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| The Last Days of Buddha | ||||||
| After Enlightenment, Gautama Buddha shared his doctrine with people, going from place to place for forty-five years. At the age of eighty he perceived that he was nearing his end. The book titled The Way of Buddha narrates the several important events that took place during the last days of the Buddha. The Buddha, having reached the age of seventy-nine, began his last journey: From RaJgriha he went to Nalanda followed by a large retinue of monks, subsequent to the war between the Sakyas and the followers of Vidudabha. After Nalanda he travelled on towards Pataligrama, where he gave a discourse to the laity on the merits of the five moral precepts. After this he continued his journey with his disciples, miraculously crossing the overflowing Ganges in the rainy season to Kotigrama, and thence to Nadika, where he delivered courses on duty, self-transcendence and insight. Then it was on to Vaisali, where he took abode in a mango grove belonging to the well-known courtesan Amrapali, who visited him and was in return for her visit honoured with a religious discourse. On the request of Amrapali, the Blessed One had a meal in her house, served by herself, and accepted her gift of the mango grove. He exhorted the monks of Vaisali saying, "Subject to decay are compound things; strive with earnestness and in no long time the Tathagata will attair Nirvana." The Blessed One continued his travel, but was taken severely ill at a village called Beluva; however, not wishing to die without leaving his words to guide the bhikkhus he overcame his illness through his powers and continued with his journey. At Pava, he attended a meal offered by Rotunda, a hereditary smith, and had an attack of dysentery. He bore the pain with patience, not wanting Cunda to feel that the meal provided. had caused this illness, and continued his journey with his disciples for Kusinara. During this journey he converted a young Mallian named Pukkusa formerly a disciple of Alara Kalama. At Kusinara he lay down on his right side 'as a lion' with one leg placed on the other upon a couch spread between two sal trees by Ananda; who was weeping at the impending passing of the Master. The last hours were spent in giving counsel and instructions to Ananda: "Do not weep. Have I not told you before, monks, that it is in the very nature of things near and dear to us that we must part from them? All that is born, brought into being and put together carries within itself the seeds of dissolution. How then is it possible that such a being should not be dissolved. Be earnest in effort and you too shall be free from the great evils and ignorance". Kusinara was then one of the capitals of the Mallas. At the summons of Ananda under the command of the Buddha, all the Mallas came along with their spouses and children, weeping as they came, and paid their last tributes by bowing down at the feet of the Blessed One. Subhadra, a monk who was the last disciple to be converted and become an arahat at once, had come to him to take refuge during the last stage of the Lord's wanderings, at a time when he was very weary, and was even then given a patient hearing by the Lord who cleared him of all his doubts. At the age of eighty, before his death in Kusinara, the Lord predicted: "After I am no more, 0 Ananda, men of belief will visit the four places with faith, curiosity and devotion, | ||||||
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The Conception of the Buddha Maya's Travel to Lumbini for Devadaha Birth of a Prince The Great Renunciation and Enlightenment The First Disciple The First Cermon Return to Kapilvastu The Last Days of Buddha Lumbini after the Death of the Buddha Asoka's Visit to Lumbini The Asokan Pillar of Lumbini Lumbini after Asoka's Visit Lumbini: the Archaoloqical Pursuits Early Explorations Dr.A.Fuhrer and Khadqa Shumsher Rana in Lumbini Babu Purna Chanda Mukherji in Lumbini General Kesher shumsher J.B Rana in Lumbini Mrs. Debala Mitra in Lumbini |
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