Date: 08/16/2025 08/17/2025
Location: Star River Meditation Center
Teacher: Yunquan Huang
Dharma Talk
The Bowl That Flew Through the Sky
Long ago, in the heavenly realms, there were two hundred devas who aspired to cultivate the Way. Alas, their intentions were not firm, for they each harbored the thought of gaining the fruit through shortcuts. Influenced by one another, they all became fearful of the hardship of the Buddha-path and were unwilling to diligently cultivate the bodhisattva path. They even said:
“Why strive so arduously to learn the bodhisattva path? Better it is to follow the way of the Arhat or Pratyekabuddha and enter nirvāṇa directly!”
When Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva became aware of this, he thought to himself:
“These devas indeed have the capacity to accomplish the bodhisattva path, yet they shrink back out of fear of hardship. I must find a skillful means to instruct and transform them, to strengthen their resolve in cultivation.”
Having given rise to this compassionate thought, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva transformed himself into a Kālayogin ascetic, carrying in his hands a bowl filled with rice of a hundred flavors. He then proceeded to Brahmā Heaven, where the World-Honored One was expounding the Dharma.
Arriving before the Buddha, he respectfully offered the bowl of rice, bowed in reverence with palms joined, and said:
“World-Honored One, it is now time to repay your great benevolence.”
Venerable Śāriputra, who stood nearby, asked in wonder:
“What do you mean by this?”
The Buddha replied:
“You will understand in due time. Simply observe.”
Saying thus, the Buddha cast the bowl from the heights of Brahmā Heaven. The bowl, filled with rice of a hundred flavors, drifted through countless buddha-lands, flying farther and farther, until it reached a buddha-land named Hui-āśa.
The Buddha of that land was called Radiant King (Prabhāvasvararāja). His attendant, seeing a bowl suspended in the sky, asked in surprise:
“What is the meaning of this?”
Radiant King Buddha replied:
“This bowl has flown here from Śākyamuni Buddha in Brahmā Heaven. Its purpose is to awaken and rescue those who, lacking steadfastness in the bodhisattva path, seek to turn back.”
Upon hearing these words, the attendants of Radiant King Buddha gave rise to firm faith in the Buddha-path.
Once the bowl descended from Brahmā Heaven, it vanished without trace. After some time had passed, the Buddha said to Śāriputra:
“Go now and retrieve the bowl.”
Śāriputra, using the power of wisdom and supernatural vision, searched everywhere but could not find it. Disheartened, he returned and reported:
“World-Honored One, I could not find the bowl.”
The Buddha then turned to Maudgalyāyana and said:
“You go and retrieve the bowl.”
Maudgalyāyana immediately employed his supernatural foot-power, flying through countless buddha-lands in search of the bowl. Yet after a long time, he too returned, crestfallen and empty-handed.
The World-Honored One then dispatched five hundred arhats to seek it, but none succeeded.
Seeing that even the assembly of arhats had failed, Maitreya Bodhisattva volunteered to go. But he too returned without success.
The Buddha then turned his gaze toward Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva and said:
“It is time for you to go.”
At that moment, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva remained seated in meditative absorption. Entering the samādhi of Dharma, he extended his right hand toward the earth, and his body passed through countless buddha-lands.
All present saw, with utmost clarity, that from every hair pore on Mañjuśrī’s arm emanated hundreds of thousands of radiant lights and lotus blossoms. Upon each lotus sat a bodhisattva in meditation. All who beheld this scene were filled with praise and wonder at the merit of the Buddha and the bodhisattvas.
At that time, the World-Honored One emitted a radiant light from his foot, illuminating the entire world and countless buddha-lands as numerous as the grains of the Ganges.
All devas who saw the Buddha’s light entered deep samādhi and gave rise to unshakable faith in the path to buddhahood.
It was then that Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva beheld the bowl. Reaching out with his right hand, he grasped it and, together with countless bodhisattvas, ascended once more to Brahmā Heaven and offered the rice bowl to the World-Honored One.
The Buddha then turned to Śāriputra and said:
“Śāriputra, let me now tell you of an event from measureless eons ago:
In that time, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva was a bhikṣu named Wisdom King. He practiced under a Buddha named Hero Unexcelled in Victory. One day, Wisdom King Bhikṣu entered a city on alms-round. After receiving a bowl of rice with a hundred flavors, he began to depart from the city.
At that time, there was a young boy named King Free of Defilement, the son of a noble elder. His wet nurse was holding him at the city gate when he saw the bhikṣu carrying the rice. The boy leapt down and ran after him, calling:
‘Bhikṣu! Bhikṣu! Give me some of that rice!’
Seeing his sincerity, Wisdom King Bhikṣu gave him a sweet, fragrant cake to eat. Delighted by its taste and aroma, the boy continued to follow him. They reached the Buddha Hero Unexcelled in Victory, where the boy bowed and sat to one side.
‘Child,’ said the bhikṣu, ‘take this bowl of rice and offer it to the Buddha.’
The boy did as he was instructed. The Buddha received the bowl and ate, yet the contents remained full, as though untouched.
He then distributed the rice among eighty-four thousand bhikṣus and twelve thousand bodhisattvas. All were satiated, yet the bowl remained full.
Seeing this, the boy rejoiced and exclaimed:
‘World-Honored One, this is truly marvelous!’
Thereafter, he received the five precepts from Wisdom King Bhikṣu and gave rise to the aspiration for supreme bodhi.”
The Buddha continued:
“After the boy followed the bhikṣu, his wet nurse searched and wept but could not find him. She returned to inform his parents, who traced the path and arrived at the Buddha’s location. After respectfully bowing, they said:
‘World-Honored One, we are honored to behold your noble countenance. Our son is safe and well under your care.’
Seeing his parents, the boy joyfully said:
‘Father! Mother! I have now received the bodhisattva Dharma. I wish to go forth as a śramaṇa under the Buddha!’
Hearing this, the parents were filled with joy and said:
‘Son, we too wish to follow you and enter the path!’”
At this point in his discourse, the Buddha paused briefly and then addressed the assembly:
“The bhikṣu Wisdom King is now Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva. That young boy, King Free of Defilement, is none other than myself.Through vast eons and countless buddha-lands, the Tathāgatas like myself, beyond number, have all aroused the aspiration for the path due to the transformative guidance and merit of Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva. In truth, we are all indebted to him.”
