法苑珠林 30.33

30.33

又依新翻大阿羅漢難提蜜多羅所說法住記云。薄伽梵般涅槃後。八百年中執師子國勝軍王。都有阿羅漢名難提蜜多羅（唐云慶友）化緣既畢將般涅槃。集諸苾芻苾芻尼等。但有疑者應可速問。承告洟噎良久乃問。我等未知。世尊釋迦牟尼與上正法當住幾時。時尊者告曰。汝等諦聽。如來先已說法住經。今當為汝粗更宣說。佛薄伽梵般涅槃時。以無上法付囑十六大阿羅漢并諸眷屬。令其護持使不滅沒及勅其身與諸施主作真福田。令彼施者得大果報。時諸大眾聞是語已少解憂悲。復重請言。所說十六大阿羅漢。我輩不知其名何等。慶友答言。第一尊者名賓度羅跋羅惰闍。與自眷屬千阿羅漢。多分住在西瞿陀尼洲。第二尊者名迦諾迦伐蹉。與自眷屬五百阿羅漢。多分住在北方迦濕彌羅國。第三尊者名迦諾跋釐惰闍。與自眷屬六百阿羅漢。多分住在東勝身洲。第四尊者名蘇頻陀。與自眷屬七百阿羅漢。多分住在北俱盧洲。第五尊者名諾詎羅。與自眷屬八百阿羅漢。多分住在南贍部洲。第六尊者名颰陀羅。與自眷屬九百阿羅漢。多分住在耽沒羅洲。第七尊者迦理迦。與自眷屬千阿羅漢。多分住在僧伽荼洲。第八尊者名伐闍羅弗多羅。與自眷屬千一百阿羅漢。多分住在鉢剌拏洲。第九尊者名戍博迦。與自眷屬九百阿羅漢。多分住在香醉山中。第十尊者名半託迦。與自眷屬千三百阿羅漢。多分住在三十三天。第十一尊者名羅怙羅。與自眷屬千一百阿羅漢。多分住在畢利颺瞿洲。第十二尊者名那伽犀那。與自眷屬千二百阿羅漢。多分住在半度波山。第十三尊者名目揭陀。與自眷屬千三百阿羅漢。多分住在廣脇山中。第十四尊者名伐那婆斯。與自眷屬千四百阿羅漢。多分住在可住山中。第十五尊者名阿氏多。與自眷屬千五百阿羅漢。多分住在鷲峯山中。第十六尊者名注荼半託迦。與自眷屬千六百阿羅漢。多分住在持軸山中。如是十六大阿羅漢。一切皆具三明六通八解脫等無量功德。離三界染。誦持三藏博通外典。承佛勅故以神通力延自壽量。乃至世尊正法應住常隨護持。及與施主作真福田。令彼施者得大果報。若此世界一切國王輔相大臣長者居士。若男若女發殷重心。為四方僧設大施會。或設五年無遮施會。或慶寺慶像慶經幡等施設大會。或延請僧至所住處設大福會。或詣寺中經行處等。安布上妙諸座臥具衣藥飲食奉施僧眾。時此十六大阿羅漢及諸眷屬。隨其所應分散往赴。現種種形蔽隱聖儀。同常凡眾密受供具。令諸施主得勝果報。如是十六大阿羅漢。護持正法饒益有情。至此南贍部洲人壽極長。至於十歲刀兵劫起互相誅戮。佛法爾時當暫滅沒。刀兵劫後人壽漸增至百歲位。此洲人等厭前刀兵殘害苦惱。復樂修善。時此十六大阿羅漢與諸眷屬。復來人中。稱揚顯說無上正法。度無量眾令其出家。為諸有情作饒益事。如是乃至此洲人壽六萬歲時。無上正法流行世間熾然無息。後至人壽七萬歲時。無上正法方未滅沒。時此十六大阿羅漢與諸眷屬。於此洲地俱來集會。以神通力用諸七寶造窣堵波。嚴麗高廣。釋迦牟尼如來應正等覺所有遺身馱都皆集其內。爾時十六大阿羅漢與諸眷屬遶窣堵波。以諸香華持用供養恭敬讚歎。遶百千匝瞻仰禮已。俱昇虛空向窣堵波。作如是言。敬禮世尊釋迦如來應正等覺。我先受勅護持正法。及與天人作諸饒益。法藏已沒。有緣已周。今辭滅度。說是語已一時俱入無餘涅盤。先定願力火起焚身。如燈焰滅骸骨無遺。時窣堵波便陷入地。至金剛際方乃停住。爾時世尊釋迦牟尼無上正法。於此三千大千世界永滅不現。從此無間此佛土中有七百俱胝獨覺。一時出現。至人壽八萬歲時。獨覺聖眾復皆滅度。次後彌勒如來應正等覺出現世間。時贍部洲廣博嚴淨。具如經說。

Furthermore, according to the newly translated Record of the Duration of the Dharma Spoken by the Great Arhat Nandimitra: Eight hundred years after the Bhagavat's parinirvāṇa, in the capital of King Jayasena of the Kingdom of Siṃhala, there was an arhat named Nandimitra (in Chinese, Qingyou). When his conditions for transformation were complete and he was about to enter parinirvāṇa, he gathered the monks and nuns, [saying], 'Whoever has doubts should ask promptly.' Having received this announcement, they sobbed and choked for a long time before asking, 'We do not yet know how long the World-Honoured One Śākyamuni's supreme saddharma shall abide.' Then the venerable one told them, 'Listen attentively. The Tathāgata previously expounded the Sūtra on the Duration of the Dharma; I shall now broadly declare it again for you. When the Buddha, the Bhagavat, was about to enter parinirvāṇa, he entrusted the unexcelled Dharma to sixteen great arhats and their retinues, commanding them to protect and maintain it so that it would not disappear, and commanding their persons to serve as true puṇyakṣetras for donors, so that those donors would attain great fruition. At that time, hearing these words, the great assembly was slightly relieved of their sorrow and grief. They again requested, saying, "Regarding the sixteen great arhats spoken of, we do not know what their names are." Qingyou answered, saying: "The first venerable one is named Piṇḍolabhāradvāja, who, with his retinue of one thousand arhats, mostly resides in the western continent of Godānīya. The second venerable one is named Kanakavatsa, who, with his retinue of five hundred arhats, mostly resides in the northern country of Kaśmīra. The third venerable one is named Kanakabhāradvāja, who, with his retinue of six hundred arhats, mostly resides in the eastern continent of Pūrvavideha. The fourth venerable one is named Subinda, who, with his retinue of seven hundred arhats, mostly resides in the northern continent of Uttarakuru. The fifth venerable one is named Nakula, who, with his retinue of eight hundred arhats, mostly resides in the southern continent of Jambudvīpa. The sixth venerable one is named Bhadra, who, with his retinue of nine hundred arhats, mostly resides in the continent of Tāmradvīpa. The seventh venerable one is Kālika, who, with his retinue of one thousand arhats, mostly resides in the continent of Siṃhaladvīpa. The eighth venerable one is named Vajraputra, who, with his retinue of one thousand one hundred arhats, mostly resides in the continent of Parṇadvīpa. The ninth venerable one is named Jīvaka, who, with his retinue of nine hundred arhats, mostly resides in the Gandhamādana Mountain. The tenth venerable one is named Panthaka, who, with his retinue of one thousand three hundred arhats, mostly resides in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. The eleventh venerable one is named Rāhula, who, with his retinue of one thousand one hundred arhats, mostly resides in the continent of Priyaṅgudvīpa. The twelfth venerable one is named Nāgasena, who, with his retinue of one thousand two hundred arhats, mostly resides in Mount Pāṇḍava. The thirteenth venerable one is named Manggala, who, with his retinue of one thousand three hundred arhats, mostly resides in Mount Vipulapārśva. The fourteenth venerable one is named Vanavāsin, who, with his retinue of one thousand four hundred arhats, mostly resides in Mount Vatsa. The fifteenth venerable one is named Ajita, who, with his retinue of one thousand five hundred arhats, mostly resides in Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa. The sixteenth venerable one is named Cūḍapanthaka, who, with his retinue of one thousand six hundred arhats, mostly resides in Mount Nemindhara. These sixteen great arhats are all endowed with immeasurable merits such as the three knowledges, the six supernatural knowledges, and the eight liberations. Free from the defilements of the tridhātu, chanting and retaining the tripiṭaka, and broadly conversant with non-Buddhist classics, having received the Buddha's command, they use their supernatural powers to extend their lifespans, constantly following, protecting, and maintaining the saddharma for as long as it should abide, and serving as true puṇyakṣetras for donors, so that those donors obtain great fruition. If in this world any kings, chancellors, great ministers, elders, or householders, whether men or women, generate a profound and earnest mind and hold a great giving assembly for the monks of the four directions; or hold a five-year unrestricted giving assembly; or set up a great assembly to celebrate a temple, celebrate an image, celebrate sūtras, banners, and the like; or invite monks to their dwellings to set up a great assembly of merit; or go to temples, walkways, and the like, to arrange and lay out supreme seats, bedding, clothing, medicines, and food and drink to offer to the monastic community; then these sixteen great arhats and their retinues, as appropriate, will disperse and attend, manifesting various forms to conceal their holy deportment, mixing with ordinary multitudes to secretly receive the offerings, causing all the donors to obtain superior fruit and retribution. In this way, the sixteen great arhats protect and maintain the saddharma and benefit sentient beings until the lifespan of humans in this southern Jambudvīpa decreases to ten years, when the calamity of weapons arises and they slaughter one another; the Buddha-Dharma will then temporarily disappear. After the calamity of weapons, when human lifespan gradually increases to the stage of one hundred years, the people of this continent, loathing the suffering and distress of the previous weapon calamity's cruel destruction, will again delight in cultivating the good. At that time, these sixteen great arhats and their retinues will come again among humans, praising and proclaiming the unexcelled saddharma, delivering immeasurable multitudes and causing them to go forth from household life, doing beneficial deeds for all sentient beings. In this way, until the human lifespan on this continent reaches sixty thousand years, the unexcelled saddharma will circulate in the world, blazing without cease. Later, when the human lifespan reaches seventy thousand years, only then will the unexcelled saddharma be on the verge of disappearance. At that time, these sixteen great arhats and their retinues will gather together on the ground of this continent, and using their supernatural powers, construct a stūpa of the seven jewels, ornate, lofty, and vast, wherein all the remaining bodily relics (dhātu) of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, the Arhat, the Fully and Perfectly Enlightened One, will be gathered. At that time, the sixteen great arhats and their retinues will circumambulate the stūpa, holding various perfumes and flowers to offer, revere, and praise it; having circumambulated it hundreds of thousands of times and gazed up in reverence, they will ascend into the sky together toward the stūpa, and utter these words: "We pay homage to the World-Honoured One, the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, the Arhat, the Fully and Perfectly Enlightened One. We previously received your command to protect and maintain the saddharma and to bring various benefits to humans and devas. The Dharma treasury has now disappeared, and our karmic conditions are now fulfilled; we now bid farewell to enter extinction." Having spoken these words, they will simultaneously enter nirvāṇa without remainder; by the power of their prior vows of concentration, fire will arise to consume their bodies, like the flame of a lamp being extinguished, leaving no bones or remains behind. Then the stūpa will sink into the ground, stopping only when it reaches the diamond stratum. At that time, the unexcelled saddharma of the World-Honoured One Śākyamuni will be eternally extinguished and no longer appear in this great trichiliocosm. Immediately following this, seven hundred koṭis of pratyekabuddhas will appear simultaneously in this Buddha-land. When human lifespan reaches eighty thousand years, the assembly of pratyekabuddha sages will all enter extinction again. Next, the Tathāgata Maitreya, the Arhat, the Fully and Perfectly Enlightened One, will appear in the world. At that time, Jambudvīpa will be vast, ornate, and pure, fully as described in the sūtra.'