52.1 （一）

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was at the Universal Assembly Hall in Vaiśālī, together with a great assembly of five hundred bhikṣus.

At that time, Mahāprajāpatī was staying at the High Terrace Temple in Vaiśālī, together with a great assembly of five hundred bhikṣuṇīs, all of whom were arhats with their taints exhausted. At that time, Mahāprajāpatī heard the bhikṣus say: "The Tathāgata will soon attain parinirvāṇa. In three months, he will be between the twin śāla trees in Kuśinagara." At that time, Mahāprajāpatī thought: "I cannot bear to see the Tathāgata attain parinirvāṇa, nor can I bear to see Ānanda attain parinirvāṇa. I should now attain parinirvāṇa first."

At that time, Mahāprajāpatī went to where the World-Honored One was, bowed her head at his feet, and sat to one side. At that time, Mahāprajāpatī said to the Buddha: "I have heard that the World-Honored One will soon attain parinirvāṇa, in three months, between the twin śāla trees in Kuśinagara. I cannot bear to see the World-Honored One and Ānanda attain parinirvāṇa. I only wish that the World-Honored One would allow me to attain parinirvāṇa first." At that time, the World-Honored One silently consented.

At that time, Mahāprajāpatī again said to the Buddha: "From now on, I only wish that the World-Honored One would teach the precepts to the bhikṣuṇīs."

The Buddha told her: "I now allow the bhikṣuṇīs to teach the precepts to the bhikṣuṇīs. Teach them the precepts as I originally practiced them, without error."

At that time, Mahāprajāpatī bowed at the Buddha's feet and stood before him. Mahāprajāpatī then said to the Buddha: "I will no longer see the Tathāgata's countenance, nor will I see future Buddhas. I will not be reborn in the womb, but will forever dwell in the unconditioned. Today, parting from the holy countenance, I will never see it again."

At that time, Mahāprajāpatī circumambulated the Buddha seven times, and also circumambulated Ānanda seven times, and circumambulated the assembly of bhikṣus. She then withdrew and left. Returning to the assembly of bhikṣuṇīs, she said to the bhikṣuṇīs: "I now wish to enter the realm of nirvāṇa without taints. The reason is that the Tathāgata will soon attain parinirvāṇa. You should each follow your practice."

At that time, the bhikṣuṇīs Cāma, Upavāsa, Kiṃśuka, Śāṭī, Śamā, Pāṭalī, Vārṣikā, Kātyāyanī, Jayā, and five hundred other bhikṣuṇīs went to where the World-Honored One was, stood to one side, and said to the Buddha: "We have heard that the Tathāgata will soon attain parinirvāṇa. We cannot bear to see the World-Honored One and Ānanda attain parinirvāṇa first. We only wish that the World-Honored One would allow us to attain parinirvāṇa first. It is now the right time for us to attain nirvāṇa." At that time, the World-Honored One silently assented. The bhikṣuṇī Cāma and the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs, with Cāma as their leader, saw that the World-Honored One silently assented. They then bowed at the Buddha's feet, circumambulated him three times, and withdrew. They returned to their own quarters.

At that time, Mahāprajāpatī closed the lecture hall door, struck the dry drum, spread out the sitting mat in the open air, rose up into the sky, sat, lay down, and walked back and forth in the sky, sometimes emitting flames from the body, smoke from the lower body and fire from the upper body; water from the lower body and smoke from the upper body; flames from the whole body and smoke from the whole body; water from the left side and fire from the right side; water from the right side and smoke from the left side; fire from the front and water from the back; water from the front and fire from the back; fire from the whole body and water from the whole body.

At that time, Mahāprajāpatī performed various transformations, then returned to her original seat, crossed her legs, straightened her body and mind, focused her thoughts in front, and entered the first dhyāna; rising from the first dhyāna, she entered the second dhyāna; rising from the second dhyāna, she entered the third dhyāna; rising from the third dhyāna, she entered the fourth dhyāna; rising from the fourth dhyāna, she entered the sphere of space; rising from the sphere of space, she entered the sphere of consciousness; rising from the sphere of consciousness, she entered the sphere of nothingness; rising from the sphere of nothingness, she entered the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception; rising from the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, she entered the cessation of perception and feeling; rising from the cessation of perception and feeling, she returned and entered the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception; rising from the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception, she returned and entered the sphere of nothingness; rising from the sphere of nothingness, she returned and entered the sphere of consciousness; rising from the sphere of consciousness, she returned and entered the sphere of space; rising from the sphere of space, she returned and entered the fourth dhyāna; rising from the fourth dhyāna, she returned and entered the third dhyāna; rising from the third dhyāna, she returned and entered the second dhyāna; rising from the second dhyāna, she returned and entered the first dhyāna; rising from the first dhyāna, she entered the second dhyāna; rising from the second dhyāna, she returned and entered the third dhyāna; rising from the third dhyāna, she returned and entered the fourth dhyāna; having entered the fourth dhyāna, she then attained parinirvāṇa.

At that time, the earth shook greatly, rising in the east and sinking in the west, rising in the west and sinking in the east, rising on all sides and sinking in the center. Cool breezes arose from all directions. The devas in the sky played music. The devas of the desire realm wept with tears, like the sweet rain of spring. The wondrous devas scattered the fragrance of various blue lotus flowers, and also scattered various sandalwood.

At that time, the bhikṣuṇīs such as Cāma, Upavāsa, Kiṃśuka Gautamī, Śākyaprabhā, Śamā, Padālanā, Kātyāyanī, and Jayā, and the other five hundred bhikṣuṇīs, each spread out their seats in the open air, flew up into the sky, and sat, lay down, and walked in the sky, performing the eighteen transformations, and finally entering the cessation of perception and feeling, each attaining parinirvāṇa.

At that time, in the city of Vaiśālī, there was a general named Yaśodhara, who was lecturing with five hundred young men in the assembly hall. Yaśodhara and the five hundred young men saw the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs performing the eighteen transformations from afar. Seeing this, they were overjoyed and leaped with boundless joy. Each joined their palms and faced them. At that time, the World-Honored One said to Ānanda, "Go to General Yaśodhara and tell him to quickly prepare five hundred beds, five hundred sitting mats, five hundred jars of ghee, five hundred jars of oil, five hundred carriages of flowers, five hundred bundles of incense, and five hundred carts of firewood."

At that time, Ānanda went forward and said to the Buddha, "I do not know, World-Honored One, what you wish to do?"

The Buddha told him, "Mahāprajāpatī has attained parinirvāṇa, as well as the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs who were stream-enterers. We wish to make offerings to their relics."

At that time, Ānanda was overcome with grief and tears, unable to control himself, saying, "How quickly Mahāprajāpatī has attained parinirvāṇa!"

At that time, Ānanda wiped away his tears with his hand and went to the place of the great general Yaśodhara.

At that time, Yaśodhara saw Ānanda coming from afar and all came forward to welcome him, saying, "Welcome, Ānanda! What instructions do you have? Your appearance is unusual."

At that time, Ānanda replied, "I am a messenger of the Buddha, and I have something to instruct you."

At that time, the great general all asked together, "What instructions do you have?"

Ānanda replied, "The World-Honored One told the great general, 'Prepare five hundred beds, five hundred sitting mats, five hundred jars of ghee, five hundred jars of oil, five hundred carts of flowers, five hundred bundles of incense, five hundred carts of firewood. Mahāprajāpatī and the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs have all attained parinirvāṇa. We should go to make offerings to their relics.'"

At that time, the great general wept and said, "How quickly Mahāprajāpatī attained parinirvāṇa! And the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs attained parinirvāṇa so quickly! Who will instruct and teach us, and teach us to practice giving?"

At that time, the great general Yāśodharā immediately prepared five hundred beds, five hundred sitting mats, five hundred jars of oil, ghee, and firewood, as well as all the necessary items, and went to where the World-Honored One was. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet and stood to one side. At that time, the great general Yāśodharā said to the World-Honored One, "The requisites for making offerings as instructed by the Tathāgata are now ready."

The Buddha said, "You should now each take the body of Mahāprajāpatī and the bodies of the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs out of Vaiśālī to an open place. I wish to make offerings to the relics there."

The great general Yāśodharā said to the Buddha, "Yes, World-Honored One!"

At that time, the elder went to Mahāprajāpatī and the others, and said to one person, "You should now set up a ladder, climb the wall, enter inside, and slowly open the door without making any noise."

At that time, that person followed his instructions, entered and opened the door, and further ordered five hundred people to each lift the relics and place them on the bed. At that time, there were two novice nuns, one named Nandā and the other named Upandā. At that time, the two novice nuns said to the general, "Stop! Stop! General! Do not disturb the masters."

Yaśodharā, the general, replied, "Your teacher is not sleeping, he has all attained parinirvāṇa."

At that time, the two novice monks, hearing that all the teachers had attained parinirvāṇa, were terrified in their hearts. They immediately contemplated the Dharma of conditioned arising, which is the Dharma of exhaustion, and attained the three insights and six supernatural powers while sitting. At that time, the two novice nuns flew up into the sky, first arriving in the wilderness to perform the eighteen transformations, sitting, lying down, walking, emitting water and fire from their bodies, manifesting countless transformations, and then attaining parinirvāṇa in the realm of nirvāṇa without remainder.

At that time, the World Honored One, surrounded by the assembly of bhikṣus, went to the nunnery of Mahāprajāpatī. At that time, the World Honored One told Ānanda, Nanda, and Rāhula, "You should lift up Mahāprajāpatī's body. I will personally make offerings to her."

At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Devas, knew what the World Honored One was thinking in his mind. He immediately came down from the Heaven of the Thirty-three, as quickly as a strong man bends and stretches his arm, to Vaiśālī, where he arrived at the World Honored One's place. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet and stood to one side. The bhikṣus who had exhausted their taints all saw Śakra, Lord of the Devas, and the Heaven of the Thirty-three. The bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās who had not exhausted their taints, and those who had not yet exhausted their taints, did not see Śakra, Lord of the Devas, and the Heaven of the Thirty-three.

At that time, the Brahmā King knew from afar what the Tathāgata was thinking in his mind. He brought the Brahmā gods and disappeared from the Brahmā Heaven, coming to where the World Honored One was. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet and stood to one side.

At that time, the King of the Vidyādhara Heaven knew what the World Honored One was thinking in his mind. He brought the Vidyādhara gods and came to where the Tathāgata was. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet and stood to one side.

At that time, the King of the Tīrthikas brought the Gandharvas and came from the east to where the Tathāgata was. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet and stood to one side. The King of the Vidyādhara Heaven brought countless Kumbhāṇḍas and came from the south to where the World Honored One was. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet and stood to one side. The King of the Vidyādhara Heaven brought the dragon gods and came to where the Tathāgata was. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet and stood to one side. The gods of the desire realm, form realm, and formless realm, each knowing what the Tathāgata was thinking in his mind, came to where the World Honored One was. They bowed their heads at the Buddha's feet and stood to one side.

At that time, Śakra Devānām-Indra and the King of the Vidyādhara Heaven said to the Buddha, "We only wish that the World Honored One would not trouble himself. We will offer the relics ourselves."

The Buddha told the gods, "Stop! Stop! Heavenly Kings! The Tathāgata himself will know the time. This is what the Tathāgata should practice, not what the gods, dragons, and spirits can reach. The reason is this: Parents give birth to children and have many benefits. The kindness of nurturing is heavy. Nursing and holding in the arms, one must repay the kindness, and cannot but repay the kindness. However, the gods should know that in the past, the mothers of the Buddha-World Honored Ones attained parinirvāṇa first, and then the Buddha-World Honored Ones all personally offered incense and flowers to the relics. Even if in the future, the mothers of the Buddha-World Honored Ones attain parinirvāṇa first, then the Buddhas will all personally offer. By this means, it is known that the Tathāgata should personally offer, not what the gods, dragons, and spirits can reach."

At that time, the King of the Vidyādhara Heaven told the five hundred ghosts, "You should go to the sandalwood forest and bring back fragrant firewood to offer to the relics." The five hundred ghosts, having heard the king's words, immediately went to the sandalwood forest, took the sandalwood firewood, and came to the wilderness.

At that time, the World-Honored One himself lifted one leg of the bed, Nanda lifted one leg, Rahula lifted one leg, and Ānanda lifted one leg, flying in the sky to the charnel ground; among the four groups of the assembly, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās, lifted the relics of the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs to the charnel ground. At that time, the World-Honored One told the general Yaśodhara, "You should now prepare two beds, two sitting mats, two carts of firewood, incense, and flowers to offer to the bodies of the two śrāmaṇerīs.

The general Yaśodhara said to the Buddha, "Yes, World-Honored One!" He then immediately prepared the offerings.

At that time, the World-Honored One each gave sandalwood to the devas. At that time, the World-Honored One again told the general, "You should now each take five hundred relics and make offerings to them separately. The two śrāmaṇeras should also do the same.

At that time, the general received the Buddha's instruction and each took the relics for offerings. He then took the snake-like relics. At that time, the World-Honored One again placed sandalwood on Mahāprajāpatī's body.

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

All conditioned phenomena are impermanent, what is born must cease, not
being born is not dying, this cessation is the highest bliss.

At that time, all the devas and people gathered in the charnel ground, with a great assembly of devas and people numbering ten billion nayutas. When the great general's fire was extinguished, he again took the relics and built a stupa.

The Buddha told the general, "Now take the relics of five hundred bhikshunis and build a stupa for them. You will receive immeasurable blessings for a long time. Because there are four kinds of people in the world who build stupas. What are the four? If someone builds a stupa for the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One, or a wheel-turning sage king, or a stupa for a sravaka or pratyekabuddha, they will receive immeasurable blessings." At that time, the World Honored One spoke the subtle Dharma to the devas and people, encouraging them with joy. At that time, one hundred million devas and people had their defilements exhausted and attained the purity of the Dharma eye.

At that time, the devas, people, gandharvas, asuras, and the fourfold assembly, having heard the Buddha's teaching, rejoiced and practiced accordingly.