經律異相 6.4

6.4

After the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, the Mallakas (which means "wrestlers" in the Liang language) of the kingdom of Pāvā; the Bulis of the kingdom of Calakalpa; the Kolyas of the kingdom of Rāmagāma; the brāhmaṇas of the kingdom of Vethadīpa; the Śākyas residing in the kingdom of Kapilavastu; the Licchavis of the kingdom of Vaiśālī; and King Ajātaśatru of the kingdom of Magadha (in the *Garbha Sūtra* called King Udayana, King Mūrdhaka, [King] Virūḍhaka, and King Ajātaśatru, as well as the Master of Supreme Armies, the Master of Handsome Armies, the Master of Flourishing Armies, and the Master of Vajra Armies) each prepared fourfold armies. The kings dispatched the brāhmaṇa of the Droṇa clan (in the *Daśādhyāya-vinaya* called the In clan; in the *Garbha Sūtra* called Upakīrṇa) to address the Malla wrestlers of Kuśinagara, saying: "The Buddha was our teacher, whom we revered. It was in your state that he entered nirvāṇa. Therefore we have come from afar to request a share of the śarīra to take back to our countries and erect stūpas. If you will grant a share to us, we will share the treasures of our entire kingdoms with you." The wrestlers answered: "The Bhagavat deigned to descend upon this land and here entered nirvāṇa. The people of our realm should properly make offerings themselves. It is impossible to grant them to you after you have wearied yourselves coming from afar." The various kings discussed this together: "Since he does not grant them when we ask politely and in harmony, we shall take them by force, sparing neither body nor life." The king of the wrestlers said: "If you wish to mobilize troops, our strength is ample to oppose you. You will never obtain them." In the midst of the eight assemblies, the brāhmaṇa of the Droṇa clan proclaimed in a loud voice: "The Buddha accumulated the practice of wholesome forbearance over immeasurable kalpas. You gentlemen must also have heard him praise patience. How can you raise armies to assault and pillage one another? This is not an act of reverence. Now that the śarīra are present, we should simply divide them into eight portions, so that the people in every place may all make offerings. You gentlemen have all received the Buddha's precepts and recited his words. How can you fight over the śarīra and end up harming one another?" The wrestlers replied: "We respectfully accept your proposal." Then the brāhmaṇa of the Droṇa clan divided them into eight portions. Then Śakra Devānām Indra manifested in human form and spoke to the kings, saying: "We, the gods, should also have a share. If we fight together by strength, there will be victory and defeat. Fortunately, you can grant them to us; do not let it become difficult." Then the nāga king Anavatapta, the nāga king Mucilinda, and the nāga king Elāpattra spoke to the eight kings, saying: "We too should have a share of the śarīra. If you do not grant it to us, our strength is sufficient to subdue you." Then Upakīrṇa said: "Gentlemen, stop for a moment; it is fitting to divide them together." He then divided them into three portions: one portion was given to the gods, one portion to the nāga kings, and one portion belonged to the eight kings. He coated the inside of a jar with honey and measured them out with the jar. The gods obtained their share, returned to heaven, and built seven-jeweled stūpas. The nāgas obtained their share, returned to the nāga palace, and likewise built precious stūpas. When King Ajātaśatru counted his share with the others, each obtained 84,000 śarīra. There remained one whisker from the Buddha's mouth, which no one dared to take. Because King Ajātaśatru, when first seeking the śarīra, had thrown himself on the ground in exhaustion with the utmost sincerity, they all held it and gave it to him. Ajātaśatru rejoiced, and drums and music shook the heavens. Halfway along the path, the nāga king Nando[pananda] met him and said: "The Buddha left behind his śarīra; give one share to me." The king said: "That cannot be done." The nāga said: "I am Nando[pananda]. I can lift your country, cast it eighty thousand li away, and grind it into dust." The king was frightened and gave him the Buddha's whisker. The nāga built a stūpa beneath Mount Sumeru, 84,000 li high, raising a tower of crystal and lapis lazuli. After King Ajātaśatru died, Aśoka obtained his realm. Then a minister said to King Aśoka: "The nāga Nando[pananda] formerly slighted Ajātaśatru and took away the Buddha's whisker." When Aśoka heard this, he ordered the ghost and spirit kings to forge iron nets and iron bindings, and placed them in the water beneath Mount Sumeru, intending to bind and capture the nāga king. The nāga king was greatly frightened, and they devised a plan together, saying: "Aśoka serves the Buddha. We should wait until he is sound asleep, take his palace, and move it into the water of Mount Sumeru. When I appear beneath the crystal stūpa and explain the entire background to him, his anger will certainly subside." He then dispatched nāgas to carry King Aśoka's palace away. Waking from his sleep, [the king] did not know where he was, but saw the crystal stūpa, 84,000 li high. Joy and fear mingled in his heart. The nāga Nando[pananda] came forward himself, bowed, and apologized, saying: "King Ajātaśatru gave it to me himself; I did not seize it. In the past, Śākyamuni Tathāgata made an agreement with me, saying: 'After my parinirvāṇa, when the kalpa is about to end, take all the sūtras, vinaya, kāṣāya robes, and bowls, and store them within this stūpa. When Maitreya descends, you must bring them forth again.'" The nāga then returned the king's palace to its original location. The brāhmaṇa of the Droṇa clan said: "I request the śarīra urn (in the *Bodhisattvagarbha Sūtra* called a basin), that I may return to the village of Droṇa and erect an urn stūpa." The wrestlers gave it to him, and with the urn and the śarīra adhering to it, he erected a precious stūpa. The brāhmaṇa householder Pārāyaṇa further said: "Give me the charcoal from the place where the Buddha was cremated. I will return to my home country and erect a charcoal stūpa." A non-Buddhist practitioner from the state of Heng asked to take the earth ashes to return to his country and build a stūpa. The wrestlers agreed to both. There was also a precious stūpa erected at the cremation ground. The ashes, charcoal, and earth amounted to forty-nine hu, and forty-nine precious stūpas were built, all erected with tall pillars, Dharma-wheels, and silk banners. (Drawn from the two-fascicle *Nirvāṇa Sūtra*, the preface to the *Daśādhyāya-vinaya*, the *Bodhisattvagarbha Sūtra*, and the *Aśokāvadāna*.)