Yesterday, April 1, we had an all day zen sitting at NYSY. At noon we quietly stepped down and across the street to have a silent Oryoki meal at Avocado cafe. Our servers here delightful, mindful, present. The whole experience was as delicious as it was beautiful, or as mom said: "Sacred." She came to observe 'cause she had helped sew all the white cloths.
"Ōryōki (応量器, "Just enough") is a meditative form of eating that originated in Japan that emphasizes mindfulness awareness practice by abiding to a strict order of precise movements. Oryoki translates to "Just enough" which refers to the efficiency and accuracy of the form. Each movement is a simple reference point for the mind that encourages one to become present and not wander in discursive thought." (from Wikipedia)
It was a dream of mine for many years. So many times at our Zen Center in California I would spend the entire meal thinking of a way I could share this with my fellow practitioners in Greece.
As our teacher Reb would say, many sentient beings helped to serve us that meal... It was a totally inter-dependent experience.
May all beings everywhere be happy and free.
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