釋迦譜 4.18

4.18

The two-scroll Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: The Buddha said to Ānanda: 'Those who have already taken joy in the Tathāgata’s correct transformation should abandon minds of craving and arrogance, follow and uphold the Buddha’s teachings, and with diligence contemplate the practice of the Path. This is the Buddha's final bequest; you must heed it together. You monks! Observe the Buddha’s appearance and demeanor: it is difficult to behold. Only after one hundred and forty million years will there again be a Maitreya Buddha. It is difficult to encounter [a Buddha] constantly. In the world there is the udumbara flower, which fruits without blossoming; if it blossoms, a Buddha is present in the world, acting as a sun for the world, ever removing the multitude of darknesses. From when I became a holy teacher until [age] seventy-nine, what was to be done has been fully accomplished. Exert yourselves! The night is already half spent.'