---
title: 08.巨鯨朝法駕 A huge whale yielding to the Dharma boat
description: "咸豐元年二月因事。公父赴台灣。公亦偕往。乘小洋船航至茫茫無際大海。突見如山橫阻之巨鯨。長達數里。眾皆畏之。同聲稱念南無大悲觀世音菩薩名號。須臾見其鯨尾沒于海中。"
---

巨鯨朝法駕

咸豐元年二月因事。公父赴台灣。公亦偕往。乘小洋船航至茫茫無際大海。突見如山橫阻之巨鯨。長達數里。眾皆畏之。同聲稱念南無大悲觀世音菩薩名號。須臾見其鯨尾沒于海中。

宣化偈曰：
天龍恭敬不為喜。巨鯨朝拜亦平常。
愚者無知稱為怪。知者有眼窮法源。

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.