8.Entering parinirvana: On February15th, at age 80, the Buddha had completed teaching, thus he laid between two Sala trees and entered parinirvana near the Hiranyavati River at Kushinagar .

8.涅槃︰佛陀八十歲那年的二月十五日，教化因緣已滿，遂於拘尸那羅城跋提河邊的娑羅雙樹間進入涅槃。

The “Eight Stages of the Buddha’s Life” is a summary of the Buddha’s life, which is centered on subduing mara, because without doing so, the Buddha would not have been able to attain Buddhahood. Without enlightenment, the Dharma could not have been taught, and no sentient beings would have been delivered. In successfully subduing mara, the Triple Gem was formed, and the world thus saw a ray of light. The so-called “mara” actually comes from our own minds. If we can cultivate our mind and subdue mara, the light of the Intrinsic Triple Gem will naturally illuminate itself.

「八相成道」說明佛陀一生的化跡，其中以降魔為樞紐，因為不降魔則無以成佛道，而不成道，就沒有所謂的說法、度眾。因為降魔成功，乃有三寶的成就，人間才有了光明。所謂的魔，最主要的就是自己的心魔，如果我們能修心降魔，自性三寶的光明自然能顯現出來。







Parinirvana：涅槃

Sala tree：娑羅樹

Hiranyavati River：跋提河

Kushinagar：拘尸那羅城

Intrinsic Triple Gem：自性三寶