| Knowing that he had reached the end of his life, the Buddha invited the twelve animals of the chinese zodiac to come and say goodbye to him before he left for the other world. The first one to arrive was the Rat. This is why the rat is the first sign of the zodiac during the chinese solar year. Then came the Ox, then the Tiger, followed by the Rabbit and the Dragon. The Snake was next, with the Horse and Goat. Then the Monkey arrived, together with the Rooster and the Dog. Finally, the Boar which was the last animal to see Buddha alive. |