般泥洹經
Chinese title:般泥洹經
Save your scripture progress
Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.
LOWER FASCICLE
At that time, the Buddha told the Venerable Ananda to accompany him to the settlement of Cau-di[128]. After they had rested safely in the city of Ba-tuan-lich[129] and were halfway along the road, the Buddha fell ill, and his entire body was racked with pain[130]. He sat down beneath a tree and said to the Venerable Ananda:
“Take the bowl to the Cau-di River[131] and draw a little water.”
The Venerable obeyed and went. At that time, five hundred carts had just rumbled across upstream, making the water turbid. The Venerable Ananda drew some water, returned, and said to the Buddha:
“Just now, a great many carts passed through and made the river water turbid; it has not yet become clear. The Blessed One may use this water for washing. Not far from here is the Hy-lien River[132]. I shall go there and bring back water for the Blessed One to drink.”
The Buddha used the water in the bowl to wash his face and feet. At that time, the Buddha’s pain subsided somewhat.
Afterward, a minister from Hoa-thi named Phuoc-ke[133] was passing through this region. From afar, he saw that the Buddha’s faculties were tranquil, that he abided in serene concentration, peaceful and composed, and that his countenance shone with radiant light. Rejoicing in his heart, he approached, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, and stood to one side. The Buddha asked Phuoc-ke:
“Through what did you attain joy in the Dharma?”
He replied:
“Through the bhikkhu Luc Lam[134]. Formerly, while traveling along the road, I saw Luc Lam sitting peacefully beneath a tree. At that time, five hundred carts passed along the road. A man who came afterward descended from his cart and asked the bhikkhu:
“‘Did you see the caravan of carts that passed ahead?’
“‘I did not see it.’
“‘Then did you not hear the sound of the carts?’
“‘I did not hear it.’
“‘Were you asleep at the time?’
“‘I was not asleep. I was contemplating the Way.’
“The man praised him, saying:
“‘The carts rumbled loudly, yet though awake, you did not hear them. How single-mindedly you guard your mind! This is truly difficult for anyone to accomplish. If you did not even hear five hundred carts passing, how could you have heard any other sound?’
“He then offered that bhikkhu a robe of dyed cloth.
“When I heard of this event, my heart was filled with great delight, and I attained joy in the Dharma that has remained with me to this day.”
The Buddha asked Phuoc-ke:
“What do you think: how does the fierce, roaring sound of thunder compare with the noise of five hundred carts passing?”
“Even if a thousand carts were all racing swiftly at once, their noise could not compare with the sound of thunder.”
The Buddha said:
“Formerly, on one occasion, I was journeying and teaching in A-tram[135]. At midday, heavy rain fell and thunder roared fiercely, killing four oxen and two brothers who were plowing. People crowded together densely to look. At that time, I had just emerged from meditative concentration and was walking calmly in meditation. A man approached, bowed his head at my feet, and then followed me. I asked:
“‘Why have so many people gathered?’
“‘Just now, thunder and lightning killed four oxen and two brothers who were plowing. Did the Blessed One not hear it?’
“‘I did not hear it.’
“‘Were you asleep at that time?’
“‘I was not asleep. I was abiding in samadhi.’
“The man praised me, saying:
“‘Rarely has one heard of anyone possessing concentration like that of the Buddha. Though the thunder resounded throughout heaven and earth, you had attained tranquil concentration and therefore neither heard nor perceived it.’ That man rejoiced in his heart and also attained joy in the Dharma.”
Phuoc-ke offered praise in verse:
Meeting the Buddha and beholding the Buddha,
Who would not rejoice?
Through blessed vows, I have encountered this occasion,
Enabling me to gain the benefit of the Dharma.
The Buddha replied in verse:
Those who cherish the Dharma sleep peacefully,
Joyful, their minds pure;
The True One has taught the Dharma,
And the wise always practice accordingly.
The Dharma protects those who cultivate it,
As rain causes trees to flourish.
At that time, the minister Phuoc-ke immediately sent an attendant back to fetch a newly woven cloth of golden thread, which he offered to the Buddha, saying:
“I know that the Buddha does not use such a thing, yet I beseech you, out of compassion, to accept it.”
The Buddha accepted the cloth and then taught the Dharma, giving many instructions on its essential principles. Phuoc-ke moved respectfully to one side and said:
“From this day onward, I take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma of the Way, and take refuge in the Noble Sangha. I undertake the precepts of a faithful lay disciple: bodily, I shall not kill living beings, steal the possessions of others, engage in sexual misconduct, deceive or act falsely, drink intoxicants, or eat meat. I shall not violate these precepts. Because affairs of state press upon me, I now beg leave to depart.”
He then bowed with his head at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated him three times, and departed.
The Buddha told the Venerable Ananda to bring him the cloth woven of golden thread offered by Phuoc-ke. The Venerable obeyed and presented it to him, and the Buddha put it on. The Venerable Ananda saw the Buddha’s countenance shining, joyful, and dazzling, like the color of pure gold. He knelt and said:
“For more than twenty years since I became your attendant, I have never seen the Buddha’s countenance shine with such brilliant radiance as it does today. I do not understand what this signifies.”
The Buddha said:
“Ananda, there are two occasions on which the Buddha’s countenance shines brightly. The first is the night when I attained the unsurpassed True Way, the wondrous perfect awakening; the second is the final night, when I relinquish the remainder of my lifespan and, with the unconditioned mind, enter final nirvana. At midnight tonight, I shall enter parinirvana. Therefore, my countenance emits such light.”
The Venerable Ananda wept and said:
“Why must the Buddha enter nirvana so soon? The eye of the world is about to be extinguished—why so quickly?”
At that time, the Buddha told the Venerable Ananda to accompany him to the Hi-lien River. Arriving at the riverbank, the Buddha removed his robes, waded into the water, held the robes in his hands, and bathed himself. He then crossed to the opposite bank, put his robes in order, and told the Venerable Ananda:
“This morning, I accepted a meal at the home of the disciple Thuan; tonight, I shall enter final nirvana. Venerable one, explain clearly to Thuan that after accepting a meal at his home, I shall enter final nirvana tonight. There are two opportunities difficult to encounter in the world. If one encounters either and personally makes an offering, all doubts and fears are ended, and one gains true blessings.
“What are the two? One may offer an alms meal to the Buddha, and, strengthened by that meal, he attains the fruit of the unsurpassed True and Perfect Way and becomes a fully awakened one. Or one may offer an alms meal to the Buddha, and after that meal he relinquishes his lifespan and, with the unconditioned mind, enters final nirvana.
“Now that Thuan has offered such an alms meal to the Buddha, he will gain longevity, freedom from desire, great merit, the highest esteem of others, and a place among government officials; after his life ends, he will be born in a heavenly realm. Because he will gain these five blessings, tell Thuan not to grieve but to rejoice. By offering the Buddha an alms meal on a single occasion, he has gained such abundant blessed rewards. Therefore, know that one must be reverent toward the Buddha, must study the scriptural Dharma, and must honor the Noble Sangha.”
The Venerable Ananda said to the Buddha:
“The bhikkhu Nhu-dien[136] is fierce-tempered and irascible; he delights in reviling others and speaks excessively. After the Buddha enters nirvana, how should such a person be dealt with?”
The Buddha told the Venerable Ananda:
“After I enter nirvana, fierce bhikkhus should be disciplined through the brahma-danda[137]. Tell the assembly to remain silent and avoid them, and not to speak with them. They will then feel ashamed and reform themselves in repentance.”
At that time, the Buddha told the Venerable Ananda:
“Spread out my bed and pillow. My back is aching.”
The venerable one immediately prepared the bed and pillow. The Buddha lay down on his right side, one foot resting upon the other, contemplating the wisdom of the true path. At that time, the Buddha summoned the venerable Ananda and instructed him to speak about the seven factors of enlightenment.
The venerable Ananda said:
“Yes, indeed. Formerly, while following the Buddha, I heard this:
“1. The factor of enlightenment called mindfulness of resolve. For the purpose of self-awakening, the Buddha attained the incomparable state, possessing the ease of a noble one: unconditioned, peaceful, free from sensual desire, and rid of distracted thoughts[138].
“2. The factor of enlightenment called investigation of Dharma. For the purpose of self-awakening, the Buddha attained the incomparable state, possessing the ease of a noble one: unconditioned, peaceful, free from sensual desire, and rid of distracted thoughts.
“3. The factor of enlightenment called energy. For the purpose of self-awakening, the Buddha attained the incomparable state, possessing the ease of a noble one: unconditioned, peaceful, free from sensual desire, and rid of distracted thoughts.
“4. The factor of enlightenment called joyful delight. For the purpose of self-awakening, the Buddha attained the incomparable state, possessing the ease of a noble one: unconditioned, peaceful, free from sensual desire, and rid of distracted thoughts.
“5. The factor of enlightenment called one-pointed direction. For the purpose of self-awakening, the Buddha attained the incomparable state, possessing the ease of a noble one: unconditioned, peaceful, free from sensual desire, and rid of distracted thoughts.
“6. The factor of enlightenment called meditative concentration. For the purpose of self-awakening, the Buddha attained the incomparable state, possessing the ease of a noble one: unconditioned, peaceful, free from sensual desire, and rid of distracted thoughts.
“7. The factor of enlightenment called equanimous conduct. For the purpose of self-awakening, the Buddha attained the incomparable state, possessing the ease of a noble one: unconditioned, peaceful, free from sensual desire, and rid of distracted thoughts.”
The Buddha said:
“Ananda, since you are able to explain them in this way, you should therefore strive diligently.”
He replied:
“Yes, indeed. Since I have been able to explain them, I shall strive diligently.”
“So it is, Ananda! One who applies himself diligently to cultivation will swiftly attain the path.”
The Buddha rose from his seat and contemplated the meaning of the teaching. A bhiksu spoke this verse:
The Dharma’s ambrosia flows forth from the Buddha;
When he is ill, his disciple expounds it.
Teaching this to exhort those who come after,
He asks the noble sage about the seven factors of enlightenment.
Only when the Buddha appeared in the world did I understand
The pure and stainless practice;
A trainee must understand mindfulness and right resolve,
Joyful delight in Dharma, and entry into diligence.
One-pointed direction, equanimity, and concentrated mind—
Investigation of Dharma is purified wisdom.
Those who are ill should listen to this,
Cultivate the factors of enlightenment, and dispel wrong thoughts.
The one now ill is the King of Dharma;
The precious path issues from this source.
Even such a one still listens to the Dharma;
How much more should ordinary beings not fail to listen!
The finest and wisest disciple
Comes to visit the sick and inquire about the path
From the noble sage, without ever tiring;
How much more should others not fail to listen!
If, having heard the path in the past,
One gives rise to other thoughts and the mind goes astray,
Such a person has no joyful delight
In the Buddha’s teaching and is beset by distracting thoughts.
Through joyful delight one becomes one-pointedly directed,
Dwelling in the unconditioned, with the mind tranquil;
Once at peace, no perceptions of sounds arise—
This is called the enlightenment factor of investigating Dharma.
Extinguishing all conditioned activities, wisdom becomes mature;
One takes refuge in the Honored Ones of the Three Times;
For the sake of all devas, humans, and spirits,
One trains in loving-kindness and follows the great path.
Now the noble teacher has entered cessation,
The venerable ones continue to teach;
At fitting times they proclaim and chant the sound of Dharma,
May the sacred relics aid in teaching and transforming beings.
At that time, the Buddha told the venerable Ananda:
“Go and suspend a rope bed between the twin sala trees at Su Lien[139], with its head toward the north. At midnight tonight, I shall enter final nirvana.”
The venerable one received the instruction and immediately did as the Buddha had directed. He then returned and informed the Buddha that it was finished. The Buddha went to the twin sala trees, lay upon the rope bed, and reclined on his right side. The venerable Ananda stood behind the bed, bowed his head and wept, choking with grief and sighing deeply. He said:
“How swiftly the Buddha enters nirvana! How quickly the eye of the world is extinguished! My fellow practitioners and students are returning from the four directions because they wish to see the Buddha, but now there is no hope left! How difficult it will be to see the Buddha again! How difficult it will be to attend upon the Buddha again! When they arrive and do not see the Blessed One, they will grieve. How sorrowful my heart is!”
The Buddha asked a bhiksu:
“What is the venerable Ananda doing?”
He replied:
“The venerable one is standing behind you, grieving and weeping.”
The Buddha told the venerable Ananda:
“Do not weep. Why is this? From the time you began attending upon the Buddha until now, your bodily conduct has always been loving and compassionate; your verbal conduct has also been loving and compassionate; and your mental conduct has also been loving and compassionate.
You have wished to bring every kind of peace and happiness, your thoughts and reflections have been clear, and you have been wholehearted toward the Buddha. Although the attendants of the Buddhas of the past devoted themselves entirely to service, they did not surpass you. Even if the attendants of the Buddhas of the future and present devote themselves entirely to service, they cannot surpass you.
Why is this? Because you have clearly understood the Buddha’s intention and therefore know the appropriate time. Whenever a community of bhiksus comes to pay respects to the Buddha, you always admit them to an audience at the proper time.
Whenever communities of bhiksunis, male lay devotees, or female lay devotees come seeking to see the Buddha, you also admit them at the proper time. Whenever followers of other teachings, brahmins, or householders come to ask questions, you always admit them to an audience at the proper time.”
The Buddha told the bhiksus:
“The most honored person beneath heaven is a Wheel-Turning Noble King. Such a king naturally possesses four virtues that are difficult for anyone to equal.
“What are the four? When the kings of the kshatriya lineage from vassal states come to approach and attend upon him, the Noble King gladly expounds the Dharma to them, causing them all to delight in understanding it, respectfully accept his words, and practice accordingly. This is the first virtue.
“When brahmins devoted to their religious paths personally come to attend upon the king, the king always gladly appears and expounds the Dharma to them, causing them all to delight in understanding it, respectfully accept his words, and practice accordingly. This is the second virtue.
“When officials of governing families[140] and householders come together to attend upon the king, the Noble King immediately appears gladly and expounds the Dharma to them, causing them all to delight in understanding it, respectfully accept his words, and practice accordingly. This is the third virtue.
“When scholars belonging to various non-Buddhist schools[141] come to attend upon the king, the Noble King immediately appears and expounds the Dharma to them, causing them all to delight in listening, respectfully accept his words, and practice accordingly. This is the fourth virtue.
“Furthermore, this venerable bhiksu Ananda also possesses four excellent virtues that are difficult for anyone to equal. What are the four? When bhiksus come to Ananda, he immediately meets and greets them joyfully and expounds the sutras and Dharma to them. There is no one whose understanding is not thereby increased and who does not delight in receiving the teaching and practicing accordingly. When bhiksunis and male lay devotees come to the venerable Ananda, he immediately meets and greets them joyfully and expounds the sutras and Dharma to them, so that there is no one whose understanding is not thereby increased and who does not delight in receiving, retaining, and practicing the teaching. These are the first four virtues.
“There are another four virtues. When the venerable Ananda expounds the sutras and Dharma to bhiksus, bhiksunis, male lay devotees, and female lay devotees, his mind and speech are both upright, without divided intent, causing his listeners to be reverent and to listen in silence. Precisely because of this tranquility, the venerable Ananda remembers extensively and does not suddenly forget. These are the second four virtues.
“There are yet another four virtues. When bhiksus, bhiksunis, male lay devotees, or female lay devotees do not understand the meaning of the sutras and the Vinaya, they all come to question the venerable Ananda. The venerable Ananda then analyzes and explains them, enabling everyone to understand clearly. After they depart, there is no one who does not praise the venerable Ananda. These are the third four virtues.”
“There are also four other virtues. The Buddha expounded the twelve divisions of the scriptures, and the Venerable Ananda could recite, remember, and understand them all. Therefore, he repeated them to the fourfold assembly of disciples exactly as he had heard them, without adding or omitting anything, and he never grew weary. This is the fourth of the four virtues of the Venerable Ananda, which few can equal and which is rarely found in the world.”
At that time, there was a Transformation Bhikkhu[142] standing before the Buddha. The Buddha said:
“Bhikkhu! Step aside; do not stand before me.”
The Venerable Ananda said to the Buddha:
“I have attended upon the Blessed One for twenty-five years, yet I have never seen any bhikkhu behave in this manner, approaching the Buddha directly without first asking my leave.”
The Buddha said:
“Ananda! That is a Transformation Bhikkhu. Moreover, for many kalpas he has been a great sovereign deity, possessed of wondrous spiritual powers and majestic virtue. Having completely eliminated all sorrow, anxiety, and fear, he knew that the Buddha would enter nirvana at midnight tonight, and therefore he came here. For from this day onward, he will never again behold the Buddha.”
Ananda asked:
“Is this the only deity who knows that the Buddha is about to pass into extinction?”
The Buddha replied:
“From the east, west, south, and north, throughout the area extending four hundred and eighty li around the city of Kusi, devas fill the entire sky. They all lament sorrowfully, distraught and ill at ease, and they all think: ‘Why is the Buddha passing into extinction so soon!’”
Ananda said:
“Near this region, on either side, there are great kingdoms such as Van-vat, Rajagriha, Man-la, and Duy-da.[143] Why does the Buddha not choose one of those places in which to enter nirvana, but instead does so here in this small and remote city?”
The Buddha said:
“Ananda! Do not call this city small and remote. Why is that?
In ancient times, this land was called Cau-na-viet,[144] and it was the capital of a great king. The city was four hundred and eighty li long and two hundred and eighty li wide, magnificent and beautiful as a painting. It had seven concentric city walls.
The foundations of the walls had four tiers and were eight fathoms high and three fathoms wide at the top. They were all made of gold, silver, crystal, and lapis lazuli, while the roof tiles were fashioned from these four kinds of treasure. Many short walls, finely carved and exquisitely engraved, were arranged atop the walls.
The ground was paved with fired bricks, and the dwellings of the people were all fashioned from the four treasures. Along the roads, many trees grew naturally in close-set rows. The trees, too, were made of the four treasures.
Trees of gold had leaves, flowers, and fruits of silver, while trees of silver had leaves, flowers, and fruits of gold. The trees of lapis lazuli and crystal were likewise. Whenever a gentle breeze stirred the trees, they constantly emitted five kinds of sound.
Those sounds were harmonious and gentle, like the vibrations of the five strings of a lute. Among the rows of trees were bathing ponds. The edges of the ponds were paved with tiles, and pathways ran continuously along their banks.
Within them stood four jeweled terraces, whose steps were lined with balustrades. The walls, beds, and seats within the buildings were all made of the four treasures. In the ponds there were always multicolored lotuses: blue utpala lotuses, purple cau-diem lotuses, golden van-na lotuses, and red hibiscus lotuses.[145] Viewed from any of the four directions, they were arranged in straight rows.
On both sides of the roads there were also seven kinds of rare flowers, fragrant and sweet, which always bloomed in winter and summer and displayed five brilliant colors. Throughout that realm, thirteen kinds of sound were constantly heard: the sounds of elephants, horses, oxen, chariots, conches, bells, small bells, drums, dancing, singing, stringed instruments and music, songs extolling benevolence and righteousness, and praises of the Buddha’s noble practices.
“At that time, there was a wheel-turning sage king named Great Joyful Vision,[146] who ruled the four continents under heaven and governed the people according to the true Dharma. He naturally possessed the seven treasures: 1. the precious golden wheel, 2. the precious white elephant, 3. the precious blue horse, 4. the divine guardian of the treasury, 5. the precious jewel woman, 6. the precious chief steward,[147] and 7. the precious sacred guide.[148]”
The king possessed four spiritual virtues:
His childhood lasted eighty-four thousand years; he served as crown prince for eighty-four thousand years; he reigned as a wheel-turning king for eighty-four thousand years; and after relinquishing his worldly throne, he wore the Dharma robe for eighty-four thousand years. The king’s lifespan was three hundred and thirty-six thousand years. This was the king’s first spiritual virtue.
He could fly through the air and travel throughout the four continents under heaven, accompanied by the seven treasures and all his ministers and attendants. This was the king’s second spiritual virtue.
He possessed a handsome and dignified form, was strong and rarely ill, and his bodily temperature was balanced, being neither cold nor hot. This was the king’s third spiritual virtue.
He possessed surpassing spiritual majesty. His mind was always gentle and joyful, he clearly perceived the true path, and he taught and transformed the myriad people through the true Dharma. This was the king’s third spiritual virtue.
Whenever the king went forth on an excursion, he always practiced generosity to increase merit and fulfilled the wishes of everyone. Those who asked for water were given drink; those who sought food were given food; and those who sought clothing, chariots, horses, incense, flowers, money, or jewels were given them all. He loved people and living beings as parents love their children.
The officials and people revered and loved the king as children revere and love their father. Whenever the king went forth, he instructed his charioteer to proceed slowly so that the officials and people of the realm could gaze upon him longer. The king’s nature was honest, generous, benevolent, and compassionate, and peace prevailed throughout the four quarters.
This was indeed the consummation of the king’s virtue.
The king held dominion over eighty-four thousand kingdoms governed by lesser kings. Whenever those lesser kings came to court, King Great Joyful Vision invited them into the hall, graciously comforted them, expounded the true Dharma for them, and asked whether anything was lacking in their kingdoms.”
The lesser kings all replied:
“Through the profound favor bestowed by the Heavenly King, we find that our kingdoms are replete with every joy and delight.”
The king then commanded:
“You should refurbish your palaces so that they resemble my palace. Teach and transform the people through the true Dharma, and do not cause Heaven’s myriad people to suffer.” He also bestowed robes, caps, footwear, carriages, and precious objects upon the lesser kings. Having received the king’s instructions, the lesser kings took their leave and withdrew, each filled with joy.
At that time, the great king renovated the Dharma Hall. It was forty li long and had four tiers, all made of gold, silver, crystal, and lapis lazuli. Its chambers, walls, balustrades, pillars, elevated crossbeams, posts upon squared columns, short beams, ridgepoles beneath the sheltering eaves, and, from top to bottom, its beds, thrones, seats, and mats were all made of the four treasures.
Moreover, upon the Dharma Hall, eighty-four thousand kinds of adornments were intermingled and arrayed in splendor. Chariots and pavilions appeared like the stars of the Northern Dipper. Gold ornamented the spaces where the structures intersected, while silver platforms were arranged before them.
Whenever a pavilion was made of silver, its platform was made of gold; the tiers of crystal and lapis-lazuli pavilions were fashioned in the same manner. In the midst of the jeweled adornments hung garlands of flowers and fruits. Canopies were interwoven with the four treasures and woven from gold and silver, while some were of scarlet velvet woven from animal hair in brilliant colors.
Their four corners were made of coral. Around the hall itself, on all four sides, there were bathing ponds, each perfectly square and one yojana wide.
Around the bathing ponds grew many Da-lan trees,[149] numbering eighty-four thousand in all. Each was one yojana high, and they grew along the intersecting roads.
Whenever the Great King went on an excursion, he rode in an elephant carriage. At that time, King Great Delightful Vision used his possessions to perform meritorious deeds for the people. Each morning, he invited śramaṇas and brahmins to the palace hall to receive a meal.
The king reflected: “The days and months pass swiftly, and I shall soon grow old. I am now enjoying the five kinds of sensual pleasure and creating such things as jeweled palaces. I should restrain desire and personally cultivate the pure life.” Accompanied by only one attendant, the king ascended the Dharma Hall, entered the section adorned with gold and precious stones, sat upon the silver royal couch, and reflected: “The people of the world indulge in lust without measure.
Whatever is born must die, and the body eventually returns to dust. All things are impermanent.” The king arose, entered the section adorned with silver, sat upon the golden couch, and reflected: “Wherever there is meeting, there must be separation;
all attachment and longing are of no benefit. I should relinquish affection and devote myself to cultivating the holy life.” Having reflected thus, the king arose, entered the section adorned with crystal, sat upon the beryl couch, and thought: “I shall contend against aging, illness, and death, rectify my mind, transform my conduct, eliminate lust, anger, and delusion, and contemplate the Unconditioned Way.” The king then arose again, entered the section adorned with beryl, sat upon the crystal couch, and concentrated his mind in contemplation.
He abandoned evil states and worldly sensual desire, contemplated the Unconditioned Way, maintained purity of mind, and attained the practice of the first dhyana. He remained thus for a very long time, pervading everything.
At that time, the eighty-four thousand jeweled maidens together addressed the foremost Jeweled Maiden:
“May the Divine Queen understand: we have heard the king’s renown, yet have not been able to approach and stand in attendance to express our reverence for him. We wish to pay him homage.”
She replied:
“Younger sisters, return and adorn yourselves, and we shall go together to pay homage.”
She then said to the Jeweled Commander of the Army:
“We women have long been unable to approach and attend upon the Holy King to express our reverence. Now we all wish to pay homage to the king.”
The Jeweled Commander of the Army immediately prepared eighty-four thousand elephants, adorned with gold-plated rhinoceros-hide armor and jeweled reins, foremost among them being the king of white elephants, whose long tail hair was red; eighty-four thousand horses, adorned with gold-plated rhinoceros-hide armor and jeweled reins, foremost among them being the mighty king of horses, whose body was azure and whose long tail was purple-red; and eighty-four thousand carriages, covered with rhinoceros-hide armor and adorned with the four kinds of jewels, foremost among them being the carriage of the Jeweled Commander of the Army.
There were eighty-four thousand women, each seated in a carriage, foremost among them being the Jeweled Maiden. The jeweled maidens followed behind and, upon reaching the Dharma Hall, alighted from their carriages.
An attendant reported to the king:
“The elephants, horses, carriages, royal consorts, and lesser kings all wish to come and pay homage to Your Majesty.”
The king ordered the attendant to arrange seats below the hall. The king descended from the Dharma Hall and beheld the eighty-four thousand beautifully adorned women. Everyone marveled and exclaimed: “No brush or ink could ever fully describe the beauty of these royal women; only they could possess such surpassing loveliness.”
The Jeweled Maiden said:
“We have long been separated from the king and have been unable to approach and attend upon you. Therefore, we adorned ourselves and came here together, hoping to behold Your Majesty.”
At that time, the king was seated. All the women came forward, bowed, and then sat to one side. The Jeweled Maiden approached the king and said:
“All these elephants, horses, carriages, jeweled maidens, and lesser kings now belong to Your Majesty. May the Divine King graciously attend to them and take delight together with them. Furthermore, the Divine King is foremost among the eighty-four thousand kingdoms, and among the eighty-four thousand single couches, the Great Upright Couch is foremost. May the Divine King graciously attend to these things and nourish his life.”
The king replied:
“Younger sisters! The reason I discipline myself day and night, rectify my mind, and practice loving-kindness is solely that I wish to distance myself from this sensual desire. Why is this? The jealousy of women brings harm to my person. Therefore, I abandon desire so as to remain far removed from that fault.”
The Jeweled Maiden shed tears and said:
“O Divine King! Why has Your Majesty chosen to cut off love and desire, calling us your younger sisters? Why do you cast aside affection and leave the palace women almost bereft of hope? We wish to know for what purpose the Divine King observes the precepts, rectifies his mind, and practices loving-kindness. We too vow to join together and wholeheartedly follow Your Majesty in cultivation.”
The king replied:
“With a mind of loving-kindness and upright conduct, one does not fall into the taints. One casts aside sensual pleasures and cultivates virtue to preserve purity, reflecting that life grows shorter day by day and that human existence passes swiftly. People and things alike are impermanent; only the Way is true.
Therefore, I have distanced myself entirely from elephants, horses, carriages, palaces, kingdoms, lesser kings, women, love, and desire; none of these any longer bind my mind. Whoever wishes to care for his own person should observe that, between heaven and earth, whatever is born cannot escape death. Therefore, younger sisters, you should maintain an upright mind, practice loving-kindness and compassion, and not allow your minds to become heedless and fall into the paths of affliction, birth, and death.”
The Jeweled Maiden, weeping, said:
“The Divine King has now restrained his own body and mind, not wishing to fall into the paths of affliction, suffering, and distress. Reflecting that life grows shorter day by day and that human existence passes swiftly, you dwell in seclusion to care for yourself, guard the mind, and cultivate pure conduct. Understanding through reflection that neither human beings nor the myriad things—whatever is born—can escape death, you have distanced yourself from all possessions so that the mind may remain undefiled. We vow to uphold these wise precepts and never dare forget them.”
With a mind of loving-kindness, the king thanked the women and then instructed them to withdraw. He ascended the Dharma Hall, entered the place adorned with gold, sat down, and contemplated loving-kindness. He forgot all resentment, no longer harbored evil jealousy, advanced in contemplation of the Great Way and immeasurable virtuous qualities, and spread loving-kindness throughout the world so as to awaken and discipline himself.
He arose again, entered the place adorned with silver, sat down, and contemplated compassion. He forgot all resentment, no longer harbored wicked jealousy, advanced in contemplation of the Great Way and immeasurable virtuous qualities, and spread compassion throughout the world so as to restrain and awaken himself. He arose again, entered the place adorned with crystal, sat down, and contemplated sympathetic joy.
He forgot all resentment, no longer harbored evil jealousy, advanced in contemplation of the Great Way, and, through immeasurable virtuous qualities, spread loving-kindness throughout the world so as to restrain and awaken himself. He arose once more, entered the place adorned with beryl, sat down, and contemplated equanimous guarding of the mind. He forgot all resentment, no longer harbored wicked jealousy, advanced in contemplation of the Great Way, and, through immeasurable virtuous qualities, wished to protect all beings, thereby disciplining and awakening himself.
By devoting himself to the practice of these four great holy abidings, he was able to abandon the mind of love and desire and extensively cultivate pure conduct. Because the king practiced in this way, he immediately attained mastery. At death, he was peaceful and secure, and his body suffered no pain. Like a strong man, within the time required to enjoy a single meal, his consciousness was reborn in the seventh heaven, the Brahma Heaven. The Great Delightful Vision, the Wheel-Turning King of that time, was none other than my former self.
“Thus, Ananda! Who could know this: in a former life I was a wheel-turning king, possessed of the seven treasures that arose naturally, practicing the true Dharma, endowed with four virtues, and never given to attachment.
“At that time, extending four hundred and eighty li from the city of Kusi, all the land lay within the domain of the Heavenly King’s city. In the past I was also a kshatriya king, and six times I relinquished my body in this land; now is the seventh time. Now that I have attained Buddhahood, I have severed birth and death. Henceforth, I shall assume no further body. I have also completed all that was to be done. I now travel to the east, south, west, and north, teaching and transforming beings wherever I go. Three months from now, I shall also leave my bones here.”
The Venerable Ananda said to the Buddha:
“After the Buddha’s parinirvana, how should the funeral rites be performed?”
The Buddha said:
“Be silent. The brahmins and householders will gladly attend to the matter themselves.”
He asked again:
“How will the brahmins and householders conduct the funeral?”
The Buddha said:
“It should be done according to the funeral rites for a wheel-turning king. Wrap the body in new kalpa silk, then continue wrapping it in five hundred layers of cloth. Place it in a golden coffin and pour sesame oil over it until the oil has thoroughly permeated everything. Then lift the golden coffin and place it inside a great iron outer coffin. Pile various kinds of fragrant wood over it and perform the jhāpita cremation[150]. Afterward, gather the relics, place them at a crossroads, erect a stupa and a shrine, establish a ceremonial altar, hang banners, offer incense and flowers, and pay homage and bow in reverence. This is the funeral rite for a wheel-turning king.”
The Buddha told the Venerable Ananda:
“You should enter the city and inform the Mallas: ‘At midnight tonight, the Buddha will enter parinirvana. Whoever wishes to make an offering should strive to arrive in time, lest they later have cause for regret. Whoever wishes to see the Buddha in hopes of receiving illumination should come promptly.’”
The Venerable obeyed and entered the city of Kusi, where he saw five hundred Mallas assembled in deliberation. The Venerable Ananda then informed them:
“At midnight tonight, the Buddha will enter parinirvana. Whoever wishes to make an offering should strive to arrive in time, lest they later have cause for regret. Whoever wishes to see the Buddha and receive illumination should come at once.”
They were all astonished and sorrowfully lamented:
“How swiftly the Buddha is entering nirvana! How swiftly the Eye of the World is being lost!”
Their cries of grief reached the royal palace. The king instructed the crown prince and the Mallas to bring all their families and go together to the Twin Trees, where they said to the Venerable Ananda:
“We wish to enter first to bow in homage and inquire after the Buddha.”
The Venerable Ananda went in and said to the Buddha:
“Crown Prince A Than[151], together with his noble kinsmen, has come to request the Three Refuges, for it will not be long before the Buddha enters parinirvana.”
The Buddha permitted them to enter.
They all came forward, bowed, and sat to one side. The crown prince said:
“How swiftly the Buddha is entering parinirvana!”
The Buddha replied:
“I have always said: ‘The world is unreal and contains nothing truly joyful. Whoever craves long life and clings to the five desires will become deluded and gain no benefit; they will only increase birth and death and undergo immeasurable suffering.’ Now I am the Buddha and have attained serenity, free from desire for all such things; nevertheless, you yourselves must remain diligent. The wise throughout the world always desire to see a Buddha and delight in hearing the sutras and Dharma.
Since you possess such an aspiration, you must establish yourselves in faith, establish yourselves in morality, practice generosity, listen widely, study broadly, and develop wisdom. Cultivate these five aspirations so as to abandon attachment and defilement. Thus, in life after life, you will enjoy wealth and honor, your good name will spread afar, and when your life ends, you will be born in the heavenly realm and attain happiness; you may ultimately attain nirvana.”
“When the Buddha had taught in this way, the crown prince and the Mallas all bowed in homage to the Buddha and withdrew.”
At that time, the king and one hundred and forty thousand men and women, old and young, throughout the kingdom went at the appointed hour to the Twin Grove and said to the Venerable Ananda:
“Please allow us to enter and pay homage to the Buddha, so that we may hear his teaching.”
The Venerable asked the Buddha to permit them to enter. The king then led the worthy people of the kingdom forward to bow in homage to the Buddha, after which they sat to one side. At that time, there were no lamps or torches before them. The Buddha then emitted a ray of light from the crown of his head, illuminating an area extending two thousand li. The Buddha said:
“It has been exceedingly arduous for the great king and his ministers to come here.”
The king said:
“The Buddha is about to enter parinirvana. Is there any instruction you wish to give us?”
The Buddha told the king:
“It has been forty-nine years since I attained Buddhahood. The sutras and precepts that I have taught are all complete. The worthy and capable people in your kingdom have all understood them.”
“The king and his ministers all showed sorrow and grief.”
The Buddha told the king:
“From time immemorial, devas, spirits, humans, and all living creatures, once born, cannot escape death. Only nirvana is deathless and peaceful. The king should not grieve, but should think only of what is wholesome, correct the errors of the past, and cultivate vigilance for the future. Govern the affairs of the kingdom well; do not wantonly increase cruelty and violence. Treat the worthy and virtuous generously, grant pardons, and show leniency to those guilty of minor offenses. Practice the four acts of kindness to comfort and reassure the people. What are the four?
“1. Always practice generosity and provide aid, never considering it sufficient.
“2. With loving-kindness, regard the people as your own children.
“3. For their benefit, teach and guide them along the wholesome path.
“4. Share benefits with those below you, so that all may enjoy them together.
“If the king can act in this way, he will always acquire immense merit and virtue. In my former lives, by practicing these four acts of kindness[152] and accumulating their merit over many lifetimes, I was able to attain Buddhahood.”
The Buddha spoke this verse:
Awakened, the Supremely Honored Buddha,
Abandoning lust, pure and undefiled;
The Wise One, teacher of devas and humans—
Those who follow him attain peace and joy.
Blessed rewards bring wondrous bliss;
Great vows are resolutely fulfilled.
Through heroic vigor, liberation is attained;
I shall soon enter nirvana.
The king and everyone else rose together, bowed to the Buddha, circumambulated him three times, and then withdrew.
At that time, there was an aged teacher of another doctrine in the city, one hundred and twenty years old, named Subhadra[153]. Hearing that the Buddha would enter parinirvana at midnight that night, he thought to himself: ‘I have doubts concerning the Dharma and have always hoped that Gautama might once illuminate them for me. Now the time has come!’ He immediately arose and, exerting himself, made his way to the Twin Trees, where he said to the Venerable Ananda:
“I have heard that Gautama will enter parinirvana at midnight tonight. I wish to see him and ask him to resolve my doubts.”
The Venerable Ananda replied:
“Enough, enough, Subhadra! Do not trouble the Buddha.”
Subhadra pleaded two or three times:
“I have heard that the Buddha is the Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly and Completely Awakened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, the Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Guide of Beings to Be Tamed, Teacher of Devas and Humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One[154]. It is exceedingly difficult to encounter him, just as the udumbara flower[155] blossoms only once in hundreds of thousands of myriads of years. Please let me see him once so that my doubts may be dispelled.”
“The Venerable Ananda feared that he would disturb the Tathagata and therefore did not wish to report the matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha’s wisdom is ever-penetrating and pure beyond that of ordinary people; therefore, knowing what had occurred, he told the Venerable Ananda:
“Do not obstruct him; allow him to enter. This is the final occasion on which I shall teach and liberate the aged non-Buddhist ascetic Subhadra.”
“Subhadra was permitted to enter. Joy arose in his heart, and a wholesome mind was born within him. Delighted to see the Buddha, he reverently exchanged the customary greetings, then stood to one side and addressed the Buddha:
“‘I have something I wish to ask. Would you be willing to resolve my doubt?’
“The Buddha said:
“‘Ask whatever you wish. After hearing your question, I shall explain it.’
“Subhadra said:
“‘The learned men of the present age all proclaim themselves teachers. They are the teachers of the Ancient Return school, the Unerring school, the Perfect Conduct school, the White Heron Son school, the Life-Extending school, the Golden Banner school, the Abundant Accumulation Source school, and Nirgrantha Jñatiputra.[156] Were these eight taught by others, or did they attain knowledge by themselves?’
“The Buddha told Subhadra:
“‘They are different from the Buddha. Those people have themselves devised deviant paths, craving existence and being deluded by false conceptions.[157]
“‘1. Wrong view means not understanding this life and the life to come, regarding one’s own actions as right, and delighting in divination to seek blessings and long life.
“‘2. Wrong thought means dwelling upon sensual desire and giving rise to contentious and angry thoughts.
“‘3. Wrong speech means speaking false words of slander, flattery, defamation, and embellishment.
“‘4. Wrong conduct means harboring the intention to kill, steal, and engage in sexual misconduct.
“‘5. Wrong livelihood means seeking gain, food, and clothing in ways contrary to the right path.
“‘6. Wrong effort means being unable to prevent evil and unable to practice good.
“‘7. Wrong mindfulness means a mind that craves sensual pleasures and regards bodily suffering as purity.
“‘8. Wrong concentration means focusing the mind upon what one seeks while failing to see the path of liberation.[158]
“‘Thus it is, Subhadra! Formerly, I renounced the household life to seek the Way. After twelve years, I attained the Way and became a Buddha, and I have expounded the sutras and Dharma for fifty years. Since leaving the household life, there have been concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation. Only the Buddha, the ascetic, expounds the right path; ordinary people and followers of other paths cannot accomplish this. I possess the Eightfold True Path. Through it the first fruit of an ascetic is attained; through it the second, third, and even the fourth fruits of an ascetic are accomplished. Whoever does not see this Eightfold True Path cannot realize the four fruits of an ascetic. The Eightfold True Path is:
“‘1. Right view: seeing this life and the life to come; knowing that good deeds bring blessings and evil deeds bring calamity; understanding suffering and its arising; practicing cessation and attaining the Path.
“‘2. Right thought: thinking of the peace and happiness attained through renunciation, and abandoning contentious and angry thoughts.
“‘3. Right speech: speech that is truthful, sincere, gentle, loyal, and trustworthy.
“‘4. Right conduct: not killing, not acting deceitfully, and harboring no lustful thoughts.
“‘5. Right livelihood: seeking the necessities of food and clothing in accordance with the Path, without deviation.
“‘6. Right effort: preventing and restraining evil conduct and arousing wholesome intentions.
“‘7. Right mindfulness: contemplating four things—body, feelings, mind, and dharmas—and understanding impermanence, suffering, non-self, and impurity.
“‘8. Right concentration: single-mindedly abiding in the unconditioned and perfecting the practice of the four dhyanas.[159]
“‘Ascetics and brahmins who practice these eight true principles accomplish the four fruits of the Path and can utter the lion’s roar. My virtuous disciples practice without negligence; their thoughts of the world have ceased, and therefore they attain the fruit of arhatship.’
“Then Subhadra said to the Venerable Ananda:
“‘How joyful, Venerable One! This benefit is both vast and excellent. It is truly unprecedented. Is it not wondrous that a foremost disciple should encounter this? I have now received the kindness of the Noble One and heard this Dharma. I wish to renounce the household life, receive the precepts, and attain fulfillment.[160]’
“The Venerable Ananda addressed the Buddha:
“‘The brahmin Subhadra wishes to receive the Blessed One’s discipline of liberation,[161] renounce the household life, and perfect the conduct of an ascetic.’
“The Buddha conferred the complete precepts upon the brahmin, saying:
“‘The last person to attain my pure precepts and Dharma is the non-Buddhist student Subhadra.’ The Buddha then conferred the precepts upon Subhadra, ordaining him as a bhikshu. Subhadra received them single-mindedly and, without negligence, by right effort and the foundations of mindfulness,[162] eradicated every kind of affliction in order to attain the purpose for which he had shaved his beard and hair, donned the kasaya robe, and, out of faith, left home for homelessness.
Desiring to attain the Dharma and the Path, he perfected the pure conduct and personally knew that he had realized awakening, accomplished liberation, and attained ultimate peace and happiness. He had done what was to be done, and his mind had become completely unobstructed. The Venerable Subhadra transcended every bond of the world and attained the fruit of a True Worthy, an arhat.
The Venerable One thought to himself, ‘I cannot wait for the Buddha to enter parinirvana.’ He therefore entered cessation before the Buddha.
“Then the Buddha told the bhikshus:
“‘After my passing into cessation, if a follower of another path, one among ordinary beings, wishes to cut off his braided hair, set foot upon the ford of Dharma, bathe and become pure, renounce the household life, and request the precepts, you should permit that person to become an ascetic. Why? Because he possesses great resolve.
First, he must undergo probation for three months[163] to determine whether he is truly applying his mind. If his words and deeds accord with one another, he may relinquish his faults. First confer upon him the ten precepts; if he commits no transgression for three years, then confer upon him the two hundred and fifty precepts.
Of these, the ten precepts are the foundation, while the other two hundred and forty concern dignified deportment and proper conduct.[164] If anyone can practice in this way, the devas will always rejoice.
“‘Furthermore, those who wish to uphold the discipline, observe the precepts, and become ascetics do so for four reasons, all arising from the wish to draw near the Path and delight in peace and happiness. After my passing into cessation, some may relinquish official positions and wish to become ascetics; some, being advanced in years and old, may wish to become ascetics; some, being poor and destitute, may wish to become ascetics; and some may wish to become ascetics because they desire to cultivate right conduct.
If worthy and capable people who wish to cultivate right conduct, elderly people, the poor and distressed, or those who have relinquished official posts come to cultivate the Path, once they have been adequately provided with clothing, food, and drink, they must receive and recite the teachings of the Dharma. If a person cultivates pure conduct, that person can enable the True Dharma to endure for a long time. Through that person, many people will attain peace, security, deliverance, and liberation; the world will find refuge, and benefit will extend throughout devas and human beings.
Thus it is said, “One who follows the Dharma attains peace and happiness in this life and attains liberation in this life.” Therefore, devote your minds to receiving and preserving it.
“‘Through what Dharma does such a person attain peace, happiness, and liberation in this life? It is the twelve divisions of scripture taught by the Buddha: 1. Discourses, 2. Verses, 3. Prophecies, 4. Chanted Stanzas, 5. Parables, 6. Accounts of Past Lives, 7. Explanations of Events, 8. Birth Stories, 9. Extensive Teachings, 10. Spontaneous Teachings, 11. Practices of the Path, and 12. Dual Manifestations.[165] This is called the Dharma. Whoever reverently upholds and safeguards it in accordance with the Dharma will attain peace and happiness in this life and can attain liberation. Therefore, devote your minds to receiving, preserving, reading, and reciting it, and contemplate it with a right mind, so that the pure Path may long abide in the world.
“‘Disciples, you should exert yourselves and be diligent. Do not be indolent or treat this lightly, saying, “The Buddha has passed into cessation, and there is no one upon whom we may rely.” You should follow the teachings of the Dharma. Every half-month, on the fifteenth and thirtieth days, expound the precepts. On the six fasting days, sit upon a high seat and recite the sutras, fixing your minds upon the scriptures as though the Buddha were still in the world.
“‘Furthermore, sons and daughters of good family, you should recollect these four events:
“‘1. When the Buddha, as a bodhisattva, had just descended and been born.
“‘2. When the Buddha first attained the wondrous, right awakening.
“‘3. When he first expounded the sutras and turned the Dharma wheel.
“‘4. When he relinquished the remainder of his lifespan and, with a mind abiding in the unconditioned, entered nirvana.’
“You should discuss and contemplate these matters. Remember that when the Buddha was born, his merit and virtue were such as these. When the Buddha attained enlightenment, his spiritual power was such as this. When he turned the Dharma wheel and delivered beings, it was such as this. When he was about to pass into extinction, he left behind teachings such as these.
“Furthermore, in the intervening period and in the final period, whoever contemplates and recollects these things and resolves to practice them will be reborn in the heavenly realms. If anyone who receives and upholds these teachings has doubts concerning the Buddha, the Dharma, the Noble Sangha, or suffering, its arising, its cessation, and the path, then, bhiksus, you should resolve that person’s doubts just as I would while still in the world. Therefore, now bring such questions before the Buddha and his true disciples; come yourselves to ask me and hear my explanations.”
The Venerable Ananda stood behind the Buddha, fanning him, and said:
“Yes, indeed! All have relied upon the Buddha’s benevolence and thereby attained peace and happiness. Not a single bhiksu harbors any doubt concerning the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, or the Four Truths.”
The Buddha told the Venerable Ananda:
“All have attained peace and happiness. Through the Tathagata’s instruction and guidance, they no longer have any doubts concerning the Buddha, the Dharma, the Noble Sangha, or the Four Truths of suffering, its arising, its cessation, and the path. Therefore, cast aside craving and arrogance, follow the Buddha’s teachings, receive and uphold them with a diligent mind, and practice the path through serene contemplation. These are the Buddha’s final exhortations; reverently follow them.
“Bhiksus! Behold the Buddha’s countenance and dignified bearing, for it will be difficult to see him again. More than one hundred and forty million years from now, the Buddha Maitreya[166] will appear in the world. It is truly difficult always to encounter a Buddha. In the world there is the udumbara tree[167], which bears fruit without flowering. Yet only when that tree blossoms does a Buddha appear in the world. The Buddha is the sun of the world, ever concerned with dispelling darkness for sentient beings. I myself am the noble teacher; I am now seventy-nine years old. What had to be done has been accomplished. You should be diligent and vigorous. It is already midnight.”
The Buddha then entered the first dhyana. Emerging from the first dhyana, he entered the second dhyana. Emerging from the second dhyana, he entered the third dhyana. Emerging from the third dhyana, he entered the fourth dhyana. Emerging from the fourth dhyana, he entered the sphere of infinite space[168]. Emerging from the sphere of infinite space, he entered the sphere of infinite consciousness. Emerging from the sphere of infinite consciousness, he entered the sphere of nothingness. Emerging from the sphere of nothingness, he entered the attainment of neither-perception.[169] Emerging from the attainment of neither-perception, he entered the cessation of perception and awareness[170].”
At that time, the Venerable Ananda asked the Venerable Anuruddha[171]:
“Has the Buddha already passed into extinction?”
Anuruddha said:
“He has not yet passed into extinction. The Buddha is now abiding in contemplation within the concentration of the cessation of perception and awareness.”
The Venerable Ananda said:
“Previously, I heard the Buddha say: ‘From entry into the fourth dhyana until the state beyond awareness, when one relinquishes the unconditioned state with a residual basis, one enters nirvana[172].’”
The Buddha then emerged from the cessation of perception and awareness and returned to contemplate the attainment of neither-perception; emerging from the attainment of neither-perception, he contemplated the sphere of nothingness; emerging from the sphere of nothingness, he contemplated the sphere of infinite consciousness; emerging from the sphere of infinite consciousness, he contemplated the sphere of infinite space; emerging from the sphere of infinite space, he contemplated the fourth dhyana; emerging from the fourth dhyana, he contemplated the third dhyana; emerging from the third dhyana, he contemplated the second dhyana; emerging from the second dhyana, he contemplated the first dhyana.
From the first dhyana he again ascended through the third and then the fourth dhyana, returned to the state beyond awareness, relinquished the state of nirvana with a residual basis, and immediately entered parinirvana. At that very moment, the great earth trembled. Devas, dragons, and spirits appeared throughout the sky and scattered flowers like rain.
There was no one who did not lament with sorrow and come to make offerings.”
At that time, Sakra, lord of the second heaven, appeared and recited this verse:
The skandhas and formations are all impermanent,
Merely dharmas that arise and decline;
Where there is birth, there must be death;
The Buddha has passed into extinction and attained peace.
A Brahma deity from the seventh heaven appeared and recited this verse:
Excellent! The Buddha has relinquished
That to which the world is deludedly attached;
He broadly taught the pure Dharma,
Unequaled throughout the three realms.
His wondrous spiritual powers and fearlessness—
Their radiance is extinguished from this day forth.
The Venerable Anuruddha recited this verse:
The Buddha now abides in the unconditioned;
His inhalation and exhalation have ceased.
Originally he came from the self-so,
And now returns to numinous wonder.
His mind was pure, without attachment;
For the sake of beings, he endured bodily illness.
His work of teaching and transformation complete,
Only then did he return to quiescent extinction.
Since first encountering the Buddha,
Who has not borne his profound kindness?
Now he enters the realm of pure emptiness;
Who knows when he will appear again?
At that time, the bhiksus were all distraught, pacing about and lamenting: ‘The Buddha has entered parinirvana—how swiftly! The eye of the world has been extinguished—how swiftly!’ Some among them grieved and wept, reflecting upon the suffering of the world and their own failure to attain the path. Others gazed upon the Buddha’s body and intently contemplated that existence arises from causes and conditions; formations continue without cease and must undergo impermanence and suffering. Whatever is born must die; after death, there is birth again. Birth and death alternate, yet the spiritual essence is not extinguished and is not subject to domination. The Venerable Anuruddha said:
“Enough, enough, Ananda! Tell the bhiksus that the devas in the heavens, seeing this, will regard it as delusion. For who, having left home and entered the discipline of liberation, could fail to use the benefit of the Dharma to liberate himself?”
The Venerable Ananda wiped away his tears and asked:
“How many devas are there above?”
“From Vaisali[173] to the Audu shrine[174] and the Hiranyavati River[175], across a distance of four hundred and eighty li, devas have appeared everywhere. There is no space in the sky where they are not present, pacing about distraught and saying together: ‘The Buddha has entered parinirvana—how swiftly! The eye of the world has been extinguished—how swiftly!’ Some among them grieve and lament, pitying the suffering of the world, which, obscured by craving, cannot see the right path.
Others say to one another: The Buddha taught, ‘Birth and death fundamentally arise through dependent origination. The mind continually creates formations and undergoes impermanence and suffering. Whatever is born must die; after death, there is birth again.
Consciousness moves on in accordance with formations—how could it know nirvana?’ The Buddha has delivered the world to liberation, so everyone must be diligent. More than half the night has already passed!”
The Venerable Anuruddha told the Venerable Ananda:
“Enter the city and inform the people that the Buddha has passed into extinction. Whoever wishes to prepare his body for burial should do so without delay.”
The Venerable Ananda immediately entered the city and informed the people. When the Mallas heard this, they were all shocked, grieved, and sorrowful, saying:
“The Buddha has entered parinirvana—how swiftly! The eye of the world has been extinguished—how swiftly!”
The people of the city assembled together, brought incense and flowers to the Buddha’s physical remains, bowed their heads in homage, and attended upon him with offerings. Together they asked the Venerable Ananda:
“How should the Blessed One’s body be prepared and buried?”
He replied in accordance with the Buddha’s teaching:
“It should be done according to the method of preparing and burying a wheel-turning king, but what is done for the Buddha should be even more magnificent.”
The noble clansmen said:
“Please allow us seven days, for we wish to present music, flowers, incense, lamps, and torches as offerings, so that our minds may be opened.”
The Venerable Ananda replied:
“Do as you wish.”
The Mallas then joined their efforts to make the preparations. They made a golden urn, a golden hearse, a golden coffin, and an iron outer casket, and provided five hundred bolts of new kappa cotton cloth.
At that time, people from the four directions, throughout an area four hundred and eighty li in circumference, all brought music, flowers, and incense to the twin trees. Together they lifted the Buddha’s physical remains and placed them upon a golden couch, then made offerings with music and paid homage.
At that time, the Hua clan selected young men to oversee the guarding of the funeral carriage. They wished to convey the coffin to the land of Au-do for cremation. But the young men could not approach the front of the Buddha’s funeral carriage. They tried to advance two or three times, yet still could not reach it.
The Venerable Anuruddha said to the Venerable Ananda:
“The reason they cannot approach the Buddha’s funeral carriage is that this is the will of the devas. They wish the young men of the Hua clan to take hold of the left side, while the devas take the right side and the people of the country follow behind. Together they are to carry the Buddha’s golden bier through the eastern gate of the city. As they pass through the city, celestial music is to be played as an offering. They are then to leave through the western gate, set it down upon the land of Au-do, pile up many layers of fragrant wood, and perform the cremation.”
The Venerable Ananda replied:
“Yes, reverently shall it be done according to the devas’ wish.”
The Venerable then informed the Hua clan of this wish.
They all replied:
“We respectfully obey.”
They immediately instructed the young men on the left to use many silk cords to bind the left corner securely, while the devas took the right side and used silk cords to bind the right corner of the bier securely. In addition, countless devas in the sky scattered all kinds of celestial flowers and sprinkled fragrant perfumes.
At that time, the minister Ba-hien and the minister Cau-di-ban-bac[176] wished to use human music in praise and, together with the celestial music, accompany the relics.
“Just as they had agreed, the entire procession slowly entered through the eastern gate of the city. They passed throughout the city, reached the crossroads of the great thoroughfare, and paused in the lanes, scattering incense and flowers and playing music. They then departed through the western gate and arrived at the land of Au-do.
They wrapped the Buddha’s body in kalpa silk, then wrapped it more than a thousand times with five hundred bolts of cloth. They saturated it with sesame oil and fragrant oil, filling the golden coffin and covering the Buddha’s physical body. They lifted the golden coffin and placed it inside an iron outer casket, sealed the lid of the golden coffin tightly, and piled fragrant woods upon it.
When this was done, the minister Au-to[177] began to kindle the fire. As soon as the flames flared up, they immediately went out. Though he tried to light it three times, it still would not burn.”
The Venerable Anuruddha said to the Venerable Ananda:
“The reason the fire will not burn is the will of the devas. They see that the Venerable Mahakasyapa is leading five hundred disciples back here from Ba-tuan and has already traveled halfway. He wishes to return quickly so that he may behold the Buddha’s face and bow in homage. Therefore, they have caused the fire not to burn.”
The Venerable Ananda replied:
“Yes. Let us reverently honor the devas’ wish.”
At that time, an ascetic of another school named A-di-duy[178], seeing that the Buddha had passed into nirvana, picked up a branch of celestial mandara flowers and traveled in the opposite direction toward the Venerable Mahakasyapa. When the Venerable Kasyapa saw him, he approached and asked:
“Do you know the Buddha, the holy teacher whom I revere?”
A-di-duy replied:
“I know this well. He entered parinirvana seven days ago. Devas and humans gathered together to make offerings to him. I have come from that place, and thus obtained this branch of celestial flowers.”
The Venerable Kasyapa then became sorrowful and joyless. Among the five hundred bhiksus, many were overwhelmed and distraught. Raising their faces toward the sky, they lamented:
“The Buddha entered parinirvana far too soon! The eye of the world has been extinguished!”
Some were anxious and grief-stricken, contemplating the suffering of the world, bound by affection and craving and unable to behold the right path.
The Venerable Kasyapa said:
“Venerable ones, do not grieve. You should understand that the existence of the body is due to dependent origination, while the mind continually creates without ever ceasing. All is impermanent and suffering. Where there is birth, there is death; death exists because there is birth. There is no security within the five realms of existence; only nirvana is a realm of perfect peace and bliss. Those who have not yet attained the path should seek the benefit of the Dharma. By abandoning every course of activity belonging to conditioned dharmas, they will attain the path. All of you, gather up your robes and bowls. Only by traveling swiftly shall we arrive in time to behold the Buddha’s physical form.”
In this assembly was a bhiksu named Dan-dau, who also belonged to the Sakya clan and had gone forth under the Buddha. He said to the bhiksus:
“Why should you be so troubled? From now on, we are free. That old man was always telling us, ‘You should do this; you should not do that.’ Now that he is gone, is this not exceedingly good?”
When the Venerable Kasyapa heard these words, he became even more sorrowful, and so urged the assembly to hasten to the Twin Trees so that they might see the Buddha. Upon arriving, the Venerable Kasyapa said to the Venerable Ananda:
“Since the cremation has not yet taken place, please allow me to behold the Buddha’s body.”
The Venerable Ananda replied:
“The Buddha’s body has already been enshrouded, anointed with sesame oil, and placed inside the golden coffin. Fragrant woods have been piled around it and saturated with oil. Although the cremation has not yet taken place, it would be difficult to behold the body.”
The Venerable Kasyapa expressed his wish three times, but the Venerable Ananda continued to answer as he had at first.
At that time, the Buddha’s physical body extended both feet from within the many layers of the coffin. Everyone saw them and was filled with great joy. The Venerable Kasyapa bowed his head in homage. Seeing an unusual color upon the Buddha’s feet, he asked the Venerable Ananda:
“The Buddha’s body is golden in color. Why, then, has it changed?”
Ananda replied:
“An old and frail woman bowed at the Buddha’s feet and shed tears upon them. That is why their color has changed in this way.”
The Venerable Mahakasyapa again became sorrowful and reverently recited this verse:
You entered quiescence, no more to be born,
No longer subject to aging and death;
No longer is there meeting,
Nor encountering those one hates.
Long since abandoning affection and craving,
You suffer no grief of separation.
Through earnestly seeking skillful means,
You attained such a state.
The Buddha’s five skandhas are purified,
All have been entirely severed;
There is no further creation
That might bring five skandhas once again.
All suffering has now ended,
The root of existence is wholly removed.
Through earnestly seeking skillful means,
Such peace and bliss were attained.
The Buddha has severed the world,
Casting off every sensual craving.
You patiently endured all things,
And thus departed from every affliction.
You attained serene stability
And brought peace and bliss to all beings.
We should bow in homage to you,
Forever liberated from the three realms.
The sutras and precepts taught by the Buddha
Shine throughout the world.
You widely revealed the right path,
True and certain, dispelling every doubt.
You saved all living beings,
Freeing them from aging and death.
Of those who encountered the Buddha,
Who did not receive his immense grace?
Like the moon shining in the night,
Dispersing all darkness;
Like the sun shining by day,
Illuminating every place;
And like a flash of lightning,
Suddenly blazing through dense clouds—
The Buddha’s radiance shone forth,
Illuminating all three realms.
Among all renowned rivers,
The Kun-lun River is the greatest;
Among all great bodies of water,
The ocean is supreme;
Among all the stars,
The moon shines brightest;
The Buddha guides sentient beings,
Revered by devas and humans alike.
The Buddha delivered the world,
Bestowing merit and virtue everywhere.
The precepts and Dharma he proclaimed
Are clearly discerned in every place.
He also caused the Dharma to spread widely,
And his disciples diligently practice it,
Causing devas, humans, ghosts, spirits...
All reverently to bow in homage.
After the Venerable Mahakasyapa had recited the verse, he bowed at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated the golden coffin three times, and then stood to one side.
The bhiksus, bhiksunis, laymen, laywomen, devas, nagas, ghosts and spirits, celestial-music spirits, Zhile spirits, garuda spirits, spirits of sensual desire, She-qu spirits... all came forward, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, circumambulated the golden coffin three times, and then stood to one side.
At that time, the Buddha’s golden coffin was not set alight, yet it spontaneously burst into flames. The Venerable Ananda then recited this verse:
The Buddha is pure within and without,
His is the body of the Brahma world;
The source of his wondrous deeds of transformation,
Therefore it is now thus.
More than a thousand layers of silk and cloth—
What need was there for garments to cover his body?
Nor was there any need for washing,
For he was radiant like the brilliant moon.
By the end of that night, when the cremation of the Buddha’s physical body was complete, four trees spontaneously grew in that place: the to-thien-ni tree, the ca-duy-do tree, the a-the-de tree, and the ni-cau-loai tree.[179] The householders and leading families of the country gathered the Buddha’s relics and filled a golden vessel with them. They placed it upon the funerary carriage, conveyed it into the city, and set it in the great hall. Together they had music performed, scattered flowers, burned incense, bowed in homage, and made offerings.
At that time, the Hoa clan of the country of Ba-tuan, the Cau-lan people of the country of Kha Lac, the Man-ly people of the country of Huu Hoanh, the brahmins of the country of Than Chau, and the Ly-kien people of the country of Duy-da[180] heard that the Buddha had come to rest beneath the Twin Trees and entered Parinirvana. They therefore each prepared the four divisions of their armies—elephant corps, cavalry, chariot corps, and infantry—and proceeded together to the country of Cau-di. Halting outside the city, they sent envoys inside to say:
“We have heard that the Blessed Buddha entered cessation here. He was also our Teacher. Because we revere and cherish him, we have come together to ask the king to allot us a share of the relics, so that we may bring them back to our own countries, erect stupas, and make offerings.”
The king of Cau-di said:
“The Buddha came here of his own accord; therefore, our country shall undertake to make offerings to him. The kings have endured great hardship in coming from afar to seek a share of the relics, but that cannot be granted.”
The people of the Sakya clan from the country of Xich Trach[181] also came with the four divisions of their army and said:
“We have heard that the Blessed Buddha entered cessation here. He was the foremost sage of the Sakya clan, born among our own kin, and truly our revered forefather. Because we revere and cherish him, we have come to request a share of the relics, so that we may bring them back, erect a stupa, and make offerings.”
The king of Cau-di gave the same reply as before and refused to allot them a share.
King Ajatasatru of Magadha then led the four divisions of his army across the great river and arrived. He sent the brahmin Mao-que[182] inside to inquire about the situation and earnestly declared:
“For a long time, I have trusted in the king’s friendship, without clinging possessively or engaging in contention. Now the Blessed Buddha has entered cessation here. He was the Honored One of the three realms; indeed, he was my very God. I have always revered and cherished him, and so I have come to request a share of the relics. If the king grants me a share of the Buddha’s relics, then whatever treasures our two countries possess, may we exchange them with one another and enjoy them together.”
The king of Cau-di replied:
“The Buddha came here of his own accord, and I shall undertake to make offerings to him. I thank Your Majesty, but I cannot allot the king a share of the relics.”
Mao-que then gathered everyone together and proclaimed this verse:
All who have come here now with sincere hearts,
Have journeyed from afar to bow in homage;
They ask to receive a share of the relics,
But if the king will not grant it,
This matter will stir the assembled multitude;
The four divisions of the armies are already here.
If the path of righteousness is not followed,
Armed conflict cannot be avoided.
The people of Cau-di also replied in verse:
You have troubled yourselves to come from afar,
And exhausted your strength to bow in homage;
The Buddha left his body here,
And we dare not promise it to anyone.
If you wish to mobilize your armies,
We too stand ready here;
We shall face life and death together,
For we have never known fear of anyone.
The brahmin Mao-que explained to everyone:
“All the kings have earnestly followed the Buddha’s teachings; by day they recite the words of the Dharma, and their hearts are moved by his benevolent instruction. All sentient beings think only of attaining peace and security. How much more, then, did the Buddha, out of great loving-kindness, allow his body to be cremated and leave relics behind, wishing thereby to spread merit and blessings widely throughout the world? Why, then, would you seek to thwart his compassionate intention? Therefore, the relics now present must simply be divided among all.”
Everyone praised these words as excellent. Together they went to the place where the relics had been set, reverently bowed their heads in homage, and then stood to one side. They asked Mao-que to divide the relics. Mao-que then took a stone bowl, smeared its interior with honey, and divided the relics into eight portions. He then said to everyone:
“I have revered the Buddha, and I have also complied with everyone’s worthy intention. May I take this bowl used to divide the relics back to my country, so that I may erect a stupa and make offerings to it?”
Everyone said:
“One who possesses wisdom should know the proper time.”
They immediately agreed.
There was also a brahmin named On-vi[183], who said to everyone:
“I humbly admire your worthy intentions. I ask only to take the charcoal from the cremation ground, so that I may bring it back, erect a stupa, and make offerings.”
Everyone agreed.
Afterward, an ascetic of another school from the country of Huu Hoanh[184] arrived and requested the ashes remaining on the ground.
At that time, each of the eight countries received one portion of the relics. They all returned to their respective countries and erected stupas. Those stupas were all splendidly adorned and beautiful.
The brahmin Mao-que, the great religious practitioner On-vi of Chung-ap, who returned to the settlement of Ti-phan, and the ascetic from the country of Huu Hoanh all received their respective portions of the bowl, charcoal, and ashes and returned to erect stupas. The eight portions of relics had eight stupas; the stupa enshrining the bowl used to divide the relics was the ninth; the stupa enshrining the charcoal was the tenth; and the stupa enshrining the ashes was the eleventh.
The Buddha was born on the eighth day of the fourth month, renounced the household life on the eighth day of the fourth month, attained enlightenment on the eighth day of the fourth month, and entered Parinirvana on the eighth day of the fourth month. All these events occurred in the month when the Buddha constellation arose.[185] At that time, the hundred kinds of flowers and grasses were all verdant, and the trees grew dense and luxuriant.
At that time, the Buddha had entered Parinirvana, and the light of the world had vanished. The devas and spirits throughout the ten directions all took refuge in and looked up to the Buddha.
Although the relics had been divided, some among the four assemblies of disciples in distant regions had not yet heard the news. Therefore, they waited ninety days before constructing the stupa. The kings who attended, the leading families, the people, their households and relatives, and their servants and slaves all observed fasting and the precepts for ninety days. The four assemblies of disciples from distant regions gathered together in Cau-di and asked the Venerable Ananda:
“Where should the stupa be erected?”
Ananda replied:
“You should go forty li outside the city and erect the stupa at the crossroads of a broad tract of land.”
The wealthy and eminent clans of Cau-di together used jade to make tiles. Each tile was three thuoc (tac) in length and width. They gathered them together to build the stupa, which was fifteen thuoc in both height and width. They placed the golden bowl containing the relics in the very center of the stupa, established a Dharma-wheel altar, hung banners and streamers high above, lit lamps, displayed flowers, burned incense, performed songs and music, bowed in homage, and made offerings, so that all the people throughout the country might cultivate merit.
The Venerable Mahakasyapa, the Venerable Anuruddha, and the community of bhiksus assembled together and deliberated:
“In a single day, three hundred thousand people, including officials and powerful clans from the various countries, encountered the Buddha. They all offered their wholehearted reverence and cultivated merit. After death, they will all be reborn in the fourth heaven, where they will encounter Maitreya and attain liberation. The king of Cau-di will be reborn above in the twelfth heaven, Thuy-am.[186] When the Bodhisattva Maitreya becomes a Buddha, the king will descend and be reborn, and will build a monastery for that Buddha even more beautiful than the present Jeta Grove of Anathapindika.”
The Venerable Ananda asked the Venerable Mahakasyapa:
“Why will the king of Cau-di not attain the fruit of arhatship in the presence of the Buddha Maitreya?”
He replied:
“Because this king has not yet grown weary of the suffering of birth and death. Whoever has not grown weary of the suffering of birth cannot attain the fruit of arhatship.”
Ānanda said:
“I have grown weary of the suffering of the body. Why have I not yet transcended the world and attained the fruit of the path?”
The Venerable Mahākāśyapa replied:
“Because the venerable one merely observes the precepts but does not practice contemplation of the body. You still delight in birth and death and entertain thoughts of food; therefore, the conditioned activities leading to birth and death have not yet ceased.”
After ninety days, the Venerable Mahākāśyapa, the Venerable Anuruddha, and the community of bhikshus deliberated together:
“The twelve divisions of the Buddha’s scriptures include the four Āgamas. The Venerable Ānanda alone was constantly close to and attended upon the Buddha. Whatever the Buddha taught, the Venerable Ānanda remembered. We must therefore ask the Venerable Ānanda to recite them so that they may be written down. Yet we fear that, because the venerable one has not attained the path, he may still harbor attachment. We should question the Venerable Ānanda concerning events of the past. Let a high seat be prepared. Three times he shall ascend it, and three times he shall descend. Only by doing so can truthful words be obtained.”
Everyone agreed that this was excellent.
When the entire assembly had gathered and was seated in stillness, the officiating bhikshu sent Ānanda outside, then invited him back in a short while later. The Venerable Ānanda entered and bowed at the feet of the Sangha. Seeing this, all the bhikshus who had not yet attained the path rose to their feet.
The officiating bhikshu instructed Ānanda to sit upon the high seat in the center. Ānanda modestly declined, saying:
“This is not Ānanda’s seat.”
The bhikshus said:
“For the sake of the Buddha’s scriptures, we invite the venerable one to sit upon the high seat so that the Sangha may question you.”
Ānanda sat upon the high seat.
The Sangha asked:
“Venerable one, you committed a grave fault. Do you know it? On that day the Buddha said, ‘How delightful is Jambudvīpa!’ Why did the venerable one not respond?”
The officiating bhikshu instructed the Venerable Ānanda to descend. Ānanda descended and replied:
“Was the Buddha not sovereign over himself? Why should he have had to wait for my entreaty?”
The Sangha remained silent, and the officiating bhikshu again instructed him to ascend the seat. The Sangha asked once more:
“The Buddha told the venerable one that whoever attained the four bases of spiritual power could extend his lifespan for more than a kalpa. Why did the venerable one remain silent?”
The Venerable Ānanda again descended from the seat to answer:
“The Buddha said that the Bodhisattva Maitreya would descend and be born into the world, becoming a Buddha. Those who newly entered the path would follow Maitreya, cultivate the path, and attain accomplishment. If the Buddha himself had remained, what would have become of the Buddha Maitreya?”
The Sangha again remained silent. The Venerable Ānanda became fearful at heart. The bhikshus said:
“Venerable one, you should accord with the intent of the Dharma and expound the Buddha’s scriptures in full.”
The venerable one replied:
“Reverently, I shall obey.”
Thus he ascended the seat three times. The final time the Venerable Ānanda ascended the seat, he said:
“Thus have I heard. At one time...”
Those in the assembly who had not yet attained the path all shed tears and said:
“It seems that the Buddha had only just spoken the scripture. How could he have departed so swiftly?”
The Venerable Mahākāśyapa then selected forty arhats from within the assembly to accompany the Venerable Ānanda and hear him transmit the four Āgamas: 1. The Madhyama Āgama. 2. The Dīrgha Āgama. 3. The Ekottarika Āgama. 4. The Saṃyukta Āgama. The teachings of these four collections are as follows:
First, teachings expounded for those afflicted by sensual desire.
Second, teachings expounded for those afflicted by elation and anger.
Third, teachings expounded for those afflicted by ignorance.
Fourth, teachings expounded for those who are unfilial and fail to render service.
The texts of the four Āgamas each comprised sixty bundles.
The bhikshus said:
“The texts of the four Āgamas should be written down and disseminated throughout the world.”
Thereupon, four renowned trees naturally sprang up at the site of the Buddha’s cremation.
The Sangha then examined and classified the Buddha’s scriptures into twelve divisions. The precepts, Vinaya, and Dharma were thus preserved in full to remain for a thousand years.
Those who thereafter uphold the Buddha’s scriptures and precepts will all be born in the presence of the Buddha Maitreya, study and practice under him, and attain liberation from birth and death.
Notes:
[128]. The settlement of Câu-di 拘 夷 邑; No. 1(2): Câu-di-na-kiệt. Pāli: Kusinārā or Kusinagara.
2. The city of Ba-tuần-lịch 波 旬 歷 城. The transcription permits its identification with the Pāli Pāvārikamba, the mango grove at Nālanda, near Rājagaha (Rājagṛha).
[130]. In the Pāli text, after the Buddha ate the sūkara-maddava mushrooms offered by Cunda, he developed bloody dysentery.
[131]. The Câu-di River 拘 遺 河. Both No. 1(2) and the Pāli text mention this river but do not state its name.
[132]. Hi-liên 醯 連; that is, Hi-liên-thiền 熙 連 禪 (Pāli: Hiraññavatī, “the river containing gold”), near the place where the Buddha entered nirvana. According to the itinerary, however, it was still far away. In No. 1(2), Ānanda suggests that the Buddha wait until they reach the nearby Câu-tôn River. Pāli: Kakutthā.
[133]. Phước-kế 諸 華 大 臣 字 福 罽; No. 1(2): Phúc-quý, an arhat disciple. Pāli: Pukkusa, a disciple of Āḷāra Kālāma.
[134]. The Bhikshu Lực Lam 比 丘 力 藍; No. 1(2): the teacher of Phúc-quý, an arhat. Pāli: Pukkusa’s teacher was Āḷāra Kālāma.
[135]. A-trầm 阿 沈; No. 1(2), the work cited above: A-việt. Pāli: Atuma.
[136]. Như-diên 如 (diên with the heart radical); see Dīrgha 1(2), the work cited above, note 141.
[137]. The Brahmadaṇḍa penalty 梵 檀 罰; see Dīrgha 1(2), the work cited above, note 142.
[138]. The content of cultivating each factor of awakening: “the awakening factor of resolute mindfulness; the Buddha employs self-awakening, accomplishing the peerless noble repose, the unconditioned, cessation, freedom from sensuality, and the relinquishment of scattered thoughts” 志 念 之 覺 佛 用 自 覺 成 無 比 聖 猗 無 為 止 不 婬 捨 分 散 意. Compare No. 1(2): “cultivating the awakening factor of mindfulness, seclusion and tranquility, freedom from desire, emergence, and the unconditioned” 修 念 覺 意 閑 靜 無 欲 出 要 無 為; or, in scattered passages: “relying upon freedom from desire, relying upon cessation, relying upon seclusion” 依 無 欲 依 寂 滅 依 遠 離.
[139]. The twin sāla trees, Tô liên 蘇 連 雙 樹. See Dīrgha 1(2), the work cited above, note 111.
[140]. Lý gia 理 家 means householder.
[141]. Chinese: “Confucian schools and heterodox teachings” 儒 林 異 學.
[142]. The manifested bhikshu 化 比 丘 refers to a bhikshu who was an apparition, not a real person. No. 1(2): the Bhikshu Phạm-ma-na. Pāli: Upavāna.
[143]. The great cities in the Buddha’s time: Văn vật đại quốc 聞 物 大 國, namely Śrāvastī, the capital of Kosala (Pāli: Kosala); Vương xá đại quốc 王 舍 大 國, Rājagṛha, the capital of Magadha; Mãn-la đại quốc 滿 羅 大 國, namely Malla; and Duy-da đại quốc 維 耶 大 國, namely Vaiśālī, the capital of the Licchavis. The Chinese translation calls them great kingdoms, using the names of their cities in place of the names of the kingdoms.
[144]. Câu-na-việt 拘 那 越; No. 1(2): Câu-xá-bà-đề.
[145]. Blue lotus, Âu-bát 青 蓮 漚 鉢 (Pāli: uppala); purple lotus, Câu-điềm 紫 蓮 拘 恬 (Pāli: kumuda); yellow lotus, Văn-na 黃 蓮 文 那 (mandārava); red lotus, Phù-dung 紅 蓮 芙 蓉 (paduma).
[146]. Đại Khoái Kiến 大 快 見. No. 1(2): Đại Thiện Kiến. Pāli: Mahāsudassana.
[147]. The householder jewel 理 家 寶, that is, the jewel of the lay devotee.
[148]. The noble guiding jewel 聖 寶 導, that is, the jewel of the commander of the army (the general).
[149]. Đa lân 多 鄰. See No. 1(2), Vietnamese version, note 116.
[150]. Xà-duy 闍 維. See 1(2), “The Latter Part of the Second Scripture on the Journey,” note 154.
[151]. A Thần 阿 晨, the same as in No. 5. However, it has not yet been found recorded elsewhere.
[152]. This refers to the four means of embracing beings, or the four methods of attraction: generosity, loving speech, beneficial conduct, and cooperation. Pāli: saṃgrahavastu, sharing the same root as anugraha, “favor”; hence the Chinese translation “four benevolent virtues.”
[153]. Subhadda 須 跋; see 1(2), Vietnamese version, note 130.
[154]. The foregoing are the ten epithets of the Tathāgata: Tathāgata, Worthy One, Perfectly and Completely Awakened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Guide Who Tames Beings through the Dharma, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, and Blessed One 如 來, 至 真 正 諦 覺, 明 行 成, 善 逝, 世 間 解, 無 上 士, 導 法 御, 天 人 師, 號 佛, 眾 祐. In many places, this translation differs from other versions.
[155]. Udumbara flower 漚 曇 華. See No. 1(2), Vietnamese version, n. 131.
[156]. The list of contemporary religious teachers is usually said to contain six; here eight are listed: Guigui Shi, Wushi Shi, Zhixing Shi, Bailuzi Shi, Yanshou Shi, Jijinfan Shi, Duojiyuan Shi, and Nigan Zi 古 龜 氏, 無 失 氏, 志 行 氏, 白 鷺 子 氏, 延 壽 氏, 計 金 樊 氏, 多 積 願 氏, 尼 犍 子. This list is the same as that in No. 5. Compare No. 1(2), Vietnamese version, nn. 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138.
[157]. Craving for existence and clinging to perceptions 貪 生 猗 想.
[158]. The preceding are the eight wrong paths, contrary to the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path.
[159]. Eightfold True Path 八 真 道: right view 正 見, right thought 正 思, right speech 正 言, right conduct 正 行, right livelihood 正 命, right effort 正 治, right resolve 正 志, and right concentration 正 定.
[160]. Accomplishment in the precepts 成 就 戒, that is, the full ordination precepts, referring to the disciplinary precepts of a bhikkhu.
[161]. Chinese: Zhongyou 眾 祐.
[162]. Chinese: yi jian zhi, yi zhi wei 以 健 制 以 志 惟. See nn. 65, 66.
[163]. According to the Vinaya collections, one must live on probation among the bhikkhus for four months. However, No. 1(2) states that this rule does not apply after the Buddha’s nirvana.
[164]. This analysis is not found in any Vinaya collection.
[165]. The twelve divisions of the sacred canon: 1. Prose, 2. Song, 3. Prophecy, 4. Verse, 5. Parable, 6. Accounts of past events, 7. Explanations of events, 8. Birth stories, 9. Extensive teachings, 10. Spontaneous teachings, 11. Practices of the Path, 12. Dual manifestations. 十 二 部 經, 一 文, 二 歌, 三 記, 四 頌, 五 譬 喻, 六 本 記, 七 事 解, 八 生 傳, 九 廣 博, 十 自 然, 十 一 道 行, 十 二 兩 現. Compare Dīrgha 1(2), cited above: Discourses of contemplation, Geya discourses, discourses of prophecy, verse discourses, Dharmapada discourses, connected discourses, discourses on past causes, discourses on celestial origins, extensive discourses, discourses on unprecedented events, discourses of illustrative testimony, and discourses of the Great Teaching.
[166]. Maitreya Buddha 彌 勒 佛. Pāli: Metteyya.
[167]. Audumbara, see note 36.
[168]. Boundless emptiness 空 無 際, that is, the concentration of the sphere of infinite space.
[169]. Entry into non-perception 不 想 入, that is, the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception.
[170]. Cessation of perception and cognition 想 知 滅, that is, the concentration of the complete cessation of perception and feeling. Compare No. 1(2), Vietnamese version, n. 150.
[171]. Anuruddha 阿 那 律; compare No. 1(2), Vietnamese version, n. 149.
[172]. Chinese: zhi yu wu zhi, qi she suo shou yu wu wei zhi qing 至 於 無 知 棄 所 受 餘 無 為 之 情. The state of non-cognition in the fourth dhyana is the state of entering the attainment of non-perception (Pāli: asaññā-samāpatti), but noble ones do not enter this kind of concentration. “The remaining unconditioned state of what is experienced” refers to nirvana with a remainder of dependence.
[173]. Weiyue 威 耶 越. Possibly Pāli: Upavattana, the name of the sāla grove at Kusinārā.
[174]. Audha shrine 漚 荼 廟; that is, the Heavenly Crown Temple. Compare No. 1(2), n. 156.
[175]. Xilian River 熙 連 河; compare Dīrgha 2(3), cited above, n. 155.
[176]. The minister Poxian 婆 賢 大 臣, administrator of the city of Pāva. The minister Juyi 拘 夷 大 臣, an official of the city of Kusinārā.
[177]. The minister Ousu 漚 蘇 大 臣; compare No. 1(2), cited above: Ludi lit the fire.?
[178]. Ayiyi 阿 夷 維; in No. 1(2), the non-Buddhist teacher Nigan Zi.
[179]. Four kinds of bodhi trees: Suchanni 蘇 禪 尼 樹, Jiaweitu 迦 維 屠 樹, Ashidi 阿 世 鞮 樹, and Nigulei 尼 拘 類 樹. See No. 5, Vietnamese version, n. 59.
[180]. Eight countries mobilized troops and demanded a share of the relics. The first five countries are listed here: the Hua clan of the country of Baxun 波 旬 國, 諸 華 氏, that is, in Pāli, the Pāvā branch of the Mallā clan; the Julin people of the country of Kele 可 樂 國, 諸 拘 鄰, in Pāli, the Koli people of the village of Rāmagāma; the Manli people of the country of Youheng 有 衡 國, 諸 滿 離, in Pāli, the Buli of Allakappa; the brahmins of the country of Shenzhou 神 州 國, 諸 梵 志, in Pāli, the brahmins of Vethadīpaka; and the Lijie people of Weiye 維 耶 國, 諸 離 揵, in Pāli, the Licchavis of Vesāli.
[181]. The Śākya clan of the country of Chize 赤 澤 國 諸 釋 氏: the Śākyas of Kapilavatthu.
[182]. The brahmin Maojue 梵 志 毛 蹶; compare No. 1(2), Vietnamese version, n. 161.
[183]. Wenwei, from the settlement of Bifen 溫 違 還 俾 賁 邑; in Pāli, the Moryas of Pipphalavana.
[184]. Youheng; compare No. 1(2), Vietnamese version, n. 162.
[185]. Buddha Star 佛 星; see No. 5, Vietnamese version, latter fascicle, n. 66.
[186]. Heaven of the Sound of Water 水 音 天; that is, the Heaven of Streaming Radiance, also called the Heaven of Utmost Radiance. Pāli: Ābhassara.
The version you're viewing was faithfully rendered by Inti AI in keeping with the tradition. Switch to the other language tab to read a human translation.
Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.