The Offering of Begging Bowls by the Four Lokapālas: Its Literary and Visual Representations in South Asia

Abstract This research paper aims to analyze a selection of visual representations regarding the offering of begging bowls to the Buddha by the four Lokapālas and their relationship to literary sources in South Asian art and discuss the significance of the story. This article reveals that these representations have always been popular in Gandhāra. The important components of this story relevant to the depictions include (1) the tree where the Buddha sat, (2) offering of the four bowls, (3) merging of the bowls, (4) presence of the two merchants, and (5) presence of other deities. However, a close one-to-one text-image relationship cannot be established due to multiple variants. The story is significant in emphasizing certain important Buddhist concepts, such as, the “transcendental virtue” of the Buddha as a supreme deity and a universal monarch ( cakravartin ); donative practice; usage of the bowl according to the Vinaya (Discipline), and the veneration of bowls.