The Buddha spent 45 years travelling and teaching after his enlightenment, sharing the Dharma with anyone willing to listen - kings, beggars, men and women alike. He founded the Sangha (community of monks and nuns) and saw Buddhism grow into a major movement across northern India.

His Last Days

At the age of 80, the Buddha became seriously ill after eating a meal offered by a kind blacksmith named Cunda. (Buddhist tradition is careful to say Cunda was not to blame - the food was a great act of generosity.) Sensing his end was near, the Buddha travelled to a grove of sal trees near Kushinagar.

The Final Teaching

The Buddha gave his last sermon, urging his disciples not to rely on him but to look to themselves and the Dharma as a guide. His final recorded words were: "All conditioned things are impermanent. Strive on with diligence."

He then lay down on his right side, entered deep meditation, and died peacefully.

Parinirvana

This death is called the parinirvana ("final nirvana"). Because the Buddha had already escaped samsara at his enlightenment, this death meant his rebirth ended forever. His body was cremated and his ashes were divided among eight rulers, who built domed monuments called stupas over them. Many of these stupas still stand today as pilgrimage sites.

Y9 Buddhism

The Buddha's Final Days