佛祖統紀 5.6

5.6

Just seven days after the Buddha's cremation, Kāśyapa instructed five hundred arhats to go to the ten directions and assemble the arhats; eight hundred and eight million were gathered, all assembling between the twin trees to listen to the words of the Dharma (Bodhisattva in the Womb Sūtra). When the first fifteen days of the mid-summer retreat arrived, Kāśyapa, together with one thousand arhats, compiled the Tripiṭaka in Rājagṛha. King Ajātaśatru daily provided food for the one thousand people, fully completing one summer (Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa). Kāśyapa propagated and upheld the True Dharma for up to twenty years (corresponding to the eighth year of King Yi of Zhou, the renchen year), and then entrusted the Dharma treasury to Ānanda. First he paid homage to the four stūpas (the four places of leaving the household, attaining the Way, turning the wheel of the Dharma, and entering nirvāṇa, where seven-jeweled stūpas were erected in each); next he paid homage to the eight stūpas (the relic stūpas erected by the kings of the eight countries); next he entered the dragon palace to pay homage to the stūpa of the Buddha's beard; next he ascended to the heavens to pay homage to the stūpa of the Buddha's tooth. He went to take his leave of King Ajātaśatru, but the king happened to be asleep; he then proceeded to Mount Kukkuṭapāda (its three peaks resemble an upturned chicken's foot; that is, Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa). Gathering grass to spread a seat, he made three vows: first, 'May this body and the robes and bowl I hold not decay, awaiting the descent and birth of Maitreya'; second, 'When I enter the concentration of cessation, may the three peaks merge into one'; third, 'If Ānanda and King Ajātaśatru arrive, may the mountain temporarily open.' At that time King Ajātaśatru dreamed that the roof-beam of his palace broke; waking up, the king sighed in grief, and went immediately to Mount Kukkuṭapāda, where he saw Kāśyapa’s entire body sitting dignified in meditative concentration. The king wailed aloud in grief, piling up various scented woods wishing to cremate him. Ānanda said to him: 'Kāśyapa maintains his body through meditative absorption to await Maitreya; he must not be burned.' Having made offerings, the king returned to his own kingdom, and the mountain closed as before. When Maitreya's three assemblies have taken place, immeasurable arrogant sentient beings will ascend this mountain; Maitreya will snap his fingers and the mountain peaks will open immediately. Kāśyapa will hand over the robe he carries to Maitreya, and after making his address of reverent homage, he will soar into the sky and display various divine transformations, manifesting fire from his body to burn himself, and thereupon enter quiescent extinction (Account of the Transmission of the Dharmapiṭaka; The Meixi Collection says: 'Lord Jing [Wang Anshi] said to Chan Master Fo Hui Quan: "From what scripture does the story of the World-Honoured One holding up a flower derive?" Quan said: "It is not recorded in the Tripiṭaka." The Duke said: "Recently while in the Hanlin Academy, I happened to see the three-fascicle Sūtra of the Great Brahma King Inquiring of the Buddha to Resolve Doubts, which says: 'At the assembly on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa, the Brahma King offered a golden udumbara flower to the Buddha, requesting him to preach the Dharma. The World-Honoured One ascended the seat, held up the flower, and showed it to the assembly. The millions of gods and humans were all at a loss; only Kāśyapa broke into a subtle smile. The World-Honoured One said: "I have the treasury of the eye of the True Dharma, the wondrous mind of nirvāṇa, which I entrust to Kāśyapa."'"').