THE MEANING OF THE DAY OF SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA'S PARINIRVANA

The History of the Buddha's Entry into Nirvana

"Between the twin sala trees, He entered extinction,

His great vow fulfilled and complete.

Where now the echo of the compassionate Father's presence?

All sentient beings mourn in grief."

Looking back upon the history of the Buddha's life, from His attainment of enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree to the day of His passing, across a span of 49 years, the Buddha traveled throughout the vast land of India to teach the Dharma and liberate beings. Wherever His footsteps reached, the golden light of the Way shone forth in splendor. From that time, the Bodhi teaching took deep root throughout the great land of India and became one of the principal religions among the many kingdoms of that era. Having attained enlightenment for Himself, the Buddha awakened others as well, and when His work of enlightening others had been fully accomplished, His physical body of the four elements, too, followed the law of impermanence, growing weak and aged. At that time, He was dwelling in the Sala forest, in the land of Kushinagar, some 129 miles from the city of Varanasi.

One day, He called the Venerable Ananda to Him and announced that He would enter Nirvana in three months' time. The news that the Buddha was soon to enter Nirvana spread like a thunderclap. His disciples, scattered in distant lands, gathered together at the Sala forest to pay homage and bid farewell to the Enlightened One. During those final three months, the Buddha did not rest, but continued to travel and teach the Dharma. One day, as He passed through a forest while teaching, He encountered a charcoal-burner named Chunda. Chunda invited Him to his home for a meal, and the Buddha graciously accepted, going to Chunda's house to receive the offering. There, Chunda offered Him a bowl of mushroom soup as an act of dana. After the meal, the Buddha and His disciples took leave of Chunda and continued on their way. After traveling some distance, He handed His alms bowl to Ananda and instructed that a hammock be hung between the Sala trees in the forest so that He might lie down to rest. He lay down between the two Sala trees, His head turned toward the north, His body reclining on the right side, His face turned toward the setting sun, His legs crossed one over the other, and He informed His disciples that He was preparing to enter Nirvana. Hearing that He was soon to enter Nirvana, the people of the surrounding region came in great numbers to pay their respects. Among them was an old man past eighty years of age, named Subhadra, who asked to be ordained. The Buddha joyfully accepted him — he became the last disciple of His lifetime. At that time, all of His disciples were present, save for the Venerable Kashyapa, who was teaching the Dharma far away and had not yet returned. The Buddha gathered all His disciples and followers around Him and gave His final instructions before entering Nirvana. He instructed as follows:

- His robe and bowl were to be passed on to Mahakashyapa.
- His disciples were to take the Precepts as their teacher.
- At the beginning of every sutra, the words "Thus have I heard" were to be inscribed.
- His relics (sarira) were to be divided into three parts: one for the heavenly realms, one for the dragon (naga) realm, and one to be shared among the eight kings of India.

And these were the final words of instruction that He left behind:"O disciples! You must be your own torch and light your own way forward! Take my Dharma as your torch! Follow my Dharma to attain your own liberation! Seek liberation from no other person, seek liberation in no other place, but within yourselves!" "O disciples! Do not let craving cause you to forget my teachings. Nothing in this world holds true worth. The body will one day dissolve and pass away. Only my Path is precious. Only the Truth of my Path is unchanging and eternal. Strive with diligence to attain liberation, O my most beloved ones!".

Having given His final instructions, the Buddha entered meditative absorption and passed into Nirvana. This occurred on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month, in the year 544 BCE, when He was 80 years old. At that moment, heaven and earth were filled with sorrow, the birds and creatures of the Sala forest fell silent, and the deities of the Trayastrimsha Heaven scattered flowers from the sky in offering as our Founding Teacher and Compassionate Father Shakyamuni Buddha entered Nirvana. His disciples wrapped His body and placed it within a golden coffin, and seven days later, carried the coffin into the city of Kushinagar to perform the cremation rite. After the cremation, the disciples, following the Buddha's final instructions, divided His relics accordingly.

The Meaning of the Day of the Buddha's Entry into Nirvana

Nearly 26 centuries have passed since the Buddha entered Nirvana, yet His legacy remains deeply imprinted in the hearts of all children of the Buddha in particular, and of humanity as a whole, for the benefit He brought to all sentient beings was immeasurably vast and profound.

Thus, every year, on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month, Vietnamese Buddhist devotees solemnly hold a ceremony to commemorate the day of Shakyamuni Buddha's entry into Nirvana. The purpose of this commemoration is to recall and honor the Buddha's merit and His practice of cultivation. It reminds us to follow His shining example, to carry out His final teachings, and to deeply understand that:

- Our body of the five aggregates is impermanent and fragile; wherever there is arising, there is cessation. Therefore, we must not cling to this body, lest we fall into suffering.
- The Buddha's compassion is boundless and vast beyond measure. Let us follow His example in cultivating and nurturing compassion toward all beings, bringing peace and happiness to humankind.
- Let us take pride in being children of the Buddha.
- Let us diligently cultivate ourselves according to the Buddha's teachings, and earnestly carry out His final instructions, so that we may become a shining example for the world.

Commemorating the day of Shakyamuni Buddha's Parinirvana, 15/02 Lunar Calendar, Buddhist Era 2567. Diệu Tướng Am respectfully wishes all Venerable Monks and Nuns, Buddhist devotees, and valued customers: "MAY THE MORTAL BODY BE TRANSFORMED INTO THE GOLDEN BODY, MAY THE STEADFAST HEART OF CULTIVATION TOUCH NIRVANA."