宋高僧傳 19.13

19.13

系曰：有情遺骼，引因殘果也。凡夫身中節不相至，十地菩薩骨節解盤龍相結，佛則全身舍利焉。今丁居士骨有鉤鎖形，則超凡夫，未階十住，此乃八臂那羅延身骨節頭相鉤是歟？證居士力量及此矣。譬若出金之砂之謂渾，不可謂為砂也；含玉之石之謂璞，不可謂為石也矣。

The appraisal says: The skeletal remains of sentient beings are the residual fruition produced by past causes. In the body of an ordinary mortal, the joints do not connect to one another; the bone joints of a bodhisattva of the ten grounds are interlocked like coiling dragons; while the Buddha possesses a whole-body śarīra. Now, the bones of Upāsaka Ding formed the shape of an interlocking chain; thus he transcended ordinary mortals, yet had not mounted the ten abodes. Might this be the bodily joints of an eight-armed Nārāyaṇa interlocking with one another? This proves the Upāsaka's spiritual power had reached such a stage. It is like the sand from which gold is produced being called an unworked mass, which cannot be called mere sand; or the stone that contains jade being called an uncarved gem, which cannot be called mere stone.