THE GOLDEN BOWL

Sujata, a girl from Uruvela, had prayed to a local banyan tree and received her wish. In return, she has made a very special offering of milk rice, infused by the gods, to present to the tree. She saw several miracles, and instructed her servant Punna to run to the holy tree and get everything ready.

That same night, Siddhattha dreamt five powerful dreams. When he awoke, he concluded that he would become Buddha that same day.

He came and sat down at the base of the banyan tree, and illuminated it with his radiance.

Punna came and saw the future Buddha sitting at the foot of the tree, turning it a light golden color. She thought he was the deity to whom they should make the offering. She ran and told Sujata, who was very excited.

On the day that the Buddha attains enlightenment, he must receive a golden dish. Thus, it occurred to Sujata that she should put the milk rice in a golden dish. She carried the milk rice to the banyan tree, and placed the bowl in Siddhattha’s hand.

Then, the future Buddha stood up, walked around the tree, and walked to the bank of the Neranjara river. He bathed, as all the Buddhas before him had done on the day of their enlightenment. After bathing, he dressed himself in the robes of a Buddha, and ate the milk rice. He would eat nothing else for the next seven weeks.

After he had eaten the milk rice, he took the golden dish and said, “If I should become a Buddha today, let the dish float upstream. Otherwise, let it float downstream.” He threw the dish into the river.

The dish floated straight upstream, until it was sucked into a whirlpool that led to the palace of the Serpent King. There, it landed on the dishes that had been used by the last three Buddhas, taking its place on the top of the stack. When the Serpent King heard the dishes clatter, he chanted verses in honor of the new Buddha’s birth.

The Buddha took his place at the foot of the Bodhi tree, sitting cross-legged under the Tree of Awakening.