佛說處處經 1.24

1.24

After the Buddha departed transcending the world, the arhats reproached Ānanda together: "When the Buddha was in the world and wanted water, why did you not give it to him? All beings in the ten directions were to attain liberation through the Buddha; why did you not urge the Buddha to stay and not enter parinirvāṇa? If the Buddha had wished to practice the four bases of supernatural power, he could have remained for one kalpa, or even a hundred kalpas, or even a thousand kalpas; why did you not encourage the Buddha to practice the four bases of supernatural power?" Ānanda said: "According to your words, did the Buddha not possess mastery, that he had to wait for my words? If he had remained in the world for one kalpa, how could Maitreya come down to become a Buddha? Those who originally practiced and studied the Way together with the Buddha numbered eight hundred million people, all seeking the bodhisattva path, but only two attained the Way: the first was Śākyamuni, and the second was Maitreya; among the rest, some attained [the stage of] arhat or pratyekabuddha. The Buddha's forbearance surpasses the earth, his gentle mind surpasses water, his resolve surpasses Mount Sumeru, his merit surpasses the ocean waters, and his wisdom surpasses empty space. For this reason, he became a Buddha first!"