佛祖統紀 4.20

4.20

時弟子四眾。諸大菩薩。閻浮諸王。大臣長者。四天王諸天子。八部諸王。山海諸王。師子象王。諸鳥獸王。唯除迦葉阿難二眾及阿闍世王（佛以聲光召五十二眾。時迦葉在耆山。阿難在娑羅林外。為諸魔所惱。闍王害父身生惡瘡。諸佛懺悔即還本宮。都不覺知如來涅槃○見涅槃後分經）各持供具詣佛供養。皆默不受。是時會中優婆塞純陀白言。我等欲從如來求將來食。惟願哀閔受我微供。佛云。我今受汝最後供養。令汝具足檀波羅密。純陀白言。雖知如來方便示現涅槃。而我不能不懷苦惱。佛讚善哉。能知如來示同眾生方便涅槃。時天龍八部勸請如來。唯願久住不入涅槃。世尊。為說伊字三點。如來之身解脫般若三法。如世伊字（梵書i字三點不縱不橫）時諸比丘請說無常苦空無我。佛說出世常樂我淨世間四顛倒法。諸比丘言。如來永無四倒。了知常樂我淨。何故不住一劫半劫。教導我等舍離四倒。佛言。我今所有無上正法。悉已付囑摩訶迦葉。當為汝等作大依止。猶如如來（云云）。佛告大眾。今以正法付囑國王大臣及四部眾。應當勸厲諸學人令得增上戒定慧。若有不學是三品法。懈怠破戒毀正法者。大臣四部眾應當苦治（涅槃經）。

At that time the fourfold assembly of disciples, all the great bodhisattvas, the various kings of Jambudvīpa, ministers and elders, the Four Heavenly Kings and the devas, the kings of the eight classes, the kings of mountains and seas, the lion kings and elephant kings, and all the kings of birds and beasts—excepting only the two assemblies of Kāśyapa and Ānanda, and King Ajātaśatru (the Buddha summoned the fifty-two assemblies with voice and light; at that time Kāśyapa was on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa, while Ānanda was outside the Sāla forest, tormented by demons; King Ajātaśatru, having murdered his father, had broken out in malignant sores, and after repenting before the Buddhas had returned to his own palace, completely unaware of the Tathāgata's parinirvāṇa; see the Latter Part of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra)—each held offerings and approached the Buddha to make them, but he silently declined them all. At that time, the upāsaka Cunda, who was in the assembly, addressed [the Buddha], saying: 'We wish to seek future food from the Tathāgata. We only pray that you will have pity and accept my modest offering.' The Buddha said: 'I now accept your final offering, causing you to fully accomplish the dāna-pāramitā.' Cunda said: 'Although I know that the Tathāgata expedites the manifestation of nirvāṇa as an expedient means, I cannot help but harbor distress.' The Buddha praised him: 'Well said! You are able to understand that the Tathāgata manifests parity with sentient beings and expedites nirvāṇa by expedient means.' At that time, the devas, nāgas, and the eight classes entreated the Tathāgata: 'We only pray that you will abide long and not enter nirvāṇa.' The Bhagavat explained to them the three dots of the letter 'i': the three dharmas of the Tathāgata's body, liberation, and wisdom are like the worldly letter 'i' (in Sanskrit script, the letter 'i' has three dots that are neither vertical nor horizontal). At that time, the monks requested that he preach on impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self. The Buddha expounded the world-transcending [dharma of] permanence, bliss, self, and purity, and the worldly four inverted views. The monks said: 'The Tathāgata is forever free of the four inversions and completely understands permanence, bliss, self, and purity. Why then do you not remain for a kalpa or half a kalpa to instruct us to abandon the four inversions?' The Buddha said: 'The unsurpassed true Dharma that I have at present has all been entrusted to Mahākāśyapa. He will serve as a great refuge for you, just like the Tathāgata,' and so forth. The Buddha addressed the great assembly: 'Now I entrust the true Dharma to the kings, ministers, and the fourfold assembly. You should encourage and urge all practitioners to attain the superior precepts, samādhi, and wisdom. If there are those who do not study these three kinds of dharmas, but are negligent, violate the precepts, and slander the true Dharma, the ministers and the fourfold assembly should severely punish them' (Nirvāṇa Sūtra).