諸經要集 8.62

8.62

Furthermore, the Mahākaruṇā-sūtra states: The Buddha told Ānanda: In a past age, there was a great caravan leader who, in order to gather jewels, led a company of merchants into the great ocean. The ship they rode was filled with all kinds of jewels. In the middle of the ocean, their ship suddenly broke apart. At that time, those merchants were terrified and deeply distressed. Among them, some obtained planks from the ship, some floated, and some perished. At that time, I was the caravan leader in that great ocean, crossing safely by means of a floating bag. Five men called out to the caravan leader: 'Great Being, caravan leader, we only pray that you bestow fearlessness upon us!' Having heard these words, the caravan leader said to them: 'Good men, do not be afraid. I shall cause you to cross over safely from this great ocean.' Ānanda, at that time the caravan leader was wearing a sharp sword and thought: 'The rule of the great ocean is not to keep a dead corpse. If I sacrifice my own life now, these merchants will surely be able to cross over the danger of the great ocean.' Having thought this, he called the merchants, had them mount his body, and told them to hold on tight. Among those merchants, some rode on his back, some clung to his shoulders, and some held his thighs. At that time, in order to bestow fearlessness upon them, the caravan leader cultivated great compassion in his mind, aroused great vigor, and cut off his life-faculty with the sharp sword, meeting his death. Then the great ocean drifted his dead corpse and deposited it on the shore. The five merchants were then able to cross the ocean, experience safety and joy, and return peacefully without harm to Jambudvīpa. Ānanda, was that caravan leader anyone else? He was myself. The five merchants were the five bhikṣus of today. These five bhikṣus were delivered in the great ocean in the past, and now in this ocean of birth and death they are again delivered and established on the other shore of fearless nirvāṇa."