History & Civics
Read the following excerpt and answer the questions that follow:
"After preaching and teaching for many years, Buddha attained Nirvana at the age of eighty at Kushinagara in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Buddha was the only religious founder who did not make any super natural claim." (Source: https://egyankosh.ac.in/hand/e/123456789/35229)
(a) What is "Mahaparinirvana," and where did Gautama Buddha attain it?
(b) What happened to Gautama Buddha's sacred remains after his death?
Answer
(a) Mahaparinirvana means ultimate salvation. A person can attain salvation by following the righteous path. This ultimate bliss or salvation is called 'Nirvana' by the Buddhists. In this state, the soul becomes free from the eternal cycle of life and death.
Gautam Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar, near Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
(b) Gautama Buddha's sacred remains were distributed among his followers and taken to eight different places, where large mounds, called stupas, were built over them.
Related Questions
Why has Shravanbelagola become an important Jain pilgrimage site?
What are the "Four Great Sights" that changed Gautama's perspective on life?
With reference to the picture given below answer the following questions:
(a) Where is the famous Stupa located, and who built it?
(b) What purpose did stupas serve in the spread of Buddhism, and what do they symbolise?
State the five vows which every Jain has to take.