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 bre

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

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 acti

When we live our life fully, our life becomes what Zen Buddhists call “the supreme meal.” We make this supreme meal by using the ingredients at hand to make the best meal possible, and then by offering it.

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

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.

We work with what we have in each and every moment.

But activity is actually a very important part of Zen. The insight and equanimity that can come from spiritual practice should open our eyes to the problems of people around us and make us more effective.

“Handle even a single leaf of a green in such a way that it manifests the body of the Buddha,” says Dogen. “This in turn allows the Buddha to manifest through the leaf.”