Compendium of the Five Lamps

Shakyamuni Buddha The 4th Buddha of the Auspicious Aeon

Upon taking seven steps, he pointed one hand to the sky and the other to the earth, letting out a lion’s roar A metaphor for the Buddha's powerful and fearless speech saying: "Above, below, and in the four directions, there is none more honorable than I." This occurred in the 24th year of King Zhao of Zhou original: "周昭王"; a legendary dating used in Chinese Buddhist chronicles to place the Buddha's birth much earlier than modern scholars, specifically 1027 BCE, a Jia-yin year, on the 8th day of the 4th month. By the 42nd year of the King's reign, when the Prince was nineteen, he desired to leave the household life. He thought to himself: "What is the use of worldly wealth and status?"

While traveling through the four gates of the city, he witnessed the four sights Traditional accounts list these as an old man, a sick man, a corpse, and an ascetic. His heart felt both sorrow and joy as he contemplated: "Old age, sickness, and death are ultimately things to be weary of and leave behind." That night, at the hour of the Rat Midnight, a heavenly being named Jingju original: "淨居"; referring to a deity from the Shuddhavasa or "Pure Abode" heavens appeared at his window, pressed his palms together, and said: "The time to leave the household has come; you may depart." Hearing this, the Prince’s heart filled with joy. He leaped over the city walls and left.

In the Dantoloka Mountains, he began his cultivation. He first studied under Alara Kalama original: "阿藍迦葉" for three years, learning the "Station of Nothingness." Realizing this was not the ultimate truth, he abandoned it. He then went to Udraka Ramaputra original: "鬱頭藍弗" and studied for three years, learning the "Station of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception." Realizing this too was not the truth, he abandoned it as well. He then went to Mount Gayashirsha original: "象頭山" where he practiced alongside other ascetics, eating only a single grain of hemp or wheat each day for six years.

Therefore, the scriptures say: "With no-mind and no-clinging, he completely subdued all external paths." The former sages tested these "false methods" as a display of skillful means original: "方便"; Sanskrit: upaya; the pedagogical strategy of using temporary truths to lead someone to the ultimate truth, appearing to follow different views to eventually lead others to Enlightenment.

The Great Assembly Sutra original: "普集經" says: On the 8th day of the 2nd month, at the moment the morning star appeared, the Bodhisattva attained the Way. He was titled the Teacher of Gods and Men. He was thirty years old at the time. This was the 30th year of King Mu of Zhou, a Gui-wei year.

Afterward, in Deer Park, he turned the Dharma Wheel of the Four Noble Truths for Kondañña and the four others, and they realized the fruits of the Way. He remained in the world preaching the Dharma for forty-nine years. Later, he addressed his disciple Mahakasyapa: "I entrust to you the treasury of the Pure Dharma Eye, the Wondrous Mind of Nirvana, and the Subtle True Dharma of the Formless Reality. You must protect and sustain it." He also commanded Ananda to act as an assistant in spreading the transformation of the teachings so that they would never be cut off. He then spoke this verse:

The Dharma is fundamentally a Dharma of no-Dharma,
Yet this no-Dharma is still a Dharma.
Now that I hand over this no-Dharma,
How can the Dharma-Dharma ever be a Dharma?
This paradoxical verse emphasizes that the "Truth" cannot be captured in words or fixed concepts

At that time, after the World-Honored One had spoken this verse, he again addressed Kasyapa: "I take this golden-threaded Sanghati robe The formal outer robe of a Buddhist monk and entrust it to you. You are to pass it on to the next successor until Maitreya Buddha The Buddha of the future appears in the world. Do not let it decay or be destroyed."

Hearing this verse, Kasyapa bowed until his forehead touched the Buddha's feet and said: "Excellent, excellent! I shall obey your command and follow the Buddha's words."

The World-Honored One then traveled to the city of Kushinagar and informed the great assembly: "I have a backache and wish to enter Nirvana." He went to the banks of the Hiranyavati River and, beneath the twin Sal trees, he lay on his right side with one foot atop the other and peacefully entered into stillness.

Later, he rose from his coffin to preach the Dharma for his mother, and specifically showed his two feet A miraculous sign of his presence for the late-arriving Kasyapa. To the monk Upavana, he spoke a verse on impermanence:

All formations are impermanent;
This is the law of birth and death.
When birth and death are extinguished,
That tranquil extinction is bliss.

Then, the disciples competed to cremate him with fragrant wood. After the fire died down, the golden coffin remained as it was. The assembly then praised the Buddha with a verse:

The practice of the scriptures says: Even the fiercest worldly fires... (other versions write "noodles" instead of "bread" This marginal note seems to be a scholarly correction regarding a specific character in different manuscript editions)

How can any fierce worldly flames
Destroy this fire-immersion?
Through the praise and recitation of the Triple Samadhi,
The fire itself cremated the golden body.

At that moment, the golden coffin rose from its seat to the height of seven Tala trees A type of palm tree, used as a unit of measurement, moving back and forth in the sky and transforming into the fire of the Triple Samadhi. In a brief moment, ashes were produced, and eight pecks and four pints of Sarira Pearly relics found in the ashes of masters were obtained. This was the 52nd year of King Mu, a Ren-shen year, on the 15th day of the 2nd month.

One thousand and seventeen years after the World-Honored One's passing, the teachings reached the Middle Kingdom China. This was the 10th year of the Yongping era of the Later Han Dynasty, a Wu-chen year 67 CE. The World-Honored One had bestowed...