41.5 （五）

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, the World-Honored One said to Kāśyapa, "You are now old and decrepit, without the intention of youth. You should accept the clothing and food of the elders."

Mahākāśyapa said to the Buddha, "I am not capable of accepting their clothing and food. Now, this rag robe and alms-begging food are incomparable in their happiness. The reason is that in the future there will be bhikṣus whose bodies are soft and who crave fine clothing and food. They will then regress from meditation and no longer be able to practice the hard practices. They will also say, 'In the past, when the Buddhas were here, the bhikṣus also accepted invitations and received people's clothing and food. Why should we not follow the sages of the past?' Because of their attachment to clothing and food, they will then abandon the monastic robes and become laypeople. This will cause the sages and worthies to lose their spiritual power, and the four groups of followers will gradually decrease. When the holy assembly has decreased, the Tathāgata's divine temples will also be destroyed. Because the Tathāgata's divine temples have been destroyed, the Dharma of the sūtras will also decline. At that time, sentient beings will no longer have any spiritual light. Because of the lack of spiritual light, their lifespans will become short. At that time, when those sentient beings have ended their lives, they will all fall into the three evil destinies. It is like the sentient beings of today, those with much merit are all reborn in the heavens. In the future, those with much wrongdoing will all enter hell."

The World-Honored One said, "Excellent! Excellent! Kāśyapa benefits many, acting as a good friend and field of merit for the people of the world. Kāśyapa should know, after my parinirvāṇa, for more than a thousand years, there will be bhikṣus who regress from meditation and no longer practice the dhuta practices. They will not beg for alms or wear patched robes, but greedily accept the invitations and clothing and food of the elders. They will also not dwell in secluded places under trees, but will enjoy decorating their dwellings. They will not use urine and feces as medicine, but only use other medicinal herbs that are extremely sweet. They may also be attached to wealth and stingy with their dwellings, always quarreling. At that time, the donors and benefactors who have faith in the Buddha's teachings, who enjoy giving and are not stingy with their wealth, will be reborn in the heavens after their lives end. The lazy bhikṣus will die and enter hell. Thus, Kāśyapa! All conditioned things are impermanent and cannot last.

Moreover, Kāśyapa should know, in the future there will be bhikṣus who shave their beards and hair but engage in household affairs, holding a boy in the left arm and a girl in the right arm, and carrying a zither and flute, begging for food in the streets and alleys. At that time, the donors and benefactors will receive endless blessings, let alone those who sincerely beg for alms today. Thus, Kāśyapa! All conditioned things are impermanent and cannot last.

Kāśyapa should know, in the future there will be śramaṇa bhikṣus who will abandon the eightfold path and the seven kinds of Dharma that I have accumulated over three asaṃkhyeya kalpas. They will sing songs about them and beg for food in the midst of the people to sustain their lives. Then the donors and benefactors who offer food to those bhikṣus will still receive blessings, let alone those who do not receive blessings today.

I now entrust this Dharma to Kāśyapa and the bhikṣu Ānanda. The reason is that I am now eighty years old, and the Tathāgata will soon attain parinirvāṇa. I now entrust the Dharma treasure to these two, to recite and uphold it well, so that it is not cut off and spreads throughout the world. Whoever obstructs the teachings of the sages will fall into the extreme. Therefore, today I entrust the sūtras to you, so that they are not lost.

At that time, Mahākāśyapa and Ānanda rose from their seats, knelt with joined palms, and addressed the World-Honored One, saying, "For what reason do you entrust this sūtra to these two and not to the others? Moreover, the Tathāgata's assembly has countless immeasurable supernatural powers, yet you do not entrust it to them?"

The World-Honored One said to Kāśyapa, "I have never seen in the heavens or among humans anyone who can uphold this Dharma treasure like Kāśyapa and Ānanda. Among the śrāvakas, there are also none who surpass these two. The past buddhas also had these two to uphold the sūtras, just like the bhikṣus Kāśyapa and Ānanda now, who are extremely wonderful. The reason is that the past buddhas' bhikṣus who practiced austerities existed when the Dharma existed and disappeared when the Dharma disappeared. Now, Kāśyapa bhikṣu remains in the world until Maitreya Buddha appears in the world, then he will attain parinirvāṇa. For this reason, Kāśyapa bhikṣu is superior to the bhikṣu assembly of the past. How is Ānanda bhikṣu superior to the past attendants? The past buddhas' attendants understood only after hearing others speak. Now, Ānanda bhikṣu understands before the Tathāgata speaks. The Tathāgata does not speak again, and he knows it all. For this reason, Ānanda bhikṣu is superior to the past buddhas' attendants. Therefore, Kāśyapa! Ānanda! I now entrust and entrust this Dharma treasure to you, so that it is not diminished."

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

All conditioned phenomena are impermanent, arising, they must cease. Without
birth, there is no death; this cessation is the greatest bliss.

At that time, Mahākāśyapa and Ānanda, having heard the Buddha's teaching, joyfully received and practiced it.