Once, in the great seaport of Bhurukaccha some merchants were making their ship ready for a long voyage. At the same time a famous wise man was visiting the port. Although he was blind, he was by far the most renowned wise man in the whole of the kingdom, known for his great insight and compassion. When the merchants learned that such a great person was in their midst, they immediately sent for him and implored him to join them on their voyage.
"It will indeed be auspicious," said one of the merchants. "He has served the king," said another, "and predicted many things; we must ask him to be our captain!" So eventualy the wise man agreed to go with the merchants on their voyage, and the merchants named him Supparaka, meaning captain.
When the stars were visible in the crisp autumn sky and the winds were favorable, they set sail, bound for
lands unknown, insearch of treasure with which to trade when they returned to Bhurukaccha. For one week
they sailed without mishap, and then an unseasonable wind blew up. It tossed the ship to and fro
unmercifully on the mighty ocean for many days, until finally they came to rest in a strange sea. The
merchants were worried, for they had never been to such a strange place. Fish with bodies like humans and
snouts as sharp as razors plunged in and out of the sea. They asked Supparaka,
Men with razor nosings
Plunging in and out,
What sea is this?
Supparaka replied,
Merchants come from Bhurukaccha
Seeking riches to purvey,
This is Waves-Of -Razors Ocean
Where the ship has gone astray.
What the merchants did not know was that the ocean was full of diamonds. Supparaka, in his great wisdom, knew this. He also knew that if he told the merchants there would be fighting among them, for greed did strange things to even the most peaceful people. So, pretending to cast for fish, Supparaka caught instead hordes of diamonds and concealed them on the ship.
They sailed on, driven by strong winds until they came to a sea that was blazing like a fire, like the sun at midday. The merchants took fright and asked Supparaka,
This sea appears like fire,
It is like the sun,
What sea is this?
Supparaka replied,
Merchants come from Bhurukaccha
Seeking riches to purvey,
This is Waves-Of-Fire Ocean
Where the ship has gone astray.
In this sea was an abundance of gold, and Supparaka once again took this and concealed it together with the diamonds deep in the ship's hold.
The merchants by this time were getting very worried indeed. For many weeks they had been sailing on seas
quite unknown to them and feared for their lives. They had not sighted land since they had departed from
Bhurukaccha, but they seemed to be driven on in directions strange and wild. Navigation was impossible; it
was as if some unseen force was guiding them. They decided to return to port, but after they had sailed for
several days they found themselves in yet another unknown sea. This sea was gleaming like milk and curds.
They consulted Supparaka,
This sea appears like curds
It seems like milk,
What sea is this?
Supparaka answered them,
Merchants come from Bhurukaccha
Seeking riches to purvey,
This is Waves-Of-Milkcurd Ocean
Where the ship has gone astray.
In this sea there was much silver, which Supparaka hauled aboard and hid from the merchants. They passed through two other seas, where Supparaka gathered emeralds and precious beryl stones, which he concealed along with the rest of his horde of diamonds, gold, and silver. Peacefully, the ship sailed on for many weeks, but the merchants were baffled by the fact that they had not sighted land for so long although their navagation should have brought them into familiar waters. They were still wandering in seas that they had never before encountered.
Suddenly, and terrifyingly, they came upon a vast ocean, where the waves rose like mountains, and the water swirled furiously, sucking downwards so that it formed a largs whirlpool. The swirling of the water, the crashing of the huge waves, and the dreadful roar of the mighty pit as it sucked downwards made it impossible for merchants to speak to one another without shouting. They called to Supparaka, in voices raised to hysterical screams,
Listen to this terrifying, horrifying inhuman sea,
A sea like a pit and a mountain slope,
What sea is this?
Supparaka replied,
Merchants come from Bhurukaccha
Seeking riches to purvey,
This is Roaring-Whirlpool Ocean
Where the ship has gone astray
Then he continued,
If a ship reaches this sea, No return is possible.
There were seven hundred men on board the ship, when they heard Supparaka's words they all began to panic. Their wailing and screaming rose above the sound of the dreadful sea, in which they would surely lose their lives; they would be sucked into the huge pit of water and swirled downwards to oblivion.
When Supparaka heard their panic he felt a great surge of compassion for them. He directed the merchants to bring him fresh garments, some scented water and a bowl of food. They did as he requested. Supparaka knew that throughout his life he had tried to do good, never intentionally hurting any living being, and that if anyone could save the ship, it would be him.
After he had washed himself in the scented water, Supparaka put on the fresh clothes, ate his bowl of food, then made his way to the bow of the ship. When he had seated himself comfortably, Supparaka made the following asseveration of truth:
As long as I can remember, ever since I've grown up, I am not aware of having intetionally hurt even one living creature. By this truth, may the ship return safely.
For four months the ship had been wandering, but now it made straight for port, then travelled eleven hundred cubits over dry land until it finally came to rest at the door of a sailors house.
Supparaka portioned out the gold, silver, and precious stones among the merchants, giving each an equal share. Then he addressed them, saying,
With so many treasures you will have enough,
Never to go to sea again.
When he had given them his advice he vanished to a city of devas.
In a former life, the Buddha was the
wise man Supparaka and the merchants
were his assembly.
