Hatsu-u
Introduction
The fascicle "Hatsu-u" (Bowl) from Dōgen's Shōbōgenzō examines the alms bowl as a central, concrete symbol of the authentic transmission of the Dharma. The text begins by tracing the lineage of transmission from the Seven Buddhas of the past through the twenty-eight Indian patriarchs to Bodhidharma and into China, establishing that the "true Dharma eye treasury, the wondrous mind of nirvana" is itself transmitted as the robe and the bowl. Dōgen argues that these physical objects are not mere symbols but are the very embodiment of the awakened life of the buddhas and ancestors. He presents a series of interpretations from various practitioners, each seeing the bowl as the buddhas' body-mind, their food vessel, their eye, their light, their true reality, or the very place of their transformation. This multiplicity serves not to relativize the object but to demonstrate its profound, inexhaustible depth as a point of entry into the Dharma.
The central argument of the fascicle is that the Buddha's bowl transcends all ordinary, materialistic perceptions. Dōgen critiques the superficial view that sees the Buddha's robe as mere silk or cloth and the Buddha's bowl as merely stone, clay, or iron, declaring such limited understanding a result of an unawakened "eye of study." Instead, he insists that the Buddha's bowl is the Buddha's bowl alone; it is not subject to creation or destruction, coming or going, gain or loss. It is neither new nor old, and transcends time. Using the logic of dependent origination, Dōgen explains that the bowl is synthesized from all dharmas, just as all dharmas are synthesized from the bowl. It is synthesized from the undivided mind and from empty space itself. In this way, the bowl is presented not as a passive object but as an active, dynamic reality that constitutes and is constituted by the entire phenomenal world.
"Hatsu-u" is of critical importance as it exemplifies Dōgen's non-dualistic philosophy, where absolute reality is fully manifested in the concrete particulars of daily monastic life—in this case, the simple act of receiving alms. The bowl, as transmitted through the lineage, is a "bowl that penetrates through the bottom of past and present," shattering conventional views. It is the vehicle through which the Four Heavenly Kings offer their protection and through which the Buddha-way is practiced. By venerating and correctly understanding this bowl, the practitioner moves beyond intellectual speculation ("the deliberations of a wooden stake") to directly realize the living Dharma, here and now, in the most ordinary of vessels.
Seventy-first: The Alms Bowl
From the Seven Buddhas above, it was authentically transmitted to the Seven Buddhas; from within the Seven Buddhas, it was authentically transmitted to the Seven Buddhas; from the undifferentiated Seven Buddhas, it was authentically transmitted to the undifferentiated Seven Buddhas. From the Seven Buddhas, it was authentically transmitted through twenty-eight generations, arriving at the Twenty-eighth Patriarch, the Great Ancestor Bodhidharma. He personally entered the land of Shen, and authentically transmitted it to the Second Patriarch, the Great Ancestor Orthodox School Universal Enlightenment Master. It was transmitted for six generations until it reached Caoxi.
Through fifty-one generations in the East and West, it is precisely the Treasure of the True Dharma Eye, the Wondrous Mind of Nirvāṇa; it is the kesa and the alms bowl. Each previous Buddha maintained and actualized the authentic transmission of the previous Buddha. In this way, Buddha after Buddha, Patriarch after Patriarch, authentically transmitted it.
However, those who study the Buddhas and Patriarchs—the skin, flesh, bones, marrow; the fist, the eye—each have their own way of expressing it. Some study it saying, "The alms bowl is the body and mind of the Buddhas and Patriarchs." Some study it saying, "The alms bowl is the rice vessel of the Buddhas and Patriarchs." Some study it saying, "The alms bowl is the eye of the Buddhas and Patriarchs." Some study it saying, "The alms bowl is the radiance of the Buddhas and Patriarchs." Some study it saying, "The alms bowl is the true substantial body of the Buddhas and Patriarchs." Some study it saying, "The alms bowl is the Treasure of the True Dharma Eye, the Wondrous Mind of Nirvāṇa of the Buddhas and Patriarchs." Some study it saying, "The alms bowl is the place where the Buddhas and Patriarchs turn their bodies." Some study it saying, "The alms bowl is the fundamental basis of the Buddhas and Patriarchs." Although these fellow practitioners of study each have their own point of expression in their respective schools, there is still further study that goes beyond.
My late teacher, the Ancient Buddha of Tiantong, in the first year of the Baoqing era of the Great Song, on a day when he was residing at Tiantong, ascended the hall and said, "I remember a monk asked Baizhang, 'What is the extraordinary matter?' Baizhang said, 'Sitting alone on Great Hero Peak.'"
"Assembly, do not stir. For now, let's just make that fellow sit himself to death. If today someone suddenly asks Reverend Jing, 'What is the extraordinary matter?' I would just say to him, 'What extraordinariness is there?' Ultimately, how is it? Jingci's alms bowl has been moved over to Tiantong to eat rice."
Know that the extraordinary matter is precisely for the extraordinary person. For the extraordinary matter, one should use extraordinary implements. This is precisely the extraordinary occasion. Therefore, where the extraordinary matter manifests is the extraordinary alms bowl. By means of this, the Four Heavenly Kings are made to protect and uphold it, and the various dragon kings are made to guard it; it is the profound vehicle of the Buddha Way. For this reason, it is offered to the Buddhas and Patriarchs and entrusted by the Buddhas and Patriarchs.
Those who have not studied the inner sanctum of the Buddhas and Patriarchs say, "The Buddha's kesa is silk, or cloth, woven from transformed threads." They say, "The Buddha's alms bowl is stone, or earthenware, or iron." Speaking like this is due to not yet possessing the eye of study. The Buddha's kesa is the Buddha's kesa; one should not further have the view of silk or cloth. The view of silk, cloth, and such is an old view. The Buddha's alms bowl is the Buddha's alms bowl; one should not further call it stone or earthenware, nor should one call it iron or wood.
In general, the Buddha's alms bowl is not created, not subject to birth and extinction. It does not come or go; there is no gain or loss. It does not span new and old; it is not involved with ancient and modern. Even if the robes and bowls of the Buddhas and Patriarchs are manifested by gathering clouds and water, they are not the basket of clouds and water. Even if they are manifested by gathering plants and trees, they are not the basket of plants and trees. The principle of this is: water is water by synthesizing all dharmas; clouds are clouds by synthesizing all dharmas. Clouds are synthesized into clouds; water is synthesized into water.
The alms bowl is simply synthesized into an alms bowl by means of all dharmas. Simply by means of the alms bowl, all dharmas are synthesized. Simply by means of the undifferentiated mind, the alms bowl is synthesized. Simply by means of empty space, the alms bowl is synthesized. Simply by means of the alms bowl, the alms bowl is synthesized. The alms bowl is obstructed by the alms bowl; the alms bowl is defiled by the alms bowl.
Now, the alms bowl transmitted and maintained through clouds and water is precisely the alms bowl offered by the Four Heavenly Kings. If the alms bowl were not offered by the Four Heavenly Kings, it would not manifest. Now, the alms bowl authentically transmitted by the Buddhas and Patriarchs who transmit the Buddha's Treasure of the True Dharma Eye in various places—this is the alms bowl that penetrates through the bottom of ancient and modern. Therefore, this alms bowl now has seen through the old views of iron men; it is not constrained by the deliberations of wooden stakes; it transcends the sights and sounds of tiles and pebbles. It is not obstructed by the livelihood of stone and jade. Do not speak of 'common bricks'; do not speak of 'wooden stakes.' It has been received and actualized in this way.
Treasure of the True Dharma Eye, Alms Bowl, Seventy-first
Presented to the assembly at the Great Buddha Temple, Echizen Province, on the twelfth day of the third month in the third year of Kangen, the year of Wood Snake [1245].
Copied by the attendant Kaijō at Daibutsuji Temple on the twenty-seventh day of the seventh month in the year Wood Snake of Kangen.
Original text in classical Japanese (文語). Shōbōgenzō, fascicle 71. Eihei Dōgen Zenji (1200–1253).