Today is the anniversary of my Mother’s birthday, though she passed away in 1989. I would therefore like to dedicate any merits accruing from my work in the Dhamma to her today.
Wherever she is now,
may she be happy,
may she be peaceful,
and may she be free from suffering!
There were four verses spoken just after the Buddha passed away, here is the text quoted from my translation of the Mahāparinibbānasuttaṁ:
When the Gracious One attained Final Emancipation along with the Emancipation there was a great earthquake, and an awful, horrifying crash of the Divinities’ (thunder) drum.
When the Gracious One attained Final Emancipation along with the Emancipation Brahmā Sahampati spoke this verse:
“All beings in the world will surely lay aside the body,
In the same way the Teacher, Such-like, unmatched in the world,
the Realised One, attained to (the ten) strengths, the Sambuddha, has attained Final Emancipation.”
When the Gracious One attained Final Emancipation along with the Emancipation Sakka, the Lord of the Divinities, spoke this verse:
“Impermanent indeed, are (all) processes, arisen they have the nature to decay,
After arising they come to cessation, the stilling of them is blissful.”
When the Gracious One attained Final Emancipation along with the Emancipation venerable Anuruddha spoke these verses:
“There is no more breathing for that Such-like one of steady mind,
Freed from lust, the Sage who has died, has entered the peace (of Nibbāna).
With an unshaken heart, he endured the painful feelings,
Like a flame (when it goes out) so his mind was liberated in Nibbāna.”
When the Gracious One attained Final Emancipation along with the Emancipation venerable Ānanda spoke this verse:
“With that there was fear, with that there was horror,
When the Sambuddha, endowed with all noble qualities, attained Emancipation.”
I made a poster related to one of these verses and I will show you the poster and what software was involved in its making tomorrow.