大唐西域記 7.38

7.38

佛言：「所度者如爪上土，未度者如大地土。却後三月，吾當涅槃。」魔聞歡喜而退。阿難林中忽感異夢，來白佛言：「我在林間，夢見大樹，枝葉茂盛，蔭影蒙密，驚風忽起，摧散無餘。將非世尊欲入寂滅？我心懷懼，故來請問。」

By the side of this garden is a stûpa; this is the place where Tathâgata announced his death. When Buddha formerly dwelt in this place, he told Ânanda as follows : — " Those who obtain the four spiritual faculties are able to extend their lives to a kalpa. What is the term of years of Tathâgata then ? " Thrice he asked this question, and Ânanda answered not, through the fascination of Mâra. Then Ânanda rising from his seat, gave himself up to silent thought in a wood. At this time Mâra coming to Buddha, asked him, saying, " Tathâgata has for a long time dwelt in the world teaching and converting. Those whom he has saved from the circling streams (of transmiyration are as numerous as the dust or the sands. This surely is the time to partake of the joy of Nirvana." Tathagata taking some grains of dust on his nail, asked Mara, saying, "Are the grains of dust on my nail equal to the dust of the whole earth or not?" He answered, "The dust of the earth is much greater." Buddha said, "Those who are saved are as the grains of earth on my nail; those not saved like the grains of the whole earth; but after three months I shall die." Mara hearing it, was rejoiced and departed.

Meantime Ananda in the wood suddenly had a strange dream, and coming to Buddha he told it to him, saying, "I was in the wood, when I beheld in my dream a large tree, whose branches and leaves in their luxuriance cast a grateful shade beneath, when suddenly a mighty wind arose which destroyed and scattered the tree and its branches without leaving a mark behind. Oh, forbid it that the lord is going to die! My heart is sad and worn, therefore I have come to ask you if it be so or not?" Buddha answered Ananda, "I asked you before, and Mara so fascinated you that you did not then ask me to remain in the world. Mara-raja has urged me to die soon, and I have covenanted to do so, and fixed the time. This is the meaning of your dream." Not far from this spot is a stupa. This is the spot where the thousand sons beheld their father and their mother. Formerly there was a Rishi who lived a secret life amid the crags and valleys. In the second month of spring he had been bathing himself in a pure stream of water. A roe-deer which came to drink there just after, conceived and brought forth a female child, very beautiful beyond human measure, but she had the feet of a deer. The Rishi having seen it, adopted and cherished it (as his child). As time went on, on one occasion he ordered her to go and seek some fire. In so doing she came to the hut of another Rishi; but wherever her feet trod there she left the impression of a lotus-flower on the ground.