佛祖統紀 4.32

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).