115. The Buddha crosses the Garages

At that time the mighty river, the Ganges, flowed full to its banks. The Tathagata went to a boatman to be put across, who said to him: "Give me the fare, Gautama." And with the words: "I have no fare, my good man", the Tathagata flew through the air from one bank to the other. When the boatman saw this, he was dismayed: "I have not set across a man so worthy to be honored. What a misfortune !" and with these words he fell senseless to the ground. Thereupon the boatman told the same to king Bimbisara: "The monk Gautama, o lord, said when I asked him for the fare: "I have no fare" and flew from this bank to the other through the air." And hearing that, king Bimbisara from that moment freed all wandering monks from paying for the ferry boat (407: 1).

In the middle of the relief we see the river with many fishes and some tortoises in it. On the right bank is a landing-place of stone, where the boatman is sitting holding his right hand to his face, either as a gesture of despair or else for looking across the river better. The boat-hook is next to him pushed into the rocky bank; a second person sits behind him, a third and fourth are coming from the right. The two last have beards and one leans on a stick; they all wear the clothesandhairdressing of the poorest class. The Buddha has already flown across the river and now stands on the left on his lotus cushion, ready to continue his journey. The edge of the river on that side is planted with trees, it stretches further into the background and gives shelter to a pair of gazelles and pigs, many birds, especially ham. se's and a couple of fowls. In the river is the boat, made fast with a rope to the forked boathook already mentioned, it is a flat boat with simple rudder on both sides of the stern and an awning on four poles for the shade, with another similar boathook laid ready on the top of it.