Miraculous Draught of Fish
Albrecht Bouts, 16th Century
My dear friends,
The final chapter of John’s Gospel offers us a mirror of our own spiritual path. Like the disciples, we find ourselves adrift at times, confused, scattered, uncertain of what comes next. Yet in this story, the Way of the Bodhisattva illuminates a path of returning, of recognition, and of compassionate action in service of all beings.
Jesus showed himself again
to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias,
and he showed himself in this way.
Gathered there together were
Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin,
Nathanael of Cana in Galilee,
the sons of Zebedee,
and two others of his disciples.
- John 21:1-2
When the Buddha’s disciples assembled after his death, they too gathered with uncertainty and longing. This scene at the Sea of Tiberias is similar: a community seeking to rediscover its purpose in the light of a teacher's departure. In the Bodhisattva path, spiritual friends are essential, for together we remind one another of the truth when our own clarity fails.
They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No."
He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some."
So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.
- John 21:3-6
In the Bodhisattva training, skillful means (upaya) and deep trust are cultivated together. Peter returns to what is familiar—fishing—but it yields nothing until the voice of wisdom offers a different way. In the same way, our habits yield suffering until we learn to listen to the call of awakening and act with renewed awareness.
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord,
he put on his outer garment, for he had taken it off, and jumped into the sea.
But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish,
for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.
- John 21:7-8
Peter’s plunge into the sea recalls the enthusiastic yet imperfect devotion of a spiritual aspirant. In Mahayana terms, he is like the beginner on the Bodhisattva path, overcome with zeal, willing to leap into the unknown. This moment is not about reaching the goal, but about the courage to move toward it with wholehearted devotion.
- John 21:9
The meal is already waiting, just as the abundance of the awakened mind arises from non-attachment and the spontaneous generosity of the realized heart.
So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish,
a hundred fifty-three of them, and though there were so many, the net was not torn.
Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast."
Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord.
Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish.
- John 21:10-13
In this quiet, post-resurrection meal, we witness a Eucharist of presence. The Buddha taught that awakening is not somewhere else, but here, now, in each mindful act. This breakfast on the shore is communion: a sacrament of simplicity, intimacy, and recognition that love, compassion, and wisdom can be made manifest in shared bread and mutual care.
- John 21:14
The path to awakening is often gradual, requiring repeated experiences of clarity. The third appearance here may remind us of the Three Trainings of ethics, concentration, and wisdom, which must be cultivated over and over. Even the closest disciples need time to recognize what is already right before them.
"Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?"
He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."
Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs."
A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."
Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep."
He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?"
And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you."
Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep."
- John 21:15-17
In Peter’s three affirmations of love, we witness a karmic purification, a healing of his earlier threefold denial. But it is not mere atonement. It is also the Bodhisattva vow: to care for others, to nurture beings as one would tend to lambs and sheep, with unwavering compassion, regardless of past errors.
when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished.
But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands,
and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go."
(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.)
After this he said to him, "Follow me."
- John 21:18-19
Here, Jesus speaks of the selfless path of service. The Bodhisattva, too, relinquishes personal control, allowing their life to be guided by compassion. To "go where you do not wish to go" is to transcend ego-clinging and offer oneself for the benefit of others, even unto death.
who had lain close to his breast at the supper and had said,
“Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?”
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”
Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!”
- John 21:20-22
The Bodhisattva does not measure their journey against another’s. The path to awakening is deeply personal and cannot be compared. Jesus’ response points to the wisdom of non-distraction: do not look sideways at the lives of others. Walk your own path. Be diligent in your own unfolding.
yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die,
but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”
This is the disciple who is bearing witness to these things, and who has written these things;
and we know that his testimony is true.
- John 21:23-24
The oral and written transmission of truth is cherished in both Christian and Buddhist traditions. The one who bears witness may be anonymous or well-known, but what matters is the authenticity of their insight. Do not cling to the name of the teacher. Realize the truth they point to.
I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
- John 21:25
And so it is with the awakened life. No sutra, no gospel, no teaching can fully express the depth of liberation. The life of the Bodhisattva overflows the page—it is enacted in every moment of mindfulness, every act of compassion, every vow to remain until all beings are freed from suffering.
Let us take up the invitation of this epilogue, not merely to marvel at the stories of awakening, but to embody their spirit. May we, like Peter, tend the sheep. May we, like the Beloved Disciple, bear witness in love. May we, in following the Bodhisattva Way, recognize the Risen One in our midst.