法苑珠林 34.34

34.34

Also, the Za piyu jing says: Formerly, five hundred merchants took a boat out to sea. They encountered a makara fish emerging with its mouth agape, wishing to devour the living beings. At the time there was little wind, yet the boat travelled like an arrow. The chief merchant said to the crowd: "The boat travels too quickly; lower the sail!" They lowered it as instructed, but the boat went ever faster and could not be stopped. The chief merchant asked the person in the watchtower: "What do you see?" [He answered:] "I see two suns risen above, white mountains below, and a black mountain in between." The chief merchant said in alarm: "This is a great fish! What is to be done? You and I now meet with dire straits; entering this fish's belly there is no way we will live. Each of you, according to what you worship, single-mindedly seek help!" Thereupon the people, each according to their devotion, single-mindedly took refuge and sought deliverance from this distress. The more earnestly they sought, the faster the boat travelled. If it did not stop for an instant, it would enter the fish's mouth. At this, the chief merchant said to the people: "I have a great deity whose name is the Buddha. Abandon your worshipped gods and single-mindedly chant his name!" Then the five hundred people together raised a great cry, chanting: "Namo Buddhāya!" Hearing the Buddha's name, the fish thought to itself: "Today there is indeed once more a Buddha in the world! How could I bear to harm living beings?" It immediately closed its mouth, and the waters all flowed backward. Gradually they drew away from the fish. Good thoughts arose in the five hundred merchants, and all attained liberation.