks when he met an "ājīvika" ascetic who was carrying a flower from a coral tree which originated from heaven. He asked him about the flower, and it turned out it the entire area of Kuśinagara (), where the Buddha had passed away, was covered in it. According to some Tibetan sources, however, Mahākāśyapa knew of the Buddha's passing because of an earthquake. In the Pāli texts, Mahākāśyapa then rushed back from the Pāva Mountain to arrive in Kuśinagara seven days later. But in the Tibetan texts, Mahākāśyapa was concerned that King Ajātaśatru might die of shock when he heard of the Buddha's passing. He therefore warned a "brahmin" who worked at the court, who was able to prevent the king from dying. Only then did he proceed to Kuśinagara.