Eihei Dogen

A famous Zen manual on the symbolism of cooking and the “supreme meal”.

This life we live is a life of rejoicing, this body a body of joy which can be used to present offerings to the Three Jewels. It arises through the merits of eons and using it thus its merit extends endlessly. I hope that you will work and cook in this way, using this body which is the fruition of thousands of lifetimes and births to create limitless benefit for numberless beings.

• Click here to view the translation PDF by Anzan Hoshin roshi and Yasuda Joshu Dainen roshi (or click here to view the HTML original at White Wind).

• Click here to read the online edition by T. Griffith Foulk. With thanks to the Red Cedar Zen Community.

• Follow this link for a lecture on the text by Sojun Mel Weitsman Roshi.

• And here is a dedicated French page with partial translation.

With thanks to the International Division of the Administrative Headquarters of Soto Zen Buddhism (Sotoshu Shumucho). | Other works by Dogen can be found at the Terebess author page.