The Nirvan Buddha/ Reclining Buddha depicts the Historical Buddha in the last moments of life on earth, prior to the Buddha dying one last time before entering Nirvana (often written in English as ParaNirvana when referring to the life of The Buddha). It is said that an alms giver had accidentally given the Buddha pork that had gone bad, and this eventually led to the death of the Buddha.
Because the Buddha had gained enlightenment in this lifetime, the Buddha was able to escape the endless cycle of birth – death – rebirth (known as samsara) and was able to enter Nirvana. In this pose, the Buddha is always depicted lying on the right hand side on top of a resting table. One of the most well-known examples of this statue is enshrined at Wat Pho in Bangkok, Thailand, although there are numerous other temples throughout Southeast Asia that house statues in the posture. Fascinating.