Zen and Umami
What is Zen?
Zen is a term used to describe the teachings and philosophy of the Zen sect, a branch of Japanese Buddhism that came from China and its practices. Zazen and meditation are also well-known abroad.
Shugyo is one of the terms used in Buddhism for spiritual training. It refers to pursuing freedom from human desires such as property, honour, and sexuality and a state of satisfaction in life itself.
In Japanese, the word “shugyo” is written as “shugyo”, which has two different kanji expressions.
The kanji for “shu” in “shugyo” indicates the meaning “to improve the form of things and writings” and “to make one’s personality respectable”, which is common in the two expressions.” The kanji for “gyo” in “shugyo” differs in the two expressions, with one word meaning “action” and the other “gyo” meaning “skill”.
Zen ‘shugyo’ is the ‘practice’ of correcting ‘deeds’.
Zen practice and diet
In Zen Buddhism, Zen practice is the practice of preparing the mind through zazen, cleaning, sutra reading, bathing and all other activities of daily life, and eating is also a part of this practice. The cook and the eater have their manners and rules of the mind, described in the books ‘TenzoKyokun’ and ‘FushakuHanpo’, respectively.
The food prepared at Zen temples is called ‘vegetarian food’. Based on Buddhist precepts, these dishes are identified to avoid killing animals as much as possible and avoid stimulation of vexations.
Although many people describe vegetarian food as vegetarian, the two fundamental principles of vegetarian food are to eat the life with gratitude and to eat for the sake of ascetic practice.
The teachings of non-indulgence based on compassion do not mean that one should hunt or fish unnecessarily, but it does not simply mean that one should forbid eating meat.
Buddhist cuisine is the way of Umami itself.
All ingredients, such as vegetables, meat, and fish, have life. Since we are offered such precious life, vegetarian cuisine is a way of cooking that makes the most of the ingredients taste, using even vegetable scraps without wasting them.
The quality of vegetarian cooking is the quality of umami itself, which slowly and carefully draws out the flavor of the ingredients rather than adding a solid salty or sweet flavour as quickly as possible.
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