The legend: Eighteen arhats
(spiritual practitioners,
destroyers of enemies, enlightened
beings) were gathering to attend
the Buddha's birthday celebration.
They could not come to a consensus
on what gift to bring. After a long
discussion, they decided to each
pick an ingredient and cook a dish
for the Buddha. And the Buddha was
delighted, hence this recipe's
name. There is an unspoken respect
for this dish in that, if you order
Buddha's Delight in any Chinese
restaurant anywhere in the world,
the chef understands that this is
to be cooked without meat and
worthy of the Buddha.
