Just Enough
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 8:37AM
[chuck] in Dharma, ōryōki; empty hand zen center

Ōryōki is a mindful form of eating that involves the carefully choreographed use of nested bowls, a spoon, chopsticks, a bowl cleaning scraper, and a cloth for tying the whole set together. Basic objective is to pay close attention to what you are eating (in silence), finish completely all of your food, and then rinse out your bowl when you're done.  The practice originated in Japan and is used for formal meals in many Zen temples in the U.S. 

The three Japanese characters comprising the word ōryōki (応 ō,ryō, and ki) translate to "just enough". Careful attention, no waste. Go here for a more detailed discussion of ōryōki as practiced in the Soto Zen tradition. [NOTE: Image is from a beautiful ōryōki demonstration at the Empty Hand Zen Center (thx, Dennis)].

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