Some popular inaccurately phrased expressions like 'The Buddha entered into Nirvana or Parinirvana after his death' have given rise to many imaginary speculations about Nirvana. The moment you hear the phrase that 'the Buddha entered into Nirvana or Parinirvana', you take Nirvana to be a state, or a realm, or a position in which there is some sort of existence, and try to imagine it in terms of the senses of the word 'existence' as it is known to you. This popular expression 'entered into Nirvana' has no equivalent in the original texts. There is a word parinibbuto used to denote the death of the Buddha or an Arahant who has realized Nirvana, but it does not mean 'entering into Nirvana'. Parinibbuto simply means 'fully passed away', 'fully blown out' or 'fully extinct', because the Buddha or an Arahant has no re-existence after his death.
---What the Buddha Taught, by Walpola Rahula---
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