The Buddha attained his enlightenment at the age of thirty-five. After that, he tirelessly traveled and taught around northern India for forty-five years.

All things come and go, and the Buddha's body was subject to the same changes: he too became old and fragile. When he reached his eightieth year, he realized that his life was about to end, for he felt his physical strength was declining even though his mind was as strong as ever. He decided to journey to the foothills of the Himalayas, the region most familiar to him in his younger days, to enter nirvana. He embarked on his journey with Ananda and a group of bhiksus.

When they reached Bamboo Grove Village, the Buddha became seriously ill, but later on he gradually recovered. The Buddha then predicted that he would enter nivana after three months. This announcement made Ananda and other monks very sad. The Buddha tried to comfort them and told Ananda to assemble all the monks at Mahavana.

The Buddha went to the place of the assembly and there gave his most important instruction. He expressed the final expectations he had of his disciples and encouraged them to observe strictly all his teachings. "All worldly things are transient and illusory. You must practice and learn diligently and think about how to improve yourselves. Guard your own minds and do not be heedless, and you can then expect emancipation from all suffering and worries."

When he and his followers were walking towards Kusinagara, they rested in the city of Pava at the Mango Garden, which belonged to Cunda, the son of a goldsmith. The Buddha lectured to Cunda and his family and then accepted them as his disciples. The Buddha accepted Cunda's invitation to receive offerings at his home the next morning. In the food that Cunda offered was mixed a kind of fungus grown on sandalwood, which caused the relapse of the Buddha's previous illness. Cunda was of couse filled with remorse, but the Buddha compassionately consoled him with soft words. He bore the pain with all his strength and continued to journey onward, hoping to reach Kusinagara.

Taking a short rest every now and then along the way, the Buddha and his followers entered a forest outside Kusinagara, where Ananda set up a resting place for him. The Buddha lay down on his right side with his right hand supporting his head, which was pointing towards the north.