第二祖阿難尊者
Second Patriarch: Venerable Ananda
王舍城人也。姓剎帝利。父斛飯王。世尊以為總持第一。常所讚歎。加以宿世有大功德。受持法藏。如水傳器。佛乃命為侍者。則與世尊為堂兄弟。
He was from Rajagriha, of the Kshatriya caste. His father was King Shuddhodana's brother. The World-Honored One regarded him as foremost in maintaining remembered teachings (dhāraṇī), often praising him. Moreover, due to great merit from past lives, he received and upheld the Treasury of Dharma, as if passing water from one vessel to another. The Buddha then appointed him as his personal attendant. Thus he was the World-Honored One's cousin.
既而結集之後。阿難復念。如來以大法眼付大迦葉。迦葉既隱而付於我。我今將滅。遂處常河中曰。先所度脫者。應當來集。
After the council's conclusion, Ananda reflected, "The Tathagata entrusted the great Dharma-eye to Mahakashyapa. Mahakashyapa, having departed, then entrusted it to me. Now I am about to pass into final peace." So he went to the middle of the Ganges River and said, "All those whom I have previously guided to liberation should now gather here."
須臾。五百羅漢從空而至。眾中名商那和修者。阿難夙知法器。遂告曰。如來以大法眼藏囑累迦葉。既當入寂。密付於我。我今將滅。用傳於汝。汝善護持。流通後世。無令斷絕。汝受吾教。聽吾偈曰。
A moment later, five hundred Arhats appeared in the sky. Among them was one named Shawasena (Shāngnà Héxiū). Ānanda, who had long recognized his potential as a worthy vessel for the Dharma, told him: "The Tathāgata entrusted the Great Dharma Eye Treasury to Mahākāśyapa, who then secretly passed it to me as he was about to enter nirvana. Now that I am nearing my own end, I transmit it to you. Cherish and protect it well, and let it spread through future generations without interruption. Receive my teaching, and listen to my verse:"
本來付有法 付了言無法 各各須自悟
悟了無無法
Originally, a teaching was transmitted. Now that it's transmitted, we say no teaching remains. Each person must awaken on their own. Once awakened, there is no teaching — nor any "no teaching" either.
偈已。告商那和修曰。汝善行化。繼我弘揚。汝後有嗣。大化五天。度人如天人師。唯無相好。石室盈籌。阿難作一十八變。入奮迅三昧。化火焚身。人天共分舍利。各建塔廟。當厲王朝也。
After the verse, he said to Sanakavatsa, "You should carry out the teaching well and continue my work of spreading the Dharma. After you, you will have a successor who will greatly spread the teaching throughout the five regions of India. He will guide people as a teacher of gods and humans, lacking only the marks of physical perfection. The stone chamber will be filled with counting sticks."
Ananda performed eighteen miraculous transformations, entered the fervent concentration, and released fire to consume his own body. Gods and humans shared his relics and each built stupas and temples. This was during the reign of King Ashoka.