zen buddihsm 7

 1) This week we will practice some more with primary source readings. Take the first two sentences of Dōgen’s Genjōkōan: “As all things are buddha-dharma, there is delusion and realization, practice, and birth and death, and there are buddhas and sentient beings. As the myriad things are without an abiding self, there is no delusion, no realization, no buddha, no sentient being, no birth and death.” Try to think about what Dōgen refers to in this relationship between the existence and non-existence of the items in his list? How might this relate to the concept of emptiness? How might it relate to the general category of realization in the Zen tradition? Do not worry about being correct here, but simply try to work through some understanding of these two sentences. Spend about a paragraph. 

2) What surprised you about Dōgen’s Tenzo Kyōkun? How does the mundane act of cooking relate to religious experience for Dōgen? Why might he (or his compilers) make no distinction between it and Dōgen doctrinally charged treatises? Can you think of any analogous mundane exercises in your own life that have a particularly “sacred” or transcendent quality for you? 

Dogen and Koans

JohnDaidoLoori

Dogen and the Two Shobogenzos

Relatively unknown during his lifetime in Kamakura Japan, Eihei
Dogenisnowconsideredtobeoneofthemostremarkablereligiousfig-
ures and teachers in the history of Zen, as well as an outstanding
philosopher,mystic,andpoet.Hisworkshavehadatremendousimpact,
notonly inJapanandwithintheSotoSchoolofZenBuddhism,butalso
in theWest.
Dogen is best known for his monumental work, theKanaor Japan-

eseShobogenzo, a collectionofninety-six essays composed in Japanese
between theyears 1231 and 1253.BasedonDogen’sprofoundreligious
experience and enriched by his philosophical and literary gifts, the
ShobogenzoorTreasuryof theTrueDharmaEye isauniqueexpression
of theBuddhist teachings.SeveralEnglish translationsofandcommen-
tariesontheShobogenzoare inexistencetoday,andscholarsandpracti-
tioners alike share the ever-increasing body of information on Dogen’s
life andwork.
Not as popular as Dogen’s Kana Shobogenzo is his Mana or Sam-

byakusoku Shobogenzo (The Shobogenzo ofThreeHundredKoans), a
collectionof threehundredcases thatDogencollectedduringhis travels
inChina from 1227 to 1230.This seminalwork,whichwas to influence
allofDogen’sotherteachings,remainedinobscurityformanycenturies.
It wasn’t until 1934 that it was rediscovered and made available to the
general public by Professor Tokuju Oya, and only recently was its
authenticityfinallyverified.
TheManaShobogenzo, unlike Dogen’s other writings,was written

in Chinese.And though these three hundred cases were culled largely
fromZen texts of theSongera—TheBlueCliffRecord (Hekiganroku),

151

andTheBookofEquanimity(Shoyoroku,alsotranslatedasTheBookof
Serenity)—unlike thekoans in these collections, theyarenot accompa-
niedeitherbyatitleorcommentary,yetDogenusedthemfrequentlyas
seeds for his other writings,particularly theKanaShobogenzo and the
EiheiKoroku.
However,becauseDogenwasanoutspokencriticofkoanstudy,some

people insist that he would never have collected or used koans. What
seems closer to the truth is thatheopposed the superficial treatmentof
koans, not koan introspection itself. Legend has it that before he left
ChinatoreturntoJapan,theyoungDogenstayedupallnightandhand-
copiedTheBlueCliffRecord.Dogen’searly teachers,Eisai andMyozen,
bothtaughtkoanintrospection.Infact,DogenreceivedRinzaitransmis-
sionintheOryulinefromMyozenbeforeleavingforChina,andthough
that lineagediedout inbothChinaand Japan, it is preservedwithin the
Sotoschool to thisday.
Dogen’s teachings themselves require a solid understanding of Chi-

nese koan literature.AsWilliam Bodiford points out in hisSotoZen in
Medieval Japan,Dogen used“more than 580 koans” in his writings. In
theKanaShobogenzoalone,Dogenelaboratesonfifty-fivekoans,quot-
ing themintheirentirety,andherefers to someof themmore thantwo
hundred and eighty times. In the Eihei Koroku,ninety-nine koans are
quoted,andonehundredandninearementionedatleastbriefly.Clearly,
wecanno longerassertDogenwasflatlyopposed tokoans.
Dogenknewabout the formulaicmethodofkoanstudyprevalent in

both the Soto and some lineages of the Rinzai School where, instead of
having to “see into” a koan, practitioners could simply memorize the
answers. He also knew of Dahui’s huatou method (literally, “head-
word”; see also Buswell’s essay in this volume) of working with koans.
This method emphasized seeing into the main point of a koan, but did
notdelve into its subtlerdetails.
In contrast to theseapproaches,Dogen’s studyandunderstandingof

koanshadmuchmorebreadthanddepth.Usingalinguisticstyleunpar-
alleled in the history of koan literature,Dogen addressed both the key
phrasesofeachcase,aswell as thesecondary—yetequally important—
pointsnestled in thedialogues.Hefrequentlyexaminedkoans fromthe
perspectiveoftheFiveRanksofDongshan(J.Tozan).Andhepointedout

152 SittingWithKoans

the questions that should be addressed in each case, challenging practi-
tioners toexamine themdeeply.
These three characteristics of Dogen’s approach to koan introspec-

tion—hisuniqueuseof language,treatmentof theFiveRanksofDong-
shanandmeticulousstudyofallaspectsofakoan—setDogen’swritings
onkoansfarapartfromthetraditionalcommentariesavailableintheZen
literature. They make a careful comparative reading of Dogen’s Kana
Shobogenzo and his other writings with the Song-Dynasty collections
extremelyvaluable tomodernkoanpractitioners.
TofullyappreciateDogen’s treatmentofkoans, it is critical todiffer-

entiatebetweenkoanstudyandformalkoanintrospectioninthecontext
of a vital teacher-student relationship.Koan study tends to rely on the
intellect.ItaimstoshedlightonthebasicBuddhist teachingscommuni-
cated in thekoan ina similarway that a teacherwill commentona case
ina teishoor formaldiscourse,clarifying thekoan’skeypoints. Inkoan
introspection,students sitwith thekoan inzazen,lettinggoof tryingto
solveorunderstandit.Theyembodyitasawholebody-and-mindexpe-
rience.Theteacherthenteststhestudents’directinsightindokusan,pri-
vate face-to-face interviews.
Dokusan demands that one directly and dynamically present one’s

ownrealization.Becauseofthis,itcanbesaidthatthereisnooneanswer
toakoan.Seeing intoakoanrequires theembodimentof a certain state
ofconsciousness.It is thisdirectseeingintoakoanthattheteacher looks
for and tests to determine the clarity of the student’s insight.And it is
thisdirect insight that is at theheartof realization.
Inmyowntraining,myfirst encounterwithDogen’s singularway

of dealing with koans happened within that intimate teacher-student
relationship.Maezumi Roshi asked me to work with a set of miscella-
neous koans I had already passed through with a previous teacher. I
refused. Instead of arguing with me,Maezumi Roshi instructed me to
sit shikantaza. Soon after, I came across Dogen’s “Genjokoan” (“The
WayofEverydayLife”)andbroughtafewquestionsabout it intoface-
to-face teachings.MaezumiencouragedmetositwithDogen’s lines in
zazen,treatingthemaskoans.Withtime,readingotherchaptersof the
KanaShobogenzo, I began to develop a deepening appreciation of the
wayDogenpresentedkoanswithanunprecedenteddegreeofdepthand

DogenandKoans 153

scope. Later still, as my traditional koan training evolved, it became
increasinglycleartomethatDogenwasatruemasterofthekoanform,
offering an amazing vista of the Buddhadharma through his koan
treatment.
As a Zen teacher, my chief interests in the two Shobogenzos are

Dogen’suniquewayofcommentingonkoans in theKanaShobogenzo,
aswellasthechoiceofkoanshecollectedintheManaShobogenzo,espe-
ciallyas theymayaffect contemporaryWesternpractitioners.

Dogen’s Unique Commentary Style

Dogen isamasterof language.It is impossible to studyhiswritingsand
notbemovedbythepoetryandcreativityofhiswords.Hebringstoeach
koanhisliterarysophistication,anextensivefamiliaritywithBuddhism,
and an unparalleled appreciation of the dharma. In his teachings, he
always communicates on multiple levels: with discursive language,
poetic imagery,andwith“intimatewords,”mitsugo. Intimatewordsare
a direct pointing to the truth, meant to be grasped in an instant and
absorbed intuitively rather than in a linear, sequentialway.Dogenuses
allof thesemethods freely to transmithisunderstanding.His teachings
havethe“lipsandmouth”qualitythatcharacterizedthestyleofChinese
mastersZhaozhou(J.Joshu)andYunmen(J.Unmon),teacherswhoused
live,“turningwords”tohelppractitioners see into theirownnature.
Another aspect of Dogen’s unique treatment of koans is his use of

theFiveRanksofMasterDongshantoilluminatedifferentperspectives
availablewithinakoan.TheFiveRanks—firstdelineatedbyDongshan
andelaboratedonbyhis successorCaoshan (J.Sozan)—are a formula-
tion of the coming together of dualities.The first rank is “the relative
within theabsolute.”This is emptiness:noeye,ear,nose, tongue,body,
or mind. The second rank is the realization of that emptiness, and is
referred to as “the absolute within the relative”—the realm in which
theenlightenmentexperience,or“kensho,”occurs.Yetabsoluteandrel-
ative are still dualistic. The third rank is “coming from within the
absolute.”No longer in the abstract, the whole universe becomes your
very life itself and, inevitably, compassion arises. Dongshan’s fourth
rankis“arrivingatmutual integration,”thecomingfrombothabsolute

154 SittingWithKoans

and relative.At this stage, the absolute and relative are integrated, but
they’restilltwothings.Inthefifthrank,“unityattained,”thereisnomore
duality.Thereis justonething—neitherabsoluteorrelative,upordown,
profaneorholy,goodorbad,maleor female.
Dogen never explicitly talks about the Five Ranks, except to sum-

marily dismiss them, yet he definitely engages them in a way that
reflects a singular understanding and appreciation of their method. In
“Sansuikyo” (“The Mountains and Rivers Sutra”) for example, he
writes:

Since ancient timeswise ones and sageshave also livedby
the water.When they live by the water they catch fish or
theycatchhumansor theycatch theWay.These are tradi-
tionalwater styles.Further, theymustbecatching theself,
catching the hook, being caught by the hook, and being
caughtby theWay.

Then, Dogen introduces one of the koans from the Mana Shobo-
genzo,Case 90 (“JiashanSees theFerryman”),andcommentson it:

Inancient times,whenChuanzi suddenly leftYaoshanand
went to live on the river, he got the sage Jiashan of the
flower-in-river. Isn’t this catching fish, catching humans,
catching water? Isn’t this catching himself? The fact that
Jiashan could see Chuanzi is because he is Chuanzi.
Chuanzi teaching Jiashan isChuanzimeetinghimself.

This passage is presenting the first two of the Five Ranks.The line,
“Thefact that JiashancouldseeChuanzi isbecauseheisChuanzi”is the
relativewithintheabsolute(ortheabsolutecontainingtherelative),the
first rank.The line“Chuanzi teaching Jiashan isChuanzimeetinghim-
self” is theabsolutewithin therelative, the secondrank.
AlthoughDogenhadsomereservationsabout theFiveRanks, itwas

not because he did not find them true.He simply did not want them to
becomeaformula—amere intellectualizationorabstraction.Dogendid
not use them in the way they were taught conventionally. He wanted

DogenandKoans 155

them to be realized face-to-face in koan introspection between teacher
andstudent.
“Catchingtheself,”“catchingthehook,”“beingcaughtbythehook,”

“being caught by the way”are all expressions of the interplay of oppo-
sites—specifically about how that tension works within the teacher-
student relationship.So,“Chuanzi teachingJiashan isChuanzimeeting
himself”is“theteacher teachingthestudent is theteachermeetinghim
orherself.”
Again, in“Katto,”Dogen writes about Bodhidharma’s transmission

of themarrowtoHuike (J.Eka):

You shouldbe awareof thephrases“Youattainme; I attain
you;attainingbothmeandyouandattainingbothyouand
me.” In personally viewing the ancestors’ body/mind, if we
speakoftherebeingnoonenessof internalandexternalor if
wespeakofthewholebodynotbeingcompletelypenetrated,
thenwehavenotyetseentherealmoftheancestors’present.

ForDogen, the relationshipof a teacher andstudent iskatto, a spiri-
tual entanglement, which, from his perspective, is a process of using
entanglements to transmit entanglements. “Entanglements entwining
entanglements is the buddhas and ancestors interpenetrating buddhas
andancestors.”This is anexpressionof themergingofdualities.This is
the relationship between Jiashan and Chuanzi. It is the relationship
between Bodhidharma and Huike. And it is the relationship to which
Dogen directs himself whenever he expounds the non-dual dharma in
thekoanshe isusing.
NextwehaveDogen’smeticulous treatmentof all aspectsof akoan.

As Imentionedbefore,commentariesonmanyof thekoans thatDogen
deemed important and thatwere included inhisManaShobogenzo can
befoundintheclassicSongcollections.Whenwecomparethecommen-
taries of these collections with Dogen’s commentaries in the Kana
Shobogenzo,wefindthatthetruth—thedharma—ofthesekoansiscon-
sistentlypresentedbyeachcommentator,andyet,thereisauniquequal-
itytoDogen’sexpressionoftheZentruththatsetshistreatmentofkoans
ina classby itself.

156 SittingWithKoans

Forexample,abrief lookatCase 105 of theManaShobogenzo,“The
Hands and Eyes of Great Compassion,” will help to illustrate Dogen’s
depth of understanding and expression.This koan appears in two fasci-
cles of the Kana Shobogenzo: in “Daishugyo” and in “Kannon.” The
samekoanappears asCase 89 in theBlueCliffRecordandasCase 54 in
theBookofSerenity:

YunyanaskedDaowu:“Howdoes theBodhisattvaofGreat
Compassion [Kannon]use somanyhandsandeyes?”
Daowusaid:“It’s just likeaperson in themiddleof thenight
reachingback insearchofapillow.”
Yunyansaid:“Iunderstand.”
Daowusaid:“Howdoyouunderstand it?”
Yunyansaid:“Allover thebodyarehandsandeyes.”
Daowusaid:“Whatyousaid is all right,but it’sonlyeighty
percentof it.”
Yunyansaid:“I’mlike this,seniorbrother.Howdoyou
understand it?”
Daowusaid:“Throughout thebodyarehandsandeyes.”

Taking up only a few of the points in this rich koan,we find the fol-
lowing. In the Blue Cliff Record commentary, Yuanwu refers to the
84,000 arms of Kannon Bodhisattva as symbolic arms and says,“Great
Compassion has this many hands and eyes. Do all of you?”With this
question he challenges the reader to consider the statement from the
pointofviewof intimacy.
When he addresses “reaching back for a pillow in the middle of the

night,”heasksthequestion,“[Inthisactivity]tellme,wherearetheeyes?”
But,whereasYuanwudealswiththephrase“thenight”onlybriefly,Dogen
commentsonitextensively,since it isapivotalpointof thekoan.
Yuanwu also deals with Yunyan’s “all over the body are hands and

eyes”and Daowu’s“this is all right, but it is only eighty percent of it”
and “throughout the body are hands and eyes.” He asks the question,
“But say, is ‘all over thebody’ right,or is ‘throughout thebody’ right?”
Then he himself indirectly answers this with the statement“Although
they seem covered with mud, nevertheless they are bright and clean,”

DogenandKoans 157

implying thatalthoughDaowuandYunyanmayappear tobehaving“a
conversation in the weeds” (are intellectualizing), in fact they are both
expressingclearly the truthof theactivityofGreatCompassion.
Yuanwu then concludes by saying that practitioners who think that

Yunyan’s responsemusthavebeenwrongwhileDaowu’swas right are
caughtup inwordsandphrasesandhavenotyet realized the truth.
In theBookofEquanimity,Wansongbeginshis commentarywitha

quote:“LiAoaskedEhu,‘Whatdoes theGreatCompassionateOneuse
a thousand hands and eyes for?’ Ehu said, ‘What does the emperor use
public officials for?’”This exchange seems to imply that the thousand
hands and eyes of Great Compassion are meant to facilitate the bodhi-
sattva’s functioning in the world. It is a reasonable and logical conclu-
sion,but it entirelymisses the truthof thiskoan.
He thenquotesa coupleof stories that areperhaps intended to illus-

trate the principles presented in the koan, but they do not in any way
clarify themfor the reader.They just introducemore entanglements of
wordsand ideas.HedoesagreewithYuanwuabout the identityofYun-
yanandDaowu’sunderstanding,refuting thenotion that one is clearer
than theother.
Let us look now at Dogen,who begins his treatment of the koan by

extollingthevirtuesofbothYunyanandDaowu,andimmediatelyestab-
lishingtheirunitywitheachother.HethenpresentstheidentityofKan-
non Bodhisattva and Yunyan, and the uniqueness of Yunyan’s
understandingofKannon.He says:“Kannon is present inYunyanwho
hasbeenexperiencing it togetherwithDaowu.Andnotonlyoneor two
Kannons, but hundreds of thousands of Kannons are experiencing the
samestateasYunyan.”
Then, speaking of the 84,000 hands and eyes of great compassion,

Dogen makes clear that they are not limited to any number. He says,
“Theyareindeedbeyondtheboundsofcountlessnessandlimitlessness.”
The limitlessly abundant hands and eyes are clearly the state of con-
sciousness that Yunyan and Daowu are experiencing together. With a
unique twist Dogen says, “Yunyan is asking Daowu, ‘The use [of the
hands and eyes] does what?’” He is asking the reader to consider how
Kannonuseshermanifoldhandsandeyesandtoask,“Doeswhat,moves
what,expresseswhat?”

158 SittingWithKoans

Dogen then uses Daowu’s answer,“She is like a person in the night
reaching back for a pillow,” to launch into an exhaustive exploration of
“inthenight.”Heasksustoexaminethedifferencebetween“nighttime
asitissupposedinthelightofday”and“thenighttimeasitisinthenight.
In sum,weshouldexamine it as that timewhich isnotdayornight.”
Thenhebecomesevenmorespecific.Hesays,“Thisnighttime isnot

necessarilyonlythenighttimeofthedayandnightofhumanbeingsand
gods.”ThenightthatDogenisspeakingofis intherealmoftheabsolute,
thenon-dual stateof consciousness inwhichbodyandmindhave fallen
away.Extending this concept ofnight into thematter of searching for a
pillowhesays,“Youshouldunderstandthattheexpressionusedhereby
Daowu does not concern taking a pillow, pulling a pillow, or pushing a
pillow. If you try to deeply understand what Daowu means when he
speaksof‘reachingbehindatnightforapillow,’youmustexamineitwith
nighteyes.Lookat it carefully.”
Theremainderofthekoanissubjectedtothesamekindofclosescru-

tiny, functioningwithinvarious levelsofunderstandingandaddressing
subtleties that were not presented in theBlueCliffRecord andBookof
Equanimity. This koan is only one among the many examples of the
uniquestyleandprofoundinsightthatDogenbringstotheunderstand-
ingof classical koans.

The Three Hundred Koans
and Their Relevance to Modern Zen Practice

All we have dealt with so far would be of little more than theoretical
interest tous,were it not for the relevance thatDogen’s teachingshave
forcontemporarywesternpractitioners.InadditiontoDogen’sstyleand
insight, a critical aspect of his treatment of koans is how the particular
cases he selected can assist practitioners to examine important areas of
spiritualpractice in the twenty-first century.Amongtheseareasare the
moralandethical teachingsofZen,theteacher-studentrelationship—as
illustrated incase90quotedabove—andsocial activism.
Over the years, in developing my own commentaries of the Mana

Shobogenzokoans,IhaveattemptedtopresentDogen’sdharmaheartas
itismanifestedinthisparticulartime,thisplace,andthesecircumstances,

DogenandKoans 159

aswell as address issues thatwerenotdealtwith in thepast for various
political,social,orculturalreasons.OneexampleisCase227oftheMana
Shobogenzo,“PriestXixian’s, IAmWatching”:

XixianFaanofLushanwasaskedbyagovernmentofficer,
“WhenI took thecityof Jinlingwithanarmytroop, I
killed countlesspeople.AmIat fault?”
Xixiansaid,“I amwatchingclosely.”

AJapanesemaster commentingonthiskoansaid:

AsBuddhistswetakeapreceptnottodestroylife.Thegov-
ernmentofficerwasworriedsincehispositioninvolvedhim
inorderingthekillingofmanypeople.Thathisactionswere
sinful, of course. If we judge his conduct, he committed
many sins,but he was unable to avoid this in carrying out
his duty. Master Xixian recognized the difficult circum-
stance of the officer’s life, and so he wouldn’t say that his
actionsweresins.Hejustsaid thathewasalwayswatching
reality.Inrealityitisdifficultattimestocategorizethecon-
duct of others as good or bad.Reality is very severe.Mas-
ter Xixian recognized the officer’s life was in reality very
severe so that he himself was just watching the real situa-
tion. In reality, situations are usually complex. We must
recognize theexistenceof sucha fact. It is sometimesdiffi-
cult to criticize or to affirm. If we see a snake crawling
towardababyandwearetooconcernedwithfollowingthe
preceptsexactlywemayhesitate too longtosave thebaby.
At the moment of the present we must be free even from
theprecepts toact as the circumstancesdemand.

Myownviewissomewhatdifferent.ThecommentaryIaddedtothis
case reads:

PriestXixian’s response,“Iamwatchingclosely”isatonce
fat-headedandmisguided.Hehasmissedanopportunityto

160 SittingWithKoans

causeanevil thathasalreadyarisentobeextinguished,and
to cause good that has not arisen to arise.Both he and the
generaldeserve thirtyblowsofmystick.
Governments and rulers are traditionally driven by

power, politics, and money, and are usually not inclined
toward clear moral commitments. However, for a Zen
priest to avoid taking moral responsibility when asked is
inexcusable.
Enlightenment without morality is not yet enlighten-

ment.Moralitywithoutenlightenmentisnotyetmorality.
Enlightenmentandmoralityarenon-dual intheWay.One
does not exist without the other.The truth is not beyond
goodandevil as is commonlybelieved.It is ratherawayof
living one’s life with a definite moral commitment that is
practiced, realized, and verified within the realm of good
andevil itself,yet remainsundefiledbythem.
Settingasideimpostorpriestsandphonyfollowers,you

tell me, how do you transform watching into doing, the
three poisons into the three virtues? More importantly,
what is it thatyoucallyourself?

How far are we willing to go to justify our position? Gary Snyder
once wrote:“Institutional Buddhism has been conspicuously ready to
acceptorignoretheinequalitiesandtyranniesofwhateverpoliticalsys-
tem it found itself under.This can be death to Buddhism because it is
deathtoanymeaningfulfunctionofcompassion.Wisdomwithoutcom-
passion feelsnopain.”Or,“Enlightenmentwithoutmorality isnotyet
enlightenment.Moralitywithout enlightenment isnotyetmorality.”
The consequences of not engaging the wisdom of honest, raw prac-

ticeare that real lives suffer,peopledie,our fragileandwondrousplanet
istreatedpoorly.Weneedtochallengeandencourageoneanothertoreal-
izeour clarityandcompassion.That isour imperative.
For me, the comparative use of the two Shobogenzos and Dogen’s

other writings, along with the traditional koans in our koan introspec-
tion,isaverypractical—andcrucial—endeavor.Whilethiskindofstudy
hasopenedupnewpossibilities in the trainingofwesternZenstudents

DogenandKoans 161

byaddressingtheirnaturalphilosophicalandpsychological inclinations,
ithasnotabandonedtheheartof thedharmatransmittedfromShakya-
muniBuddha to thepresent.
We are incredibly fortunate to have access to Master Dogen’s out-

standingbodyofwork.Weshouldnotwastetheopportunitytostudyit.
And,ashehimself saidoften,wemuststudyexhaustively.Becauseulti-
mately,nomatterhowmanyhundredsofkoanswepassthrough,if they
do not change the way we relate to the rest of the world, then they are
nothing but meaningless intellectual exercises. We must realize these
koans,andwemustactualize themineverything thatwedo.That is the
onlywaywewill truly transformour lives.

162 SittingWithKoans

Instructions for the Cook

(Tenzo kyôkun)

By the monk Dôgen of the Kannon Dôri Kôshô Hôrin Zen Monastery

Translated by T. Griffith Foulk

This version of the Tenzo kyôkun is based on the translation by Griffith Foulk prepared by the Soto Zen Text Project for
publication in Jisho Warner et al., Nothing is Hidden: Essays on Zen Master Dôgen’s Instructions for the Cook, pp. 21-40.
(N.Y. and Tokyo: Weatherhill, 2001.) A revised version, with full introduction and annotation is in preparation and will appear
here when completed.

Buddhist monasteries have, in principle, six stewards. All are disciples of Buddha and all carry out the work of Buddha.
Among them is the officer known as the cook, who is in charge of preparing meals for the assembly of monks. The Rules of
Purity for Chan Monasteries (Chanyuan qinggui) says, “In order to offer nourishment to the monks of the community, there is
a cook.”1 From ancient times, the position has been assigned to senior monks who have the way-seeking mind — eminent
persons who have aroused the thought of awakening.

In general, the job of cook is an all-consuming pursuit of the way. If one lacks the way-seeking mind, it will be nothing but a
vain struggle and hardship, without benefit in the end. The Rules of Purity for Chan Monasteries says, “One should maintain a
way-seeking mind, make adjustments in accord with the occasion, and see to it that the great assemby receives what is
necessary and is at ease.”2 In days of yore, monks such as Guishan and Dongshan performed this job, and various other great
ancestral teachers did too at some point in their careers.3 Thus, it is surely not the same as the work of worldy cooks, imperial
cooks, and the like.

When this mountain monk [I, Dôgen] was in Song China, on my days off I inquired of retired elderly monks who had held
minor and important offices, and they shared something of their views with me. Their explanations are the bones and marrow
bequeathed by the buddhas and ancestors who were possessed of the way in ancient times. As a rule, one should carefully read
the Rules of Purity for Chan Monasteries. After that, one should pay heed to the detailed explanations of those retired senior
officers.

The duties of the cook over the course of a single day and night [are as follows].

First, following the midday meal, go to the offices of the prior and comptroller and get the ingredients for the next day’s meals:
rice, vegetables, and so on. Having received them, protect and be frugal with them, as if they were your own eyes. Chan Master
Yong of Baoning [Monastery] said, “Protect and be frugal with monastery property, which is [like] your own eyes.”4 Respect
and value them as if they were ingredients for an imperial repast. These cautions apply to fresh and cooked things alike.

Next, the various stewards consult in the store hall about what seasonings should be used on the following day, what vegetables
should be eaten, how the rice gruel should be prepared, and so on. The Rules of Purity for Chan Monasteries says, “When
deciding about ingredients as well as the flavors and numbers [of side dishes] for meals, first consult with the stewards in the
store offices.” The stewards referred to here are the prior, comptroller, assistant comptroller, rector, cook, and labor steward.5
When the flavors and numbers have been decided, write them on the announcement boards in the abbot’s quarters, common
quarters, and elswehere.

After that, ready the next morning’s rice gruel. When washing rice, preparing vegetables, and so on, do so with your own
hands, with close attention, vigorous exertion, and a sincere mind. Do not indulge in a single moment of carelessness or
laziness. Do not allow attentiveness to one thing result in overlooking another. Do not yield a single drop in the ocean of merit;
even a mountain of good karma can be augmented by a single particle of dust.

The Rules of Purity for Chan Monasteries says, “If the six flavors are not provided, then it cannot be said that the cook has
served the assembly.”6 When examining the rice, first check for sand; when examining the sand [sifted from the rice], first
check for rice. If you pay careful attention to detail, watching when coming and watching when going, then your mind cannot
be scattered, and [the food] will naturally be replete with the three virtues and endowed with the six flavors.

When Xuefeng resided at Dongshan [monastery], he served as cook. One day when he was sifting rice [master] Dongshan
asked him, “Are you sifting the sand and removing the rice, or sifting the rice and removing the sand?” Xuefeng said, “Sand
and rice are simultaneously removed.” Dongshan asked, “What will the great assembly eat?” Xuefeng overturned the bowl.
Dongshan said, “In the future you will go and be scrutinized by someone else.”7

In the past, eminent men in possession of the way practiced in this way [as cooks], working energetically with their own hands.
In this latter day, how can we who are so late getting started [in our practice] be negligent about this? The ancients said that
cooks regard tying up their sleeves [for manual work] as the way-seeking mind. Lest there be any mistakes in the sifting out of
rice and sand, you should examine it with your own hands. The Rules of Purity say, “When preparing meals, one should reflect
intimately on one’s own self; [the food] will then of itself be pure and refined.”8

Keep the white water with which you have washed the rice; do not wastefully discard it. In ancient times they used a cloth bag
to strain the white water and used it to boil the rice when making gruel. Having put [the rice] into the cooking pot, pay attention
and guard it. Do not allow mice and the like to touch it by mistake, nor any covetous idlers to examine or touch it.

When cooking the vegetable side dishes for the morning gruel, also prepare the platters and tubs used for rice, soup, etc., as
well as the various utensils and supplies that will be used for that day’s midday meal. Wash them so that they are completely
pure and clean, placing up high those that belong in high places and putting down low those that belong in low places. “High
places are high and level; low places are low and level.”9 Treat utensils such as tongs and ladles, and all other implements and
ingredients, with equal respect; handle all things with sincerity, picking them up and putting them down with courtesy.

When you have finished, think about the ingredients for the next day’s meals. First, pick over the rice. If there are any insects,
green beans, hulls or pebbles, carefully pick them out. While picking over the rice and vegetables, the postulants should chant
sutras and dedicate the merit to the kitchen god. Next, select the ingredients for the vegetables and soup and cook them. Do not
argue with the store officers over the amount of ingredients you have received. Without worrying about their quality, simply
make the best of what you have. It is prohibited to show your feelings or say anything about the amount of ingredients.

During the day and through the night, whether things come and dwell in your mind or your mind turns and dwells on things,
put yourself on a par with them and diligently pursue the way. Prior to the third watch take stock of the next morning’s tasks;
after the third watch take charge of making the morning gruel. When that day’s gruel is finished, wash the pots, steam the rice,
and prepare the soup. When soaking the rice for the midday meal, the cook should not leave the vicinity of the sink. Keep a
sharp eye on everything, so as not to waste even a single grain, and properly rinse out any foreign objects. Put the rice in the
pots, light the fires, and steam it. Of old it was said, “When steaming rice, treat the pot as one’s own head; when rinsing the
rice, know that the water is one’s own lifeblood.” When the steaming is done, collect the rice in bamboo baskets or rice tubs
and place it on the table. Preparation of vegetables, soup, and the like, should be done while the rice is being steamed.

The cook keeps careful watch over the area where the rice and soup are prepared, giving commands to the postulants, the
servants, and the fire stokers, and instructing them in the handling of the various utensils. Nowadays, large monasteries have
rice cooks and soup cooks, but those are nevertheless under the command of the cook. In the past there were no such rice or
soup cooks, only the single officer, the cook himself.

When ordinarily preparing ingredients, do not regard them with ordinary [deluded] eyes, or think of them with ordinary
emotions. “Lifting a single blade of grass builds a shrine;10 entering a single mote of dust turns the great wheel of the
dharma.”11 Even when, for example, one makes a soup of the crudest greens, one should not give rise to a mind that loathes it
or takes its lightly; and even when one makes a soup of the finest cream, one should not give rise to a mind that feels glad and
rejoices in it. If one is at the outset free from preferences, how could one have any aversions? Even when confronted with poor
ingredients, there is no negligence whatsoever; even when faced with scanty ingredients, one exerts oneself. Do not change
your mind in accordance with things. Whoever changes his mind in accordance with things, or revises his words to suit the
person [he is speaking to], is not a man of the way.

With resolve and sincerity, one should aim to exceed the ancients in purity and surpass the former worthies in attentiveness.
The way to put that aspiration into practice in one’s own person is, for example, to take the same three coins that one’s
predecessors spent to make a soup of the crudest greens and use them to now to make a soup of the finest cream. This is
difficult to do. Why is that? Because present and past are completely different, like the distance between heaven and earth.
How could we ever be able to equal their stature? Nevertheless, when we work attentively, therein lies the principle that makes
it possible to surpass our predecessors.

That you still do not grasp the certainty of this principle is because your thinking scatters, like wild horses, and your emotions
run wild, like monkeys in a forest.12 If you can make those monkeys and horses, just once, take the backward step that turns the
light and shines it inward, then naturally you will be completely integrated. This is the means by which we, who are
[ordinarily] set into motion by things, become able to set things into motion.

Harmonizing and purifying yourself in this manner, do not lose either the one eye [of transcendent wisdom] or the two eyes [of
discriminating consciousness]. Lifting a single piece of vegetable, make [yourself into] a six-foot body [i.e. a buddha] and ask
that six-foot body to prepare a single piece of vegetable. Those are [the cook’s] spiritual penetrations and magical
transformations, his buddha-work and benefiting of living beings.

Having prepared [everything] so that the preparations are finished, and cooked [everything] so that the cooking is done, look to
“that side” and put things away on “this side”.13 When the drum sounds or the bell rings, join the assembly [of monks in
training] and attend the convocation [to hear the abbot’s teachings]. “Morning and evening, seek and attend”, without being
remiss even once.14

When you return to your quarters, right away you should close your eyes and clearly envision the number of individual places
in the [sangha] hall; the number of monks in the individual quarters of retired minor officers, retired senior officers, and the
like; how many individual monks there are in the infirmary, geriatric quarters, temporary quarters, and so on; the number of
wandering monks registered in the guest quarters; and the number of people in subtemples. After carefully calculating in this
way, if you have the slightest uncertainty, ask the hall manager in question, or the quarters prefect, quarters chief, or quarters
head seat of the various quarters and eliminate your doubts.

Now carefully calculate: for every grain of rice to be eaten, one grain must be supplied. If a single grain of rice is divided, then
you will have two half-grains of rice. Three tenths, four tenths; one half, two halves. If you supply two half-grains of rice, you
will make a single whole grain. Or, supply nine tenths and see how many tenths you still have; now take back nine tenths and
see how many tenths are still there.

Getting to eat a single grain of Luling rice enables one to see the monk Guishan; getting to supply a single grain of Luling rice
enables one to see the water buffalo [that Guishan will become]. The water buffalo eats the monk Guishan, and the monk
Guishan feeds the buffalo.15 Is my measurement complete or not? Is your calculation complete or not? If you carefully inspect
and exhaustively check [these matters], your understanding will dawn and become clear. Then, when an opportunity presents
itself, say something; when you confront someone, speak. And, if you exert yourself in this way without deviation, day after
day, then you will not be able to forget it, even temporarily.

When a patron comes into the monastery and donates money to hold a feast, the various the stewards should all be consulted;
this is the precedent established in monasteries of old. With regard to the distribution of the merit-making donations, they also
consult together. Do not create a disturbance in the hierarchy by infringing on anyone’s authority.

When the midday meal or morning gruel has been properly prepared and placed on the table, the cook dons his kesa, spreads
his sitting cloth, faces the sangha hall [where the monks eat], burns incense and makes nine prostrations. Upon finishing his
prostrations, he sends the food [to the sangha hall].

Throughout the day, as you prepare the meals, do not pass the time in vain. If your preparations are true, then your movements
and activities will naturally become the deeds of nurturing the womb of the sage. The way to put the great assembly at ease is
to step back and transform yourself.

It has been a long time now since the name “buddha-dharma” came to be heard in our country, Japan. However, our
predecessors did not record, and the former worthies did not teach, anything about the proper procedure for monks’ meals, and
they never even dreamed of the rite of making nine prostrations before the monks’ meals. People in this country say that the
way in which the monks eat and the way in which monasteries prepare food are just like the feeding methods of [domestic]
birds and beasts. This is truly pathetic, truly deplorable. How could it be?

When this mountain monk [I, Dôgen] was at Tiantong Monastery, the position [of cook] was held by cook Yong, of the same
province [as the monastery]. Once, after the midday meal I was passing through the east corridor on my way to the Chaoran
room [where my teacher Myôzen was being nursed] when I saw the cook in front of the buddha hall airing mushrooms. He
carried a bamboo staff in his hand, but had no hat on his head. The sun was hot, the ground tiles were hot, and sweat streamed
over him as he worked diligently to dry the mushrooms. He was suffering a bit. With his backbone bent like a bow and his
shaggy eyebrows, he resembled a crane.

I approached and asked the cook his dharma age. He said, “Sixty-eight years.” I said, “Why do you not employ postulants or
laborers?” He said, “They are not me.” I said, “Venerable sir, your attitude is indeed proper, but the sun is so hot; why are you
doing this [now]?” The cook said, “What time should I wait for?” I took my leave, but as I walked along the corridor, I began
to realize how important an opportunity this position affords.

Again, in the fifth month of the sixteenth year of the Jiading era [1223], I was on the ship at Qingyuan. While I was talking
with the Japanese captain, there was an old monk who arrived. He was about sixty years old. He came directly onto the ship
and inquired of the Japanese passengers if he could buy Japanese mushrooms. I invited him to drink tea and asked where he
was from. He was the cook of the monastery on Mount Ayuwang. He said, “I come from Sichuan, but I left my home village
forty years ago. This year I am sixty-one years old. In the past I have trained in quite a few different monasteries. In recent
years, I stayed for a while with Guyun. I was able to register at Yuwang [monastery], but for some time I felt out of place. At
the end of the summer retreat last year, however, I was appointed cook of that monastery. Tomorrow is the fifth day [feast], but
the entire menu does not yet include a single delicacy. I need to cook noodle soup, but still have no mushrooms, and thus have
made a special trip here to try to buy mushrooms to offer to the monks of the ten directions.

I asked him, “What time did you leave there?” The cook replied, “After the midday meal.” I inquired, “How long is the road
from Yuwang to here?” He said, “Thirty-four or thirty-five li.” I asked, “When will you return to the monastery?” He said, “If I
can buy the mushrooms now, I will set off right after that.” I said, “Today I did not expect to meet you and have a conversation
on this ship. It is most fortunate, is it not, to form this karmic bond? Dôgen [I] will treat the cook Zen master [you] to a meal.”
The cook said, “It is impossible. If I do not oversee the preparations for tomorrow’s meal offering, it will not turn out well.” I
said, “Are there not co-workers in the monastery who understand the meals? What will be deficient if only one officer, the
cook, is not present?” The cook said, “I took up this position in my later years; it is this old man’s pursuit of the way. How
could I hand it over to others? Besides, when I came I did not ask to stay away overnight.”

I again asked the cook: “You are venerable in years; why don’t you sit in meditation to pursue the way or contemplate the
words of the ancients? It is troublesome being cook; all you do is labor. What good is that?” The cook laughed and said, “My
good man from a foreign country, you do not yet understand pursuit of the way and do not yet know about written words.”
When I heard him speak in this manner, I suddenly felt ashamed and taken aback. I asked him, “What are written words? What
is the practice of the way?” The cook said, “If you do not slip up and pass by the place you ask about, how could you not be a
man?” At the time, I did not understand. The cook said, “If you still don’t understand, come to Yuwang Mountain at some other
time, in the future. On that occasion we can discuss the principle of written words.” Having spoken thus, the cook got up and
said, “It is late in the day and I am in a hurry, so I am going back now.”

In the seventh month of the same year, I registered at Tiantong [Monastery]. While I was there, that cook came to meet me and
said, “At the end of the summer retreat I retired as cook and am now returning to my home village. I happened to hear a
disciple say that you were here; how could I not come to meet you?”

I jumped for joy and was very grateful. In the ensuing conversation that I had with him I brought up the karmic conditions of
written words and pursuit of the way that we had discussed previously on the ship. The cook said, “The study of written words
is to understand the purpose of written words. Exertion in pursuit of the way requires an affirmation of the purpose of pursuing
the way.” I asked him, “What are written words?” The cook answered, “One, two, three, four, five.” I also asked, “What is
pursuit of the way?” He said, “In the whole world, it can never be hidden.”

Although there was a great variety of other things that we discussed, I will not record them at this point. The little I know about
written words and understand about pursuing the way is due to the great kindness of that cook. I told my late teacher Myôzen
about the things that I have just related here, and he was very happy to hear of them.

Later I saw a verse that Xuedou wrote to instruct the monks:

One letter, seven letters, three letters, or five;
Investigating myriads of images, one reaches no basis.
In the depth of night, the moon sets into the dark sea;
Seeking the black dragon’s pearl, one finds there are many.16

What that cook said some years before and what Xuedou expresses in this verse clearly coincide. More and more I understand
that the cook was a true man of the way. But in the past what I saw of written words was one, two, three, four, five. Today
what I see of written words is also six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

You disciples who come after me, thoroughly contemplate there in accordance with here and thoroughly contemplate here in
accordance with there. If you make this kind of effort, you will be able to obtain in written words the Zen of a single flavor. If
you are not like this, you will be subjected willy-nilly to the poison of the Zen of five flavors, and when it comes to arranging
the monks’ meals, you will not be able to do it skillfully.

I have heard of former cooks and witnessed present ones, with my eyes and with my ears. Concerning this position, there are
written words and there are principles of behavior; truly, it can be called a central one! Even if one has the title of head of
meals, one’s mental attitude should still be the same as this. The Rules of Purity for Chan Monasteries says,

The preparation of gruel and rice for the two daily meals should be refined and plentiful. The provision of the four types of
offerings must not admit to any lack or scarcity. The World-honored One bequeathed the blessings of twenty years to enfold
his descendants.17 The merit of a single beam of white light [emitted from his forehead], when received and used [by his
descendants] is never exhausted. Therefore, just know that in serving the assembly, there can be no fear of scarcity.18

If you do not have a mind that is limited, as a matter of course there will be no lack of blessings. After all, this is the mental
attitude that the abbot has in providing for the assembly.

As for the [proper] attitude in preparing food offerings and handling ingredients, do not debate the fineness of things and do not
debate their coarseness, but take as essential the profound arousal of a true mind and a respectful mind.

Have you not seen that a single bowl of starchy water, offered to Him of the Ten Names, naturally resulted in wondrous merit
that carried an old woman through future births;19 and that half a crabapple fruit, given to a single monastery, enabled King
Ashoka finally to establish his vast good karmic roots, gain a prediction, and bring about a great result?20 Although they create
a karmic connection with the Buddha, [donations that are] large and vacuous are not the same as [ones that are] small and
sincere. This is the practice of a [true] person.

What is regarded as the preparation of superb delicacies is not necessarily superior, nor is the preparation of a soup of the
crudest greens necessarily inferior. When you select and serve up crude greens, if you do so with a true mind, a sincere mind,
and a pure mind, then they will be comparable to superb delicacies. Why is that so? Because when one enters into the pure and
vast oceanic assembly of the buddha dharma, superb delicacies are never seen and the flavor of crude greens does not exist:
there is only the one taste of the great sea, and that is all. Moreover, when it comes to the matters of nurturing the sprouts of the
way and nourishing the sacred embryo, superb delicacies and crude greens are as one; there is no duality. There is an old
saying that a monk’s mouth is like a stove.21 You must not fail to understand this. You should think that even crude greens can
nourish the sacred embryo and nurture the sprouts of the way. Do not regard them as base; do not take them lightly. A teacher
of humans and devas is able to regard crude greens as things that convert and benefit [beings].

Moreover, you should not concern yourself with the strengths and weaknesses of the monks of the assembly, or look upon
them as being old or young. Even the self does not know the self’s own weak points; how could others be aware of the weak
points of others? How could it not be a mistake to take one’s own deficiencies as the deficiencies of others?

Although there are differences in the appearance of seniors and juniors, and some have wisdom while others are foolish or dim,
as members of the sangha they are the same. Moreover, something that was not true in the past may be true at present, so who
can know which are sages and which are commoners? The Rules of Purity for Chan Monasteries says, “The sangha gathers
together from throughout the ten directions, without distinguishing sages and commoners.”22 If you have an aspiration that does
not try to control all matters of right and wrong, is that not the way of practice that directly approaches supreme awakening? If
you are confused about the step you have just taken, then you will slip up and pass by that which stares you in the face. The
bones and marrow of the ancients consists entirely in the place where this kind of effort is made.23 Disciples in these later
generations who hold the position of cook will also first attain [the bones and marrow] through this kind of effort. How could
the rules of the high patriarch Baizhang be in vain?24

After I returned to Japan I took up residence in Kennin Monastery for several years. That monstery established the position of
cook, but it was in name only; there was no one at all who actually carried it out. As yet unaware that this is the work of the
Buddha, how pathetic was their pursuit and practice of the way! Truly it is pitiable that they, without meeting such a person,
vainly passed their days and recklessly destroyed the way of practice. Once I observed that the monk who held the position of
cook at that monastery did nothing at all to manage the two daily meals. He entrusted all matters large and small to a servant
without a brain or human feelings, giving him only general instructions. He never ever went to see whether the work was done
properly or not. He acted as if he was the wife of a neighboring house: if he went and saw the other, it would be an
embarrassment or an injury. He ensconced himself in his office, sometimes reclining, sometimes chatting and laughing,

sometimes reading sûtras, and sometimes reciting prayers. For days on end and many months he did not approach the vicinity
of the pots. How much less did he take stock of the utensils or pay attention to the flavors and numbers [of side dishes]. How
could he possibly have done his job? Needless to say, he had never even dreamed of the two [daily] occasions for making nine
prostrations. When the time came for instructing young postulants, he never knew what to do. How pitiable and how sad was
that person who lacked the way-seeking mind. Not once did he come into contact with a companion who was possessed of the
virtue of the way. Although he entered into the treasure mountain, he came away with empty hands. Although he reached the
treasure ocean, he turned back with empty body. You should know that even if he never aroused the thought of enlightenment,
if he had seen a single person who set a worthy example he would have attained that way in his practice. And even if he never
saw a single person who set a worthy example, if his thought of enlightenment had been profound, he would have hit upon that
way in his practice. But in actuality both were lacking, so there was no way for him to benefit.

As I observed in the various monasteries and temples of the Great Sung Nation, the monks who held the positions of stewards
and prefects, although they only served for one year, each embodied the three ways of upholding [the buddha dharma]. During
their time [in office] they made use of those [three ways], and in their vying for karmic connections they inspired those [three
ways]. [1] Even as you benefit others, concurrently there are ample benefits for oneself. [2] Elevate the monastery pulpit and
renew its high standing. [3] Standing shoulder to shoulder and competing head to head, follow in the footsteps of esteemed
forerunners. You should have a detailed knowledge of these matters. There are fools who look upon themselves as if they were
someone else, and there are wise people who regard others as themselves.

An ancient said,

Two-thirds of one’s days having swiftly passed,
Not a single aspect of the spirit dais has been polished;
Craving life, day after day goes by in distress;
If one does not turn one’s head when called, what can be done?

You should know that if you have not met a wise teacher, you are liable to be carried away by your emotions. How pitiable the
foolish son who left behind the family fortune handed down to him by his prominent father and vainly labored in front of
others handling garbage and excrement.25 At present, are we not liable to be like this?

When I observed accomplished people in the past who held the position of cook, their personal qualities were naturally in
accord with their official roles. The Great Gui awakened to the way when he was a cook.26 Dongshan’s [saying] “Three pounds
of hemp” was also when he was a cook.27 If there is a matter that can be valued, you should value the matter of awakening to
the way. If there is a time that can be valued, surely you should value the time of awakening to the way! The result of
cherishing that matter and being addicted to the way is attested especially by the [story of] “grasping sand and making a
jewel.”28 We can often see the effect of making an image [of the Buddha] and worshipping [before it]. The position of cook is
similar [in its karmic results], but even more so. Its name is the same [as in the past]. If the cook is someone who can transmit
its character and its practice, how could its beauty and its fulfillment fail to appear?

In general, the various stewards and prefects, including the cook, should maintain a joyful mind, an elder’s mind, and a great
mind whenever they perform rituals or engage in work.

So-called joyful mind is the spirit of happiness. You should consider that if you were born in a heaven, you would be attached
to pleasures without cease and would not be able to arouse the thought of enlightenment. Practice would not be feasible. Even
less would you be able to prepare meals as offerings to the three jewels! Among the myriad dharmas, the most revered and
precious are the three jewels. The most superior things are the three jewels. Indra cannot compare. A wheel-turning king does
not equal them. The Rules of Purity says, “Revered by the world, it is an excellent space outside [worldly] things; pure and
detached, the assembly of monks is best.”29 Now we have the good fortune to be born as human beings and to prepare the food
that these three jewels receive and use. Is this not of great karmic significance? We should thus be very happy.

Again, you should consider that if you were born into the realms of hell, hungry ghosts, animals, anti-gods, and the like, or
born in circumstances where you suffered from one of the eight difficulties, even if you sought to cover yourself in the power
of the sangha, your hands would naturally be unable to prepare pure meals as offerings to the three jewels. Relying on that
painful physical form you would receive pain and be bound in body and mind. Now, in this life, you have already prepared
those meals. How happy a birth! How happy a body! It is the good karmic result of kalpas vast and great. It is merit that cannot
decay. When you prepare food and cook it you should do so with the aspiration of taking tens of thousands of births and
concentrating them into this one day, this one time, that you may be able to bind together in good karmic result the bodies of
millions of [past] births. A mind that contemplates and understands things in this way is a joyful mind. Truly, even if one takes

on the body of a wheel-turning holy king, if one does not prepare meals as offerings to the three jewels, in the end it has no
benefit. It is only of the nature of water, froth, bubbles, or flames.

So-called elder’s mind is the spirit of fathers and mothers. It is, for example, like a father and mother who dote on an only
child: one’s thoughts of the three jewels are like their concentration on that one child. Even if they are poor or desparate, they
strongly love and nurture that single child. People who are outsiders cannot understand what their state of mind is like; they can
only understand it when they themselves become fathers or mothers. Without regard for their own poverty or wealth, [parents]
earnestly turn their thoughts toward raising their child. Without regard for whether they themselves are cold or hot, they shade
the child or cover the child. We may regard this as affectionate thinking at its most intense. A person who arouses this spirit is
fully conscious of it. A person who cultivates this spirit is one who truly awakens to it. Therefore, when [the cook] watches
over water and watches over grain, in every case he should sustain the caring and warmth of child-rearing!

The great teacher Shakyamuni, moreover, apportioned twenty years of his lifespan as a buddha to assist us in this age of the
end of the dharma. What was his intention? It was simply that he valued the spirit of fathers and mothers. A tathâgata is utterly
incapable of seeking any reward or seeking any riches.

So-called great mind is, in its spirit, like a great mountain or a great sea: it has no partiality and no factionalism. Lifting an
ounce, it does not consider it light; hefting a stone, it does not consider it heavy.30 Being drawn by the voices of spring, it does
not wander into the swamp of spring. Although it sees the colors of autumn, it has nothing whatsoever of the spirit of autumn.
It contrasts the four seasons against the backdrop of a single vista. It views pennyweights and ounces [of silver] within the
context of a single system of measurement.31 As an emblem of this sameness, we can write the character “great”. You should
know the character “great”. You should study the character “great”. If the cook Jiashan had not studied the character “great”, he
would not have spontaneously laughed his single laugh and would not have saved Taiyuan.32 If Ch’an Master Guishan had not
written the character “great”, he could not have taken a stick of firewood and blown on it three times.33 If the Reverend
Preceptor Dongshan had not known the character “great”, he would not have been able to instruct the monk by raising “three
pounds of hemp”.34 You should know that the great teachers of old were alike in their study of the character “great” in
connection with the diverse phenomena of this world. Now, too, there are those who freely make a great sound, expound the
great meaning, complete the great matter, connect with great people, and accomplish karmic conditions of this one great
matter. How could abbots, stewards, prefects, and monks in training entirely forget these three kinds of mind?!

Recorded in the spring of the third year of the Katei era [1237]
as instruction for accomplished practitioners of the way in the future.

Recorded by the dharma-transmitting monk Dôgen,
abbot of the Kannon Dôri Kôshô Hôrin Zen Monastery.

Tenzo kyôkun Notes

1. Kagamishima Genryû, Satô Tatsugen and Kosaka Kiyû, eds. and trans., Yakuchû zen’en shingi (Tokyo: Sôtôshû Shûmuchô,
1972), 269.

2. Kagamishima et al., Yakuchû zen’en shingi, 116.

3. The reference here is to Guishan Lingyou (771-853) and Dongshan Shouchu (910-990).

4. Baoning Renyong (n.d.).

5. These are the so-called six stewards mentioned above.

6. Kagamishima et al., Yakuchû zen’en shingi, 273.

7. The references here are to Xuefeng Yicun (822-908) and Dongshan Liangjie (807-869).

8. Kagamishima et al., Yakuchû zen’en shingi, 116.

9. A famous saying taken from a dialogue between Guishan Lingyou (771-853) and his disciple Yangshan Huiji (807-883). As

it appears in the Jingde Era Record of the Transmission of the Flame (Jingde chuandeng lu), the dialogue reads:

One day [Yangshan] went along with Guishan to open a field. The teacher [Yangshan] asked, “Why is it that this part is low
and that part is high?” Guishan said, “Water can level things; let us just use water to level it.” The teacher said, “Water is not
reliable, master. It is just that high places are high and level; low places are low and level.” Guishan assented. (T 51.282b18-
21).

The dialogue appears in many other Zen texts, including: Wujia yulu (ZZ 119.861a); [ADD TRANSLIT] (ZZ 118.66a); and
Dôgen’s Eihei kôroku and Sanbyaku soku. The saying “high places are high and level, low places are low and level” also
appears in the Foyan chanshi yulu (ZZ 118-0515b13-14).
10. This passage alludes to case 4 of the koan collection Congrong Record (Congronglu), entitled “The World-honored One
Points to the ground” (seson shichi):

When the World-honored One was walking with the assembly [of his follwers], he pointed to the ground with his hand and
said, “This place is suitable to build a shrine.” [The deva] Indra took a single blade of grass, stuck it in the ground, and said, “I
have built the shrine.” The World-honored One smiled (T 48.230a3-5).

For a full translation of this case and its associated commentary, see Thomas Cleary, trans., Book of Serenity: One Hundred
Zen Dialogues (Hudson, NY: Lindisfarne Press, 1990), 17-19.

11. This passage alludes to a passage in fascicle 7 of the Shurangama-samâdhi-sûtra (Shoulengyanjing) which states that

The tathâgatas of the ten directions, embracing the spirit of this dharani, turn the great wheel of the dharma in lands
[innumerable as] motes of dust. (Zengaku daijiten, 1182a, s.v. mijin.)

12. Taigen Daniel Leighton and Shohaku Okumura argue that

Instead of “birds,” the common Rufubon edition has “horses.” However, the earliest
[READING]Kôshû
version, copied by the fifteenth Eiheiji abbot
[READING]
Kôshû
in the early sixteenth century, has “birds,” which is clearly correct in the poetic context of the characters for the whole phrase.
(Dôgen’s Pure Standards for the Zen Community [Albany: SUNY Press, 1996], 51n13).
[END INDENT]

However, Andô Bun’ei notes that Dôgen was probably alluding to an “old saying” (kogo) that goes:

The mind monkey soars [through]
the spreading branches of the five desires;
The thought horse runs [through]
the territory of the six senses.
(Eihei daishingi tsûkai [Tokyo: Kômeisha, 1969], 44n.)

In this saying, monkeys soar (literally, “fly” [tobi]); in the popular edition of Tenzo kyôkun, horses scatter (literally, “fly in
confusion” [funbi]). In both cases, the “flying” is metaphorical and need not be taken literally as the action of birds.

13. A double-entendre. On the literal level, the meaning is simply that the cook should look all around and put things away
where they belong. Figuratively, he is advised to look “there” (nahen — the realm of the highest truth), while putting things to
rest “here” (shahen — the wordly realm).

14. A play on the common expression, “In the morning attend [the abbot’s sermons] and in the evening seek [his instruction]
(chôsan boshô),” which means to seek the dharma at all times.

15. Luling was a district in Jiangxi Province that produced a distinctive type of rice. The reference to Luling rice comes from a
famous dialogue found in the biography of Chan master Qingyuan Xingsi (d. 740) in the Jingde Era Record of the

Transmission of the Flame (Jingde chuandeng lu):

A monk asked, what is the ultimate meaning of the buddha-dharma? The master said, “What is the price of Luling rice?” (T
51.240c2-3).

The same dialoge appears as case 5 in the Congrong Record (Congrong lu) (T 48.230a24-b24); for an English translation see
Thomas Cleary, trans., Book of Serenity: One Hundred Zen Dialogues (Hudson, N.Y.: Lindisfarne Press, 1990), 20-22.

16. By Xuedou Zhongxian (980-1052).

17. According to a sub-commentary on the “Pure Practice” section of the Avatamsaka-sûtra (Huayanjing jingxingpin dashu),
the Buddha should have lived 100 years, but he gave up his life at 80 in order to bequeath the remaining 20 years of merit to
his followers in future generations.

18. Kagamishima et al., Yakuchû zen’en shingi, 276.

19. The reference here is to the famous story of a poor old woman who made an offering to Buddha of the water that she had
used to rinse rice and, as a result, was reborn as a deva or human for fifteen kalpas, gained a male body, and eventually became
a buddha herself. The story appears in fascicle 8 of the Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom (Dazhidulun).

20. King Ashoka, legend has it, tried to contribute a huge amount of gold to a monastery, but was prevented by his son and
ministers. Next he tried to donate his own gold eating utensils to the monastery, but was again thwarted. Finally he took half a
crabapple that he had in his own hands and tried to offer that, but was unable to do so by himself. He enlisted the aid of another
minister, who gave the fruit to the monks. They received it courteously, ground it into flour, and baked it into a cake, which
was shared by all. This was Ashoka’s final establishment of his good karmic roots. The story appears in fascicle 5 of the
Ashoka sûtra (Ayuwangjing).

21. A stove consumes all kinds of wood equally, regardless of its quality. A monk, similarly, should eat whatever is served
without discriminating plain and delicious.

22. Kagamishima et al., Yakuchû zen’en shingi, 276.

23. The expression “bones and marrow” is an allusion to a famous story in which Bodhidharma tests his four disciples. There
were many variations, but the version that Dôgen most likely knew was one found in the Jingde Record (Jingde chuandeng lu):

After nine years had passed [since Bodhidharma’s arrival in China], he wished to return to the west, to India, so he commanded
his disciples saying, “The time is near; each of you should say what you have attained.” At the time, the disciple Daofu replied,
“As I see it, the function of the Dao consists in not attaching to scriptures and not being apart from scriptures.” The master said,
“You have gotten my skin.” The nun Zongchi said, “My understanding now is that it is like the joy of seeing the Buddha-land
of Akshobhya: it is felt at the first glance, but not the second glance.” The master said, “You have gotten my flesh.” Daoyu
said, “The four elements are at root empty, and the five skandhas have no existence; from my point of view, there is not a
single dharma that could be attained.” The master said, “You have gotten my bones.” Finally Huike, after making a prostration,
just stood at his place. The master said, “You have gotten my marrow”. (T 51.219b27-c5.)

24. Baizhang (720-814) was the patriarch renowned in Song China as the founder of the first independent Chan monastery and
author of the monastic rules. What Dôgen refers to as “Baizhang’s rules,” however, was none other than the Rules of Purity for
Chan Monasteries, compiled in 1103.

25. This passage alludes to the famous parable of the “prodigal son” in the Lotus Sutra (Fahuajing). For an English translation
see Leon Hurvitz, trans., Scripture of the Lotus Blossom of the Fine Dharma (New York: Columbia University Press, 1976),
85-95.

26. A reference to Guishan Lingyou (771-853).

27. The dialogue in which this reply occurs is a famous koan, occurring as case 18 in the Gateless Barrier (Wumenguan) and
case 12 in the Blue Cliff Record (Biyanlu). Leighton and Okumura suggest that the material referred to may not have been
hemp (ma) but sesame (zhima) (Dôgen’s Pure Standards for the Zen Community, 56n46).

28. A legend about King Ashoka relates how, as a boy in a former life, he was playing in the road with sand when the Buddha

happened to pass by. The bow offered the sand to the Buddha as if it were dried grain. The Buddha accepted it and explained to
his disciple Ananda that, 100 years after his entry into nirvana, the boy would be a great wheel-turning king named Ashoka.
The story appears in the “Birth karma chapter” (Sheng yinyuan pinlo) of the Ashoka sutra (Ayuwangjing).

29. Kagamishima et al., Yakuchû zen’en shingi, 270.

30. Dôgen was familiar with a Chinese system of weights in which 10 “bits” (C., wen; J., mon) equal one “ounce” or “tael” (C.,
liang; J., ryô), 16 “ounces” equals one “pound” or “catty” (C., jin; J. kin), and 30 “pounds” equals one “stone” (C., jun; J., kin).
In the modern metric system, a “bit” is approximately 3.75 grams, an “ounce” is 37.5 grams, a “pound” is 600 grams, and a
“stone” is 18 kilograms.

31. “Pennyweights” (C. zhu; J., shu) and “ounces”, or taels (C., liang; J., ryô), were silver coins used in China when Dôgen was
there. A single ounce coin was equivalent in value to 24 pennyweight coins.

32. According to a story found in the Collated Essentials of the Five Flame [Records] (Wudeng huiyuan), completed in 1253,
the monk Taiyuan Fu (n.d.), also known as Elder Fu (Fu Shangzuo), was giving a lecture on the Nirvana-sutra (Niepanjing) at
the Guangxiao Monastery in Yangzhou. When he was explaining a reference to the dharma body (fashen) of the buddha, a
Chan monk (chanzhe) in the audience named Zuxue laughed. When the lecture was over Taiyuan invited him to drink tea and
asked him why he had laughed. The Chan monk replied that he laughed because “the lecturer does not know the dharma body.”
Spurred by this criticism, Taiyuan sat in meditation in his room for ten days and eventually awakened when he heard a drum
signalling the fifth watch of the night (Zhonghua shuju 432.101-433.61). Taiyuan Fu is known as a disciple of Xuefeng Yicun
(822-908).

Dôgen refers here to the monk who laughed as Kassan no tenzo, an ambiguous expression which may mean either “the cook of
Jiashan [Monastery]” or “Jiashan the Cook.” In the 59th chapter of his 95-chapter Shôbôgenzô, “Plum Flowers” (Baika), Dôgen
also refers to the great awakening (daigo) of Elder Fu (Fu Jôza) as something stimulated by Kassan no tenzo, but here again
the latter term is ambiguous. Leighton and Okumura translate Kassan no tenzo as “the tenzo of Jiashan Monastery” (Dôgen’s
Pure Standards, 49) and state in a note that his identity is otherwise unknown (ibid., 57n55). Jiashan was a mountain in Hunan
Province where Chan master Jiashan Shanhui (805-881), a dharma heir of Chuanzi Decheng (n.d.), built a meditation cloister
in 870. It is possible that Dôgen thought of the monk whose laugh led to Taiyuan’s awakening as an anonymous cook at Jiashan
Monastery, but more likely his intention was to identify that monk as Jiashan Shanhui himself, in his younger days as a cook.
In his Rules of Purity for Stewards (Chiji shingi), Dôgen cites a dialogue that took place between Chan master Guishan and
Jiashan when the latter was serving as cook at Guishan Monastery (for an English translation, see Leighton and Okumura,
Dôgen’s Pure Standards, 141); the dialogue is also found in the Discourse Records of the Five Houses (Wujia yulu), compiled
in 1630. In his Eihei Extensive Records (Eihei kôroku), s.v. “convocation to thank the cook” (sha tenzo jôdô), Dôgen names
Jiashan, along with Wuzhe, Xuefeng and others, as an exemplary cook of the past
??(0138).??
The T’ien-sheng Era Extensive Record of the Flame (T’ien-sheng kuang-teng lu), compiled in 1029, also mentions the name of
“Jiashan the cook” (Jiashan dienzuo) in the company of famous Chan masters such as Jhaozhou (778-897), Yangshan (807-
883), Yunmen (864-949), and Deshan (782-865) (ZZ 135.800a).

33. The story referred to appears in fascicle 6 of the Jingde Record (Jingde chuandeng lu):

Once when the teacher [Baizhang] was working with Guishan he asked, “Have you any fire, or not?” Guishan said, “I have.”
The teacher said, “Where is it?” Guishan took a stick of wood, blew on it two or three times, and passed it to the teacher. The
teacher said, “It is like wood hollowed out by insects.” (T 51.249c28-250a1.)

34. This passage alludes to a conversation that appears as case 18 of the koan collection Gateless Barrier (Wumenguan):

A monk asked Dongshan, “What is buddha like?” Dongshan replied, “Three pounds of hemp.” (T 48.295b5-5.)