法苑珠林 12.73

12.73

Furthermore, the Buddha told the nāga king Sāgara, the Four Heavenly Kings, and others: "You shall offer me pearls, maṇi gems, gold, silver, and the like, as I wish to build stūpas and pavilions to house the former Buddhas and their scriptures and images." At that time, the devas, nāgas, and others made offerings as prompted by the thought. The Tathāgata, having received them, through his spiritual power, in the space of a single meal, transformed them all into pearl terraces and golden and silver stūpas and pavilions, obtaining eight million of each to house the former scriptures and images. He also told the emanation Buddhas: "Each of you shall offer me one stūpa and one silver pavilion to stabilize all my bequeathed Dharma in the trichiliocosm so that it may not be destroyed." Having heard this, the Buddhas each rejoiced and made offerings; he further obtained one hundred billion Buddhas who all emitted light from their mouths and rejoiced in praise. He also told the bodhisattvas: "Those who can preserve and guard my terraces and stūpas and translate and interpret the scriptures should circulate them based on the scriptures and images of these terraces and stūpas." These terraces and stūpas are all on the summit of Mount Gandhamādana. When the World-Honoured One was entering parinirvāṇa, he instructed me and Rāhula to maintain them in future evil ages, guiding sentient beings to free them from all suffering. They will be taken to the palace of Śakra and placed in the Nandana grove, and even the demon king will make offerings to the stūpa for up to five hundred years. After five hundred years have passed, the teachings will circulate among various countries until the disappearance of the Dharma. The stūpa will also ascend to the Tuṣita Heaven. When Maitreya sees the stūpa arriving, he will know that my Dharma has disappeared, and he will emit great light illuminating everywhere throughout the hells; later, when they encounter Rucika Buddha, they will all attain liberation. When those years have passed, the stūpa will descend again from Tuṣita Heaven and dwell in the palace of the nāga king Sāgara. The stūpas and silver pavilions built by the World-Honoured One are entrusted to Mañjuśrī, Samantabhadra, and Avalokiteśvara, who will take these pavilions and stūpas throughout the trichiliocosm, leaving one pavilion and one golden stūpa in each country, as in Cīnasthāna. At that time, Mañjuśrī took the stūpa and pavilion and went to the Diamond Cave on Mount Qingliang to enshrine them, where they circulate to this day, causing the former bodhisattvas to bring forth scriptures and images from the terraces, showing them to those holders so that they may be easily circulated, until the disappearance of my Dharma, when they will cause the great nāga king Sāgara to collect them into the palace of the great ocean. [Kāśyapa] further asked: "Once the entire sūtra piṭaka has been compiled, in which country should it be established, and to which king entrusted? Now that we wish to compile it, should it be compiled extensively or compiled in brief? Please explain this in sequence." He replied: "I heard the World-Honoured One say: 'It is entrusted to Mahākāśyapa, who should be made to compile it extensively. It is also entrusted to Mañjuśrī to go to the dwelling places of the bodhisattvas on the Great Iron Enclosing Mountains; in the nine bhūmis there are eighty thousand persons who should be made to compile it in brief. It is entrusted to Ajātaśatru, who is ordered to write out five copies, and Śakra together with the Mahābrahmā King are ordered to assist Ajātaśatru in transcribing my bequeathed teachings.' Kāśyapa's compiled original is to be placed inside the asura cave." [Kāśyapa] asked again: "When the World-Honoured One was in the world, I heard from the Buddha: 'Once the compilation is complete, entrust my Tripiṭaka teachings to the nāga king Sāgara.' Now what I hear you say differs from what I heard in the past." He replied: "I heard the World-Honoured One say: 'The compiled Tripiṭaka shall remain in the asura cave for twenty years, awaiting the completion of Mañjuśrī's compilation, before being entrusted to the nāga king Sāgara.'" He asked again: "In the Jetavana monastery, there are writings on the yin-yang of ancient Buddhas and the Tripiṭaka, as well as articles of offering; to whom should they be entrusted?" He replied: "The conditions of this matter are all expounded in the Illustrated Scripture of the Jetavana; each has its place of entrustment, so there is no need to recount it here."