高僧傳 6.11

6.11

又昔潯陽陶侃經鎮廣州，有漁人於海中見神光，每夕艶發，經旬彌盛。怪以白侃。侃往詳視，乃是阿育王像，即接歸，以送武昌寒溪寺。寺主僧珍嘗往夏口，夜夢寺遭火，而此像屋獨有龍神圍繞。珍覺，馳還寺，寺既焚盡，唯像屋存焉。侃後移鎮，以像有威靈，遣使迎接。數十人舉之至水，及上船，船又覆沒。使者懼而反之，竟不能獲。侃幼出雄武，素薄信情，故荊楚之間，為之謠曰：「陶惟劍雄，像以神標。雲翔泥宿，邈何遙遙。可以誠致，難以力招。」

Also, in former times, when Tao Kan of Xunyang was in garrison at Guangzhou, a fisherman saw a divine radiance in the sea, shining brilliantly every evening and growing ever brighter over ten days. Wondering at this, he reported it to Kan. Kan went to examine it closely and found it to be an image of King Aśoka. He immediately took it back and sent it to Hanxi Temple in Wuchang. The temple abbot, the monk Sengzhen, once traveled to Xiakou and dreamed at night that the temple had caught fire, but the hall housing this image was surrounded solely by dragon-spirits. When Zhen woke up, he galloped back to the temple; the temple was completely burnt to ashes, and only the image hall remained. Later, when Kan moved his garrison, he dispatched envoys to welcome and receive the image, considering it to possess awe-inspiring spiritual power. Several tens of men lifted it to the water, but when it was placed on the boat, the boat capsized and sank. The envoys were terrified and returned it, ultimately failing to obtain it. From his youth, Kan had displayed martial valor and had always been lacking in faith. Therefore, in the region of Jing and Chu, a popular ballad was made about him, saying:
'Tao is merely a hero of the sword;
the image is marked by the spirit.
One soars into the clouds, the other roosts in the mud;
how distant and far apart they are!
It may be brought about by sincerity;
it can hardly be summoned by force.'