爾時世尊 告迦葉菩薩 善男子 是大涅槃微妙經典 今以付囑 摩訶迦葉 及阿難等 汝等當廣宣流布 令諸衆生 普得聞知 是諸衆生 聞已信受 當得菩提 是名如來最後教誡
ěr shí shì zūn gào jiā yè pú sà shàn nán zǐ shì dà niè pán wēi miào jīng diǎn jīn yǐ fù zhǔ mó hē jiā yè jí ā nán děng rǔ děng dāng guǎng xuān liú bù lìng zhū zhòng shēng pǔ dé wén zhī shì zhū zhòng shēng wén yǐ xìn shòu dāng dé pú tí shì míng rú lái zuì hòu jiào jiè
Key Message
The Buddha's final commission is not to keep the teaching but to let it flow to all people.
▸The final chapter of the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, the 'Chapter of Final Entrustment' (囑累品), depicts the scene in which the Buddha entrusts this scripture to Mahākāśyapa and Ānanda and brings it to a close.
The final chapter of the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, the 'Chapter of Final Entrustment' (囑累品), depicts the scene in which the Buddha entrusts this scripture to Mahākāśyapa and Ānanda and brings it to a close. 'Entrustment' (囑累) means 'to entrust with a commission' — the traditional form in which the Buddha, before entering nirvāṇa, delegates to his disciples the transmission of the teaching. The Buddha says, 'I entrust this wondrous scripture of the great nirvāṇa to Mahākāśyapa and Ānanda,' urging them to widely proclaim and circulate it so that all sentient beings may hear and know it. Sentient beings who hear this scripture and believe and accept it will attain bodhi (菩提), the Buddha declares. He proclaims that this is 'the Tathāgata's final teaching and instruction' (如來最後教誡), thus concluding the scripture.