In the venerable Guàndǐng’s introductory preface to the ascetic Zhìyǐ’s masterwork Mahāśamathavipaśyanā, there is an account of the transmission of the Dharma from Śākyamuni to Śākyasiṃha. Now, this is a Mahāyāna account, so it is possible that this is utterly unrelated to the dispensation of the EBTs, however, Ven Guàndǐng records an interesting tidbit here:
Ānanda entered Wind Samādhi while in the middle of the Gaṅgā and divided his body into four parts, one part for the Śakra Devendra, one part for the Nāgarāja Sāgara, one part for the Licchavis of Vaiśālī, and one part for Ajātaśatrurāja, a jewelled stūpa was erected in each of these places, having so entered Wind Samādhi and divided his body, Ānanda transmitted the Dharma to Śāṇavāsa.
From whence/where does this tale originate? Wind Samādhi? Is this a Sino-Indian development or does this have precedent in traditional histories?