After attaining enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, Siddhartha Gautama continued to preach and send the message far and wide for almost fifty more years and also converted his family and close followers.
He had taught that after his death, no one should follow him as the leader of the movement; instead, his disciples should take his messages and teachings as a guide to spread his message to the world. It was when he turned 80 after a very full life establishing monasteries and inspiring monks to carry on his work that he began to feel old and tired and felt that he was nearing the end of his life.
Just before his death, he fell seriously ill: he had traveled to the banks of the Hiranyavti River, where, together with the accompanying monks, he was offered and ate food given to him by a blacksmith. He soon fell gravely ill and went to wash in the river and then to rest on the river bank propped up on a bed made of rope stretched between two trees. It is said that he was lying on his right side with his right hand supporting his head. This is the origin of this posture in the representations of Buddha images, statues and sculptures with which we are familiar today. The posture is now known as the Buddha’s nirvana.
The monks kept a close watch on the gravely ill Buddha and knew that he was dying and would soon go to nirvana. The Buddha spoke with a learned brahmin named Subhadda, to whom the Buddha spoke and, so moved by his behavior and words, she became his last living disciple. The last words of the Buddha were for his monks who should not feel sorry because he was leaving them and finally his body became weak and he said his last words.
“Do not say that we have no teacher now. The message I have preached will be your teacher when I am gone. Listen, I beg you: ALL CREATIONS ARE IMPERMANENT; work tirelessly for your release.”
Having uttered these last words, the Buddha entered a reverie of deeper and deeper meditative states that eventually reached ecstasy and, according to Buddhist scriptures, is said to have attained nirvana and broke the cycle of birth and rebirth.
His death occurred in 483 BC. C. in May on a full moon day, which is when Buddhists around the world remember his death. His body was cremated and this became the traditional Buddhist way of disposing of the body after death.
Even death is not to be feared by one who has lived wisely.
Buddha
Let’s get up and be thankful, that if we didn’t learn much today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; So let’s all be thankful.
Buddha