hatsu-u
The Patra
Hatsu represents the Sanskrit patra, and u means bowl or bowls. In India, Buddhist monks ate their meals from a large bowl called a patra. And the word patra was translated into hatsu-u in China. So hatsu-u means the Buddhist food bowls used in China. In this chapter, Master Dogen explained the importance of the patra, which has traditionally been revered very highly as a symbol of Buddhist life.