(and I'll try not to make a 'pot head' joke)
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.
From: Tenzo Kyokun - Instructions for the Cook by Eihei Dogen - Translated by Griffith Foulk
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