e reat ecease
During the early part of his ministry, the Buddha lived as a trav-
elling monk and did not have any fixed abode. It was towards
the last twenty years or so that he chose to reside at Savatthi, in
the Jetavana Grove which was donated to him and his monks by
the very rich householder Anathapindika.At the age of eighty he travelled northwards from Rajagriha
to Vesali where he became seriously ill. Upon recovering the
Buddha proceeded to a small town called Pava where he stayed
in the grove of Cunda, the smith, who upon hearing of his
arrival, offered him and his followers a meal. is was to be the
last meal that he ate for one of the dishes diligently prepared
by Cunda and which the Buddha later specifically instructed
was for himself to eat only, caused him to suffer sharp dysentery
pains. e Buddha later assured Cunda through Ananda that
his pains were not any fault of his and that it was a meritorious
act to offer the Buddha his last meal.
e Buddha bore it calmly and, despite his illness, set forth for
Kushinagara where he laid down between two Sala trees with
his head pointing to the north. e Buddha was described in the
Scriptures to have “laid himself down on his right side, with one
leg resting on the other, mindful and self-possessed”. e Sala
trees then burst into bloom out of season and fragrance filled the
air in homage of the Buddha.