THE BUDDHA'S PARINIRVANA

A truly stunning Thangka painted in the Japanese style depicting the Buddha on his deathbed, having eaten poisoned mushrooms prepared unwittingly by a follower. Seeing the torment of his close disciple Ananda, he spoke to him thus: "Enough, Ananda, do not grieve, nor weep. Have I not already told you, Ananda, that it is in the very nature of all things near and dear unto us that we must divide ourselves from them, leave them, sever ourselves from them "How is it possible, Ananda, that whatever has been born, has come into being, is organized and perishable, should not perish?" As he slipped away, his last words to his followers were a reminder of the ultimate insignificance of his death: 'O monks, I take my leave of you; all composite things are transitory; strive onward diligently." Despite this, the monks were grief-stricken; beasts also yelled and shrieked and even the gods lamented. The trees here seem to also huddle around in sorrow. Contrast all this with the peace on the face of the Buddha; his eyes are open, signifying that this is no real death, and the wound on the top of his head symbolises the flight of the soul from the body.

THE BUDDHA'S PARINIRVANA
Artist Name:	Palden Lama
Painting size:	60cm X 48cm

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