MAHAPARINIRVANA (THE PASSING OF THE BUDDHA INTO NIRVANA)
The Buddha knowing that his passing was fast approaching stopped in at the garden home of Cunda, a blacksmith, living in the outskirts of the capital of Pava. This he did while making the rounds of preaching the Law. At the home of Cunda he partook an offering of food offered to him by the head of the family. Later the Buddha became ill from eating the mushroom but decided to push on to Kushinagara, his destination. He arrived at the Sala forest and directed his disciples to lay down a couch between the twin Sala trees. He was placed down on the couch with his head toward the north, and sleeping on his right side with his hands as pillow he delivered his last message to his disciples who had assembled at the grove upon hearing the sad message. It is said that the flowers in the Sala grove turned to full bloom, the sad music was heard to come from the heavens above and the birds sang and others remainded quite as if to sense the sad happening. The Buddha was never to rise again and his 45 years of setting the wheel of Law into motion came to an end at the age of 80 on February 15th'night. |
