Udanavarga 3.38

3.38

賢者阿難見佛與得道者俱來，前白佛言：「此諸比丘，有何異德乃使世尊自往臨度？」佛告阿難：「我未下為佛時，世有辟支佛常處是山，去村不遠在一樹下欲般泥洹，現道神德便取滅度。村人持薪火就往燒之，斂取舍利著寶瓶中埋在山頂，各共求願：『願後得道，如是沙門滅度快樂也。』緣此福故應當得道，是故如來往度之耳。」

On this the villagers embraced the faith and became Rahats, and Buddha and his followers returned through the air to the bamboo grove, on which occasion the World-honoured explained to Ananda that in former days, when he had been a Pratyeka Buddha, he had, underneath this same tree, obtained Nirvāna, and because the villagers had piously burnt his body, and collected his relics and placed them in a casket, and done reverence to them, they were now privileged to hear him preach, and so had obtained the fruition of the Paths. After this explanation, countless Devas obtained knowledge of the Paths.