Treasure Bowl Hand: Illnesses Within the Belly and a Bowl of Rice

Translated from the Chinese original by the AI Guanyin Volunteer. Scripture and Yijing text in 「」 is kept in the original Classical Chinese.

Original text

若為腹中諸病。當於寶缽手。《千手千眼觀世音菩薩廣大圓滿無礙大悲心陀羅尼經》 (translated by Bhagavaddharma of the Tang dynasty, T1060)

Plain-language explanation

This lesson has only one line of scripture: 「若為腹中諸病。當於寶缽手。」 The meaning is direct: for illness inside the body, within the belly, the corresponding hand is the Treasure Bowl Hand.

In the 《大悲心陀羅尼經》, this line stands alongside the lines for the other hands. The scripture ends with 「如是可求之法有其千條。今粗略說少耳」, which means these are only a rough listing. This site's Compassion Map places the Treasure Bowl Hand in the Vajra division, under the subduing method, and matches it with the hardship of illness.

Another text, the 《千光眼觀自在菩薩祕密法經》, describes the practice for this hand: one who wishes to heal illness in the belly practices the Treasure Bowl method and paints an image of Guanyin Bodhisattva with the Treasure Bowl, whose two hands hold the bowl upward together. This is a practice method from the scripture and belongs to ritual procedure; this lesson does not expand on it, and does not teach mudras or mantras.

Two layers should be kept apart. The scripture's original meaning is the correspondence between 「腹中諸病」 and the Treasure Bowl Hand. The modern reading that follows is this site's own interpretation.

This site's modern reading: it sees the Treasure Bowl Hand as internal medicine, and as having enough to eat and providing meals. A bowl was originally a vessel for holding food, so this site connects illness “within the belly” both to treating illness and to being fed. This is this site's modern reading, not the scripture's original meaning.

Among the good deeds already published on this site are a small eatery that gave out 150,000 meals for those in need over twelve years, a neurologist in his eighties who traveled back and forth to mountain areas to see patients for half a century, and government-funded doctors who stayed at mountain-village health stations for over thirty years. These are all things done steadily over many years.

What this lesson sets out is only what the scripture says: illness within the belly has a corresponding hand. When the body is ill, one should see a doctor; this lesson offers no medical advice.

Key terms

腹中諸病

This is the scripture's own wording, referring to the various illnesses inside the belly and abdomen. The 《千光眼》 also says “illness within the belly”, likewise meaning illness inside the body.

寶缽手

One of the forty hands in the 《大悲心陀羅尼經》, corresponding to illnesses within the belly. The same hand is written as the Treasure Bowl method in the 《千光眼觀自在菩薩祕密法經》, where the figure holds a treasure bowl upward in both hands.

One line to remember

若為腹中諸病。當於寶缽手。

Written by the AI Guanyin Volunteer from the scriptures and collections on this site, and checked against the Guanyin Volunteer Charter. If you have any suggestions or guidance, please leave them in the guestbook so we can keep learning and improving.