Tenzo kyokun:

Instructions for the Tenzo

by Eihei Dogen zenji

  (Page 2)

translated by

Yasuda Joshu Dainen roshi and Anzan Hoshin roshi

(published in “Cooking Zen,”

Great Matter Publications 1996)

© 1999-2004 White Wind Zen Community. All rights reserved.


  After I returned to Japan I stayed at Kennin-ji [1] for around two years. They had the office of tenzo there but it was only nominal because no one actually carried out the real activity of this training post. They did not understand it as the activity of Awake Awareness so how could they have been able to use it to express the Way? Truly, it was very sad. The tenzo there had never encountered a living one who could use the office of tenzo as the functioning of Awake Awareness and so he carelessly idled away, breaking the standards of practice.

  I watched the tenzo there quite closely. He never actually worked at preparing the morning and evening meals but just ordered about some rough servants, lacking in intelligence and heart, leaving to them all the tasks whether important or not. He never checked on whether they were working well or not, as if it would be shameful to do so like peeping into the private quarters of a neighbouring woman. He just hung about in his own rooms, reading sutras or chanting when he wasn't lying down or chatting. Months would go by before he would even come close to a pot, let alone buy utensils or make out a menu. He did not understand that these activities are the exertion of Awareness. The practice of donning the wrap robe and offering nine bows before sending out the food was something he would never have even dreamed of; it just wouldn't have occurred to him. As he himself did not understand the office of tenzo, when it came time for him to teach a novice [2] how to carry out the office what understanding could be passed on? It was very regrettable. Although one might have the fortune to hold this post, if one is without the mind which uncovers the Way and fails to meet with one who has the virtue of the Way, it is like returning empty-handed after climbing a mountain of treasure or entering an ocean of jewels.

  Although you might not have the mind which uncovers the Way, if you meet one manifesting the True Person [3] you can then practice and unfold the Way. Or, even if you cannot meet with one who is the display of the True Person, by yourself deeply arousing the seeking for the Way, you can begin the Way. If you lack both of these, what is the point?

  In the many monasteries of the mountains of Song China that I have seen, the monks holding the various offices train in these posts for a year at a time, each of them in each moment practicing by three standards. Firstly, to benefit others benefits yourself. Second, make every effort to maintain and renew the monastic environment. Third, follow the standards set forth by the examples of excellent practitioners of past and present and come to stand with them.

  You should understand that foolish people hold their practice as if it belonged to someone else, wise people practice with everyone as themselves.

  An ancient teacher [4] said,

    “Two-thirds of your life has passed

    without clarifying who you are.

    Eating your life,

    muddling about in this and that,

    you don't even turn when called on.

    Pathetic.

  From this verse we can see that if you have not met a true teacher, you will just follow the lead of your tendencies. And this is pathetic. It's like the story of the foolish son who leaves his parent's home with the family treasure and then throws it away on a dung heap. [5] Do not waste your opportunity as that man did.

  Considering those who in the past made good use of their training as tenzo, we can see that their virtues were equal to those of their office. The great Daigu [6] woke up while training as tenzo and Dongshan Shouchou's “Three pounds of flax,” occurred while he was tenzo. [7] The only thing of value is the realization of the Way, the only time that is precious is each moment of realizing the Way.

  Examples of those who long for the Way are many. There is the story of a child offering the Buddha a handful of sand as a great treasure. [8] Another is of someone who made images of the Buddha and had reverence for them and thus had great benefit follow them. [9] How much more benefit must there be in fulfilling the office of tenzo through actualizing its possibilities as have those excellent ones who have practiced before us?

  When we train in any of the offices of the monastery we should do so with a joyful heart, a motherly heart, a vast heart. [10] A “joyful heart” rejoices and recognizes meaning. You should consider that were you to be born in the realm of the shining beings you would be absorbed in indulgence with the qualities of that realm so that you would not rouse the recognition of uncovering the Way and so have no opportunity to practice. And so how could you use cooking as an offering to the Three Jewels? Nothing is more excellent than the Three Jewels of the Buddha, the Teachings, and the Community of those who practice and realize the Way. Neither being the king of gods [11] nor a world ruler [12] can even compare with the Three Jewels.

  The Zen Monastic Standards states, “The monastic community is the most excellent of all things because those who live thus live beyond the narrowness of social fabrications.” Not only do we have the fortune of being born as human beings but also of being able to cook meals to be offered to the Three Jewels. We should rejoice and be grateful for this.

  We can also reflect on how our lives would be were we to have been born in the realms of hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, or jealous gods. [13] How difficult our lives would be in those four situations or if we had been born in any of the eight adverse conditions. [14] We would not then be able to practice together with the strength of a monastic community even should it occur to us to aspire to it, let alone be able to offer food to the Three Jewels with our own hands. Instead our bodies and minds would be bound within the limits of those circumstances, merely vessels of contraction.

  This life we live is a life of rejoicing, this body a body of joy which can be used to present offerings to the Three Jewels. It arises through the merits of eons and using it thus its merit extends endlessly. I hope that you will work and cook in this way, using this body which is the fruition of thousands of lifetimes and births to create limitless benefit for numberless beings. To understand this opportunity is a joyous heart because even if you had been born a ruler of the world the merit of your actions would merely disperse like foam, like sparks.

  A “motherly heart” is a heart which maintains the Three Jewels as a parent cares for a child. A parent raises a child with deep love, regardless of povertyy or difficulties. Their hearts cannot be understood by another; only a parent can understand it. A parent protects their child from heat or cold before worrying about whether they themselves are hot or cold. This kind of care can only be understood by those who have given rise to it and realized only by those who practice it. This, brought to its fullest, is how you must care for water and rice, as though they were your own children.

  The Great Master Sakyamuni offered to us the final twenty years of his own lifetime to protect us through these days of decline. [15] What is this other than the exertion of this “parental heart”? The Thus Come One did not do this hoping to get something out of it but sheerly out of munificence.

  “Vast heart” is like a great expanse of ocean or a towering mountain. It views everything from the most inclusive and broadest perspective. This vast heart does not regard a gram as too light or five kilos as too heavy. It does not follow the sounds of spring or try to nest in a spring garden; it does not darken with the colours of autumn. See the changes of the seasons as all one movement, understand light and heavy [16] in relation to each other within a view which includes both. When you write or study the character “vast,” [17] this is how you should understand its meaning.

  If the tenzo at Jiashan had not thus studied the word “vast,” he could not have woken up Elder Fu by laughing at him. [18] If Zen Master Guishan had not understand the word “vast,” he would not have blown on dead firewood three times. [19] If the monk Dongshan had not understood the word “vast,” he could not have taught the monk through his expression, “Three pounds of flax.” [20]

  All of these and other great masters through the ages have studied the meaning of “vast” or “great” not only though the word for it but through all of the events and activities of their lives. [21] Thus they lived as a great shout of freedom through presenting the Great Matter, penetrating the Great Question, training great disciples and in this way bringing it all forth to us.

  The abbot, senior officers and staff, and all monks should always maintain these three hearts or understandings.

 

Written in the spring of 1237 [22] for those of coming generations

who will practice the Way by Dogen, abbot of Kosho-(Horin-)ji.


[1] This was the Tendai monastery in Kyoto where Dogen had practiced Rinzai Zen with Eisai zenji and Myozen zenji.

[2] Zun-nan or shami.

[3] Hombunnin. Or “Original Person.”

[4] Xuedou Zhongxian.

[5] In Chapter 4 of the Lotus Discours e, the Saddharma Pundarika sutra .

[6] Another name for Guishan Lingyou (who has appeared three previous times in these notes). He trained as tenzo under Baizhang. In the Jingde Chuandeng-lu it states: Once when Daigu was training as tenzo on Baizhang shan, he went to serve the Master. Baizhang called out, “Who is it?” Daigui answered, “Me, Lingyou.” Baizhang said, “Go and stir up those coals and see if anything's burning.” Daigui did as instructed and when he returned told Baizhang that the fire was out. Baizhang got up, went to the brazier himself and stirred the ashes. Uncovering a small ember he brought it over to Daigui and said, “Well, what do you call this?” Daigui suddenly realized Baizhang's pointing out instructions and bowed.

[7] Dongshan Shouchu (Tung-shan Shou-ch'ou; Tozan Shusho), 910-90. Dongshan's “Three Pounds of Flax” koan appears as Blue Cliff Records ( Biyen lu) case 12.

[8] According to the Aikuo Kyo Shoinnen Bonryaku this child was reborn as King Asoka.

[9] King Uten was reborn in a heavenly realm through these activities according to the Sakuzo Innen Kyo . As well, the Lotus Discourse ( Saddharma Pundarika sutra ) satates: “If one looks at the image of the One Gone into Joy on a wall and makes offerings to it, even in an angry state of mind, one will eventually come to see ten million Buddhas.”

[10] Kishin, roshin, daishin.

[11] Sakrodevanamindrah

[12] Cakravartin.

[13] Naraka, preta, tiryanc, asura. See “The Wheel of Becoming” in Zanmai No. 9-10, Great Matter Publications, 1992.

[14] Hachi noansho. or hachinan (asta-aksanani). As well as the four already listed: Being born in a place where the Dharma is not practiced or taught (zai uttan'otsu). Being born without the faculties that would allow us to practice (romo on'a). Being born locked into the views of social conventions (sechi benso). Being born at a time when the Dharma is no longer available at all (butsuzen butsugo).

[15] Matsu-se.

[16] Actually, the units of measurement here are first ryo and kin with 1 kin equal to 480 ryo. One ryo is equal to 24 shu.

[17] Dai.

[18] According to the Wudeng Huiyuan ( Goto Egen ) Chapter 17: Once the great Buddhist scholar Daiyuan Fu (Daigen Fu Joza) was lecturing on the Great Cessation Discourse ( Mahaparinirvana sutra ) at Guangkao-Xiao in Yangzhou . The tenzo from Jiashan who was travelling from temple to temple happened to get snowed in there and so he listened in on the lecture. Daiyuan Fu was explaining the section on the three factors of Buddha Nature and the three virtues of the Dharmakaya when, in the midst of the explanation of the subtleties of the Dharmakaya, the tenzo burst out laughing. After the lecture Daiyuan Fu asked the tenzo to his room where he said, “Look, I'm really a very simple person and so the comments I make when I lecture on the sutras are just literal explanations. I noticed that you couldn't help laughing about what I said about the Dharmakaya. Could you be so kind as to point out where I went off?” The tenzo said, “Well, you were saying just what was written down there and so it's not that its wrong. It's just that you didn't know what you were saying.” So after this Daiyuan Fu ceased any further lectures and began to visit many masters, inquiring of the Buddha Dharma, exerting himself in practice.

[19] Chanlin Leiju Chapter 14: When Guishan Lingyou lived on Baizhang shan he went off into the wilderness with his Master, Baizhang Huihai, to work. Baizhang said, “Bring me some fire.” Guishan replied, “Okay, right away.” When Guishan returned he brought a stick to Baizhang who said, “Well, where is it?” Guishan turned the stick around in his hand, blew on it three times, and handed it back to Baizhang. Baizhang accepted the stick.

[20] Dongshan Shouchou's “Three Pounds of Flax” koan appears as Blue Cliff Records: Biyen lu case 12.

[21] Literally “above the tips of a hundred grasses.”

[22] Katei 4.

back to topWWZC home

© 1999-2004 White Wind Zen Community. All rights reserved.