Shìjiāmóuní rúlái báchú kǔnǎo xiàn dàshénbiàn fēikōng dàbō fǎ 釋迦牟尼如來拔除苦惱現大神變飛空大鉢法
Method of the Śākyamuni Tathāgata’s Extracting-and-Eliminating Sufferings, Manifesting Great Spiritual Transformations, and Sky-Flying Great Bowl by 般若 (傳)
About the work
A one-fascicle (1卷) Esoteric ritual narrative-and-procedure transmitted (chuán 傳) by Bōrě 般若 (Skt. Prajña, 744–c. 810), the Kashmirian trepiṭaka and Tang Imperial Translation Bureau translator. Preserved as X59 no. 1069 in the Xùzàngjīng.
Abstract
The text is framed as a Buddha-narrative followed by a ritual procedure. The narrative: “At one time the Śākya-Honored-One was residing on the summit of the Snow Mountain. Five hundred bhikṣus, ten thousand bodhisattvas, the eight categories of devas-and-nāgas, and an immeasurable great congregation, all assembled to hear the Dharma. The congregation was tired and food was hard to obtain. Thereupon the World-Honored-One entered the Mahā-karuṇā samādhi; from within his radiance, the Tathāgata’s great alms-bowl was emitted, riding on the air, departed, and went no-one-knew-where. The great congregation was shocked and dismayed. At that moment the Buddha’s great bowl returned, full of food. As the Tathāgata arose from samādhi, he addressed the great congregation: ‘You should all eat of this.‘”
The narrative is followed by the ritual procedure for replicating the great-bowl miracle: a manual for the Esoteric adept who wishes to invoke the Tathāgata’s báchú kǔnǎo 拔除苦惱 (“extracting-and-eliminating sufferings”) fēikōng dàbō fǎ 飛空大鉢法 (“sky-flying great bowl method”) in his own ritual practice. The work belongs to the cluster of fēibō 飛鉢 ritual texts (with Chízhòu xiānrén fēibō yíguǐ 持咒仙人飛鉢儀軌 (KR6j0744)) that develop this Tang Esoteric devotional motif. Composition window: Bōrě’s mature Chángān period, 781 (his arrival in Chángān) – 810 (the standard upper bound for his death).
Translations and research
No substantial secondary literature located.