The person who tidies the unseen places decides the flavor of the work. Keep the Three Minds as your fire, and results follow quietly.
Dōgen taught that “each small act of daily life is the Way.” He called the temple’s cooking, cleaning, and farm work samu（作務）—hands-on practice on par with seated meditation, shikantaza（只管打坐）. On food and cooking he wrote the Tenzo Kyōkun（典座教訓）, guidance for the tenzo（典座）, the head of the kitchen.
The Tenzo Kyōkun sets out both the role and inner stance of the tenzo, showing how ordinary cooking becomes a direct path of practice. From preparation to cleanup, every motion is training: how you handle ingredients, the joy of cooking for others, and even time use—all of it is cultivation.
Tenzo Kyōkun “The Three Mindsets”
- Kishin（喜心） — Joyful Mind: Remember the joy of cooking, the joy of serving others, and the joy of walking the Way.
- Rōshin（老心） — Nurturing Mind: Care for others with the considerate patience of an elder for a child.
- Daishin（大心） — Magnanimous Mind: Work with a broad, unruffled heart, without clinging to judgments about “good” or “poor” ingredients.
ZenNow （現代の禅）
The fire in the kitchen is like the rhythm of work. Tenzo Kyōkun is guidance for the head cook—the tenzo—and its essence is simple: do your best with the ingredients as they are. Value planning, cleanliness, and close attention over expensive ingredients. Prefer carefulness in every small motion to flashy outcomes.
In a modern kitchen, check the fridge first thing in the morning and use leftover vegetables by changing cut and heat. Wash and wipe as you go, keeping the workbench clear. The same applies at work: treat today’s people, time, and budget as your “ingredients,” and remember that preparation is eighty percent of the job—reduce bottlenecks with good planning. Do the “mise en place” for documents by confirming primary sources, set the “flame” of meetings with clear timing and roles, and never skip the cleanup—minutes and follow-ups. Refusing to sort materials into “good” and “bad,” and instead finding ways to bring out their value, builds team trust and repeatable results.
Summary
The one who tends the unseen places decides the flavor of the work. Keep Sanshin burning in the kitchen and at the desk, and the outcome will arrive quietly.
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