法苑珠林 92.19

92.19

Furthermore, the Saṃgharakṣita-sūtra states: At that time in the country of Śrāvastī there were five hundred merchants who together made an oath, wishing to enter the great ocean. The merchants conferred together to seek out a Dharma master to take into the ocean: 'At that time we can hear the benefits of the Dharma and safely make the journey.' Among the assembly there was an elder who told the merchants, 'I have a family preceptor named Saṃgharakṣita; we may invite him as our master. He is eloquent and vastly wise, and very capable of preaching the Dharma.' The merchants then went to Saṃgharakṣita's place, bowed their heads in homage, and said, 'We wish to enter the great ocean; now we invite the Venerable One to be our preaching Dharma master. By hearing the Dharma we may safely make the journey.' Saṃgharakṣita replied, 'You may inform the preceptor Śāriputra.' Receiving this instruction, the merchants went to inform him. Śāriputra said, 'We should ask the Buddha together.' Then Śāriputra and Saṃgharakṣita took the merchants to the Buddha, paid homage, and explained the reasons in detail. At that time the World-Honored One, knowing that the bhikṣu Saṃgharakṣita would broadly deliver sentient beings, immediately granted permission. The merchants were overjoyed and danced with delight, and then entered the great ocean together with the Dharma master Saṃgharakṣita. Before reaching the place of jewels, a dragon king seized and stopped [the ship]. The merchants were greatly frightened and terrified; kneeling on their right knees with palms joined, they looked up and asked, 'What deity is seizing and stopping the ship? If you have need of something, please reveal your bodily form.' Then the dragon king suddenly revealed his body. The merchants then asked, 'What do you seek?' The dragon king replied, 'Give me this bhikṣu Saṃgharakṣita.' The merchants replied, 'We requested him from the Buddha, the World-Honored One, and from Śāriputra, and brought him along; how could we give him to you?' The dragon king replied, 'If you do not give him to me, I will drown and kill you all.' The merchants were greatly terrified and immediately reflected, having once heard from the Buddha a verse such as this: