ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 23.21

23.21

Just as the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa commended my preceptor as foremost among those possessing the ascetic practices, may the Śākya sage, the most excellent King of the Śākyas, likewise commend me as foremost among those possessing the ascetic practices.’

“When he died and transmigrated, he took rebirth in the city of Vārāṇasī in the family of a chief minister. After his birth, when he had grown, King Kṛkī made him one of his ministers. When the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa had carried out all the activities of a buddha and passed beyond all sorrow into the realm of nirvāṇa without any remainder, King Kṛkī venerated his relics and commissioned a jewel stūpa that was one league in circumference, for which the king appointed as overseer the minister’s son.

“One day, when King Kṛkī had completed every aspect of the stūpa, he wished to inaugurate the traditional festival of the stūpa, so he prepared a large quantity of food, drink, and robes, and extended an invitation to the monks. When seven days had gone by since the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa passed into parinirvāṇa, the doctrine disappeared. After his parinirvāṇa, those monks who had achieved spiritual power also entered parinirvāṇa. Those who were ordinary persons returned to home life. As a result, those who had extended the invitations could not find a single monk.

“ ‘Where have all the monks gone?’ asked King Kṛkī.

“ ‘Now that seven days have passed since the totally and completely awakened Buddha has passed into parinirvāṇa, the doctrine has disappeared,’ the ministers replied.

“ ‘Is there not a single monk who can act as keeper of the doctrine?’ the king asked.