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. 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 to 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.
From: Tenzo Kyokun - Insturctions for the Cook by Eihei Dogen - Translated by Griffith Foulk
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