Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha was staying at Kusinagara in the land of the
Mallas, close to the river Ajitavati, where the twin sal trees stood. At that time, the great
bhiksus [monks] as many as 80 billion hundred thousand were with the Blessed One. They
surrounded him front and back. On the 15th of the second month, as the Buddha was about
to enter Nirvana, he, with his divine power, spoke in a great voice, which filled the whole world
and reached the highest of the heavens. It said to all beings in a way each could understand:
"Today, the Tathagata [i.e. Buddha] the Alms-deserving and Perfectly Awakened One, pities,
protects and, with an undivided mind, sees beings as he does his [son] Rahula. So, he is the
refuge and house of the world. The greatly Awakened Blessed One is about to enter Nirvana.
Beings who have doubts may all now put questions to him."
At that time, early in the morning, the World-Honoured One emitted from his mouth
rays of light of various hues, namely: blue, yellow, red, white, crystal, and agate. The rays
of light shone all over the 3,000 great-thousand Buddha lands. Also, the ten directions were
alike shone upon. All the sins and worries of beings of the six realms, as they were illuminated,
were expiated. People saw and heard this, and worry greatly beset them. They all sorrowfully
cried and wept: "Oh, the kindest father! Oh, woe is the day! Oh, the sorrow!" They raised
their hands, beat their heads and breasts, and cried aloud. Of them, some trembled, wept, and
sobbed. At that time, the great earth, the mountains, and great seas all shook. Then, all of
them said to one another: "Let us for the present suppress our feelings, let us not be greatly
smitten by sorrow! Let us speed to Kusinagara, call at the land of the Mallas, touch the feet of
the Tathagata, pay homage and beg: "O Tathagata! Please do not enter Parinirvana, but stay
one more kalpa [aeon] or less than a kalpa." They pressed their palms together and said again:
"The world is empty! Fortune has departed from us beings; evil things will increase in the world.
O you! Hurry up, go quickly! Soon the Tathagata [i.e. Buddha] will surely enter Nirvana." They
also said: "The world is empty, empty! From now on, no one protects us, and we have none to
pay homage to. Poverty-stricken and alone! If we once part from the World-Honoured One, and
if doubts arise, whom are we to ask?"
http://bodhimarga.org/docs/Mahaparinirv ... e_2007.pdf