So the first principle of the Zen cook is that we already have everything we need.

At every moment, we simply take the ingredients at hand and make the best meal we can.

Zen is life—our life. It’s coming to the realization that all things are nothing but expressions of myself. And myself is nothing but the full expression of all things. It’s a life without limits.

Zen masters call a life that is lived fully and completely, with nothing held back, “the supreme meal.”

But even though a vow has no limits, a vow has a very practical function: it’s like a compass that shows us the direction to go in and that keeps us on course. But a vow by itself is never enough. By itself, a vow is all potential. It’s like yeast or starter. But if we want to see our vow manifest in the world, if we want to bake a real loaf of

People who cling to the experience of spirituality are said to have “the stink of enlightenment.” It’s necessary to come back and work in the world.

You have to manifest the answer in your life—in your everyday relationships, in the marketplace, at work, as well as in the temple or meditation hall.

Of course, the supreme meal is very different for each of us. But according to the principles of the Zen cook, it always consists of five main “courses” or aspects of life. The first course involves spirituality; the second course is composed of study and learning; the third course deals with livelihood; the fourth course is made out of social

“Satori” literally means awakening, and “kensho” literally means seeing into our true nature.