Tenzo
Encyclopedia
Tenzo is a title given to the chef
at a Buddhist
monastery. The literal translation is 'Heavenly Monk'.
From ancient times Buddhist monasteries have had six office-holders who, as disciples of the Buddha, guide the monastic community. Amongst these, the tenzo bears the responsibility of caring for the community's meals. The Zen
Monastic Standards states; "The tenzo functions as the one who makes offerings with reverence to the monks."
Since ancient times this office has been held by realized monks or by senior disciples who have roused the enlightened. Those entrusted with this work but who lack a disciplined mind will only cause and endure hardship despite all their efforts. The Zen Monastic Standards states; "Putting the mind of the Way to work, serve carefully varied meals appropriate to each occasion and thus allow everyone to practice without hindrance."
The Tenzo does much more than a "cook" does. It is one of the most demanding positions. The Tenzo prepares meal plans for Sesshin
, making sure all the ingredients are present. The vast majority of food comes from takuhatsu
. It means the vegetables are not prime choice, not really "fresh" as sold in stores. It is the job of the Tenzo to provide nutritional meals from the donations received from takuhatsu.
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
at a Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
monastery. The literal translation is 'Heavenly Monk'.
From ancient times Buddhist monasteries have had six office-holders who, as disciples of the Buddha, guide the monastic community. Amongst these, the tenzo bears the responsibility of caring for the community's meals. The Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
Monastic Standards states; "The tenzo functions as the one who makes offerings with reverence to the monks."
Since ancient times this office has been held by realized monks or by senior disciples who have roused the enlightened. Those entrusted with this work but who lack a disciplined mind will only cause and endure hardship despite all their efforts. The Zen Monastic Standards states; "Putting the mind of the Way to work, serve carefully varied meals appropriate to each occasion and thus allow everyone to practice without hindrance."
The Tenzo does much more than a "cook" does. It is one of the most demanding positions. The Tenzo prepares meal plans for Sesshin
Sesshin
A sesshin , literally "touching the heart-mind" , is a period of intensive meditation in a Zen monastery....
, making sure all the ingredients are present. The vast majority of food comes from takuhatsu
Takuhatsu
Takuhatsu is a traditional form of alms, common to Buddhist monks in Japan. In the practice of takuhatsu, monks travel to various businesses and residences in order to exchange chanting of sutras in Sino-Japanese for donations of food and money...
. It means the vegetables are not prime choice, not really "fresh" as sold in stores. It is the job of the Tenzo to provide nutritional meals from the donations received from takuhatsu.