SA-2 110（一一〇）

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was at the place of birth of the Kuśinagara wrestlers, in the Śāla Grove. At that time, when the Tathāgata's time for parinirvāṇa had come, he said to Ānanda, "You should prepare a seat for me between the twin śāla trees, with the head pointing north." At that time, Ānanda received the Buddha's instruction and prepared a seat between the twin śāla trees, with the head pointing north. Having prepared the seat, he returned to where the Buddha was, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, sat to one side, and said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! I have finished preparing the seat between the twin śāla trees, with the head pointing north."

At that time, the World-Honored One rose from his seat, went to the prepared seat between the twin śāla trees, lay down on his right side, placed one foot on the other, focused his mind on the bright, and arose in the thought of mindfulness, first forming the thought of parinirvāṇa. At that time, there was a brāhman named Subhadra in the country of Kuśinagara. He had lived there for a long time, and was one hundred and twenty years old. At that time, the wrestlers in that country made offerings, paid respect, honored, and praised him as an arhat. At that time, Subhadra heard people say that the Bhagavān would enter parinirvāṇa that night. He thought to himself, "I have doubts about the Dharma. Only Gautama will be able to explain and resolve my doubts." Having thought this, he left Kuśinagara and went to the Śāla Grove.

Venerable Ānanda was walking outside. When Subhadra saw Ānanda, he went to him and said, "I heard people say that the śramaṇa Gautama will enter parinirvāṇa without remainder in the middle of the night today. I now wish to see him and resolve my doubts." Ānanda replied, "Brahmin! The Buddha's body is tired. You are now disturbing him." Subhadra said to Ānanda, "I heard that the Tathāgata will enter parinirvāṇa without remainder in the middle of the night today. I once heard the elder sages say: 'When a Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One appears in the world, it is as rare as the udumbara flower.' I have a few doubts that I wish to ask. Please allow me to see him." He made this request three times. Ānanda replied, "Do not disturb the Buddha!"

At that time, the World-Honored One, with his pure divine ear, heard from afar Ānanda preventing Subhadra from going forward. The Buddha told Ānanda, "Do not stop that person. Allow him to go forward and ask whatever he wishes." When Subhadra heard the Buddha's compassionate permission to go forward, he was overjoyed. He then went to where the Buddha was, greeted him, and sat to one side. He said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! I have a few doubts. May I ask them?" The Buddha said, "Ask as you wish." When Subhadra was granted permission, he said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! The six non-Buddhist teachers have various different views. Pūraṇa Kāśyapa, Maskarin Gośālīputra, Ajita Keśakambalin, Kakuda Kātyāyana, Sañjayin Vairaṭṭīputra, and Nirgrantha Jñātiputra. These six teachers each claim to be the World-Honored One. Do they truly attain omniscience? "

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

Thirty years ago I left home, and since then more than fifty
years have passed. I have sought the good Dharma, and have attained
clarity in precepts, concentration, and practice. All the worlds do not know
the true place, let alone know the true Dharma. If one cultivates
the eightfold right path, one can attain the first fruit, up to
the fourth fruit; if one does not cultivate the eightfold right path
the first fruit cannot be known, let alone the fourth fruit. In
the great assembly, I roar the lion's roar of the Dharma, saying
that outside of this true Dharma, there are no śramaṇas or brāhmaṇas.

When the Buddha spoke this, Subhadra was far removed from defilements and attained the purity of the Dharma eye. At that time, Subhadra adjusted his upper robe, joined his palms towards the Buddha, and said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! I have now transcended the three evil paths." At that time, Subhadra said to Ānanda, "Excellent! Ānanda! You have gained great benefits as a disciple of the Buddha, serving as the foremost attendant. I have also gained great benefits now, and wish to go forth in the Buddha's teachings." Ānanda joined his palms and said to the Buddha, "Subhadra wishes to go forth in the Buddha's teachings." At that time, the World-Honored One said to Subhadra, "Welcome, monk! Your beard and hair fell out by themselves, and the Dharma robe was on your body." He immediately attained the full precepts, and having attained the full precepts, he became an arhat.

Subhadra thought, "I cannot bear to see the World-Honored One enter parinirvāṇa. I shall enter first." Subhadra then entered parinirvāṇa first, and the Tathāgata entered parinirvāṇa afterwards. At that time, there was a bhikṣu in the assembly who spoke a verse:

The twin trees enter parinirvāṇa, with branches spreading in all directions. Flowers
rain down from above and below, scattering over the Buddha. The reason
for the rain of flowers is that the World-Honored One enters parinirvāṇa.

Śakra, Lord of the Devas, also spoke a verse:

All conditioned phenomena are impermanent, they are phenomena of arising
and ceasing. When arising and ceasing cease, that is called nirvāṇa.

At that time, the Lord of the Brahmā Heaven also spoke a verse:

All beings in the world, after abandoning their bodies, return to
extinction. Now the great sage, the honored one, is fully endowed
with the ten powers. The World-Honored One, without equal, now enters nirvāṇa.

At that time, the Venerable Aniruddha also spoke a verse:

The mind of the Dharma master abides in stillness, the in-and-out
breath has ceased. The Tathāgata has fully accomplished the power of
practice. Now entering nirvāṇa, the mind is fearless, completely abandoning all
feelings, like a lamp extinguished when the oil is used up
Entering nirvāṇa by extinguishing existence, the mind and intention are liberated.

At that time, the assembly, upon seeing this, all had their body hairs stand on end. Seven days had passed since the Buddha entered nirvāṇa. At that time, Ānanda circumambulated the Tathāgata to the right and spoke a verse:

Greatly compassionate, Brahma-world Honored One! Your body is the same as the pure
true gem, with great supernatural powers, fire arises naturally from your body. Thousand
layers of cloth wrap your body, neither the inside nor the outside burns.