BOOKS
BOOKS
TENZO KYOKUN
by Dogen
Those entrusted with this
work but who lack the
Way-seeking mind will
only cause and endure
hardship despite all their
efforts. The Zen Monastic
Standards states, “Putting
the mind of the Way to
work, serve carefully varied meals appropriate to
each occasion and thus
allow everyone to practice without hindrance.”
The above are the first two
paragraphs of the Tenzo
Kyokun, an essay written
in the 13th century by a
Zen monk named Dogen.
The title literally translates
to “Instructions for the
Cook”, but as noted in
the paragraphs above,
the tenzo is more than a
cook. Instead, the tenzo
is someone who does his
utmost to serve his community through nourishing
food that supports their
practice. In so doing, his
actions become a form
of worship, and his selfless
service becomes a tool
for transformation of himself and others.
In preparing meals
for a spiritual
community,
the tenzo’s work
becomes a tool
for transformation.
F
rom ancient times communities of the practice
of the Way of Awake Awareness have had six
office holders who, as disciples of the Buddha,
guide the activities of Awakening the community.
Amongst these, the tenzo bears the responsibility of caring for the community’s meals. The Zen
Monastic Standards states, “The tenzo functions
as the one who makes offerings with reverence to
the monks.”
Since ancient times this office has been held by
realized monks who have the mind of the Way
or by senior disciples who have roused the Wayseeking mind. This work requires exerting the Way.
Dogen takes the role of
tenzo very seriously, not-
ing that it is held by monks
who have already become enlightened or
who are long-time, advanced practitioners. This
may come as a surprise to
those of us who consider
cooking a simple matter.
In the West, the role of
cook has often been considered subservient, only
respected if the cook has
culinary prowess and can
be considered a “chef”.
What is it about cooking
for a monastic community that is so significant that
it needs to be underdone
by an enlightened master? And what can we,
living as householders 800
years later, learn from Dogen’s exhortations?
Do not just leave washing the rice or preparing
the vegetables to others
but use your own hands,
your own eyes, your own
sincerity. Do not fragment
your attention but see
what each moment calls
for; if you take care of just
one thing then you will be
careless of the other. Do
not miss the opportunity
of offering even a single
drop into the ocean of
merit or a grain atop the
mountain of the roots of
beneficial activity.
Wherever we are, we can
begin to be mindful of
all aspects of our actions
and how harmoniously
they fit within the whole.
We can work to be simultaneously aware of the
vast universal picture in
which everything is awakened presence, and of
the immediate needs of
the present in which we
take responsibility for assessing a situation and
taking practical steps to
address it. We can work
with gratitude for all that
comes our way, neither
grasping with likes nor
pushing away with dislikes. In this way, even the
most basic and practical
actions become tools of
transformation. We may
not be monks in this lifetime, but we can find the
opportunity to awaken in
what we do every day.
Pranada Devi is a communications professional living in Toronto, Canada.
She is the Managing Editor of Parvati Magazine, and serves as an advisor
on marketing communications for Parvati’s various projects. Recently, she
edited Parvati’s new book “Confessions of a Former Yoga Junkie”, which
has gone on to sell out its first printing run.