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Ōryōki is a set of nested bowls and other eating utensils for the personal use ofBuddhist monks. Ōryōki also refers to a meditative form of eating using these utensils that originated in Japan and emphasizes mindfulness awareness practice by abiding by a strict order of precise movements.
The termōryōki (Japanese:応量器,Chinese:鉢多羅,Japanese:はったら,romanized: hattara, also known asChinese:應量器) is a transliteration of theSanskritpātra, meaning 'vessel that contains just enough'.[1] The term is mostly used in theSōtō school (曹洞宗) ofZen Buddhism. In theRinzai school (臨済宗) andŌbaku school (黄檗宗), the utensils are calledjihatsu, which is written as持鉢 according to the Rinzai school and自鉢 according to the Ōbaku school.Jihatsu is also used to refer to the bowls alone.[2]
The bowls are usually made of lacqueredwood, with the utensils bundled in a cloth.[2] The largest bowl, sometimes called the Buddha Bowl orzuhatsu,[2] symbolizes theBuddha's head and his wisdom. The other bowls are progressively smaller. In describing the form ofōryōki used atJohn Daido Loori'sZen Mountain Monastery, author Jack Maguire wrote:
The cantaloupe-sized bundle consists of three black plastic nesting bowls, two chopsticks, a wooden spoon, a small rubber spatula, a gray napkin, and a wiping cloth, all of which are wrapped tidily in a gray cloth with a topknot resembling a lotus blossom.[1]
This is the formal style of serving and eating meals practiced inZen temples.[2]
Buddhist tradition states that afterHuineng received the monk's robe and bowl as evidence of his receivingDharma transmission, the bowl itself was considered a symbol of transmission from teacher to student.[3]
Ōryōki have evolved invihāra inEast Asia over many years and are part of the Buddhist tradition that has now been transmitted to the West. Both monks and laypeople useōryōki to eat formal meals in Zen monasteries and places of practice. A lineage was also transmitted fromKōbun Chino Otogawa to the Tibetan Buddhist sangha ofChögyam Trungpa and is now practiced at allShambhala International retreat centers.[2]
Zen teachers say that taking meals withōryōki cultivates gratitude, mindfulness, and a better understanding of self.[4] (In this regard, it is not unlikezazen.) The intricacies of the form may require the practitioner to pay great attention to detail.[4]
According toShohaku Okumura:
The initialō inōryōki means "in proportion to",ryō means "amount" or "quality," andki means "container."[3]
In Japanese, threeSino-Japanese characters comprise the wordōryōki:
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