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Siddhartha Passing
Buddha's entry into Parinirvana.According to the Mahaparinibbana Sutta of the
Pali canon, at the age of 80, the Buddha announced that he would soon enter
Parinirvana or the final deathless state abandoning the earthly body. After
this, the Buddha ate his last meal, which, according to different translations,
was either a mushroom delicacy or soft pork, which he had received as an
offering from a blacksmith named Cunda. Falling violently ill, Buddha instructed
his attendant Ānanda to convince Cunda that the meal eaten at his place had
nothing to do with his passing and that his meal would be a source of the
greatest merit as it provided the much-needed energy for the Buddha.
Ananda protested Buddha's decision to enter Parinirvana in the abandoned jungles
of Kuśināra (Pāli: Kusināra) of the Mallas. Buddha, however, reminded Ananda how
Kushinara was a land once ruled by a righteous king that resounded with joy:
“ 44. Kusavati, Ananda, resounded unceasingly day and night with ten sounds --
the trumpeting of elephants, the neighing of horses, the rattling of chariots,
the beating of drums and tabours, music and song, cheers, the clapping of hands,
and cries of "Eat, drink, and be merry!" ”
The sharing of the relics of the Buddha.Buddha then asked all the attendant
Bhikshus to clarify any doubts or questions they had. They had none. He then
finally entered Parinirvana. The Buddha's final words were, "All composite
things pass away. Strive for your own salvation with diligence." The Buddha's
body was cremated and the relics were placed in monuments or stupas, some of
which are believed to have survived until the present. For example, The Temple
of the Tooth or "Dalada Maligawa" in Sri Lanka is the place where the right
tooth relic of Buddha is kept at present.
According to the Pāli historical chronicles of Sri Lanka, the Dīpavaṃsa and
Mahāvaṃsa, the coronation of Aśoka (Pāli: Asoka) is 218 years after the death of
Buddha. According to one Mahayana record in Chinese , the coronation of Aśoka is
116 years after the death of Buddha. Therefore, the time of Buddha's passing is
either 486 BCE according to Theravāda record or 383 BCE according to Mahayana
record. However, the actual date traditionally accepted as the date of the
Buddha's death in Theravāda countries is 544 or 543 BCE, because the reign of
Aśoka was traditionally reckoned to be about 60 years earlier than current
estimates (based on Aśoka's own inscriptions, and therefore among the soundest
dates in early Indian history).
Gautama
Buddha
Siddhartha life and marriage
Siddhartha Great Enlightenment
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