法苑珠林 30.41

30.41

又雜阿含經云。爾時世尊告天帝釋及四天王言。如來不久當以無餘涅槃而般涅槃。汝等各於方土護持正法。我滅度後過於千歲教法滅時。當有非法出世間。十善悉壞閻浮提中多諸患難。如來頂骨佛牙佛鉢安置東方（如是末後付囑天王帝釋四王六欲備在經文不可具說）。又勝天王經云。或有眾生見此菩薩今始成道。或見菩薩久遠成道。或見一世界四天王獻鉢或見十方恒河沙世界四天王獻鉢。舍利弗。菩薩爾時度眾生故即受眾鉢。重疊掌中合而為一。其諸天王又不相見。皆謂世尊獨用我鉢。

The Saṃyuktāgama also states: At that time the World-Honoured One told Śakra, Devendra, and the Four Heavenly Kings, "The Tathāgata shall before long enter parinirvāṇa through the nirvāṇa without remainder. You shall each protect and uphold the saddharma in your respective regions. Over a thousand years after my passing away, when the taught Dharma disappears, un-dharma will appear in the world, the ten good deeds will all be ruined, and in Jambudvīpa there will be many afflictions and disasters. The Tathāgata's cranial bone, the Buddha's tooth, and the Buddha's bowl will be placed in the eastern direction." (Such final entrustments to the deva kings, Śakra, the Four Heavenly Kings, and the six heavens of desire are fully contained in the sūtra text and cannot be related in full.) Furthermore, the Suvikrāntacintidevaputra-paripṛcchā-sūtra says: Some sentient beings see this bodhisattva only now attaining the Way, while some see the bodhisattva having attained the Way long ago. Some see the Four Heavenly Kings of one world present alms bowls, while others see the Four Heavenly Kings of worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges in the ten directions present alms bowls. "Śāriputra, at that time, in order to deliver sentient beings, the bodhisattva received the many bowls, stacked them within his palm, and merged them into one. Those deva kings also could not see one another, each supposing, 'The World-Honoured One is using my bowl alone.'"