Traditional Oryoki
As instructed by Sotoshu Shumucho (Soto School HQ)
OO, the receiver's response to the offering of food
RYOO, a measure, or an amount, to be received
KI, the bowl
The present day ORYOKI used by Zen monks consists of following items:
Large Buddha bowl or Zuhatsu, having rounded edges.
Soup is not eaten from this bowl, as it is not to be touched by the lips.
*Four successively smaller bowls that nest into each other and into the Buddha bowl
A small stand or holder on which the Buddha bowl rests.
*Hattan, or place mat, made from lacquered paper
A wooden spoon and set of chopsticks.
A bowl cleaning stick, or Setsu
A utensil holder for spoon, chopstick and setsu.
A drying cloth
A napkin.
A wrapping cloth.
*A water board, Mizuita, used by monks as a kind of lid on their travel bag, Kesagori to keep out the rain.
*N.B. The Oryoki set that Zen River uses, as well as other centers in the White Plum, is a simple version of the Monk Bowls, consisting of a Buddha bowl and 2 smaller bowls. The cloths and eating utensils are the same, but the setsu (spatula) has a rubber cleaning tip instead of the traditional cloth tip. The Hatten and Mizuita usually only come with Monk bowls ordered from Japan.
USING ORYOKI
TAKING CARE OF ORYOKI
In a monastery, where students have assigned cushions, it is customary to keep oryoki on the “kanki”, chest in the Sodo. Washing is done on the “off” day (days with a 4 and 9). On these days, monks are given time to attend to personal items, such as laundry, shaving, etc.
Replace cloth setsu tip when it becomes very soiled. In the monasteries, it is the usual practice to replace the tip before sesshin.
BEFORE MEAL
1. Place oryoki directly in front of you with the tied corners of the folding cloth pointing toward your right. Or, if you tie cloth using a lotus flower knot, pointing outwards.
A. The server will usually bow to two people at a time.
B. You and the other person will return the bow with gassho.
C. The person nearest the altar (or nearest the end of the zendo where the priest is sitting) will take the item* ie.soy sauce, from the tray. The other person will remain in gassho.
D. With the first person still holding the item, both gassho to the server who bows in return.
E. The item is placed between the two, but not on the meal board.
3. After the first chant open your oryoki.
A. With two fingers and thumb of the left hand, steady the oryoki from the top. With the right hand, pull the small (almost hidden) corner of the cloth.
B. Open the cloth and smooth out the left and right corners.
4. Drying Cloth
A. Pick up the drying cloth with both hands, at the centre of left and right edges, respectively.
B. Fold in thirds, bringing right hand over left hand.
C. Holding top of cloth with two fingers of left hand and bottom with two fingers of right hand, flip the cloth over so that right hand is now on top.
D. Place drying cloth down on the Mizuita* (Water board) above the utensil holder. Corners are at upper left.
Pick up utensil holder, Mizuita and drying cloth together, right hand at top, left hand at bottom. Turn them 90degree clockwise and place in front of you (between knees). Corners of the drying cloth will be at the upper right, setsu cloth tip will be on the left.
Two corners of the napkin will be at the “upper left” on the bows.
A. Grasp top corner with right hand.
B. Grasp bottom corner with left hand.
C. Pull hands apart, spreading napkin on lap.
7. Folding cloth
A. Open the other two corners of the folding cloth: the top one away from you, the other toward you.
B. Fold the cloth into a “star” shape in the sequence by folding under a part of each corner but leaving the tips sticking out.
B. Grasp bottom corner with left hand.
A. With both hands, pick up entire set of bowls and move them to the left, staying on the “Hattan”.
B. Take out the two smallest bowls and place them on the right. (Monk bowls only-if you have 3 bowl set omit this step)
C. Put the middle (second) bowl on top of the two smallest bowls or place it on the right
D. Put the fourth (third) bowl in the centre.
B. Unfold the utensil holder with two fingers of your right hand.
C. With the left hand holding the utensil holder, work out the spoon, sticks and setsu with your right hand. Fold utensil holder in thirds, underneath.
D. Remove sticks with your right hand: grasp with first two fingers and thumb from underneath, thumb on right.
E. Turn hand over and place sticks at the left edge of the cloth, below Buddha bowl, points toward centre.
F. Repeat with spoon, bowl of spoon towards centre.
G. Repeat with setsu, this time first two fingers on top, thumb on bottom. Turn hand over and push setsu toward you between 2nd and 3rd bowls.
H. Put utensil holder under drying cloth, opening toward the right.
RECEIVING FOOD
B. Two people will be served at one time.
C. When the server bows, respond with gassho.
D. Person nearest the altar, or- if the head priest in present, the person nearest the head priest - offers Buddha bowl; other person remains in gassho.
E. In accepting it, you may have to encourage it into your bowl with your spoon if it is sticky.
G. 2nd person picks up bowl just before 1st person is finished being served.
H. Do not allow gruel to be heaped over the top of the Buddha bowl.
This bowl is used for soup at lunch and dinner, or other liquid dishes. Soup should not to be accepted in the Buddha bowl as the usual way to eat soup is to drink directly from the bowl and the Buddha bowl should not touch the lips. A monk's Buddha bowl is curved over at the rim so that it would be very difficult to drink soup from this bowl.
Breakfast
Lunch
DURING THE MEAL
1. At the start of the third chant “First, seventy two labours …” come to gassho. At second line of chant “ We should know how it…” come to shashu and bow. At third line of chant “Second, as we receive…” come to zazen posture
2. At lunch only, place a small portion of food from the Buddha bowl on the setsu handle at start of special chant to hungry ghosts,”All those of the spiritual worlds..”
3. At the start of the fourth chant, put the spoon in the Buddha bowl and chopsticks across the middle bowl. “First this food is for the three treasures…”
4. Come back to gassho. When you reach the fourth line of the fourth chant, starting with “Thus we eat this food...” pick up the Buddha bowl and hold it in front of you at eye level.
5. At the end of fourth chant, bow with Buddha bowl and begin to eat from it. As you eat, keep spoon straight ahead at 12 o'clock.
6. When not eating from the Buddha bowl, keep your spoon in it, pointing straight ahead.
7. When not using the middle bowl, put your chopsticks across it.
8. Seconds, ”Saishin”
C. If you do want seconds in the Buddha bowl, put the spoon on the left part of the cloth with bowl of the spoon toward the centre, right side up.
D. For seconds in the middle (or third bowl), put chopsticks on the cloth, pointing to the centre, left to right. If the spoon is also on the cloth, chopsticks are placed between spoon and bowls.
E. When having seconds, come to gassho as server approaches. Be served as usual.
F. If you want seconds in the middle bowl, but not in third bowl, put sticks on third bowl after second bowl is served. Conversely, if you are not having seconds in the middle bowl, but want it in the third, put sticks on cloth after server has passed with second bowl.
G. Be aware as to what kind of serving vessel the server used for each bowl. If there is not enough for seconds for the Buddha bowl or middle bowl, you may find yourself being served (or passed by) because something is being served sooner than you thought. So observe what is being served and anticipate what you should do.
H. At the signal, gassho and begin eating.
AFTER EATING
B. Gassho to your bowls.
C. Pick up chopsticks in right hand and, covering mouth with left hand, clean off tips quickly in your mouth.
D. Put sticks on cloth on the right side, tips pointing toward the centre.
E. Pick up setsu with thumb and first finger of right hand, place it in Buddha bowl at the same time taking spoon between second and third fingers. Exchange spoon and setsu.
F. Clean spoon as with chopsticks and put it down on the right side, bowl of the spoon down and pointing toward the centre.
G. Pick up Buddha bowl, take setsu in right hand and scrape up food particles. Clean off food morsels in your mouth.
H. Put down the Buddha bowl and setsu; transfer setsu to middle bowl and clean the bowl.
I. Repeat for third bowl.
J. Put third bowl down; put setsu in Buddha bowl, pointing straight ahead, and wait in zazen for water to be served.
2) Pick up Buddha bowl and setsu. Hold setsu in right hand at the outside of the bowl, offering the bowl to receive water.
3) When enough water has been poured, signal by raising setsu slightly.
4) Put setsu in bowl, pointing straight ahead.
5) Both persons hold bowl with two hands at waist level when bowing to water server.
6) Hold Buddha bowl in left hand, either resting on left thigh (close to body) or held in front of you. Clean bowl with setsu.
7) Put setsu in bowl, pointing straight ahead. Hold bowl with two hands, holding down setsu with thumbs. Pour water toward you into middle bowl. (If you bring the Buddha bowl as close to you as possible when pouring, there will be less chance of water spilling.)
8) Holding Buddha bowl in left hand, put setsu in middle bowl.
9) Pick up drying cloth by grasping the top corner with first and second fingers of right hand. Let it “fall” into a triangular shape.
10) Place the triangle across Buddha bowl. Using thumb and first finger of both hands, grasp bowl and cloth together, near the rim.
11) Wipe bowl by turning it clockwise through the cloth.
12) After a full revolution, hold bowl in left hand and roll up cloth in right hand, leaving about 1” of corner free. Wipe bottom of bowl and leave rolled up cloth in bowl. Put Buddha bowl down.
2) Put setsu in middle bowl, pointing straight out. Put spoon in right hand. With left hand, fold the exposed corner of the drying cloth over the bowl of the spoon without taking the cloth out of the Buddha bowl. Wipe bowl of spoon; turn spoon 180degree so bowl is pointing toward you and push it through cloth.
3) Spoon is now in your right hand, bowl down and pointing left. Without picking up utensil holder, slide spoon into it. (The opening in utensil holder should be on your right, with the fold on the left.)
4) Repeat steps 1) and 2) above with chopsticks.
5) In left hand pick up folded utensil holder that contains spoon. Slide sticks into utensil holder, toward you. Work utensils to bottom with right hand. Do not let utensils drop of their own weight.
6) Fold over the utensil holder and replace it in front of you, this time with the opening on the left. The pointed half is on top, with the opening down (not visible). Fold is now on the right.
2) Put setsu in bowl. Hold bowl and setsu with left hand; lift them up and move small bowl to the middle with your right hand.
3) With both hands holding middle bowl (thumbs on setsu), pour some water into the small bowl.
4) Put setsu in small bowl.
5) Drink remaining water from middle bowl.
6) Holding middle bowl in left hand, dry it as in Steps 2.A.9)~12).
7) After putting rolled-up drying cloth in middle bowl, put middle bowl inside Buddha bowl, quietly.
8) Wash small bowl with setsu.
9) “Wring out” setsu tip with thumbs and forefingers. Wipe the handle of the setsu with water from the small bowl.
10) With sets in left hand, dry it with corner of drying cloth with right thumb and index finger. Dry the cloth tip, then push the setsu through the folded over corner held with the thumb and index finger of the right hand. The drying cloth remains in the bowl.
11) The setsu is in your left hand: two fingers up, thumb under. Twist your wrist and slide the setsu into the utensil holder. Use the right hand to left up the upper half of the utensil holder to allow setsu to be easily put in. Cloth tip should be pointing out, that is, to the left.
12) Sit in zazen until water is collected
B. Both persons gassho to server. Person nearest altar offers water first.
C. Pick up small bowl with thumb and two fingers of right-hand (if server is on your right; use left hand otherwise). The other two fingers are folded under.
D. Pour water down side of bucket, pouring toward yourself, using your other hand to cover the bowl. Use a “backhand” motion when pouring, the water going toward your arm. Note that your hand will be bent up.
F. Drink remaining drops.
G. Pick up drying cloth and dry small bowl.
H. When rolling drying cloth, do not leave an exposed corner-roll it completely and keep it in the palm of your right hand after drying small bowl.
1) Pull out the right and left corners of the folding cloth.
2) Pull out the corner nearest you and place it over the top of the bowls with your right hand.
3) Pull out the corner farthest from you and bring it over the top of the bowls.
2) With the right hand, reach under the napkin and grasp the opposite edge in the same manner.
3) Bring the far edge under by bringing your right hand toward you. Lift up both hands, causing the napkin to be folded in half.
4) Fold napkin in thirds, vertically, the right hand being closest to you.
5) Bring right hand down to the centre of the napkin and hold it with the thumb and first finger. Hold the top of the napkin with thumb and first finger of the left hand.
6) With the left hand, fold napkin in half, toward you. With the left hand now at the bottom, rotate napkin up wards so that two corners are at the upper left. Place napkin on partially covered bowls. (Note: This step was devised to protect the larger napkin used by the relatively long legged foreigners.)
2) With right hand, shake drying cloth so that it unrolls Hold it up, square, in front of you by grasping a corner in each hand.
3) Straighten top edge by gently tugging between right and left hand. (Do not “snap” cloth.)
4) Rotate cloth clockwise by bringing left hand to right, dropping the corner held in the right hand, transferring the corner held in the left hand to the right hand, and moving left back to pick up next corner.
5) Repeat 3) and 4) until all four edges have been straightened.
6) Move hands from corners of the cloth to the middle, letting cloth fold toward you, in half.
7) Place folded drying cloth on utensil holder, centre fold across middle, edges at the top.
8) Unfold cloth by bringing top edge toward you with both hands so that cloth covers utensil holder and most of napkin and bowls.
2) Put left hand on top of drying cloth, palm, up. Open thumb and small finger.
3) With right hand, reach across left hand and pick up left corner of folding cloth. Place it under the left thumb and over the first three fingers of left hand and under the little finger.
6) Pull left hand through (i.e., under) folded cloth, keeping the grasp of index and middle fingers on the corner of the cloth, so that the corner comes under and a “tie” is made.
7) With the left hand, pick up the corner that was brought under in the last step. Use the thumb and two fingers. Hold corner at base, near the tie.
8) Take the other corner with the right hand, bring it around (counter clockwise) the corner held in the left hand and tuck it into the index and middle finger of
9) With right hand, grasp the corner not held by the two fingers.
10) Draw the left hand through the cloth, bringing corner “B” part way through, so that a tag remains on the right side of the knot that is formed.
11) Smooth out cloths, gassho to ORYOKI and wait in zazen position until last chant ends the meal.
