Buddha's Last Days Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

By his regular yoga practice
For nearly twenty five years,
At the bank of a river,
An ascetic walked on water.

Buddha told him, “For a penny
You can cross the river by a ferry.
It’s a worthless gain for your labor
Spent for all these years.”

Before his life came to an end,
It was his desire to spend
On meeting more people
And uplift them all.

Day by day, weak he became
But to hear him, people came.
Ananda, his close disciple,
Tried to prevent the people.

He chided Ananda then
Saying, “I’ve more concern
For people’s happiness,
Than for my weakness.”

In his bed, with feeble voice
And half-closed eyes
He asked his disciples,
“Any more questions? ”

Thrice he asked them,
And repeated the same,
But none had the mood,
As speechless, they stood.

He whispered at last,
“The decay is inherent
Which none can prevent.
This is a natural event.”

“You should remember,
Truth will remain forever.
With diligence you work,
Your salvation to seek.”

With these final words,
In a meditative mood,
Attaining Nirvana at last,
He breathed his last.

In 483 BC, on full moon day,
In the month of May,
Buddha, forever, had left,
While the whole world wept.

The sky became dark then,
As both the moon and sun,
Suddenly, with no trace,
Withdrew their long rays.

The earth shook violently.
The waves roared vehemently.
The trees shed their flowers,
And fluttered their leaves.

His teachings still remain,
In the hearts of everyone,
For he always lived for others,
And strived for their happiness.

The End of his life story
But the beginning of his era.