Tenzo
by Stephen Damon
I woke up this morning to the smells of gamachio, a dry sautéed mixture of sesame seeds and salt which is a standard condiment for meals during a sesshin. I’ve often noticed how a strong smell will activate deep memories. The strong aroma of the gamachio brought me back to my first 5 day sesshin many years ago. We won’t be leaving for Jikoji until the afternoon, but the sesshin has already begun.
My wife was cooking because she will be one of the tenzos for the weekend. Dogen wrote extensively about the responsibilities and practice of the tenzo. “In order to make reverential offerings to monks, there is a position called tenzo. Since ancient times this position has been held by accomplished monks who have way-seeking mind, or by senior disciples with an aspiration for enlightenment. This is so because the position requires wholehearted practice. Those without way-seeking mind will not have good results, in spite of their efforts…”
During the first year of my training to become a Zen priest, I wrote this verse commentary on Dogen’s Tenzo Kyokun, Instructions for the Tenzo.
The head of the kitchen
who cooks food with the six tastes:
plain, hot, sweet, sour,
bitter and salty
and the three virtues:
cleanliness, mildness
and formality
is called Tenzo.
He learns to direct
way-seeking mind to all work
of the kitchen
great and small.
He examines each
grain of rice and leafy green
as the sayings
of his teachers.
With equal care
he cooks grass broths and cream soups
as offerings
to the clouds.
With awareness he holds
all the grains in the kitchen,
not favoring fine
over coarse.
With kindness, he looks
after each grain of rice
as a mother cares
for her child.
He has taken care
to follow the Way of
one-taste Zen taught since
olden times.
He does not prefer
old monks over novices
nor cream soup over
wild grass.
Every moment
he tries to benefit each one
of the community,
following
examples of monks
of past generations
who were awakened
in the kitchen.
Dongshan Shouchu
rejoiced in his good fortune
in practicing dharma
in the kitchen.
Guishan offered pure meals
to the Three Treasures, creating
wholesome causes
for all lifetimes.
This way beyond words
is the pure unclassified Zen
of our ancestors
and buddhas.
Remembering this
you will attain Great Mind
excluding nothing
in your practice.
Bows,
Stephen
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