Oryoki Practice Circle Meeting Eleven

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  • Shugen
    Member
    • Nov 2007
    • 4535

    Oryoki Practice Circle Meeting Eleven

    Hello all,

    Welcome to the Oryoki Practice Circle.

    We will meet Sundays 9:30am New York City Time (6:30am Los Angeles California - 2:30pm UTC )



    I would like to invite everyone to share an Oryoki meal together. (Don't worry, it will not be recorded)

    We will meet at the regular time, have a brief question and answer session, and then go through the ceremony from start to finish.


    What you will need:

    Your Oryoki set

    A thermos/insulated cup/pot of hot water for the "water service"

    Food (keep it simple: a "staple" for the Buddha bowl like rice or oatmeal, something a
    little more flavorful for the middle bowl like fruit and yogurt or cooked vegetables, and
    something a little "special" for the final bowl. In a Traditional Japanese Monastery, the
    Buddha bowl would contain rice or rice gruel, the second bowl would be Miso soup or broth
    and the final bowl would contain pickled vegetables)


    You will want to put your food in separate serving dishes and place them next to where you will be eating - within reach. (Don't forget serving Utensils!)

    If anyone has questions, please post and I will do my best to answer them.

    I look forward to practicing together,

    Shugen
    Meido Shugen
    明道 修眼
  • Shugen
    Member
    • Nov 2007
    • 4535

    #2
    Hello all,

    Here is one of the Oryoki segments from our last Rohatsu retreat (mistakes and all!):



    The video is for reference purposes only. Our ceremony will be more "formal" and I will not be explaining the steps as we go through them.

    Gassho,

    Shugen
    Last edited by Shugen; 07-09-2016, 03:53 PM.
    Meido Shugen
    明道 修眼

    Comment

    • Mp

      #3
      Awesome, thanks Shugen, will be there with meal ready. =)

      Gassho
      Shingen

      s@today


      Sent from my mobile, cause I am out & about! =)

      Comment

      • Entai
        Member
        • Jan 2013
        • 451

        #4
        I won't be able to take my meal with you all in real time (whatever that is), but will take it Sunday evening after work. Shugen, thank you so much for these teachings. They have been wonderful.

        Gassho, Entai
        #SatToday

        泰 Entai (Bill)
        "this is not a dress rehearsal"

        Comment

        • Onkai
          Senior Priest-in-Training
          • Aug 2015
          • 3059

          #5
          Thank you, Shugen. I'm looking forward to the oryoki meal. I will be there live with a meal, unless there is a technical glitch

          Gassho,
          Onkai
          SatToday.
          美道 Bidou Beautiful Way
          恩海 Onkai Merciful/Kind Ocean

          I have a lot to learn; take anything I say that sounds like teaching with a grain of salt.

          Comment

          • Washin
            Senior Priest-in-Training
            • Dec 2014
            • 3801

            #6
            Thank you Shugen. Getting my meal ready and looking forward to practicing together.

            Gassho
            Washin
            sat tosay
            Kaidō (皆道) Every Way
            Washin (和信) Harmony Trust
            ----
            I am a novice priest-in-training. Anything that I say must not be considered as teaching
            and should be taken with a 'grain of salt'.

            Comment

            • Onkai
              Senior Priest-in-Training
              • Aug 2015
              • 3059

              #7
              Thank you, Shugen and everyone. I look forward to doing it again.

              Gassho,
              Onkai
              Sat
              美道 Bidou Beautiful Way
              恩海 Onkai Merciful/Kind Ocean

              I have a lot to learn; take anything I say that sounds like teaching with a grain of salt.

              Comment

              • Washin
                Senior Priest-in-Training
                • Dec 2014
                • 3801

                #8
                I look forward to doing it again.
                Me too. Thank you all.

                Gassho
                Washin
                ST
                Kaidō (皆道) Every Way
                Washin (和信) Harmony Trust
                ----
                I am a novice priest-in-training. Anything that I say must not be considered as teaching
                and should be taken with a 'grain of salt'.

                Comment

                • Mp

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Onkai
                  I look forward to doing it again.
                  Me as well ... thank you all for such a great practice. =)

                  Gassho
                  Shingen

                  s@today

                  Comment

                  • Jundo
                    Treeleaf Founder and Priest
                    • Apr 2006
                    • 40590

                    #10
                    Thank you all. This experiment has also set a precedent for what can happen to bring a Traditional Practice online.

                    I recently discovered some material that shows that this Practice of Oryoki, although refined by Dogen and the Japanese masters, largely reaches back to China centuries before, with elements (such as the grouping of bowls) originating in India long before.

                    However, perhaps in all that time, no one has ever attempted to teach and undertake Oryoki in the way of this group of people today. So, a little Oryoki history has been made by you. Thank you to Shugen for a lovely and careful effort to shepard folks through this lovely Practice.

                    Gassho, J

                    PS - About the origins of Oryoki ...

                    I thought our Oryoki folks might find this interesting. 11th Century Oryoki instructions from before the time of Dogen. As well, the author traces aspects back to many centuries before that, and the configuration of the bowls to India. Some of the chants are identical to chants in the 4th century AD ...

                    The Chanyuan qinggui (Chinese: 禪苑清規 or The Rules of Purity in the Chan Monastery, is a highly influential set of rules for Zen monasteries compiled by the Chinese monk Changlu Zongze in 1103. Although many other monastic codes aimed at the Zen school would follow, Chanyuan qinggui is the oldest extant work of its kind. Prior to the Rules of Purity, various translations of Indian Vinaya texts had existed in China since the fifth century, while Chinese monks beginning with Daoan has created sangha regulations in the 4th century. However, none was extensive or geared towards any particular sect that existed at that time. Both types of regulations has a direct influence on Chanyuan qinggui, but neither aimed to be nearly as extensive or authoritative. The text regulates nearly all aspects of daily life in a monastery, from the proper protocol for ceremonies to the correct way to visit the toilet. The text became the standard reference for its topic not only in Song Dynasty China, but also well into the Yuan Dynasty, as well as abroad in Korea and Japan.
                    Daoxuan himself was largely preserving practices codified more than two hundred years before by Daoan, through his works we can discern indirectly how many Chan monastic practices, many of them still carried out today, can be traced as far back as the fourth century. We see, for example, that the octagonal hammer with its pillar stand, which sits in the center of the Sangha hall in Chan monasteries, is not a Chan invention, but a device used long before by Daoxuan, who, in turn, inherited it from Daoan. The five contemplations [recited when opening the Bowls] and other verses chanted by Chan monks during the Tang and Song are described in Daoxuan’s Xingshi chao, and these, too, can be traced back to Daoan’s time. ... Even the use of four nesting bowls at mealtimes, often thought to be unique to the Chan monastery, can be found in the original Vinaya texts [from India]
                    The 11th Century text ...

                    To correctly display a nest of bowls, the monk should first
                    bow and untie his cloth bundle. He takes out the bowl wiper and
                    folds the cloth into a small shape. He then takes out his spoon and
                    chopstick bag and places them horizontally, close in front of him. Next
                    the clean towel is used to cover the knees, after which the cloth
                    bundle is completely opened and the three corners closest to him are
                    folded over and neatly joined together at the center, while the far corner
                    is allowed to drape over the edge of the platform. He then uses
                    both hands to unfold the mat. With his right hand facing down, he
                    holds the corner of the mat closest to him on the right side and places
                    it over the top of the bowls in front of him. Then, with the left hand
                    facing up, he reaches under the mat to pick up the bowls and places
                    them on the left side of the mat. Using the fingertips of both hands,
                    he takes out the three smaller bowls stacked together and places
                    them on the mat one at a time without making any noise. If his seat
                    is narrow, he should display only three of his bowls. He then opens
                    the bag to take out his spoon and chopsticks. (When removing these
                    items, he should take out the chopsticks first. When replacing them, he should
                    put the spoon in first.) He places the chopsticks and spoon horizontally
                    behind the first bowl, with the handles to the side of his upper shoulder.
                    The brush he places on the edge of the mat to the side of the
                    lower shoulder with the handle facing out. He then waits for the offering
                    of food to all sentient beings.

                    ...

                    To correctly receive the food, the monk should hold the bowl with
                    both hands and lower his hands close to the mat. The bowl should
                    be held level. The monk should gauge the amount of food served
                    him; he should not request too much and leave unfinished food. He
                    must wait until the food has been distributed and the rector has struck
                    with the hammer before he lifts up his bowl to make the offering.
                    After the hammer has struck, he presses his hands together in honor
                    of the food and performs the five contemplations:

                    one, to ponder the effort necessary to supply this food and to appreciate its origins; two, to reflect
                    on one’s own virtue being insufficient to receive the offering; three, to protect the
                    mind’s integrity, to depart from error, and, as a general principle, to avoid being
                    greedy; four, at the same time to consider the food as medicine and bodily nourishment,
                    preventing emaciation; five, to receive this food as necessary for attaining
                    enlightenment.

                    After this comes the offering of food to all sentient beings.

                    (Before the completion of the five contemplations the food cannot
                    be considered one’s own portion and therefore cannot be offered to sentient beings.)
                    While the monks perform the offering of food to all sentient beings,
                    they chant a verse: “All spirit beings and deities, / Now I offer you this
                    food. / May this food be spread in all ten directions / For all spirit beings and
                    deities to share.

                    ...

                    After he has finished eating, if there
                    is anything left in his bowl he should use the bowl wiper to clean it
                    and then eat it. When he receives the water, the monk should wash
                    the largest bowl first and then the other bowls in order from largest
                    to smallest. He should not wash the smaller bowls inside the large
                    bowl. He then wipes the bowls to dry them. In addition, the
                    spoon and chopsticks should be washed and placed inside their bag.
                    The water for the bowls should not spill onto the floor around the
                    platform. The mantra pronounced while the water from the bowls
                    is poured out is “Om mahorase svâhâ.” The two thumbs are used to
                    stack all the bowls inside each other. With the left hand facing up,
                    the monk puts the bowls into the center of the cloth. Then with the
                    right hand facing down, he holds the corner of the mat closest to him
                    on the right side and puts it on top of the bowls. He then folds the
                    mat and places it back on top of the bowls. Next he picks up the corner
                    of the cloth closest to the body to cover the bowls. Then he pulls
                    the corner of the cloth draped over the end of the platform toward
                    himself to cover the bowls. He folds the clean towel and places it, together
                    with the bag containing the spoon and chopsticks and the bowl
                    brush, on top of the now covered bowls and covers them with the
                    bowl wiper. After the monks have put their bundles back in order,
                    when they hear the hammer strike to exit the hall, they will all chant
                    the verse for the completion of the meal:

                    “After the meal, the body is full
                    of physical energy / And quakes with a power like the heroes, which permeates
                    all ten directions in the past, present, and future./ One can now revert
                    causes and transform effects and therefore one need no longer be preoccupied
                    with one’s inabilities. / Let all sentient beings obtain supernatural power
                    through this strength.”


                    Gassho, J
                    SatToday
                    Last edited by Jundo; 07-10-2016, 04:14 PM.
                    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

                    Comment

                    • Shugen
                      Member
                      • Nov 2007
                      • 4535

                      #11
                      I would like to thank everyone for the opportunity to be of service. I very much enjoyed it!

                      We will meet again in a few weeks to share another meal together.

                      Gassho,

                      Shugen

                      #sattoday


                      Shugen
                      明道 修眼
                      As a priest in training, please take everything I say with a "pinch of salt"
                      Meido Shugen
                      明道 修眼

                      Comment

                      • Mp

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Shugen
                        I would like to thank everyone for the opportunity to be of service. I very much enjoyed it!

                        We will meet again in a few weeks to share another meal together.

                        Gassho,

                        Shugen

                        #sattoday


                        Shugen
                        明道 修眼
                        As a priest in training, please take everything I say with a "pinch of salt"
                        It was a pleasure brother! Look forward to our Sunday morning meals. =)

                        Gassho
                        Shingen

                        s@today

                        Comment

                        • Entai
                          Member
                          • Jan 2013
                          • 451

                          #13
                          Gassho,
                          Entai

                          #SatToday

                          泰 Entai (Bill)
                          "this is not a dress rehearsal"

                          Comment

                          • Kotei
                            Dharma Transmitted Priest
                            • Mar 2015
                            • 4221

                            #14
                            Hi all,

                            practicing Oryoki with actual food inside the bowls is not bad either :-)
                            Hopefully, I'll make it to the next collective realtime meal.
                            I am also looking very much forward to our (hopefully reoccurring) Rohatsu Retreat meal.This time with more preparation on this side.

                            For today, I carefully selected fine, organic vegetables and attentively prepared a simple meal.
                            I sat, prepared a simple but fine meal, practiced Oryoki and sat again --- together with you all in the usual timeless Treeleaf way.
                            I think I will continue practicing on a semi-regular basis. Maybe not weekly, but somewhat like that.
                            Still a lot to practice, but already at a point, were I can appreciate the fine and simple method, tools and food during practice.

                            I've had a nice, calm forenoon with you all. Thank you for that.
                            Thank you, Jundo for the additional Infos!

                            Gassho,
                            Kotei sattoday.
                            義道 冴庭 / Gidō Kotei.

                            Comment

                            • Shugen
                              Member
                              • Nov 2007
                              • 4535

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Kotei
                              Hi all,

                              practicing Oryoki with actual food inside the bowls is not bad either :-)
                              Hopefully, I'll make it to the next collective realtime meal.
                              I am also looking very much forward to our (hopefully reoccurring) Rohatsu Retreat meal.This time with more preparation on this side.

                              For today, I carefully selected fine, organic vegetables and attentively prepared a simple meal.
                              I sat, prepared a simple but fine meal, practiced Oryoki and sat again --- together with you all in the usual timeless Treeleaf way.
                              I think I will continue practicing on a semi-regular basis. Maybe not weekly, but somewhat like that.
                              Still a lot to practice, but already at a point, were I can appreciate the fine and simple method, tools and food during practice.

                              I've had a nice, calm forenoon with you all. Thank you for that.
                              Thank you, Jundo for the additional Infos!

                              Gassho,
                              Kotei sattoday.
                              It is a wonderful practice!

                              We will be meeting again soon to share a meal.

                              Gassho,

                              Shugen


                              Shugen
                              明道 修眼
                              As a priest in training, please take everything I say with a "pinch of salt"
                              Meido Shugen
                              明道 修眼

                              Comment

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