法苑珠林 31.43

31.43

爾時商主隱默而住。乃至四月歡樂會時。方始告彼諸商人知。汝等今者慎莫放逸戀著愛心。或貪婦女。或貪飯食及餘資財。我於汝等極生憐愍。我今密語。時諸商人聞商主說。猶如師子在於山林忽大哮吼。有諸凡獸在彼山邊。聞其吼聲生大驚悑。各相謂言。我等今者未脫大海可惡之事。時彼商人過彼日已。遂至夜內。見彼羅剎一切諸女。耽著睡眠安隱而臥。私密盜竊從臥床起。咸共詣彼期處。詣彼處已。白商主言。善哉商主。所見之者。願為我說爾時商主。即告彼等說前見事。諸人聞已憂愁不樂。白商主言。善哉商主。我等今當宜可速至彼馬王所。願我等輩安隱得達閻浮提內本生之處。時諸商人皆詣馬王所。爾時馬王至於海岸。露現半身以人音聲。而三唱告。誰欲樂度鹹水彼岸。我當安隱負而度之。令到彼岸。時諸商人聞馬王如是語已。歡喜踊躍身毛皆竪。合十指掌頂禮馬王。作如是言。善哉馬王。我等欲度樂至彼岸。願濟我等從水此岸達到彼岸。爾時馬王告諸商人。汝等當知。彼羅剎女不久應來。或將男女顯示於汝。慈悲哀哭受於苦惱。汝等於時莫生染著愛戀之心。汝等若起此意。假使乘我背上必當墮落。為彼羅剎之所噉食。若作如是意念。彼非我許物。非我男女。設使以手執我一毛而懸之者。我於是時。安隱將送速到彼岸作是語已。汝等今者可乘我背。或執我身分脚足支節。時諸商人依語乘之。爾時馬王負彼商人出哀愍聲。飛騰空裏行疾如風。爾時彼諸羅剎女輩。聞彼馬王哀愍之聲。復聞走聲狀如猛風。忽從睡覺覓彼商人。悉皆不見。處處觀看。乃遙見商人乘馬王上乘空而去。既見是已。速將男女馳走奔赴至於海岸。發慈愍聲哀號啼哭作大苦惱。各作是言。汝諸聖子。今者捨我欲何所去。令我無主。汝是我主。汝等於先墮在海難大恐悑中。我等度汝。唯願汝等與我為夫。汝等今者捨背於我。欲詣何所。無恩無義。何故相棄。若有違犯今乞懺悔。從今已去不作諸惡。如其不用我者。今此男女可收將去。時羅剎女雖作如是慈流言語。雞尸馬王仍將彼輩。五百商人安隱得度大海彼岸到閻浮提。諸比丘。於意云何。時雞尸馬王。豈異人乎。即我身是。五百人中商主者。豈異人乎。即舍利弗是。五百商人。豈異人乎。即刪闍耶波離婆闍迦諸弟子等五百人是。我於彼時以此五百諸商人等至厄難處。救其厄難達到彼岸。今者還復至刪闍耶邪見之處。舍利弗化已將詣我所。我於邪見曠野之中。化令得脫度生死海。是故汝等當於佛所。應生尊重恭敬之心。

At that time, the caravan leader remained silent, waiting until the four-month festival of merriment before finally informing the merchants, saying: “Do not become heedless now, cherishing attachments in your hearts—whether lusting after these women, or craving fine food and other possessions. I feel the deepest pity for you, and now speak to you in secret.” When the merchants heard the caravan leader's words, they felt as if a lion in a mountain forest had suddenly let out a great roar, making all the common beasts at the mountain's edge tremble with immense dread upon hearing it. They whispered to one another: “We have not yet escaped the terrible perils of the great ocean.” After that day had passed and night fell, the merchants observed that all the rākṣasa women had fallen into a deep, peaceful slumber. They stealthily slipped out of their beds and gathered together at the appointed meeting place. Having assembled there, they said to the caravan leader: “Excellent, O caravan leader! Please tell us what you have witnessed.” The caravan leader then recounted to them all that he had previously seen. Hearing this, the men grew sorrowful and despondent, saying to him: “Excellent, O caravan leader! We should hasten at once to that horse-king. May we safely reach our native home in Jambudvīpa!” Thereupon the merchants all proceeded to where the horse-king was. At that time, the horse-king went to the seashore, revealed half his body, and called out three times in a human voice: “Who desires to joyfully cross to the other side of the salty sea? I shall safely bear him across and bring him to the other shore!” Hearing these words from the horse-king, the merchants leaped with joy, their body hair standing on end. Pressing their ten fingers together in reverence, they prostrated to the horse-king and spoke thus: “Excellent, O horse-king! We wish to cross over and joyfully reach the other shore. Pray rescue us and carry us from this shore of the water to the other shore!” Then the horse-king told the merchants: “You should know that those rākṣasa women will soon arrive. They may present your sons and daughters to you, weeping with piteous sorrow and displaying their distress. At that time, you must not let any attachment, lust, or longing arise in your hearts. If such thoughts arise in you, even if you are riding upon my back, you will surely fall off and be devoured by those rākṣasas. But if you keep the mindful thought: ‘These are not my possessions; they are not my sons and daughters,’ then even if you merely hold onto a single hair of mine with your hand and hang from it, I shall safely deliver you at that time and swiftly convey you to the other shore.” Having said this, he added: “You may now mount my back, or hold firmly onto my limbs, legs, and joints.” Following his words, the merchants mounted him. Then the horse-king, uttering a cry of compassion, soared into the sky and flew as swift as the wind. At that time, the rākṣasa women heard the horse-king's cry of compassion and also heard the sound of his rushing flight like a fierce wind. Suddenly awakening from sleep, they sought the merchants, but none were to be seen. Searching everywhere, they gazed far off and saw the merchants riding atop the horse-king, travelling away through the sky. Seeing this, they swiftly grabbed their sons and daughters, ran in pursuit, and arrived at the seashore. Crying out in compassionate tones, wailing and weeping in great agony, they each said: “Noble sons, why do you abandon us now? Where do you wish to go, leaving me without a master? You are my master! When you previously met with ocean disaster and fell into great terror, we rescued you. We only wished that you would be our husbands. Why do you now abandon and turn your backs on us? Where do you wish to go? You show no gratitude and no righteousness! Why do you cast us aside? If we have offended you, we now beg for forgiveness and will commit no more misdeeds from this day forth. If you no longer want us, you should at least take these sons and daughters with you!” Although the rākṣasa women spoke such affectionate words, the horse-king Keśin nevertheless brought the five hundred merchants safely across the great ocean to the other shore, arriving in Jambudvīpa. [The Buddha said:] “O monks, what do you think? Could that horse-king Keśin have been someone else? He was none other than myself! Could the leader of the five hundred men have been someone else? He was none other than Śāriputra! Could the five hundred merchants have been someone else? They were none other than these five hundred disciples of Sañjaya Vairāṭīputra! At that time, when those five hundred merchants fell into peril, I rescued them from their plight and brought them to the other shore. Now once again, when they had fallen into the perilous trap of Sañjaya's false views, Śāriputra converted them and brought them to my presence. From the wilderness of false views, I converted and delivered them, ferrying them across the ocean of birth and death. Therefore, you all should engender reverence and respect toward the Buddha.”