諸經要集 19.94

19.94

Furthermore, the *Śatāvadāna-sūtra* (*Baiyu jing*) says: Formerly, merchants wishing to enter the great sea needed a guide. They searched together and found a guide, and setting out together, arrived in a wilderness. There was a heavenly temple, which required a human sacrifice before they could pass. Thereupon the merchants considered together, saying: 'All of us are kin; how could we kill one of ourselves? Only this guide is suitable to be sacrificed to the god.' So they killed the guide to make the sacrifice. When the sacrifice to the god was finished, they lost their way, not knowing where to go, and all died in utter distress. All worldly people are also like this: wishing to enter the ocean of the Dharma to gather its precious jewels, they should cultivate good deeds as their guide; if they destroy good deeds, then on the vast road of birth and death there will never be a time of departure, and they will pass through the three bad destinies, suffering for a long time. Just like those merchants about to enter the great sea who killed their guide, lost the ford, and in the end suffered death in distress.