Buddha could have lived till the end of the world, had Ananda not been so dumb. In the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta, Buddha told Ananda, "Whosoever, Ananda, has developed, practiced, employed, strengthened, maintained, scrutinized, and brought to perfection the four constituents of psychic power could, if he so desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of it. The Tathagata, Ananda, has done so. Therefore the Tathagata could, if he so desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of it." Ananda was supposed to say, "So please stay on for the sake of the world" but he did not, even after Buddha repeated the words two more times. What a nice excuse to die. The one who can, if so desired, remain throughout a world-period or until the end of it, yet cannot, because Ananda did not respond correctly. Stupid Ananda. If you had just opened your mouth, Buddha would have remained till today and we would not have so many religious disputes. Or Buddha would have to find another excuse to explain his death.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27 KJV)
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23 KJV)
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