When the Buddha attained ‘Enlightenment’, the habitual karmic-power that continuously pulled together his physical and psychological existence fell away – leaving only the residual karmic-power of his present (final) bodily existence. Although the Buddha had broken the ridge-pole of continuous delusional habit – the physical body he occupied whilst attaining this position still had to be ‘lived through’ – until its biological functions naturally expired and its cohesive structure fell away. All of the material universe exists within empty space. Buddhist ‘Enlightenment’ seems to suggest a subjective appreciation of this external space and understands that all material expression exists within a continuous state of flux. As the Buddha broke-free of the human attachment to physical existence – his achievement was originally portrayed by his followers as ‘being not there’.
