佛祖統紀 4.32

4.32

佛告眾曰。我雖在此閻浮提中。數數示現入於涅槃。實不畢竟涅槃。是故當知。是常住法不變易法（涅槃經）時世尊於七寶床右脇而臥。頭枕北方足指南方。面向西方後背東方。如來中夜寂然無聲。於是時頃便般涅槃。娑羅樹林四雙八隻。入涅槃已東西二雙合為一樹。南北二雙合為一樹。垂覆寶床蓋於如來。慘然變白猶如白鶴大眾哀聲普震一切世界（涅槃後分）時一切人民即入城中。作七寶金棺。栴檀沈水香花幡蓋。至如來前而申供養。大眾悲哽。共扶如來入金棺中。遣四力士請棺入城力不能勝。乃至遣十六力士亦不能勝。時阿泥樓豆語力士言。縱使盡城內人共舉佛棺。亦不可得。當須大眾諸天助汝舉棺。乃得入城。所言未既。帝釋即持寶蓋。垂在空中。乃至色界諸天。皆如帝釋供養聖棺世尊大悲。即自舉棺升空。高一多羅樹。從西門入從東門出。從南門入從北門出。如是左右遶城經於七匝。徐徐空行至荼毘所。下七寶床。時四天王各持天上栴檀沈水各五百根。乃至第六諸天世間大眾。各持栴檀沈水至荼毘所（涅槃後分）二月二十二日。如來涅槃已經七日。將欲出棺。大眾哀泣。共扶如來至七寶床香水灌洗。妙兜羅綿。纏頭至足。白㲲千張。次第纏身。共扶如來入寶棺中。以妙香木成大香樓。舉棺樓上。大眾各持香炬至香樓所。皆悉滅沒（後分）阿那律升忉利天以告摩耶夫人。摩耶自天而下。棺自為開。世尊起合掌曰。遠屈下來。復語阿難曰。汝當知為後世不孝眾生故。從金棺出問訊於母（摩耶夫人經）。

The Buddha addressed the assembly, saying: 'Although I repeatedly manifest entry into nirvāṇa in this Jambudvīpa, I do not actually enter final nirvāṇa. Therefore, you should know that this is the eternally abiding Dharma, the unaltering Dharma' (Nirvāṇa Sūtra). At that time, the Bhagavat lay on his right side upon a seven-jeweled couch, his head pillowed to the north and his feet pointing to the south, his face directed to the west and his back to the east. At midnight the Tathāgata was still and silent, and at that very moment he entered parinirvāṇa. The sāla trees stood in four pairs, eight in total; after he entered nirvāṇa, the two pairs in the east and west merged into a single tree, and the two pairs in the south and north merged into a single tree. Hanging down to cover the jeweled couch, they formed a canopy over the Tathāgata, turning mournfully white like white cranes. The weeping cries of the great assembly universally shook all worlds (Later Portion of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra). At that time, all the people went into the city and made a seven-jeweled golden coffin, with sandalwood, aloeswood, incense, flowers, banners, and canopies, and approached the Tathāgata to present offerings. The great assembly choked with sorrow, and together they supported the Tathāgata into the golden coffin. They sent four strongmen to lift the coffin into the city, but their strength was not equal to it; they even sent sixteen strongmen, yet they also were not equal to it. Then Aniruddha said to the strongmen: 'Even if all the people within the city were to lift the Buddha's coffin together, it could not be done. You must have the great assembly of the heavens assist you in lifting the coffin before it can enter the city.' Before he had finished speaking, Śakra held a jeweled canopy suspended in the air, and the gods up to the form realm all offered to the holy coffin just as Śakra did. Out of great compassion, the Bhagavat lifted the coffin himself and ascended into the air to the height of a tāla tree. He entered through the west gate and exited through the east gate; he entered through the south gate and exited through the north gate. In this way, circling the city to the left and right, he completed seven circumambulations, and slowly walked through the air to the place of cremation, descending onto the seven-jeweled couch. At that time, the Four Heavenly Kings each held five hundred logs of heavenly sandalwood and aloeswood, and from the heavens up to the sixth, as well as the great assembly of the mundane world, each carried sandalwood and aloeswood to the place of cremation (Later Portion). On the twenty-second day of the second month, seven days had already passed since the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa. When they were about to bring him out of the coffin, the great assembly wept sorrowfully and together assisted the Tathāgata onto the seven-jeweled couch, bathing him with perfumed water. They wrapped him from head to foot in exquisite cotton wool (tūla) and sequentially bound his body with a thousand sheets of white fine cloth (paṭa). Together they assisted the Tathāgata into the jeweled coffin, and using exquisite fragrant wood they built a great pyre of incense, lifting the coffin atop the pyre. The members of the great assembly each took fragrant torches to the pyre, but they were all extinguished (Later Portion). Aniruddha ascended to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven to inform Queen Māyā. Māyā descended from heaven, and the coffin opened on its own. The Bhagavat sat up, joined his palms, and said: 'You have wearily traveled from afar.' He further said to Ānanda: 'You should know that for the sake of unfilial sentient beings in future generations, I have emerged from the golden coffin to greet my mother' (Queen Māyā Sūtra).