佛祖統紀 4

English (machine translation) 4

Language: English

4.1

Composed by the Śramaṇa Zhipan of Donghu in Siming during the Jingding reign of the Song.

4.2

Basic Annals of the Founder of the Teaching, Śākyamuni Buddha, Part 1-4.

The preface states: The teachings of the single lifetime preached by the Tathāgata had as their intent nothing other than to open and reveal the one great cause and condition. When the capacities of people had already received the great benefit, he further stated for them: 'Those who should be saved have all already been saved.' Thereupon he proclaimed his entry into extinction, in order to display that the ritual of transformation has a beginning and an end, intending to arouse the longing mind of the negligent and to bequeath instructions to people of the future. When it comes to the saying, 'I do not enter extinction, but constantly abide on the Vulture Peak,' this is the import of the Tathāgata’s great parinirvāṇa of neither birth nor death.

4.5

Speaking of nirvāṇa, it has two meanings. First, for those whose faculties were not yet ripened by the Lotus Sūtra, he subsequently preached the four teachings, comprehensively discussed the Buddha-nature, and caused them to know the true and permanent and enter the great nirvāṇa; this is called the teaching that gleans the remaining capacities (Sijiao yi). That is to say, the Tathāgata accommodated and ripened beings of gradual capacity, taking both the Lotus and Nirvāṇa as the latter teaching and the latter flavor. It is like a farming household where what is sown first ripens first and is harvested first, and what is sown later ripens later and is harvested later. Therefore, the eight thousand śrāvakas, the immeasurable bodhisattvas who cut off rebirths, the venerable Śāriputra, and others received prediction in the Lotus Sūtra, saw the Tathāgata-nature, and achieved the great fruit, like the autumn harvest and winter storage with nothing more to do; this was the former round, emerging from Mahāprajñā to enter the Lotus. If persons of dull faculties could not enter the Lotus, prajñā was further employed to wash them clean; like the five thousand who rose of themselves and the humans and devas who were transferred, for those who were not yet ripened, prajñā was discussed once more to enter nirvāṇa and see the Buddha-nature; this was the latter round, emerging from prajñā to enter the Great Nirvāṇa. Thus we know that the former round of the Lotus was like the great harvest of autumn completion, while the latter round of Nirvāṇa was like gleaning the leftovers (Xuan, fascicle 10).

4.6

The commentary states: The opening and revealing of the Lotus had already abolished expedient means, yet those not yet ripened still required accommodation. Therefore, on the verge of entering extinction, he reapplied the expedients of the three teachings to reveal the reality of the One Vehicle; this is the intent of subsequent preaching (the meaning is found in the 'Chapter on Holy Practice'). However, the five thousand had already formed conditions previously and briefly heard the opening and revealing; now in this assembly it was subsequently preached for them again. Since they recognized the permanent right in that seat, he had to apply and immediately abolish them; this is the intent of subsequent effacement (the meaning is found in the 'Chapter on the Virtuous King'). Subsequent preaching means reapplying, and subsequent effacement means reuniting. That the Lotus had already applied and already abolished was the former round; that the Nirvāṇa reapplied and re-abolished was the latter round. The Qian's saying that 'the Nirvāṇa reapplies expedient means' and further saying that 'effacement means convergence' are both this meaning.

4.7

Second, for the monks of the degenerate age who store impure objects (losing the precepts), take pleasure in reciting non-Buddhist texts and do not teach Buddhist scriptures (losing the vehicle), and give rise to views of annihilation within the Buddha's Dharma, cutting short the wisdom-life and losing the Dharma-body, causing both vehicle and precepts to be lost, he therefore further upheld the Tripiṭaka, broadly opened the lineage of permanence, and established the three kinds of expedients to support the one perfect and real; hence it is called the teaching that upholds the vinaya and expounds the permanent (found scattered in Dajing xuanqian and Sijiao yi). If one says not permitting evil monks to store the eight impure things, this is the precept-gate and the phenomenon-gate (this is the meaning of upholding the vinaya. According to the vinaya, the eight impure things are: first, fields and gardens; second, crops and plantings; third, grains and silks; fourth, keeping servants and maids; fifth, rearing birds and beasts; sixth, money and jewels; seventh, mattresses and caldrons; eighth, gold-decorated beds of ivory and various heavy goods. Pointing out the faults of these eight items, they are not permissible). If one speaks of the Tathāgata truly not entering final nirvāṇa, and forbidding non-Buddhist texts, this is the vehicle-gate and the principle-gate (this is the meaning of expounding permanence. According to the sūtra, it should state 'the Tathāgata truly does not enter final nirvāṇa' to be expounding permanence; now the Qian text states 'the Tathāgata enters final nirvāṇa,' which omits the two characters shi bu [truly not], which is now supplemented using the sūtra). If in the degenerate age evil monks break precepts, speak of the Tathāgata as impermanent, and read non-Buddhist texts, then they possess neither vehicle nor precepts and lose the permanent life; relying on this sūtra to uphold the vinaya and expound permanence, vehicle and precepts are both complete. Thus one knows that this sūtra is a great treasure that ransoms the permanent life (The Qian quotes the Great Sūtra: 'If a man stores the seven treasures, when grain is expensive or cheap in the future, or when encountering an evil king, they are to be brought out and used to ransom his life. The secret treasury of the Buddhas is also like this. When in future ages evil monks store impure things, preach to the four assemblies that the Tathāgata enters final nirvāṇa, recite non-Buddhist texts and do not teach Buddhist scriptures—when such evils appear in the world, this sūtra is preached to extinguish all evils. If this sūtra perishes, the Buddha-Dharma will perish').

4.8

I comment: After the Lotus opened and revealed [the real], the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sutra broadly opened up the principle of permanence, letting it be known that all sentient beings have Buddha-nature. Thereupon, the ignorant in the final age, resting complacently in the doctrine of universal great wisdom, neglected the monastic precepts and no longer bore them in mind. This was the failing of laxity regarding the precepts. As for not reading the Buddhist scriptures and only delighting in non-Buddhist texts, this was the failing of laxity regarding the vehicle. (From this we know that reading the scriptures consists fundamentally in understanding their meaning; only when practice follows can it be called a 'vehicle.' If one merely follows the lines and counts the ink marks, that is only the meritorious karma of humans and devas, a remote cause for bodhi, not yet sufficient to be the proximate fruit of transcending the world.) When both vehicle and precepts are neglected, where else could one end up but the three wretched destinies? The Tathāgata, having long foreseen the future, proclaimed the scripture of the merchant depositing gold, once again supporting the Tripiṭaka and perfectly unifying with true permanence—his testamentary words lay in this. Thus, the teaching of supporting the vinaya and speaking of permanence is directed precisely at our present day. How can any who engage in learning fail to exert themselves? Therefore, among the five conditions of the expedients of Calmness and Insight, keeping the precepts is placed first as an auxiliary to the Path, requiring the practitioner to contemplate, through the perfect threefold contemplation, the ten kinds of prātimokṣa vows as pure in every characteristic, keeping them both phenomenally and principlically. Both vehicle and precepts must be urgent, not like the [teachings of the first] twelve years that did not know the perfect and permanent and explained precepts only in their phenomenal aspects. Hence the Yili states: 'Although one relies on the sublime practice of the Lotus Samādhi, if the dull-rooted of the final age have no supporting assistance, the correct practice will collapse. Therefore, one must support the vinaya and speak of permanence to reveal the true mark.' As for what the Great Sutra says—'One who is lax in precepts is not called lax; only one who is lax in the vehicle is called lax'—this is a passage that singularly praises the Mahāyāna and measures relative superiority and inferiority. How could one rely on this to neglect phenomenal precepts? The Calmness and Insight says that those who are 'urgent in the vehicle but lax in the precepts' see the Buddha and hear the scripture in bodies of the three wretched destinies; just as in the Avataṃsaka and Nirvāṇa sutras, ghosts, spirits, dragons, and beasts are all numbered among the assembly. Such causes and fruits, with their gradations of rising and falling, are varied. How could one object by saying, 'Since one attains the Path through the precepts of principle, what need is there for phenomenal precepts?' When fortunate enough to receive the Path among humans and devas, why willingly suffer falling into the three wretched destinies? (Sentence commentary) One who is not clear on this doctrine is not yet qualified to discuss the final instruction of the Nirvāṇa Sutra. If one merely propagates the Four-Part Vinaya without reading the Mahāyāna, one merely knows how to abide strictly by the rules of observance and transgression from the Deer Park, having never heard the purport of the opening and revelation on Vulture Peak. For this to be propagating the Path is truly lamentable. For example, when Zhiyi passed away, his disciples asked whom they should take as their authority, and he answered them: 'The prātimokṣa (precepts), and the four kinds of samādhi are therein (vehicle).' When Zuoxi died, he looked back and said to his disciples: 'My path of the six identities is complete and my myriad practices are non-attainment (vehicle); the precepts are the basis of the mind (precepts); take them as your teacher.' From this we also know that the transmission of the Path by successive patriarchs never failed to take its root in the principle that both vehicle and precepts must be urgent, and in supporting the vinaya and speaking of permanence.

4.9

If we speak of the period and flavour, it is the same as the Lotus, but discussing the purity or mixture within the section, there is a slight difference (Fourfold Teachings: The Juji differentiates the two sutras with sixteen points, saying: 'Judged by flavour they belong to the same period, yet their sections differ,' and so forth. Furthermore, the Profound Meaning states: 'The Nirvāṇa still carries the three vehicles, whereas this sutra is purely one without mixture'). / However, the intent of the teaching in both sutras is identical from beginning to end. Just as in the Lotus, the preaching in three cycles determines and settles the śrāvakas to return together to the one real [teaching] (opening the provisional traces; note: duan is pronounced ting-luan; dian is pronounced as written, glossed as 'to determine'; according to the sutra text, it means determining the Dharma of the śrāvakas), and later opens the proximate to reveal the distant, explaining the bodhisattva's deeds (revealing the original ground). In the Nirvāṇa as well, it first presents the superior three cultivations (The Commentary refutes the three cultivations and the minor realization of the ten ṛṣis. The Profound Meaning of the Nirvāṇa states: 'The heterodox three cultivations refer to worldly people following the teachings of heterodox teachers, regarding continuity as permanence, pleasant feelings as bliss, and movement as the self. The inferior three cultivations refer to śrāvakas relying on the half-letter teaching, regarding the three realms as impermanent, all existences as not blissful, and everything as empty, non-self, and without mine. The superior three cultivations rely on the Buddha's superior teaching to refute the inferior cultivations, using permanence, bliss, and self to rebuke the monks' views of impermanence, suffering, emptiness, non-self, and falsity as untrue, showing that the Dharma-body is permanent and unchanging, enjoying supreme joy and endowed with complete freedom. One who cultivates thus enters the secret treasury.' The Nirvāṇa Sutra mentions ten non-Buddhist teachers, including Jātiśuna), determining and settling the śrāvakas into entering the secret treasury (opening the provisional traces), and afterward uses the thirty-six questions to explain the bodhisattva's deeds (revealing the original ground; the Commentary says: 'broadly distinguishing the bodhisattva's five practices and ten virtues.' The above explains their similarity). Furthermore, on the brink of extinction, the Nirvāṇa further supports the Tripiṭaka to admonish future generations, preventing the dull-rooted of the final age from conceiving views of annihilation toward the Buddha-Dharma, broadly opening the lineage of permanence to break this inverted view and cause the Buddha-Dharma to abide long. In matters such as these, its intent differs (The above explains their difference according to the Profound Meaning. The Commentary states: 'The beginning refers to the initial division of the main discourse; the end refers to the final division of the main discourse. The Lotus takes the two gates of original ground and provisional traces as its initial and final divisions. The first opens the provisional to reveal the real and determines the śrāvakas, while the latter explains the original gate, increasing the path and diminishing births, reconsidering the previous opening of the provisional to become the master and the distant attainment of Buddhahood. Therefore, the main discourse of the Nirvāṇa is divided into four sections: first, the Cunda Chapter explains the presentation of Nirvāṇa to determine the two cultivations; second, four chapters from the Long Life Chapter explain the meaning of Nirvāṇa; third, five chapters from the Manifesting Illness Chapter explain the practice of Nirvāṇa; fourth, three chapters from the Lion's Roar Chapter explain the function of Nirvāṇa. Thus we know that the first three determine the śrāvakas, while the latter only explain the meaning and function of Nirvāṇa. Hence, the beginning and end of the two sutras are identical').

4.10

The sutra states: 'From the Mahāprajñāpāramitā comes the Mahāparinirvāṇa.' Therefore, it is combined with the Lotus to form the fifth period (Fourfold Teachings).

4.11

In the fifty-third year (ren-shen), the Buddha first went to Trāyastriṃśa Heaven for the three-month retreat. He sent Mañjuśrī to his mother's place to invite her briefly to pay homage to the Three Jewels. When Queen Māyā heard of this, her milk flowed spontaneously directly into the Buddha's mouth. She immediately came with Mañjuśrī to the Buddha's presence. The Buddha preached the Dharma for her, and she attained the fruit of srotāpanna. As the three months were about to end, he wished to enter nirvāṇa. Śakra created three flight of jeweled steps. The Buddha bid farewell to his mother and, guided and accompanied by the great assembly, descended and returned to the Jetavana (Sutra on the Buddha Ascending to Trāyastriṃśa).

4.12

I comment: According to the Xingfa jing, 'After three months I shall enter nirvāṇa'; thus we know that the preaching of the Xingfa jing occurred on the full moon of the eleventh month in the xin-wei year. According to the Sheng Daoli jing, he stayed for the three-month retreat; thus we know that when the preaching of the Xingfa jing was completed, he went to Trāyastriṃśa on that very day. According to this sutra, as the three months were drawing to a close he wished to enter nirvāṇa; thus we know that on the fourteenth day of the second month of this year he descended to Jambudvīpa, and on the fifteenth day he entered nirvāṇa.

4.13

At that time, King Udayana (of the kingdom of Kauśāmbī), longing for the World-Honoured One, cast a golden image. Hearing that the Buddha was about to descend the jeweled steps, he had an elephant carry the golden image to welcome the World-Honoured One. The golden image rose and descended just like a living Buddha, raining flowers, emitting light, and paying homage to the Buddha. The World-Honoured One joined his palms and said to the image: 'After my extinction, I entrust my disciples to you' (Guanfo sanmei jing. Note: According to the Ekottarika-āgama, Śakra invited the Buddha to ascend to Trāyastriṃśa Heaven to preach the Dharma for his mother. King Udayana, yearning to see the Tathāgata, carved an image of the Tathāgata from sandalwood, five feet in height. King Prasenajit heard of this and made an image of purple-gold, also five feet in height. At that time, Jambudvīpa first had these two images. Also, the Xiyu ji says: 'King Udayana requested Maudgalyāyana to use his supernatural power to transport artisans up to heaven to directly view the marvelous marks, and they carved an image with sandalwood'). The Buddha's maternal aunt Mahāprajāpatī (translated as Great Path of Love), unable to bear seeing the Tathāgata's extinction, paid homage to the Buddha together with five hundred nuns, withdrew to the monastery, and each performed the eighteen transformations in the air, entering nirvāṇa simultaneously. The Buddha ordered Ānanda to go into the city to announce to all householders (upāsakas who had received precepts and remained at home) to make five hundred catalpa coffins, and after the cremation to collect the relics and erect shrines to make offerings (Fomu nihuan jing). The Buddha personally lifted one leg of the bier, and Ānanda lifted one leg, flying through the air to the cemetery. The fourfold assembly each carried the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs (Ekottarika-āgama. Note: According to the Dazhidu lun, the Four Heavenly Kings carried the bier, while the Buddha walked in front holding an incense burner to burn incense and make offerings in order to repay her kindness).

4.14

Vinaya Master Sengyou of the Liang stated: 'The merit of the maternal aunt is equal to that of one's own mother. Therefore, he held and lifted it, demonstrating deep gratitude for her nurturing, in order to reprimand ungrateful people of future generations' (Shijia pu).

4.15

Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana, unable to bear seeing the Buddha's nirvāṇa, entered extinction beforehand. Seventy thousand arhats also entered extinction at the same time. At that time, the four classes of disciples were utterly distraught. The Tathāgata, through supernatural power, emanated two disciples to his left and right; the sentient beings rejoiced, and their sorrow was immediately dispelled (Sarvāstivāda-śāstra).

4.16

I comment: Śāriputra, unable to bear seeing the Buddha's nirvāṇa, entered extinction beforehand; yet the Nirvāṇa Commentary cites the Great Sutra saying that Śāriputra, seeing the Buddha's nirvāṇa, was not sorrowful, and seeing his permanent abiding, was not joyful. From this we know that the doctrine of opening and revealing is not the same as texts attached to the Hīnayāna.

4.17

Today in the assembly, countless multitudes might see the Tathāgata enter parinirvāṇa (Xiangfa jueyi jing).

4.18

On the fifteenth day of the second month, the Buddha was in the city of Kuśinagara (translated as 'Triangle'), at the birth-place of the Mallas, between the twin śāla trees. When on the verge of nirvāṇa, he emitted a great voice and addressed the great assembly universally: 'Today the World-Honoured One is about to enter nirvāṇa. If any sentient beings have doubts, they may now ask everything as their final questions.' At that time, in the early morning, the World-Honoured One emitted various lights from his mouth, shining universally through the ten directions. Sentient beings of the six destinies said to one another: 'We should hasten to go and exhort the Tathāgata not to enter parinirvāṇa' (Mahāparinirvāṇa Sutra).

4.19

I comment: The Tathāgata universally announced to the great assembly with voice and light, and among the six destinies, those who were able to speak to one another and exhort him were surely manifestations of great provisional leaders; thus they were able to pass the word along in succession to the multitudes of the three wretched destinies experiencing actual retribution. Therefore, when this sutra lists the assembly, there are those designated as kings among the devas, the eight classes, lions, elephants, birds, and beasts; this intent can be understood from that.

4.20

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).

4.21

The Commentary states: The Buddha told the monks that all the true Dharma had already been entrusted to Kāśyapa. This is the primary transmission of the Dharma, because Kāśyapa was able to continue the transmission through successive generations. He also said that he now entrusted the true Dharma to the kings, ministers, and the fourfold assembly. This is the secondary transmission of the Dharma, because those in official authority can govern people and protect the Dharma.

4.22

The Buddha addressed the great assembly: 'From this day forward, I do not permit śrāvaka disciples to eat meat' (Nirvāṇa Sūtra).

4.23

The Commentary states: The Brahmājāla prohibited bodhisattvas from eating meat. During the period of the Deer Park, the Small Vehicle permitted fish and meat for the sick. The Laṅkāvatāra then forbade bodhisattvas to eat meat. The Shiqian states that this was after the four Āgamas and marked the beginning of gradual prohibition. Since it was stated that bodhisattvas must not eat meat, we know that the teachings of the Small [Vehicle] still allowed it. Now, beginning with the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra], śrāvaka disciples were not permitted to eat meat: 'from this day forward' reveals that both the Great and the Small are regulated together. This is precisely the intention of supporting the monastic discipline. How could monastics of the degenerate age not know to observe this?

4.24

After King Ajātaśatru murdered his father, malignant sores broke out all over his body. Six ministers of wrong view deluded him by saying that the six heterodox masters could cure the king's disease. Jīvaka said, 'Only the Buddha can cure it.' When the king heard that the Buddha was about to enter nirvāṇa, he fainted and collapsed to the ground. The Bhagavat, with great compassion, entered the Moon-Loving Samādhi and emitted a cooling light that went forth to shine upon the king's body, whereupon his sores immediately healed. The king, along with his consort and five hundred and eighty thousand people of the kingdom, went to the city of Kuśīnagara. The Buddha preached the Dharma for them, and all his heavy transgressions were instantly lightened and diminished. The king, his consort, and the palace women all generated the bodhimind together, circled the Buddha three times, took their leave, and returned to the palace.

4.25

The Buddha addressed Kauṇḍinya: 'Where is Ānanda?' Kauṇḍinya replied: 'He is outside the Sāla forest, twelve yojanas from this great assembly, harassed by sixty-four thousand billion demons. These multitudes of demons have all transformed their bodies into the form of the Tathāgata, preaching all dharmas and displaying spiritual penetrations. Ānanda thought, "Could such spiritual transformations not have been done by the Buddha?" Because Ānanda has fallen into the snare of the demons, he is suffering extreme distress. For this reason he has not come here.' The Buddha said to Mañjuśrī: 'Ānanda is my younger brother. He has served me for more than twenty years, and fully receives and upholds whatever Dharma he hears, like pouring water from one vessel into another. For this reason I now inquired where he was, wishing to have him receive and uphold this Nirvāṇa Sūtra. Now he is being tormented by demons; you should take this great dhāraṇī and go rescue and protect him.' Having received it, Mañjuśrī went to Ānanda's place. When the demon king heard the dhāraṇī, he gave rise to the bodhimind, abandoned demonic deeds, and immediately released Ānanda to return to the Buddha's place (Nirvāṇa Sūtra).

4.26

The Commentary states: Ānanda was originally captivated by the Mātaṅgī woman, and the Buddha ordered Mañjuśrī to take the dhāraṇī and go to his rescue, which served as the occasion for the proclamation of the Great Samādhi of the Śūraṅgama. Later, outside the Sāla forest, he was harassed by demons, and the Buddha ordered Mañjuśrī to take the dhāraṇī and go to his rescue, which served as the cause and condition for the demon king to give rise to the bodhimind and abandon demonic deeds. One should not assess him by the minor fruit of a śrāvaka. As for the statement that while attending to the Buddha he only attained the third fruit, and only attained the fourth fruit when compiling [the scriptures] after the [Buddha's] passing, these were all residual fetters intentionally retained by Ānanda through the path of expedient means. Secretly a bodhisattva on the inside, he manifested outwardly as a śrāvaka. The Buddha conferred upon him the prediction of becoming the Buddha King of Unimpeded Penetrations of Mountain and Sea Wisdom. One must formulate one's judgment with this intention in mind.

4.27

The Buddha said to Ānanda: 'Outside this Sāla forest is a brahmacārin named Subhadra, one hundred and twenty years old. Although he has attained the five spiritual penetrations, he has not yet abandoned his arrogance. You may go to him and say: "The appearance of a Tathāgata in the world is like an udumbara flower. Tonight at midnight he will enter parinirvāṇa. If you have any work to do, you should do it in time."' Ānanda, having received the command, went and spoke these words. Subhadra said: 'Excellent!' and immediately returned with Ānanda to the Buddha's place. Hearing the Buddha preach the Dharma, he attained arhatship (Nirvāṇa Sūtra). Having attained the fruit, he addressed [the Buddha], saying: 'Bhagavat, we only pray that you will remain for a short while to admonish and instruct us, and not enter parinirvāṇa.' The Bhagavat was silent and did not grant permission. Subhadra, unable to bear seeing the Tathāgata enter nirvāṇa, entered extinction first. The Buddha addressed the great assembly: 'From my attainment of the Way and the conversion of Kauṇḍinya, down to the final [conversion of] Subhadra, my work is complete and there is nothing further to be done' (Latter Part of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra). At that time Ānanda, based on Aniruddha's words, submitted four questions. The Buddha told Ānanda: 'As you have asked, "How should we dwell together with the group of six monks and with the ill-natured Channa who defiles other families?" After my nirvāṇa, the monk Channa will gradually be subdued and abandon his innate ill nature. As for "After the Buddha leaves the world, who shall be our teacher?" the Śīla-prātimokṣa is your great teacher. As for "After the Buddha's nirvāṇa, on what shall we rely?" rely on the four stations of mindfulness to adorn the mind and dwell: contemplating the nature and characteristics of the body as identical to empty space is called the station of mindfulness of the body; contemplating feelings as not being inside, outside, or in between is called the station of mindfulness of feelings; contemplating the mind as having only names, and that the nature of names is detached [from substantiality], is called the station of mindfulness of the mind; contemplating dharmas without finding wholesome dharmas or unwholesome dharmas is called the station of mindfulness of dharmas. All practitioners should rely on these four stations of mindfulness to dwell. As for "When compiling the Dharma treasury after the Tathāgata's extinction, what words should be placed at the beginning of all sūtras?" you should place: "Thus have I heard: At one time, the Buddha dwelt in such a direction and such a place, and together with the fourfold assembly, spoke this sūtra"' (Latter Part of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra). At that time, Ānanda asked: 'How should the funeral be conducted after the Tathāgata's parinirvāṇa?' The Buddha said: 'It should be like the funeral rite for a wheel-turning sage king: wrap the body in white cotton cloth, smear it with powdered incense, and place the king's body in a gold coffin within an iron outer coffin, pouring ghee over it and burning it with fragrant firewood. When the fire has burned out, collect the powdered bones and erect a stupa to display a pillar. Those who see it will feel both sorrow and joy, reflecting upon the righteous rule of the king. I, as a sage king now, am also like this. In the future, the sentient beings of this land of mine will frequently practice water burial, fire burial, and burial in stupas and mounds. Within the realm of Jambudvīpa there is the country of Cīnasthāna, where I will dispatch three sages to transform and guide them, so that the people are compassionate, sorrowful, and fully endowed with propriety and righteousness' (Sūtra of the Causes and Conditions of Tombs and Graves; Zhiguan: 'I dispatch three sages to transform that Cīnasthāna'; Fuxing: 'Benevolence and righteousness lead the way; the true path is revealed afterward'; Qingjing faxing jing: 'Bodhisattva Guangjing is called Confucius there, Bodhisattva Kāśyapa is called Laozi there, and Bodhisattva Candraprabha is called Yan Hui there').

4.28

When the Buddha preached the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra], there were fifteen billion people who did not generate faith in this sūtra; these people will also come to attain faith in the future.

4.29

The Commentary states: This is found in the Miaoju; it is not known which text it is based upon. Such people of extremely dull faculties are precisely those who leave the household in the degenerate age and study the Buddha's Dharma with right faith. How fortunate we are to be included in this stream!

4.30

As the Tathāgata was about to enter nirvāṇa, the devas and the great assembly all came to make offerings; only the Conch-Tufted Brahmā King did not come to pay his respects. At that time, the great assembly detested his arrogance and dispatched hundreds of thousands of spell-holding ṛṣis to go there and seize him, but they saw various kinds of filth formed into ramparts and moats, and they violated the spells and died. Again, they mobilized immeasurable vajra-holders carrying spells to go, yet even after seven days no one could capture him. The great assembly lamented and spoke a gāthā. The Tathāgata then, by the spiritual power of his Great Universal Knowledge, manifested an Indestructible Vajra from beneath his left heart, who displayed great spiritual penetrations amidst the assembly, causing the three-thousand-world system to quake in six ways. He then leapt into the air to the place of the Brahmā King, pointed at those filthy substances and turned them into earth, and said to the Brahmā King: 'You are greatly foolish! The Tathāgata is about to enter nirvāṇa; why do you not go?' He then, with the indestructible power of the vajra, pointed slightly at him, whereupon the Brahmā King generated the mind [for bodhi] and went to the Tathāgata's place (The Essential Gate of the Efficacy of Ucchuṣma-vajra; the title refers to Ucchuṣma [Filth-Clearing] because, as the sūtra says: 'The vajra pointed at the Brahmā King's filthy substances and turned them into earth,' meaning that he transformed that filthy realm through spiritual penetrations, and hence was named Ucchuṣma-vajra).

4.31

The Bhagavat was about to enter nirvāṇa. At that time, in the deep of midnight, all was silent and without a sound, and he briefly preached the essentials of the Dharma for the disciples: 'You monks, after my passing, should honor, treasure, and respect the Prātimokṣa. You should know that this is your great teacher; it is no different than if I were to abide in the world' (Sūtra of the Buddha's Bequeathed Teaching).

4.32

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).

4.33

At that time, Mahākāśyapa was on Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain with five hundred disciples, fifty yojanas away from the city of Kuśīnagara. (Note: The Sūtra on Rushing to the Buddha's Nirvāṇa says: 'Kāśyapa was at Mount Yichali, twenty-six thousand li from Śrāvastī, teaching one thousand disciples.' These are differences between traditions; one should take what appears in the Later Portion of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra as correct.) In deep samādhi, Kāśyapa felt his heart startled and his body tremble. Emerging from samādhi, he saw the earth violently shaking and immediately knew that the Tathāgata had entered nirvāṇa. He then led his disciples to the city of Kuśīnagara, arriving at the Buddha's coffin. Out of great compassion, for Kāśyapa's sake the coffin opened naturally, revealing the firm physical body of purplish-burnished real gold. Kāśyapa wept in sorrow, washed him with perfumed water, and wrapped his body in a thousand sheets of fine cloth. The coffin then closed again. Kāśyapa recited verses, and the Tathāgata again manifested his two feet marked with thousand-spoke wheels outside the coffin. Kāśyapa bowed in reverence and praised the vajra feet, which then returned into the coffin on their own. Fire surged forth from the chest outside the coffin, gradually cremating it. After seven days had passed, the incense pyre was entirely consumed (Later Portion; Note: The Garbhastha Sūtra says Kāśyapa held the fire to light the fragrant firewood. These are differences between traditions; one should take what appears in the Later Portion as correct). Seven days after the Buddha's passing, Mahākāśyapa addressed five hundred arhats and dispatched them to the worlds of the ten directions to assemble all arhats possessed of the six supernormal knowledges, obtaining an assembly of eight hundred and eight million, to listen to and receive the words of the Dharma between the twin trees (Garbhastha Sūtra).

4.34

Distribution of the Relics

4.35

Preface: The Wise One [Zhiyi] said: 'These relics are perfumed and cultivated by morality, concentration, and wisdom. When investigating their meaning, there is the distinction between the physical body and the Dharma body, whole and divided. "I do not enter extinction, but am ever on Vulture Peak"—how could this not be the whole Dharma body? Now, discussing the eighty-four thousand [relics] after nirvāṇa, it only demonstrates the physical and fragmented bodies.' For countless eons the Tathāgata has repeatedly appeared, precisely in order to open the traces of the physical body to reveal the origin of the Dharma body, and to use the narrowness of the fragmented body to show the pervasiveness of the whole body. How could the vast expedient means for benefiting beings be conceivable?

4.36

On the twenty-ninth day of the second month, seven days had already passed since the Tathāgata's cremation. Śakra opened the coffin, took the Buddha's right tooth, and erected a stūpa in heaven. Two swift rākṣasas stole a pair of the Buddha's teeth. At that time, the assembly within the city collected enough relics to fill eight golden jars and took them into the city of Kuśīnagara to make offerings for seven days (Later Portion; Note: 'Śarīra' here means bone-body).

4.37

On the sixth day of the third month, the king of the country of Kapila, a relative of the Tathāgata by birth (The father King Śuddhodana had two sons and one grandson, all of whom had already renounced household life. The father king asked the Buddha, saying, 'The royal lineage is forever cut off,' so we know that after his death there was no heir. The King of Kapila here must be one of the people of the state who enthroned the son of a brother as his successor; hence it is now called 'relatives by birth'), along with the members of the Śākya clan, learned after three weeks that the Buddha had entered nirvāṇa and entered the city of Kuśīnagara to request relics, but their request was not granted. King Ajātaśatru went to the Buddha to repent; having cleansed his bodily sores, his extremely grave transgressions were eliminated, and he returned to his own palace. On the night of the nirvāṇa he dreamed that the moon fell, and summoning his ministers, he asked about it. They replied, 'This is a sign of the Buddha's nirvāṇa.' The king then led his ministers and retinue to the city of Kuśīnagara to request relics, but his request was not granted. At that time, the King of Vaiśālī, a renowned king of the non-Buddhists, King Allakappa, King Veṭhadīpa the Fearless, King Calakappa, and King Pāvā, each led their ministers and retinue into the city of Kuśīnagara, requesting a portion of the relics to bring back to their countries for worship, but their requests were not granted (Later Portion; Note: The seven countries above, together with Kuśīnagara, make eight countries). At that time, the kings of the eight countries fought over the relics. A minister named Upakāra admonished the eight kings. Then Śakra transformed into a human and spoke: 'We gods should also have a share.' The dragon king Anavatapta said: 'We too should have a share. If you do not give it to us, our strength is sufficient to match yours.' Then Upakāra told them: 'Gentlemen, stop for a moment. These relics should be divided together. Why must there be fighting?' He then divided the relics into three shares: one share for the gods, one share for the dragon kings, and one share for the eight kings (Garbhastha Sūtra). The eight countries divided the relics together. King Ajātaśatru obtained eighty-four thousand [measures], and additionally received the mustache, returning to his country. On the road he met the dragon king Nandopananda, who sought relics from him. King Ajātaśatru would not give them. The dragon said: 'My strength is capable of destroying your kingdom.' King Ajātaśatru was terrified, and immediately gave the Buddha's mustache to him. The dragon king erected a crystal stūpa at the foot of Mount Sumeru. King Ajātaśatru returned to his country, placed the relics in a box of purplish gold, made a thousand-year lamp, and built a stūpa to enshrine them in the waters of the five Gaṅgā rivers (Aśokarāja Sūtra).

4.38

The eight countries raised troops to fight for the relics. The brāhmaṇa named Dhūmra shouted loudly: 'They should be divided into eight portions.' At that time, the city of Kuśīnagara received the first portion, and so on, until King Ajātaśatru received the eighth portion. Each returned to his own country and erected a stūpa. The brāhmaṇa named Dhūmra received the urn that held the relics and returned to the village of Nāra to erect a stūpa. The brāhmaṇa Nārāyaṇa received the ashes and returned to his country to erect a stūpa. At that time, there were for the first time ten stūpas in Jambudvīpa (Daśabhāṇavāra-vinaya).

4.39

Compilation of the Three Baskets (Tripiṭaka)

4.40

Preface: When Jīngxī discussed the compilation of the Three Baskets, there were three councils. The council of one thousand was precisely the very first (on the fifteenth day of the fourth month after the Buddha's passing). The council of seven hundred was one hundred years after his passing, when the Vṛji arbitrarily practiced the ten disputes (the thirty-fourth year of King Li of Zhou; see Treatise on the Prosperity and Decline). The council of five hundred was four hundred years later, on account of King Kaniṣka inviting the saṅgha to debate doctrine, resulting in disagreement (source not yet verified). However, the Fayuan zhulin and Elder Li's Helun both rely on the Garbhastha Sūtra in taking the council of five hundred to be seven days after his passing. Now, examining the root text, Kāśyapa's addressing the five hundred was precisely sending emissaries to assemble the assembly, not yet the formal compilation; therefore, one should take Jīngxī's discussion as correct.

4.41

On the fifteenth day of the fourth month, Mahākāśyapa reflected thus: 'We should compile the Tripiṭaka so that the Dharma may long abide.' Thereupon, standing upon the summit of Mount Sumeru, he struck a bronze gaṇḍī (pronounced qiándì; the treatises on sound translate it as 'bell'; according to the Five-Part Vinaya, whatever sounds are made by earthenware, wood, bronze, or iron are all called gaṇḍī; various vinayas often write it as gaṇḍī-hammer) and uttered a gāthā, saying: / 'All disciples of the Buddha, / If you remember the Buddha, / You should repay the Buddha's kindness; / Do not enter nirvāṇa!' / All disciples endowed with supernormal powers assembled together. Kāśyapa selected one thousand people, all arhats, excluding only Ānanda. King Ajātaśatru provided daily food and drink for the one thousand people. During the summer retreat, when reciting the precepts on the fifteenth day of the third month, Kāśyapa entered samādhi and observed with the divine eye: Ānanda alone had not yet exhausted his defilements. Taking him by the hand, he led him out. Ashamed and weeping, Ānanda said: 'In the Buddha's Dharma, an arhat is not permitted to attend upon and serve [the Buddha]; it was for this reason alone that I retained residual fetters without severing them.' Mahākāśyapa said further: 'You have yet other offenses. You urged the Buddha to ordain women to go forth from the household, causing the True Dharma to decrease by five hundred years.' Ānanda said: 'All the Buddhas of the three times have the fourfold assembly.' Kāśyapa said further: 'When the Buddha was about to enter nirvāṇa, he had back pain and lay down saying he needed water, yet you did not provide it.' Ānanda said: 'At that time, five hundred carts had crossed the stream, and the water was turbid, so I did not take it.' Kāśyapa said further: 'The Buddha asked you: "If someone well cultivates the four bases of supernormal power, he could abide for an eon or less than an eon." You should have answered: "The Buddha should abide for an eon or less than an eon." The Buddha asked thrice and you did not answer, thereby causing the World-Honoured One to enter nirvāṇa early.' Ānanda said: 'Māra obscured my mind; that is why I did not answer.' Kāśyapa said further: 'When you folded the saṅghāṭī robe for the Buddha (褺, pronounced tújié, refers to a layered garment, meaning to fold in layers), you stepped on it with your feet.' Ānanda said: 'When I held the robe, a great wind blew it down under my feet; it was not out of disrespect.' Kāśyapa said further: 'Why was it not shameful that after parinirvāṇa, the Buddha's concealed privities were shown to women?' Ānanda said: 'I thought that when women saw the Buddha's concealed privities, they would feel ashamed of their female form and desire to attain a male body, cultivating all manner of the Buddha's roots of virtue; it was not done to break the precepts.' Kāśyapa ordered him to make confession of the six duṣkṛta offenses within the Saṅgha (duṣkṛta is translated here as "bad action", and also as "that which ought to be trained in"). Kāśyapa said further: 'Sever your defilements until they are completely exhausted, and only then may you enter.' Ānanda reflected on all phenomena, seeking to exhaust his remaining defilements; because his power of samādhi was slight, he did not immediately attain the Way. As the latter part of the night was drawing to a close, extremely fatigued, he rested; lying on his back upon the pillow, he suddenly attained awakening, entered the diamond-like samādhi, destroyed all defilements, and attained the six supernormal powers. In the latter part of the night, he went to the Saṅgha hall and knocked on the door. Kāśyapa said: 'Enter through the keyhole of the door.' Ānanda thereupon used his supernormal power to enter through the hole, and bowed down in repentance. Kāśyapa then said: 'Harbour no resentment; return to your original seat.' Having bowed to the Saṅgha, Ānanda ascended the lion seat (from the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa*). Kāśyapa told him: 'Let there be not a single word or syllable missing from the Dharma preached by the Buddha.' At that time Ānanda first recited the scriptures: first, the Womb Transformation Piṭaka; second, the Intermediate State Piṭaka; third, the Mahāyāna Vaipulya Piṭaka; fourth, the Precepts and Vinaya Piṭaka; fifth, the Ten Stages Bodhisattva Piṭaka; sixth, the Miscellaneous Piṭaka; seventh, the Diamond Piṭaka; eighth, the Buddha Piṭaka. This was the completion of the Dharma of the scriptures. Ānanda raised his voice and chanted: 'Thus have I heard: At one time, the Buddha was dwelling at...' Kāśyapa and the great assembly all shed tears: 'Alas! Old age and death are like illusions and transformations! Yesterday we saw the Buddha, and today it is already proclaimed: "Thus have I heard"' (*Garbhāvakrānti Sūtra*).

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佛祖統紀 — 志磐, Classical Chinese