At the age of 80, after 45 years of teaching, the Buddha entered into a deep trance and died peacefully in the Sala Grove in Kushinagara. This event, often called the (Maha) parinirvana, is depicted with the Buddha reclining gently on his right side, often surrounded by sorrowing attendants and disciples. Sometimes his body appears already shrouded with muslin, as is follower Ananda prepares for his master's funeral.
The Buddha's coffin proved impervious to ordinary fire, but a divine flame came from within; it burned for seven days and reduced Buddha's earthly remains to ashes. These remains, or sharira, were divided into eight parts, and sent throughout the world. The recipients reverently enshrined these holy relics in special mounded shrines called stupas, where they became the subject of worshipful reverence, often serving as the focal points of Buddhist monasteries.
In time, Mahayana Buddhist iconography incorporated many more obvious characteristics of divinity into representations of the Buddha -- perhaps in order to compete with the images of Hindu deities. A halo-like aureole often surrounded the Buddha's head. Flamelike projections sprang from his shoulders, and streams of water flowed from his feet, recalling the miracle at Sravasti which had made manifest the Buddha's transcendent power in the face of those who doubted him. Wheel-like chakras appeared on his palms, and on the soles of his feet.
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