法苑珠林 12.35

12.35

依菩薩處胎經云。爾時佛取滅度已。經七日七夜。時大迦葉告五百阿羅漢。打揵椎集眾。卿五百人。盡詣十方諸佛世界。諸有得阿羅漢六通者。盡集此閻浮提詣雙樹間。釋迦牟尼佛今已捨壽起七寶塔。今集欲得演出真性法身。汝等速集聽採微妙之言。爾時五百羅漢受大迦葉教。如人屈伸臂頃。即到十方恒河沙剎土。集諸羅漢得八億八千。眾來集忍界聽受法言。又僧祇律云。時大迦葉語諸比丘。結集法藏勿令法滅。諸人欲往餘處結集。迦葉言。應住王舍城。有五百人臥具。眾皆言爾。令阿那律守佛舍利。勿使諸天將去。過去迦葉佛滅度時。弟子但知懊惱。不覺天持舍利去。盡世人不得供養。時阿難不去。迦葉與千人。至剎帝山施世尊舍利。目連坐次迦葉四月結集斷於外緣少二人不滿五百。那律復來。猶少一人。迦葉遣目連共行。弟子梨婆提長老羅漢。汝往三十三天呼提那羅漢。提那羅漢聞佛涅槃。不忍見佛行處。已入滅度。後遣至尸利沙翅宮喚憍梵波提羅漢。乃至毘沙門天宮命須蜜多羅漢。並已涅槃。

According to the *Pusa chutai jing*, at that time, after the Buddha had entered extinction, seven days and seven nights had passed. Mahākāśyapa addressed five hundred arhats: 'Beat the ghaṇṭā to assemble the congregation. You five hundred people should go to the Buddha-worlds of the ten directions. All who have attained arhatship and the six supernatural knowledges should assemble entirely in this Jambudvīpa and go between the twin trees. Śākyamuni Buddha has now cast off his lifespan and erected a seven-jeweled stūpa. This assembly now desires to bring forth the true nature and Dharmakāya. Assemble swiftly to listen and gather his subtle and wondrous words.' At that time the five hundred arhats received Mahākāśyapa's instruction, and in the time it takes a person to bend or stretch an arm, they reached Buddha-lands as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the ten directions, gathering arhats to the number of eight hundred and eight thousand. The congregation came and assembled in the Sahā world to hear and receive the words of the Dharma.
Also, according to the *Mahāsaṃghika-vinaya*, at that time Mahākāśyapa spoke to the monks: 'Let us compile the Dharma-piṭaka so that the Dharma does not disappear.' The people wished to go elsewhere to compile it. Kāśyapa said: 'We should stay in Rājagṛha, where there is bedding for five hundred people.' The congregation all agreed. He ordered Aniruddha to guard the Buddha's relics, not letting the devas take them away. When the past Buddha Kāśyapa entered extinction, his disciples only knew distress and did not realize that the devas had carried off the relics, so that none of the people of the world were able to make offerings. At that time Ānanda did not go. Kāśyapa and a thousand persons went to Mount Kṣatriya to bestow the World-Honoured One's relics. Maudgalyāyana sat next to Kāśyapa. For the four-month compilation, cutting off external conditions, they were short of two people to make five hundred. Aniruddha came again, but they were still short of one person. Kāśyapa sent Maudgalyāyana together with the elder arhat disciple Revata: 'Go to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven and call the arhat Tina.' The arhat Tina, hearing of the Buddha's nirvāṇa, could not bear to see where the Buddha had walked, and had already entered extinction. Later they were sent to the Śirīṣaka Palace to summon the arhat Gavāmpati, and even to the palace of Vaiśravaṇa Deva to summon the arhat Sumitra; both had already attained nirvāṇa.