Ōryōki is a meditative style of eating in Zen Buddhism. A set of nested bowls and utensils are wrapped in a set of cloths, which are set up for service from fellow practitioners. The meal is heavily choreographed and silent.
I love eating Ōryōki. I’ve done it hundreds of times. I’ve worked as server, head server, and Ōryōki master for long programs. I find the style fascinating in what it reveals about our normal eating style and attachments.
My understanding: Ōryōki teaches us to accept whatever we are offered. Not asking for better food or to return food. (If it’s bones or something actually inedible, that’s different.) This comes from the Buddha’s disciples, who ate from their begging bowl and never refused anything offered. One taste – seeing all things as equal, begins with food, I guess. The practice is to overcome attachment to food and aversion to bad food.
Secrets of Meditation for Anxiety
Like millions of people, you may have suffered from anxiety for years. Meditation, yoga, peaceful music – it never works. It takes too long, and it’s not stable. Why? Because peace is treated as a cause for freedom, but it’s not – it’s the result. The cause to free yourself from anxiety is completely different.
Click now to Overcome Anxiety for good.
Table of Contents
Ōryōki
Ōryōki can refer to the meaning of the term – container holding barely enough.More commonly, it refers to the eating style.
The bowls are ritually arranged with precise movements, nothing wasted, everything in order. The largest bowl is called the Buddha Bowl. It represents the wisdom of the Tathagata. This bowl is only for grains, most often white rice, in my experience.
There are 3 or 4 more bowls, for entree, side dish, and occasional dessert. The set has a set cloth, to lay the bowls on the floor. It also has a case for utensils and a wipe cloth, for cleaning at the end. The utensils are chopstick, spoon, and a setsu – a cloth wrapped stick for scrubbing the bowl. Many people use a spatula.
Ōryōki procedure
With a ‘clack’ the servers bring out the meals to the eaters, who sit in rows, facing each other. The server bows to a quadrant of four people, kneels in the midst of them, and serves the bowl. The server stands and bows again, the moves to the next quadrant. This sequence repeats for all courses, until the bowls are filled.
For lunch, a chant is done during the serving – usually the remembrance of the 3 jewels. After the food is served, the group chants something along these lines:
The teacher is the precious Buddha
Ōryōki Meal Chant
To the protector, the precious holy dharma
To the guide, the prcious sangha
To the unsurpassable 3 jewels I make this offering
Substances offered to 3 jewels and plunder from others
I have completely abandoned all such impure and preverted nourishment
This food is in accord with the dharm, free from evil deeds
May the health of my body flourish
They hold the main food bowl up and bow, then eat. Afterwards, the servers bring water, which is used to clean the bowls. Finally, the wash water is drunk. This is a meaningful symbol of completely cleaning your world without extra things to do so. Simplicity is key.
Ōryōki is intimately tied to the begging bowl, which is considered a symbol of dharma transmission. This stems from the Sixth Patriarch of Zen, a humble layman who became a revered monastic and attained realization.
Ōryōki is widely used in Zen and in other sanghas. I find the method liberating, as it forces me to set aside my food neurosis. It works well with the Zen Buddhist diet.
Summary Ōryōki
Central Entity: Ōryōki
Category: Zen Buddhist Ritual, Monastic Practice
Origin: Zen Buddhist Monasteries
Description: Ōryōki is a formal meal ceremony practiced in Zen Buddhist monasteries. It emphasizes mindfulness, gratitude, and adherence to specific etiquette.
Purpose:
- Cultivate mindfulness and focus during everyday activities like eating.
- Foster gratitude for the food and those who provided it.
- Maintain a sense of community and shared practice within the monastery.
- Develop discipline and self-control.
Elements of Ōryōki:
- Setting: A communal dining hall with individual places for each monk.
- Bowls and Utensils: Specific bowls and utensils are used for each dish served.
- Strict Etiquette:
- Monks enter and leave the hall in silence.
- Specific chants or phrases are recited before and after the meal.
- Precise movements and procedures are followed for serving, eating, and cleaning.
- Mindfulness:
- Monks focus on the experience of each bite, savoring the taste and texture.
- They avoid distractions like talking or reading during the meal.
Significance:
- Ōryōki is a way to transform a daily routine into a meditative practice.
- It embodies the Zen Buddhist values of simplicity, discipline, and gratitude.
- It fosters a sense of interconnectedness between the monks and the environment.
Related Concepts:
- Zen Buddhism
- Zen Monastery Life
- Mindfulness Meditation
- Samu (Zen) – Mindful Work Practice
- Monastic Chanting
Additional Notes:
- Ōryōki practices may vary slightly between different Zen traditions.
- Lay Zen practitioners may adapt elements of Ōryōki for mindful eating at home.
- Ōryōki serves as a model for mindful eating and living a simple, intentional life.
May all beings be happy
May all beings be peaceful
May all beings be safe
May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature
May all beings be free
