眾經撰雜譬喻 1.16

1.16

持戒之人寧失身命不違佛教。譬如往日有賈客乘船入海，時有二人欲至他國，傍載至於中流，值遇惡風吹破船舫，諸賈客取所依用以自濟。時下座道人得一板木，上座語言：「佛說法恭敬上座，汝與我板來，不畏犯戒也。」下座道人聞是語已，便自思惟：「何者為重？護戒為重。」思惟是已：「我寧當慎護佛教而死。」即以板木獻上座，下座便沒海水中。水神見道人持戒如是不違佛教，將是道人至於岸上，因此道人至誠持戒故，一船賈客皆得不死。水神讚道人言：「汝真是持戒之人也！」以是證故寧持戒而死，不犯戒而生。是以戒德可恃怙，能濟生死苦。

Those who observe the precepts would rather lose their lives than violate the Buddha's teachings. For example, in the past, merchants boarded a ship and entered the sea. At that time, two persons wished to go to another country and took passage alongside them. When they reached midstream, they met with a violent wind that broke the ship apart. The merchants seized whatever they could rely on to save themselves. At that time, a junior renunciant obtained a wooden plank. The senior said to him: “The Buddha taught that one should respect seniors. Give me that plank; do you not fear violating the precepts?” Having heard these words, the junior renunciant reflected: “Which is heavier? Protecting the precepts is heavier.” Having reflected thus, [he thought]: “I would rather carefully protect the Buddha's teachings and die.” He immediately offered the wooden plank to the senior, and the junior sank into the seawater. The water deity saw that the renunciant observed the precepts in this way, not violating the Buddha's teachings, and brought this renunciant to the shore. Because this renunciant observed the precepts with utmost sincerity, the merchants of the entire ship all avoided death. The water deity praised the renunciant, saying: “You are truly a person who observes the precepts!” By this evidence, one would rather observe the precepts and die than violate the precepts and live. Therefore, the virtue of the precepts can be relied upon; it can rescue one from the suffering of saṃsāra.