Zen

After zazen, the ceremony is dedicated to the buddhas and to all existences, as a way of sharing our practice. Equally, during meals we chant a sutra expressing our gratitude for the gift of the food we have received; this food which is there to assist us in following the Way. We eat in silence, from the bowl. Eating from the bowl elevates the act of nourishing oneself to the rank of a ceremony, as indeed is the case for all actions of our life.