勅修百丈清規 5.48

5.48

梵云鉢多羅此云應量器。今略云鉢。又呼云鉢盂。即華梵兼名。佛本行集經云。北天竺有二商主。一名帝利富婆。二名跋利迦。奉世尊[麩-夫+少]酪密揣。世尊思惟。往昔諸佛悉皆受持鉢器。我今當以何器受商主食。時四天王疾共持四金鉢奉上。世尊不受。以出家人不合蓄此。彼四天王更將四銀鉢。玻𭹳鉢。瑠璃鉢。赤珠鉢。瑪瑙鉢。𤥭璖鉢奉上。悉皆不受。時北方毘沙門天王告三天王言。我念往昔。青色諸天將四石器來奉我等。可用受食。時別有一天子名毘盧遮那。白言。仁等慎勿於此石器受食。但供養如來。當有如來號釋迦牟尼出世。宜將此四石鉢奉彼如來。時四天王共將四石鉢奉佛。世尊念。四天王以信淨心奉我四鉢。若我於一人邊受。餘各有恨。我今總受四鉢。持作一鉢。次第相重安置左手右手按下。合成一鉢。外有四唇。而說偈言。我昔功德諸果滿。以發哀愍清淨心。是故今四大天王清淨牢固施我鉢。

In Sanskrit it is called pātra, which here means 'vessel conforming to measure'; now it is abbreviated as bo, and also called boyu, combining the Chinese and Sanskrit terms. The Abhiniṣkramaṇa Sūtra says: 'In North India there were two merchant leaders, one named Trapuṣa and the other Bhallika, who offered the World-Honoured One roasted flour, curd, and honey lumps. The World-Honoured One contemplated: "The Buddhas of the past all received and held a bowl vessel; in what vessel should I now receive the food of the merchant leaders?" At that time, the Four Heavenly Kings promptly came together holding four golden bowls to offer up. The World-Honoured One did not accept them, because those who have left the household are not permitted to keep such items. Those Four Heavenly Kings further brought four silver bowls, crystal bowls, lapis lazuli bowls, red pearl bowls, agate bowls, and mother-of-pearl bowls to offer up, but he accepted none of them. Then the Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa of the north told the other three heavenly kings, "I recall in the past, deities of blue hue brought four stone vessels to offer to us, which could be used to receive food." At that time, another devaputra named Vairocana said, "Worthy ones, take care not to receive food in these stone vessels, but only offer them to the Tathāgata. There will be a Tathāgata named Śākyamuni appearing in the world; you should bring these four stone bowls and offer them to that Tathāgata." Then the Four Heavenly Kings together brought the four stone bowls and offered them to the Buddha. The World-Honoured One thought: "The Four Heavenly Kings offer me four bowls with faithful and pure minds; if I accept from one person, the others will each feel regret. I will now accept all four bowls, holding them to make a single bowl." Placing them in sequence, stacked upon his left hand, he pressed down with his right hand, joining them into a single bowl with four rims on the outside. Then he spoke a gāthā: / "My past merits and fruits are all fulfilled; / Having generated a pure mind of compassion, / Therefore now the four great heavenly kings / Purely and firmly bestow bowls upon me."'