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Nyorai oryoki
Gakon toko futen
Now we open the bowls of the Tathagata
Tathagata has several meanings: the One who is complete, the perfect being. It refers both to the Buddha, who can take on all forms, and to the cosmic principle, the essence of the universe. The Buddha acts as a mediator between the Absolute and the Relative, the phenomenal world.
Oryoki is the monk’s bowl from which one eats. Oryoki is composed of three kanji:
o, the recipient responds to the gift of food
ryo, the measure of how much one receives (‘just enough’)
ki, the bowl.
In this bowl one receives the food, the genmai, the food of the Tathagata. Traditionally, the bowls are wrapped in a cloth.
Gan ku issai shu
Tô sanrin kûjaku
May we, together with all beings, attain Nirvana and free ourselves from the three defilements, the three poisons – greed, anger and ignorance.
Opening the bowls: opening one’s mind, letting go of all obstacles. Thus, zazen becomes absolute. Eating the genmai becomes absolute. Every action becomes absolute. The here and now becomes complete. Life as a whole becomes complete.
