Gautama

There is a story that tells of a poor young boy who, having nothing to give the Buddha as a gift, collected a handful of dust and innocently presented it. The Buddha smiled and accepted it with the same graciousness he would accept a gift from a wealthy admirer.

In approximately 486 BC, at the age of 80, the Buddha died. He held in his hand a simple pouch of faded doeskin. Before he passed, he emptied the small bag of dust into the breeze, quietly laughing.

His last words are said to be:

Impermanent are all created things;

Strive on with awareness.



T h a n k s f o r s e n d i n g t h i s .