7.MAHAPARINIRVANA

 MAHA PARINIBBANA (MAHAPARINIRVANA)

Buddha passed away around 486 BC at the age of eighty. Buddha had achieved his enlightenment at the age of 35. He would teach the Dharma (the way) throughout northeast India for another 45 years. When the Buddha was 80 years old, he ate some spoiled food and became very ill.

 At Pava he was fed by a blacksmith named Cunda and became violently ill. The food Buddha had been served was called sukara- maddava in pali,

Arriving at Kushinara. he instructed Ananda to spread his upper robe between twin sāla trees, and informed him that the end of his life had come.

 A large number of monks, lay followers, and devas assembled around him to pay their last respects.

The Buddha gave them his last admonition, known as pacchima-vaca  ‘ Decay is inherent in all compounded things,work out your own salvation with diligence‘‘.

Thus teaching the Dhamma as he himself practised it, the Buddha attained Mahaparinibbana in his eightieth year, on the full moon day of Vaishakha in 544 B.C

His last words were...

 “Impermanent are all created things; Strive on with awareness.”