法苑珠林 65.53

65.53

Furthermore, the Jātaka-sūtra says: In the past, the Bodhisattva was once a tortoise king, born and raised in the great ocean, transforming his fellow creatures. His subjects and masses all cultivated benevolence and virtue. The king personally practiced compassion and rescue, pitying sentient beings as a mother loves her child. That ocean was deep and vast, its boundaries hard to limit, yet he traveled all around it, experiencing everything. At that time, the tortoise king emerged outside the ocean and lay resting on the edge. Days and months accumulated, and his back became hard and dry, just like dry land. Merchants coming from afar stopped upon it accordingly. They chopped firewood, lit fires, and cooked food; their oxen, horses, carriages, and stones they carried were all placed upon it. The tortoise king wished to hasten into the water, but feared falling into unrighteousness. Just as he was about to force himself to endure it, the pain was unbearable. He then devised a skillful expedient to enter a shallow place in the water, extinguishing the venom of the fire without endangering the merchants. The merchants were terrified, thinking that the tide had suddenly risen. Weeping and crying out, they took refuge in the devas, seeking only salvation. The tortoise king pitied them even more in his heart, and consequently reported to the merchants, saying: "Take care not to be terrified! Because I was burned by fire, I entered the water, wishing to relieve the pain. Now I will make you safe and will never endanger you." When the merchants heard this, they knew there was hope of surviving. Simultaneously raising their voices, they said: "Namo Buddhāya." The tortoise aroused great compassion, carried the merchants on his back again, and moved to the shore. When the people were delivered, there was none who was not joyful. From afar, they praised the tortoise king and extolled his virtue: "Honored as a bridge, crossing over so many; acting as a great vessel, transcending the three realms! If you attain the Buddha path, you should again rescue and deliver [us] from the perils of birth and death." The tortoise king reported, saying: "Excellent, excellent! It shall be as you say." They parted ways. The Buddha said: "Could the tortoise king of that time have been someone else? It was my own person. As for the five hundred merchants, they are my present five hundred disciples, Śāriputra and the others."