經律異相 19.76

19.76

昔有沙門。隨商人度海。半路船迴。不復得去。眾人僉曰。船中當有不淨潔者。探籌出之。道人三得出籌。自投海中。龍王即以七寶蓮華承之入海。乃到龍宮。見樓閣寶舍殿堂。龍王請入。頭面禮足曰。吾得頭痛。六百餘歲求索道人。今乃得之。道人當療我病。道人曰。吾不知醫藥。以何相療。龍王曰。吾此海中多有神藥。不愈我病。唯未得法藥。道人說法須臾之頃。龍王自覺除愈。龍大歡喜。供養道人九十日。白道人言。久相勞屈想亦勞悒。前船甫到今當相送。龍王選三摩尼珠。一以上佛。一以施眾僧。一與道人。遣神送。忽然至船。船伴驚喜。共還本土。眾人悉隨道人詣佛。佛為說法。皆發道意。所度無量（出譬喻經第九卷）。

Formerly, there was a śramaṇa who followed merchants across the sea. Halfway through, the ship circled round and could no longer proceed. The passengers all said, "There must be an impure person in the ship. Let us draw lots to find him out." The practitioner of the Way drew the lot three times, and then threw himself into the sea. The dragon king immediately supported him with a seven-jewel lotus flower and brought him into the ocean, arriving at the dragon palace. He saw multi-storied pavilions and halls adorned with jewels. The dragon king invited him inside, bowed his head to the ground before his feet, and said, "I have had a headache for more than six hundred years, and have been searching for a practitioner of the Way; only today have I found one. The practitioner of the Way must heal my illness." The practitioner of the Way said, "I do not know medicine; how can I heal you?" The dragon king said, "Here in my sea there are many divine medicines, but they do not cure my illness; it is only the medicine of the Dharma that I have not yet obtained." When the practitioner of the Way had preached the Dharma for just a brief moment, the dragon king felt himself cured. The dragon was greatly delighted and made offerings to the practitioner of the Way for ninety days. He addressed the practitioner of the Way, saying, "I have troubled you for a long time, and imagine you are also weary and anxious. The ship from earlier has just arrived; now I shall send you back." The dragon king selected three maṇi jewels: one to offer to the Buddha, one to give to the saṃgha of monks, and one to give to the practitioner of the Way. He dispatched spirits to escort him, and suddenly he arrived at the ship. His companions on the ship were surprised and delighted, and they returned together to their homeland. The people all followed the practitioner of the Way to go to the Buddha. The Buddha preached the Dharma for them, and they all aroused the intention to attain the Way. Those who were delivered were immeasurable. (From Fascicle 9 of the Avadāna Sūtra).