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Shakyamuni's first teaching comes when he expounds the Four Noble Truths to his five ascetic companions in the Deer Park in Sarnath. Buddha explains these truths with immense clarity, but his five stubborn friends debate the profound implications of his words. Buddha is determined that they, too, should experience the matchless bliss of enlightenment, so his sermon goes on for a very long time.

One day, one of the ascetics suddenly realizes the same vision of truth that Buddha himself realized under the bodhi tree. Seeing this, Buddha is boundless with joy. It is an important breakthrough: if his disciple can achieve enlightenment, so all beings can obtain the realization that can set them free. Buddha's teachings will spread far and wide so that all beings blessed by them can attain the liberation that comes with enlightenment. This is the most profound impact of the story of Shakyamuni Buddha. He is the ultimate guru, who emanates in the earthly realm to pass on his teachings, without which ignorance will continue to prevail.

In all, Buddha leaves behind 84,000 teachings and these revered texts eventually become the foundation of the different traditions of Buddhism that spread across Asia in all directions. In Buddha's later years, it is Ananda who keeps accounts of his teachings and the events of his life. These are carefully preserved in the suttas (discourses) of the Pali canon and the sutras (scriptural texts) of the Kan Gyur.

Buddha passed away at the age of eighty in the village of Kushinagar, in what is today the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. There he lay in the lion posture, on his right side, with his right hand supporting his head and his other hand placed lightly on his left thigh. His last words reminded his disciples that "all compounded things are by nature impermanent," and he advised them "in mindfulness" to strive on. It is recorded that on his deathbed, when asked by Ananda what should be done with his earthly remains, Buddha answered that, like those of a king, the remains of a tathagata (an exalted one) should be enshrined in a stupa (reliquary)

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To satisfy the demands of the kings and princes of the surrounding states, Buddha's relics were eventually divided into eight parts and placed in eight golden boxes (and so today there are eight types of stupa, each different in design). When the boxes were laid on the altar table, it is recorded that three rainbows arose from them. Below the relics were placed the five offerings of the senses: incense (sense of smell); food (sense of taste); flowers (sense of sight); music (sense of sound); and beautiful objects (sense of touch).

                                             ***   Typed from:  The Buddha Book by Lillian Too    ***