佛祖統紀 4.20

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).