The Buddha said: "Oh, good man! [Suppose that] there is a flat road. Beings walk [along it], and there is nothing to hinder their progress. In the middle of the road there is a tree, whose shade is fresh. The travellers make a stop in this place with their palanquin and take a rest. But there is always the shade of the tree there, and there is no difference. The shade does not die out, and nobody takes it away. The road is the Holy Way, and the shade the Buddha Nature."
Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 36, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 4.
“Oh, good man! The practice of Shila [precepts of morality] is for the quietness of our own body. The practice of Samadhi is for the quietness of our own mind. The practice of Wisdom is for crushing out doubt. To crush out doubt is to practice the Way. Practice the Way is to see the Buddha Nature. See the Buddha Nature is to attain unsurpassed Enlightenment. Attain unsurpassed Enlightenment is to arrive at unsurpassed Great Nirvana. Arrive at Great Nirvana is to segregate all beings from birth and death, all defilements, all [worldly] existences, all realms, all truths of beings. Cut off [these] births and deaths, and satya [presumably ‘worldly truths’] is to attain the Eternal, Bliss, the Self and the Pure."
Read more on the Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 36, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 4.
“Then, Shariputra went to Sravasti, riding together with Sudatta. Through my transcendental power, they reached their destination in one day. Then, Sudatta said to Shariputra: 'Oh Highly Virtuous! Outside this gate, there is a place well suited for the purpose. It is neither near nor far, where there are many springs and ponds, many forests with flowers and fruits; and the place is pure, quiet and extensive. I shall build Viharas [dwelling-places] there for the Buddha and his bhiksus'. Shariputra said: 'The forest of Prince Jeta is neither near nor far off. It is pure and quiet. There are many springs and streams. There are seasonal flowers and fruits. This is the best place. Let us build a Vihara in there." Then, on hearing this, Sudatta went to great rich man, Jeta, and said to him: 'I now desire to build a Buddhist Vihara and dedicate it to one unsurpassed in the Dharma, in a place that belongs to you. Now I wish to buy it from you. Will you sell it to me'? Jeta said: ' I will not sell it to you, even if you cover the ground with gold'. Sudatta said: 'Well said! The forest belongs to me. Take my gold’. Jeta said: 'I'm not selling the forest to you. How can I take your gold'? Sudatta said: 'If you are not satisfied, I'll go to the magistrate’. And both went to the magistrate. The magistrate said: ‘The forest belongs to Sudatta. Jeta should take the gold’. Sudatta immediately sent men with loads of gold on carts and horses. When they arrived, he covered the ground with gold. In one day he found himself an area of 500 'bu' [unit of land Chinese, around 6 feet or 6.4] covered, and yet not all was covered. Jeta said: 'Oh rich man! If you have any regret within you, you are quite free to cancel the deal’. Sudatta said: 'I feel no any regret’. He thought to himself, which store he should open now, to get gold for the area still left without coverage. Jeta thought to himself: ‘The Tathagata, the King of Dharma, is truly one unsurpassed. The wonderful things that he teaches are pure and pristine. That is why this man thinks so lightly about this treasure. He then said to Sudatta: 'I do not now need any gold for what remains uncovered. Please take it. I myself will build a gate for the Tathagata, such that he may go in and out of it’. Jeta built the gate, and in seven days, Sudatta built a great Vihara on an area of 300 'ken' [the 'ken' is about 6 feet] in width and length. There were rooms for quiet meditation, to the number of 63. The rooms were different for winter and summer. There were kitchens, bathrooms, and a place to wash one’s feet. There were two kinds of lavatory. The buildings completed, he (Sudatta) took up an incense burner, and pointing toward Rajagriha, said: ‘The buildings are now completed. Oh, Tathagata! Please have pity and occupy this place, and live here for the sake of beings'. As soon I read the thought of this rich man from far off, I started out from Rajagriha. In the short space of time it takes a strong and youthful man to bend and extend your arm, I travelled to Sravasti, to Jetavana, and took possession of the Jetavana Vihara. When I arrived, Sudatta dedicated it to me. I then received it, and lived in it."
Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 36, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 4.
“Oh, good man! I recall, after countless years, a castle town called Kapilavastu. At that castle, there lived a king named Suddhodana. His consort was called Maya. They had a prince, who was named Siddhartha. The Prince, at that time, took no teachers. He sought the Way for himself, and attained the unsurpassed Bodhi. He had two disciples, Shariputra and Mahamaudgalyayana. The disciple who attended the Prince was called Ananda. At that time, under the sal trees, he delivered the sermon of the Great Nirvana Sutra. At that time, I was one of the congregants and was able to testify that sermon. There, I was told that all beings possess the Buddha Nature. Upon hearing this, I was unmoved in Bodhi. Then, I took a vow: ‘If I attain Buddhahood in the days ahead, it will be as now. I'll be a teacher for my father, my mother, and for the nation, the names of disciples and attendants will be the same, just as things stand with the present World-Honored One. Nothing will be different’. That's why I'm here now, and am delivering this sermon of the Great Nirvana Sutra.”
Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 36, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 4.
Lion's Roar said: "Oh, World Honored One! There are six great castles in sixteen great states [i.e., Gange’s states or castle-towns in the days of the Buddha], namely: Sravasti, Saketa, Campa, Vaisali, Varanasi, and Rajagriha. These great castles are the biggest in the world. Why is it that the Tathagata leaves these places and intends to enter Nirvana in this far-off, evil, very ugly and small Kushinagar Castle?"
"Oh, good man! Do not say that Kushinagar is a castle far-off, evil, very ugly and small. This castle is adorned with wonders and virtues. Why? Because this is a place which all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have visited. Oh, good man! Even the house of a humble person may be called 'great and perfect in virtue’, worthy of the visit by a great king, if he happens to come and go there. Oh, good man! [Imagine] a person who is seriously ill and who takes a dirty and mean medicine. His illness is cured, the joy arises, and this medicine becomes the best and most wonderful [of medicines]. He praises it and says that it truly has cured his illness.
Oh, good man! A man is in a ship on the great ocean. Suddenly, the ship breaks up, and there is nothing to depend upon. The man clings to a corpse and reaches the other shore. Gaining the other shore, he is very happy and praises the corpse greatly, saying that he was lucky to meet with this corpse and safely has gained peace. Same is the case with the Kushinagar Castle, which all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have visited. How could anyone say that it is a castle far-off, mean, narrow and small?
Oh, good man! I remember that once, in ancient times, as many kalpas ago, as innumerable as the sands of the Ganges, there was an age called the 'Suprabuda' kalpa. At that time, there was a holy king called Kausika. Fully endowed with the Seven Treasures and 1,000 children, this king then built this castle. It measured 12 yojanas in width and length. It was adorned with the Seven Treasures. The soil was good. There were rivers here, whose waters were pure and clear, and sweet taste. These were: Nairanjana, Airavati, Hiranyavati, Usmodaka, and Vipasa. There were some 500 other rivers. Both banks were fully grown with leafy trees that gave fruit and flowers, all fresh and pure. At that time, the life-span of the people was immeasurable. Then, after 100 years, the Chakravartin [mighty ruler] said: 'Just as the Buddha says, all things are non-eternal. Someone who practices the ten good deeds does away with all such sorrows of the non-eternal'. The people, on hearing this, all practiced the ten good deeds. I, at that time, hearing the Buddha's name, practiced the ten good deeds, meditated and aspired to unsurpassed Bodhi [Enlightenment]. My mind having aspired, I also transferred this Dharma to innumerable and boundless beings, and said that all things are non-eternal and subject to change and dissolution. Because of this, now I proceed and say that all things are non-eternal, are those that change and dissolve, and that only the Buddha-Body is Eternal. I remember what I did by the causal relations. That's why I came here now, I intend to enter Nirvana, and wish to repay what I owe to this place. For this reason, I say in the sutra: ‘My relatives know how to repay what they owe me'."
Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 36, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 4.
“Oh, good man! The practice of Shila [precepts of morality] is for the quietness of our own body. The practice of Samadhi is for the quietness of our own mind. The practice of Wisdom is for crushing out doubt. To crush out doubt is to practice the Way. Practice the Way is to see the Buddha Nature. See the Buddha Nature is to attain unsurpassed Enlightenment. Attain unsurpassed Enlightenment is to arrive at unsurpassed Great Nirvana. Arrive at Great Nirvana is to segregate all beings from birth and death, all defilements, all [worldly] existences, all realms, all truths of beings. Cut off [these] births and deaths, and satya [presumably ‘worldly truths’] is to attain the Eternal, Bliss, the Self and the Pure."
Nirvana Sutra, Chapter 36, on Bodhisattva Lion's Roar 4.
