Summary
s.1The Four Boys’ Absorption narrates the Buddha Śākyamuni’s passing away (or parinirvāṇa) in the Yamakaśāla Grove near Kuśinagara. Ānanda has a portentous dream that is confirmed by the Buddha to be an indication that he will soon die. Widespread panic spreads through the various realms of this world system, and as gods and other beings converge on the forest grove near Kuśinagara, tragic scenes of mourning ensue. Then, when the Buddha lies down, the narrative suddenly shifts to recount how four bodhisattvas from distant buddha fields in the four directions are reborn as four infants in prominent households in the major cities of the Gangetic Plain, announce their intention to see the Buddha Śākyamuni, and with expansive entourages proceed to the forest grove in the country of the Mallas where the Buddha’s parinirvāṇa will take place. Their appearance is marked by various miracles, whereupon the Buddha explains their arrival and consoles his grieving followers with teachings on the limitless numbers of buddhas. He confers responsibility on his attendant Ānanda and his son Rāhula, and then manifests a variety of spectacular miracles. Toward the end of the sūtra, while still appearing to lie upon the lion couch, the Buddha visits the various hells and some god realms, where he sets countless beings on the path to awakening. The text culminates in his final passing.
s.1《四童子三昧經》敘述釋迦牟尼佛陀在雙樹林靠近拘尸那揭羅的地方涅槃的故事。阿難做了一個不祥的夢，佛陀證實這個夢象徵著他即將去世。這個世界各個領域都陷入了廣泛的恐慌，當天神和其他眾生湧向拘尸那揭羅附近的森林時，悲傷的場景隨之而來。然後，當佛陀躺下時，敘事突然轉變，講述來自四個方向遠處佛土的四位菩薩被轉生為恆河平原主要城市中顯赫家族的四個嬰兒，他們宣布想見釋迦牟尼佛陀，並帶著龐大的隨從隊伍前往末羅國的森林，佛陀將在那裡般涅槃。他們的出現伴隨著各種神通，隨後佛陀解釋了他們的到來，並用關於無數佛陀數量的教法安慰他悲傷的追隨者。他將責任託付給他的侍者阿難和他的兒子羅睺羅，然後顯現出各種壯觀的神通。在經文的後半部分，雖然佛陀看起來仍然躺在獅子座上，但他造訪了各個地獄和一些天神領域，在那裡他引導無數眾生走上覺悟之路。經文以他的最終般涅槃而告終。