巨鲸朝法驾

咸丰元年二月因事。公父赴台湾。公亦偕往。乘小洋船航至茫茫无际大海。突见如山横阻之巨鲸。长达数里。众皆畏之。同声称念南无大悲观世音菩萨名号。须臾见其鲸尾没于海中。

宣化偈曰：
天龙恭敬不为喜。巨鲸朝拜亦平常。
愚者无知称为怪。知者有眼穷法源。

A huge whale yielding to the Dharma boat

In the second lunar month of the first year of the Hsien Feng reign period (1851), the Master's father went to Taiwan to transact some business, and took his son, then twelve, with him. They boarded a small ocean-going vessel and sailed into the open sea where they soon encountered a monstrous whale, which looked as broad as a mountain. All on board became alarmed and all together they began to recite the name of the greatly compassionate Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva (Kuan Yin). In a short time, the whale sank into the depths.

The verse says:
If the dragons of heaven make obeisance, it is nothing to delight in.
How much more is the submission of a giant whale just a common affair. 
Foolish people do not know and think of this as strange,
While those who understand have eyes and tap the Dharma's source.