經律異相 16.18

16.18

When Upagupta was about to enter nirvāṇa, he entrusted the Dharma treasury to his last converted disciple, Dhītika, saying, "Good man, the Bhagavat entrusted the Dharma treasury to Mahākāśyapa; Kāśyapa entrusted it to Ānanda; Ānanda entrusted it to Madhyāntika; Madhyāntika entrusted it to my preceptor Śāṇavāsa; and Śāṇavāsa entrusted it to me. Now that I am to enter nirvāṇa, I entrust it to you." He proclaimed this throughout Jambudvīpa, and one hundred thousand arhats gathered at once, along with countless ordinary monks. He then displayed spiritual powers, exhibiting the eighteen transformations in full. His task complete, he entered nirvāṇa. For all the disciples he had converted who had attained the four fruits of the Path, counting tallies had been taken and placed in a stone chamber. His body was cremated using those tallies, and a stūpa was subsequently erected. At that time another thousand arhats entered nirvāṇa alongside him. Dhītika guarded and maintained the Dharma treasury. There were twenty-eight people who had fully obtained the four fruits from Upagupta. (Taken from the tenth fascicle of the Sūtra of King Aśoka.)