Lord Buddha lies in Eternal Sleep in Kushinagar

Sangeeta India, Travel 26 Comments

“Sleep” brings to my mind the reclined statue of  Lord Buddha in Kushinagar, India where he is believed to have attained Nirvana and left his physical body. Kushinagar is an important stop in a Buddhist Pilgrimage.  

Kushinagar.BuddhaFaceLord Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana in 487 BC on a bed of leaves under the sal trees just like the way he was born 80 years ago under Sal Trees in Lumbini, Nepal.  It is believed that he consumed a meal comprising of meat which caused food poisoning and eventually led to the demise of his physical body. True to his words, he absolved the blacksmith who offered the meal of all blame, prior to leaving his body. Buddhist texts mention that all prior Buddha’s have consumed similar meals and attained nirvana in Kushinagar. Different schools of thought have emerged over the years offering diverse reasons leading to the Buddha’s selection of this location. However, the ultimate truth remains that he blessed this land with his last breath.Kushinagar

Over a period of time due to foreign invasions and other historical changes , Kushinagar was long forgotten and neglected. The town shot into prominence in late 19th century,  after The Mahaparinirvana Stupa and Temple were discovered by British archaeologists after cutting through dense vegetation. Kushinagar will soon be an international destination after the statue of the bronze Maitreya Buddha is unveiled, which is expected to be taller than the Statue of Liberty.

Temple Complex

The white Stupa and Temple are seen in a beautiful meditation garden complex lined with sal trees. The vast and well maintained gardens lined with sal trees make me wonder, if the Buddha sat in deep meditation there, ordaining the last Arahant, reciting the Mahaparinirvana Sutta for Ananda and other monks, before slipping into restful sleepKushinagar-Temple. The best time to walk around is in the evening, when the mellow light of the candles against the fading sunlight renders a mystical aura. Walking between the sal trees, caressed by the soothing wind, it is not quite difficult to imagine the celestial event of the Master’s Mahaparinirvana as he ascended through the 4 realms (Nothingness, Infinite Consciousness, Neither Perception, Non Perception) accompanied by divine beings. It was believed to be a celestial event since the earth shook in gratitude, the stars showered from the other realm and the sky attained a golden glow akin to a thousand flames accompanied by heavenly music that filled the air.Kushinagar

The Mahiparinirvana Temple is an abode of peace. After climbing a few steps, I stepped inside the hall where Lord Buddha lies in eternal sleep. The excavated statue of a 6metre tall Buddha is in the Parinirvana posture, head turned to the right and feet swollen from the long travel from Vaishali.Kushinagar Sleeping Buddha

This is a sandstone statue dated to 5th Century AD but has turned golden over the years from the gold foil lovingly offered by devotees.Kushinagar

As I sat there, watching him and closing my eyes to feel his presence it almost feels like he will wake up any minute. In those few minutes, I could feel the gentle touch that he is always blessing  us with eternal love and compassion.Kushinagar

Travel Tip:

Kushinagar can be reached from Delhi, India via Gorakhpur. It is a small place with very few hotels of which Lotus Nikko and Royal Residency are recommended. The best time to visit is between October and March when the weather is just right.

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26 thoughts on “Lord Buddha lies in Eternal Sleep in Kushinagar”

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  7. Seas Reflecting Starlight

    Thank you for sharing your experiences at this special place. It is one that I hope to visit too someday. Could you elaborate on “Buddhist texts mention that all prior Buddha’s have consumed similar meals and attained nirvana in Kushinagar”?

    Reply
    1. Sangeeta Post author

      Thank You for visiting my blog. Some Buddhist texts mention that Gautama was the 27th Buddha and Maitreya is the future Buddha. Historically, Siddhartha Gautama Buddha is the most celebrated and widely referred to apart from Dipankara Buddha who was the 4th Buddha. In the Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism Texts, there are references to the fact that almost all were born in luxury and later renounced in search of truth. The nirvana and the death of the Physical bodies of the Buddha’s were such that they all died of food poisoning from animal meat. Kushinagar was also known as Kusinara and in Sanskrit the word Kushi means death.

      Reply

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