The last teaching before the Buddha's final passing, from the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta
The Pacchima Ovāda is the last teaching the Buddha gave before his final passing. The Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (Long Discourses 16) tells how, on his last night, he lay between twin sal trees in the sal grove of the Mallas near Kusinārā. Three times he invited the monks to ask about any doubt they had concerning the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Saṅgha, the path or the practice, so they would have no regrets later. All of them kept silent. Ānanda said no monk had any doubt, and the Buddha confirmed that even the last of the five hundred monks there was a stream-enterer. Then he spoke his last words.
Handa dāni, bhikkhave, āmantayāmi vo,
vayadhammā saṅkhārā, appamādena sampādetha.Come now, monks, I tell you: all conditioned things fall apart. Bring the work to completion through heedfulness.
DN 16
The sutta records that these were the Realized One's last words. He then passed through the stages of meditation one by one and attained final nibbāna.
What appamāda means
Appamāda means heedfulness: staying mindful, not letting the mind drift, not putting off what should be done. Sampādetha means bring to completion, accomplish. So the last words have two parts. The first states a fact: everything that arises from causes and conditions falls apart, the Buddha's own body included. The second says how to respond: get on with the work, carefully and diligently, rather than losing heart or grieving.
The teaching as Teacher
A little earlier, the Buddha told Ānanda:
Siyā kho panānanda, tumhākaṁ evamassa:
atītasatthukaṁ pāvacanaṁ, natthi no satthāti.
Na kho panetaṁ, ānanda, evaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ.
Yo vo, ānanda, mayā dhammo ca vinayo ca desito paññatto,
so vo mamaccayena satthā.Ānanda, some of you might think: 'The Teacher's word is a thing of the past; we have no Teacher now.' But that is not how to see it. The teaching and training I have taught and laid down for you will be your Teacher when I am gone.
DN 16
Machine translation from: DN 16 The Great Discourse on the Buddha's Extinguishment
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