付法藏因緣傳 6.4

6.4

"The bhadanta should observe carefully: what kind of thing is that which was spoken of above?" Then the arhat entered samādhi and contemplated deeply, but could not understand it. Then, by his supernatural power, he divided his body and flew to the Tuṣita heaven, to the dwelling of Maitreya, and proclaimed the matter in full, requesting a resolution to his doubt. Then Maitreya told that arhat: "In the world, a lump of mud is placed upon a wheel, moulded and fired to make earthenware. Does such earthenware, like the holy ones, reach future lives?" Then that arhat immediately attained understanding, returned to Jambudvīpa, and proclaimed this matter. Saṅghanandi said to him: "Bhadanta, this must have been expounded to you by the Bodhisattva Maitreya before you could understand it." Such was his wisdom, supernatural powers, and transformations; his saving of living beings was immeasurable. Having finished what was to be done, when he was about to relinquish his body, he went beneath a tree, took hold of a branch with his fingers, and immediately gave up his lifespan, remaining leaning on this tree. The arhats wished to move his corpse to place it in a level spot and heap firewood to cremate it, but like Mount Sumeru it could not be moved, and even exhausting their supernatural powers produced no change. Thereupon, again, they combined the strength of great white elephants to push it, but could not move it even by the space of a mustard seed. They then heaped fragrant wood and cremated him underneath it. The fire blazed fiercely and burned his body completely, yet the tree became even more lush and suffered no withering or damage at all. The assembly of that time all saw this and sighed that such had never occurred before. They collected his śarīra and erected a stūpa to make offerings. After Saṅghanandi relinquished his body, there was an arhat named Saṅghayaśas, who next received the entrustment to spread the Dharma-eye, extensively transforming living beings and rescuing them from all suffering and distress. He had great wisdom, and his words were clear and eloquent. Formerly, though he had gone forth, he had not yet realized stream-entry. Traveling by the great sea, he saw a palace adorned with the seven jewels, exceedingly bright and splendid. Saṅghayaśas, seeing that the time had arrived, went to that palace and spoke a verse to beg for food: