法苑珠林 39.23

39.23

宋時朱齡石者。使往遼東。還返失道隨風汎海。一月餘日達于一島。糧米俱竭。入島求泉。漸深登山。乃見一寺。堂宇莊嚴非所曾覩。僧問所從具說行事。設食飲水問以去留。石曰。此乃聖居非凡可住。僧曰。欲住任意石苦辭欲還。僧告曰此間去都二十餘萬里。石等聞之驚悑曰。若爾何緣得達。僧曰。自當相送不勞致憂。又問曰。識杯度道人不。曰識之。便指壁上鉢帒曰。此是彼物。有小過罰在人中。便取鉢帒與石。并書一封。上為書字然不可識。曰可以書鉢與之。令沙彌送勿從來道。此有直路疾至船所。須臾至海。沙彌以一竹杖著船頭語曰。但閉舫聽往不勞航柁。於即依言。但聞颼颼風聲。有竊視者。見船在空雲飛奔於山林海上數息間遂達楊都大桁。正見杯度奇桁欄口云馬馬。齡石既至書自飛上度手。度驚曰。汝那得蓬萊道人書。喚我歸耶。乃說緣由又將鉢與之。手捧鉢曰。吾不見此鉢四千餘年。擲上入雲下還接取。太初中無故而死。事在高僧傳。

In the Song period, there was a man named Zhu Lingshi who was sent as an envoy to Liaodong. On his return journey, he lost his way, drifting upon the sea with the wind. After more than a month, he reached an island, with his provisions and rice completely exhausted. Entering the island to seek a spring, he went gradually deeper and climbed a mountain, whereupon he saw a temple whose halls and buildings were magnificent beyond anything he had ever seen before. A monk asked where he came from, and he recounted the events of his journey in full. The monk provided food and gave him water to drink, asking whether he would leave or stay. Lingshi said: 'This is the dwelling of sages, not a place where ordinary people may live.' The monk said: 'If you wish to stay, it is at your pleasure.' Lingshi earnestly declined, wishing to return. The monk told him: 'This place is more than two hundred thousand leagues away from the capital.' When Lingshi and his companions heard this, they were astonished and terrified, saying: 'If so, by what means can we ever arrive?' The monk said: 'I will escort you myself; there is no need to be anxious.' He also asked: 'Do you know the Daoist monk Beidu?' He replied: 'I know him.' The monk then pointed to an almsbowl bag on the wall and said: 'This is his possession. Because of a minor fault, he was punished to be among humans.' He then took the bowl bag and gave it to Lingshi, along with a letter, on which characters were written, yet they were illegible. He said: 'You may give the letter and bowl to him.' He ordered a novice to see them off, instructing: 'Do not follow the path by which you came; here is a direct path that will quickly reach your boat.' In a short while they reached the sea. The novice placed a bamboo staff at the bow of the boat and spoke, saying: 'Just close the cabin and let it proceed; you need not labor at the oars or rudder.' They followed his words at once. They heard only the whistling sound of the wind; one who peeked out saw the boat flying through the empty clouds above the mountains, forests, and oceans. In a few breaths, they reached the Great Floating Bridge of the capital Yangdu. There they saw Beidu leaning on the bridge rail, shouting: 'Horses, horses!' When Lingshi arrived, the letter flew up on its own into Beidu's hand. Beidu said in astonishment: 'Where did you obtain the letter from the Daoist monk of Penglai? Is he calling me to return?' Lingshi then related the causes and conditions and also gave the bowl to him. Holding the bowl in his hands, Beidu said: 'I have not seen this bowl for more than four thousand years!' He tossed it up into the clouds, and when it came back down, he caught it. During the Taichu era, he died without cause. The matter is recorded in the Biographies of Eminent Monks.