法苑珠林 35.36

35.36

The Buddha told Mañjuśrī, the bhikṣus, and the eight classes of devas and nāgas: "This coarse cotton saṃghāṭī of Kāśyapa Buddha possesses great majesty and virtue. Viewing with my Buddha-eye the devas, nāgas, ghosts, spirits, and bodhisattvas of the ten stages, none are able to move this great robe even by the width of a hair. Since they cannot move it, only the Tathāgata can lift this robe-stūpa." He circumambulated the ordination platform three times, ascended onto the platform from the western steps of the southern face, turned from west to north, and stood upon the northern side. The World-Honoured One tossed the robe-stūpa up into the air; the robe-stūpa emitted light that shone universally upon a hundred million lands. All beings in the painful destinies who received the light had their suffering removed, like beings in the realm of wonderful joy beneath the heavenly trees. The Tathāgata raised his voice and universally addressed the Buddhas: "I am about to enter nirvāṇa. There is this coarse cotton saṃghāṭī of the ancient Kāśyapa Buddha, which was entrusted to me to maintain for the sentient beings of the final age of the Dharma. May each of the Buddhas who have come from the ten directions relinquish one robe to together support the final age of the Dharma." When the Buddhas of the ten directions heard these words, each removed their saṃghāṭī to donate it to Śākyamuni Buddha. After the World-Honoured One accepted them, the Demon King spoke to the Buddha: "I prostrate and pray that you, in your pity, will grant permission: I wish to offer gold and jewels to make stūpas to store the robes. May you please grant permission." After the World-Honoured One permitted it, by his spiritual power, in a single thought-moment all the stūpas were completed. Once completed, the World-Honoured One personally placed the great robes one by one into the jeweled stūpas. The demonic host said to the Buddha: "We do not know to whom these stūpas are to be entrusted and where they are to be installed." Thereupon the Tathāgata, on the verge of entering nirvāṇa, told Rāhula: "Go summon Ānanda." When Ānanda had come, the World-Honoured One emitted light that illuminated the great chiliocosm, and a hundred million Śākyamuni Buddhas all gathered at Jetavana. When the Buddhas had assembled, the World-Honoured One arose from his seat and ascended onto the ordination platform. He further told Ānanda: "Go to the land of Cīna, to the cave at Mount Qingliang, and summon Mañjuśrī; I wish to entrust the saṃghāṭī of Kāśyapa to him." The assembled Śākyamuni Buddhas, together with Mañjuśrī, arrived at the ordination platform in the snap of a finger. The Buddha said to Mañjuśrī and the assembled multitude: "I am entering nirvāṇa now, and wish to entrust to you Kāśyapa Buddha's robe-stūpa to uphold my bequeathed teachings. After I enter nirvāṇa, place Kāśyapa's robe-stūpa to the north of my ordination platform for a period of twelve years." He also told the Four Heavenly Kings: "You shall constantly make offerings to the robe-stūpa with heavenly music."