A retreat inspired by Dogen’s Tenzo Kyokun: Instructions for the zen cook
Book with Rivendell Retreat Centre
The path of meditation is not for everyone. A far more significant practice for me has been that of reflecting on everything that happens in the light of the Dharma.
I believe that all aspects of our lives offer opportunities to practice, from relationships and families, to work and careers, from peeling the potatoes to watching the telly on a Sunday night.
There are 24 hours in a day, and for most of us will dedicate less than one to meditation. If we’re not practising wholeheartedly for the other 23 hours, how will awakening really be possible’?
The teachings of Zen Buddhism tell us that practice can, and must, take place in the midst of our everyday lives. The Dharma life is not some kind of ‘spiritual fantasy’, but our steady insistence on fully integrating our practice into our day-to-day lives, in all their glorious messiness.
Dogen’s instructions for the Zen Cook show us how:
“Handle even a single leaf of a green in such a way that it manifests the body of the Buddha. This, in turn, allows the Buddha to manifest through the leaf. This is a power that you cannot grasp with your rational mind.
The greatest of teachers from earliest times who were settled in the Way have carried out their work with their own hands. How are we inexperienced practitioners of today able to remain so negligent in our practice! Those who have come before us have said “the Way-seeking mind of a Tenzo is actualised by rolling up your sleeves.”
Talks and reflections on the zen tradition of practice in everyday life. With meditation and periods of silence.
“Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual everyday routine.”