佛說大愛道般泥洹經

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was dwelling at Vaiśālī, in the Lecture Hall of the Universal Assembly, together with a great assembly of bhikṣus, five hundred in number.

At that time Mahāprajāpatī[292] was dwelling in the city of Vaiśālī, in the Lofty Tower Monastery,[293] together with a great assembly of bhikṣuṇīs, five hundred in number, all of them arhats who had exhausted the outflows.

Mahāprajāpatī heard the bhikṣuṇīs [821c] say, "Before long the Tathāgata, in not more than three months, will attain final extinction, between the twin sāla trees, at Kuśinagara." She then reflected, "I cannot bear to see the Tathāgata attain final extinction. Therefore I should now attain final extinction first." Then Mahāprajāpatī went to the World-Honored One,[294] bowed her head at his feet, and sat down to one side. Then she addressed the Buddha:

"I have heard that before long the World-Honored One, in not more than three months, will enter Nirvāṇa between the twin sāla trees, at Kuśinagara. I cannot now bear to see the World-Honored One and Ānanda attain final extinction. I humbly pray that the World-Honored One permit me to attain final extinction."

At that time the World-Honored One remained silent. Mahāprajāpatī again addressed the Buddha:

"From now on, I humbly pray that the World-Honored One allow the bhikṣuṇīs to recite the precepts."

The Buddha said:

"Now I permit the bhikṣuṇīs to recite the restraining precepts for the bhikṣuṇīs, exactly in accordance with the restraining precepts that I have promulgated; do not let them be transgressed."

Mahāprajāpatī came forward and bowed at the Buddha's feet, then stood before the Buddha. She addressed the Buddha:

"Now I shall no longer see the countenance of the Tathāgata, nor shall I see the Buddhas of the future; I shall no longer undergo the womb, but shall abide forever in the Unconditioned. Today I take leave of the Sacred Countenance, never to meet it again."

Then Mahāprajāpatī circumambulated the Buddha three times and withdrew. Returning among the assembly of nuns, she said to the bhikṣuṇīs:

"Now I wish to enter Nirvāṇa, the realm of the Unconditioned. The reason is that before long the Tathāgata will attain final extinction. You should, according to what is timely and fitting, do what must be done."

Then the bhikṣuṇī Kṣemā, the bhikṣuṇī Utpalavarṇā, the bhikṣuṇī Kṛśā Gautamī, the bhikṣuṇī Śakulā, the bhikṣuṇī Śyāmā, the bhikṣuṇī Paṭācārā, the bhikṣuṇī Bhadrā Kāpilānī, the bhikṣuṇī Kātyāyanī, the bhikṣuṇī Jayā,[295] together with five hundred bhikṣuṇīs, went to the World-Honored One and stood to one side. Then the bhikṣuṇī Kṣemā, the foremost of the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs, addressed the Buddha, saying:

"We have heard that before long the Tathāgata will attain final extinction. We cannot bear to see the World-Honored One and Ānanda attain final extinction before us. We humbly pray that the World-Honored One permit us to attain final extinction first. For us now to enter Nirvāṇa is indeed the right time."

Then [823a] the World-Honored One in silence gave his assent. The bhikṣuṇī Kṣemā together with the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs, seeing that the World-Honored One had silently given his assent, came forward and bowed at the Buddha's feet, circumambulated him three times, then withdrew and returned to their own dwellings.

At that time Mahāprajāpatī closed the door of the lecture hall, struck the gong, and spread her sitting-mat upon the bare ground. Thereupon she rose up into the empty sky, sitting, lying down, or walking back and forth, or sending forth flames: smoke billowing from below her body and fire blazing above, or fire blazing below her body and smoke billowing above, or her whole body blazing with fire, or her whole body billowing with smoke; or her left side spouting water and her right side spouting fire; or her left side spouting fire and her right side spouting water; or the front spouting fire and the back spouting water; or the front spouting water and the back spouting fire; or her whole body spouting fire, or her whole body spouting water.

After performing such transformations, Mahāprajāpatī returned to her seat, sat cross-legged with her body erect and her mind upright, fixing mindfulness before her, and entered the first dhyāna; emerging from the first dhyāna she entered the second dhyāna; emerging from the second dhyāna she entered the third dhyāna; emerging from the third dhyāna she entered the fourth dhyāna; emerging from the fourth dhyāna she entered the sphere of space; emerging from the sphere of space she entered the sphere of consciousness; from the sphere of consciousness she entered the sphere of nothingness; from the sphere of nothingness she entered the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception;

emerging from the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception she entered the cessation of perception and feeling; emerging from the cessation of perception and feeling she again entered the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception; emerging from the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception she again entered the sphere of nothingness; emerging from the sphere of nothingness she again entered the sphere of consciousness; emerging from the sphere of consciousness she again entered the sphere of space; emerging from the sphere of space she again entered the fourth dhyāna; emerging from the fourth dhyāna she again entered the third dhyāna; emerging from the third dhyāna she again entered the second dhyāna; emerging from the second dhyāna she again entered the first dhyāna;

emerging from the first dhyāna she entered the second dhyāna; emerging from the second dhyāna she entered the third dhyāna; emerging from the third dhyāna she entered the fourth dhyāna.

After entering the fourth dhyāna, she at once attained final extinction. Then the heavens and earth quaked greatly; the east surged up and the west sank down; the west surged up and the east sank down; the four sides all surged up and the middle sank down; and again from the four directions cool winds arose. The devas in the empty sky played music.

The devas of the realm of desire wept in sorrow, their tears falling like the sweet rain that pours down from the spring sky. The wondrous devas ground up utpala flowers into fragrant powder; they also ground up sandalwood and scattered it above. At that time the bhikṣuṇī Kṣemā, the bhikṣuṇī Utpalavarṇā, the bhikṣuṇī Kṛśā Gautamī, the bhikṣuṇī Śakulā, the bhikṣuṇī Śyāmā, the bhikṣuṇī Paṭācārā, the bhikṣuṇī Kātyāyanī, the bhikṣuṇī Jayā[296]—these bhikṣuṇīs being the [822b] foremost of the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs—each spread her sitting-mat upon the bare ground, then rose up into the empty sky, sitting, lying down, or walking back and forth, performing the eighteen transformations, and so on up to entering the cessation of perception and cognition, and then attained final extinction.[297]

At that time in the city of Vaiśālī there was a great general named Yaśodatta, who, leading five hundred youths gathered together at the Lecture Hall of the Universal Assembly, was discussing various matters with them. Yaśodatta and the five hundred youths beheld from afar the eighteen transformations of the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs. Beholding this, they rejoiced and were filled with joy beyond restraint, and all joined their palms in reverence toward that place. Then the World-Honored One said to Ānanda:

"Go to the general Yaśodatta and tell him: Quickly prepare five hundred bedding-cloths, five hundred sitting-cloths, five hundred jars of ghee, five hundred jars of sesame oil, five hundred funeral carriages, five hundred bundles of incense, and five hundred cartloads of firewood."

Ānanda stepped forward and asked:

"I do not know—what does the World-Honored One intend to do?"

The Buddha said:

"Mahāprajāpatī has attained final extinction. The five hundred bhikṣuṇīs have likewise entered Nirvāṇa. We shall make offerings to their relics."

When Ānanda heard this, he was moved by grief and sorrow he could not restrain:

"How is it that Mahāprajāpatī has attained final extinction so soon?"

Then Ānanda wiped away his tears with his hand and went to the great general Yaśodatta. Yaśodatta, seeing Ānanda approaching from afar, at once rose to receive him, and greeted him with words of welcome:

"Greetings, Ānanda! What instruction have you, that you should come at such an unusual hour?" Ānanda replied:

"I am the Buddha's messenger, with a request."

The great general then asked:

"What instruction have you, venerable sir?"

Ānanda said:

"The World-Honored One has sent me to tell the great general: Quickly prepare five hundred bedding-cloths, five hundred sitting-cloths, five hundred jars of ghee, five hundred jars of sesame oil, five hundred funeral carriages, five hundred bundles of incense, and five hundred cartloads of firewood. Mahāprajāpatī together with five hundred bhikṣuṇīs have all attained final extinction. We shall make offerings to their relics."

Then the great general wept in grief and sorrow, saying:

"How is it that Mahāprajāpatī together with the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs have attained final extinction so soon, alas! Who will admonish us, who will encourage us to give offerings of food?"[298]

The great general Yaśodatta then prepared five hundred bedding-cloths, five hundred sitting-cloths, five hundred jars of ghee, five hundred jars of sesame oil, five hundred funeral carriages, five hundred bundles of incense, five hundred cartloads of firewood, and the implements for cremation.[299] When this was done, he went to the World-Honored One, bowed at his feet, and stood to one side. The great general Yaśodatta addressed the World-Honored One:

"In accordance with what the Tathāgata instructed, today we have prepared all the implements for making offerings."

The Buddha said:

[822c] "Let each of you bear the remains of Mahāprajāpatī and of the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs out of the city of Vaiśālī, and go to a place in the open country. I wish to go there to make offerings to the relics."

The great general addressed the Buddha:

"Yes indeed, World-Honored One."

Then the great general went to where Mahāprajāpatī was, and told one of his men:

"Set up a ladder and climb over the wall to enter within, and slowly open the gate, making no sound."

That man obeyed the order, climbed within, and opened the gate. The great general then ordered five hundred men to bring the remains and place them upon the beds. At that time there were two śrāmaṇerikās there. One was named Nandā, and the second was named Upananadā. The two śrāmaṇerikās said to the great general:

"Stop, stop, great general! Do not disturb the teachers."

The great general Yaśodatta said:

"It is not that your teachers are sleeping—they have all attained final extinction."

When the two śrāmaṇerikās heard that their teachers had attained final extinction, their hearts were stricken with fear, and they thought to themselves: "Considering this, whatever dharma arises is wholly a dharma subject to cessation." Thereupon, right upon their seats, they attained the three knowledges and the six penetrations. The two śrāmaṇerikās then rose up into the empty sky, and first, going to the place in the open wilderness, performed the eighteen transformations—sitting, lying down, walking back and forth, their bodies pouring forth water and blazing with fire, transforming in measureless ways. Then right there they attained parinirvāṇa in the Nirvāṇa-realm without remainder.

At that time the World-Honored One, with the bhikṣus surrounding him before and behind, went to where Mahāprajāpatī was, in the nuns' monastery. The World-Honored One said to Ānanda, Nanda, and Rāhula:

"You shall bear the remains of Mahāprajāpatī. I myself shall make the offering."

Then Śakra, Lord of the Devas, knowing the thoughts in the mind of the World-Honored One, at once—in a moment, as quickly as a strong man bends or stretches his arm—appeared from the Heaven of the Thirty-Three at Vaiśālī, came to where the World-Honored One was, bowed his head at his feet, and stood to one side. Among those present, the bhikṣus who had exhausted the outflows all beheld Śakra, Lord of the Devas, and the devas of the Thirty-Three. But the bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who had not yet exhausted the outflows could not see Śakra, Lord of the Devas.

Then the Brahmā-deva, knowing from afar the thoughts in the mind of the World-Honored One, at once led the devas; vanishing from the Brahmā-heaven above, they appeared at the place of the World-Honored One, bowed their heads at his feet, and stood to one side.

Then the Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa, knowing the thoughts of the World-Honored One, led the yakṣa demon-spirits to where the World-Honored One was, bowed his head at his feet, and stood to one side.

Then the Heavenly King Dhṛtarāṣṭra led the gandharvas from [823a] the east to where the Tathāgata was, bowed his head at his feet, and stood to one side.

The Heavenly King Virūḍhaka led innumerable kumbhāṇḍas from the south to where the World-Honored One was, bowed his head at his feet, and stood to one side.

The Heavenly King Virūpākṣa led the nāga-spirits to where the World-Honored One was, bowed his head at his feet, and stood to one side.

Then Śakra, Lord of the Devas, and the Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa came forward and addressed the Buddha, saying:

"We humbly pray that the World-Honored One not trouble himself with the exertion. We ourselves shall make the offerings to the relics."

The Buddha said to the devas:

"Stop, stop, heavenly kings! The Tathāgata himself knows the time. This is what the Tathāgata must do; it is not something that devas, nāgas, demons, or spirits are able to do.

Why is this? Parents who give birth to a child confer much benefit; the kindness of their nurturing and raising is very great, giving suck and carrying in their arms. One must repay that kindness; one cannot fail to repay it.

But, O devas, you should know: the parents of the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones of the past, all attained final extinction first, and thereafter the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, all themselves made the offering of cremation to the relics. The parents of the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones of the future, will likewise attain final extinction first, and thereafter the Buddhas will all themselves make the offering. By this means it is to be known that the Tathāgata must himself make the offering—it is not a matter that devas, demons, or spirits can do."

Then the Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa said to the five hundred demon-spirits:

"Go into the sandalwood forest and bring back fragrant firewood here, for the offering of cremation."

The five hundred demon-spirits obeyed the command of the Heavenly King, went into the sandalwood forest, took sandalwood firewood, and brought it to the place in the open wilderness. Then the World-Honored One himself bore one leg of the bed, Rāhula bore one leg, Ānanda bore one leg, and Nanda bore one leg, and they rose up into the empty sky and went to the charnel-ground. As for the fourfold assembly—bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās—they bore the remains of the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs and went to the charnel-ground.

Then the World-Honored One said to the great general Yaśodatta:

"Prepare in addition two sets of bedding-cloths, two sets of sitting-cloths, two cartloads of firewood, and offerings of incense and flowers, to make offerings to the remains of the two śrāmaṇerikās."

The great general Yaśodatta addressed the Buddha:

"Respectfully yes, World-Honored One."

Immediately thereafter he procured the implements for making offerings.

Then the World-Honored One took sandalwood and passed it to each of the devas. The World-Honored One further said to the great general:

"Have each man bear the five hundred remains, and make offerings to each one separately. [823b] Do likewise with the two śrāmaṇerikās."

The great general obeyed the Buddha's instruction, making offerings to each one separately, and afterward cremated them.

Then the World-Honored One took sandalwood and piled it upon the remains of Mahāprajāpatī. Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

At that time the devas and the people all gathered together at the charnel-ground. The great multitude of devas and humans numbered up to ten koṭi-nayutas.

After the cremation, the great general bore the relics away to erect a stūpa. The Buddha said to the great general:

"Now you shall bear away the five hundred relics to erect stūpas, so that for a long time you may receive measureless merit. Why is this? In the world there are four persons worthy of having a stūpa erected for them. What are the four? Those who erect a stūpa to enshrine the Tathāgata, the Perfected One, the Fully and Rightly Enlightened One; those who enshrine a Wheel-Turning Sage King, a śrāvaka, and a pratyekabuddha—these obtain measureless merit."

Then the World-Honored One expounded the wondrous Dharma to the devas and the people, causing them to give rise to joyful hearts. At that time devas and humans, numbering up to a koṭi, were rid of the dust and defilement, and obtained the pure Dharma-eye.

Then the devas, the people, the gandharvas, the asuras, and the fourfold assembly, having heard what the Buddha had taught, rejoiced and reverently put it into practice.

THE PARINIRVĀṆA OF MAHĀPRAJĀPATĪ