The various Great Dharma Honorables Arhats or senior monks then thought that the disciples who had previously been liberated should be gathered together. In an instant, five hundred Arhats Those who have attained the highest stage of enlightenment in the early Buddhist tradition descended from the sky. They provided the ritual for leaving the household life and granted full ordination to the community of seekers. Among this assembly of seekers were two Arhats: the first was named Śāṇavāsa original: 商那和修 (Shanavasa), and the second was named Madhyāntika original: 末田底迦.

The Venerable Ānanda, knowing they were "Dharma vessels" Dharma vessel: A person with the spiritual capacity and integrity to receive and preserve the core teachings., said to them: "In the past, the Tathagata The Buddha entrusted the Great Dharma Eye to Mahākāśyapa. Kāśyapa entered a state of deep meditation and entrusted it to me. Now that I am about to pass into extinction, I pass it on to you. As you receive my teaching, listen to this verse:"

"Originally, a Dharma was entrusted;
Having entrusted it, one says there is no Dharma.
Each person must realize this for themselves;
Once realized, even 'no-Dharma' does not exist."

After the Venerable Ānanda finished entrusting the Treasury of the Eye of the True Dharma, he leapt into the void and manifested the Eighteen Transformations A series of supernatural displays including emitting fire and water from the body to demonstrate spiritual mastery. He entered the "Vigorous Wind Samadhi" A state of meditative absorption and divided his body into four parts: one part was offered to the Trayastrimsa Heaven The Heaven of the Thirty-Three Gods, one to the Palace of the Sāgara Dragon King, one to the King of Vaiśālī, and one to King Ajātaśatru. Each built a precious stupa A reliquary mound to make offerings to him. This occurred in the twenty-second year of King Li of the Zhou Dynasty, a year of the Water Snake.

The Third Patriarch, the Venerable Śāṇavāsa

The Venerable was a native of the kingdom of Mathurā. He was also known as Śāṇakavāsin. His family name was Vishata. His father was named Lin-Sheng (Forest Excellence) and his mother was Kausheya. He remained in the womb for six years before being born. In Sanskrit, his name is Śāṇaka, which translates here as "Natural Clothing." This is the name of a rare nine-stalked grass in the Western Regions Ancient India/Central Asia. If a sage is born, this grass grows in a perfectly pure place. When Śāṇavāsa was born, this auspicious grass appeared in response.

Long ago, when the Tathagata was traveling and teaching in Mathurā, he saw a green forest with lush branches and leaves. He said to Ānanda: "The ground of this forest is named Urumunda. One hundred years after my Nirvana, there will be a monk named Śāṇavā-

-sa. He will turn the Wheel of the Wondrous Dharma here." One hundred years later, Śāṇavāsa was indeed born. He left the household life, realized the Way, and received the Dharma Eye from Ānanda. He transformed and guided sentient beings while staying in this forest. He subdued two fire-breathing dragons and led them to take refuge in the Buddhist teachings. In gratitude, the dragons donated the land to build a "Brahma Palace" A Buddhist monastery.

After the Venerable had fulfilled his teaching duties for a long time, he sought to entrust the True Dharma to a successor. In the kingdom of Patali, he found Upagupta original: 優波掬多, who became his attendant. The Venerable asked Upagupta: "How old are you?"

Upagupta replied: "I am seventeen."

The Venerable asked: "Is your body seventeen, or is your [True] Nature seventeen?"

Upagupta replied: "Master, your hair is already white. Is it your hair that is white, or is your mind white?"

The Venerable said: "It is only my hair that is white, not my mind."

Upagupta replied: "My body is seventeen, but my Nature is not seventeen."

Recognizing him as a Dharma vessel, the Venerable had him ordained and gave him full precepts three years later. He then told him: "In the past, the Tathagata entrusted the Unsurpassed Dharma Eye to Kāśyapa. It has been passed down successively until it reached me. I now entrust it to you; do not let the lineage be severed. Receive my teaching and listen to my verse:"

"It is not Dharma, nor is it Mind;
There is no Mind, and there is no Dharma.
When speaking of this 'Mind-Dharma,'
This Dharma is not the Mind-Dharma."

After reciting the verse, he went into seclusion in the Elephant White Mountains in the south of the Kingdom of Kashmir original: 罽賓國 (Jibin). Later, while in meditation, he saw that his disciple Upagupta had five hundred followers who were often lazy and arrogant. The Venerable went to them and manifested the "Dragon-Vigorous Samadhi" to humble them. He then spoke this verse:

"Realization reaches beyond 'this' or 'that';
The Ultimate Sage knows no long or short.
If you cast aside your thoughts of arrogance,
You will quickly attain the state of an Arhat."

The five hundred monks heard the verse and practiced according to the teaching. All of them attained the "unleaking" state Nirvana; freedom from karmic outflows. The Venerable then manifested the Eighteen Transformations and the Fire-Light Samadhi to incinerate his own body. Upagupta [collected the remains...]