oryoki
Monastic meal ritual
Oryoki is a formal style of meditative eating practiced in Zen Buddhist monasteries, using a nested set of bowls wrapped in cloth.
The practice emphasizes mindfulness, gratitude, and minimal waste—practitioners eat in silence, receive only what they will consume, and clean their bowls with water they then drink.
The retreat included instruction in oryoki before meals.
Deep rounded containers
- nestingMaking a dwelling
- Buddha bowlAbundant vegetarian grain bowl
- clothWoven or knit material
- utensilsTools for eating
chopsticks · spoon · spatula · wrapping · lacquer · wood · ceramic · bundle
Consciously attentive
- portionDivided share given
- servingMeasured food portion
- receivingAcquiring what's sent
- chewingCrushing food orally
tasting · nourishment · meal · simplicity · frugality · sufficiency · moderation · silence
Meditative Buddhist school
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- mindfulnessAwareness of the present
- chantingRhythmic repetitive vocalization
- meditationFocused attention practice
dharma · sangha · zendo · prostration · sutra · bell · silence · awareness
Clear essential liquid
- rinseWash without scrubbing
- scrapeRub harshly against
- wipeRub to clean
- pickleVinegar-preserved vegetable
cloth · dry · fold · wrap · purification · thoroughness · residue · discipline
bowls
Deep rounded containers
- nestingMaking a dwelling
- Buddha bowlAbundant vegetarian grain bowl
- clothWoven or knit material
utensils · chopsticks · spoon · spatula · wrapping · lacquer · wood · ceramic · bundle · set
mindful
Consciously attentive
chewing · tasting · nourishment · meal · simplicity · frugality · sufficiency · moderation · silence · attention
Zen
Meditative Buddhist school
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- mindfulnessAwareness of the present
- chantingRhythmic repetitive vocalization
meditation · dharma · sangha · zendo · prostration · sutra · bell · silence · awareness · tradition
water
Clear essential liquid
pickle · cloth · dry · fold · wrap · purification · thoroughness · residue · discipline · completion
- Zen Buddhismzazen, Zen masters, Zen monks, koans, zendo
- Buddhist monasteryabbot, meditation hall, main hall, zendo, dormitory
oryokimindless eating
Unconscious food consumption
wolfing down · stress eating · binge eating · emotional eating
oryokicasual dining
Moderately priced sit-down eating
fast food · mindless eating · snacking · TV dinner · potluck
oryokigluttony
Greedy excess in consumption
overindulgence · binge eating · gorging · overeating · overconsumption