續高僧傳 25.122

25.122

涪州相思寺無相禪師者。非巴蜀人。不知何來。忽至山寺隨眾而已。不異恒人。其寺在涪州上流大江水北。崖側有銘方五尺許。字如掌大。都不可識。下有佛迹。相去九尺。長三尺許。蹈石如泥。道俗敬重。相以一時渡水齊返還無船。乃鉢安水中曰。何為常擎汝。汝可自渡水。便取芭蕉葉搭水立上而渡。鉢隨後來。須臾達岸。時採樵者見之相語。覺知已便辭去。徒眾苦留不住。至水入船。諸人禮請。不與篙檝。乃捉船舷。直爾渡水。不顧而去。即令尋逐。莫測所往。

Dhyāna Master Wuxiang of Xiangsi Monastery in Fuzhou was not a native of Ba or Shu; where he came from is unknown. He suddenly arrived at the mountain monastery and simply stayed among the assembly, appearing no different from an ordinary person. The monastery was located upstream in Fuzhou, north of the Great River. On the cliffside was an inscription about five feet square, with characters the size of a palm, entirely illegible. Below it was a footprint of the Buddha, nine feet away and about three feet long, imprinted into the stone as if in mud; monastics and laypeople revered it. Once, when Wuxiang crossed the river to attend a noon meal and returned to find no boat, he placed his alms bowl into the water and said, "Why should I always carry you? You can cross the water yourself." He then took a plantain leaf, laid it upon the water, stood on it, and crossed over. The bowl followed behind, reaching the bank in an instant. At the time, woodcutters saw this and spoke of it to one another. Realizing he was discovered, he took his leave. The assembly pleaded with him to stay, but could not hold him. Reaching the water, he boarded a boat; the people bowed and pleaded, not providing oars or poles. He simply held the gunwale, crossed the river directly, and left without looking back. When they immediately sent people to pursue him, no one could fathom where he had gone.