Aspiration in the Kitchen: Just To Be. Part I

In zen-cuisine, our aspiration is to go into the kitchen just to be. This aspiration is our true nature. It seeks to realize and express itself through what is unfolding in the present moment. Our life in its outward form is ever-changing, yet our aspiration is essentially always the same. We long to explore the mystery of life, to know our true identity. We are this flow of experience, full of possibilities. Within the infinite energy of change, we manifest what Eckhart Tolle calls it ‘the power of now’.

In the kitchen, our aspiration is to step completely into this flow of experience, exactly as we are. Practicing zen-cuisine, we touch the present, moment by moment by moment. In the process, our experience transforms both our thoughts and actions, and changes our way of being.  As we come to understand the wisdom in accepting things the way they are, we can ‘just be’ without illusion or fantasy added to our present experience.

But this does not mean we simply embrace acceptance, and that is the end of the recipe. According to the ‘instructions to the cook’ that inform our zen-cuisine life, once we’ve acknowledge what’s happening, we contemplate the situation. Then, mindfully we act with awareness, doing what is to be done. From a place, grounded and centered in our heart and mind, we shape circumstances to better manifest that which we aspire to: just to be, as we are.

 If a recipe turns out well, that’s o.k. If a recipe flops, that’s o.k. as well. Learning is encapsulated in our failure, as well as our successes, and we can use our curiosity to explore possibilities inherent in both situations.  We no longer experience an emotional upset when things don’t turn out exactly as we want. We are more realistic. Instead of starting out with impossibly high hopes, we take things as they come.

Instead of clinging to unrealistic expectations about our cooking skills, we relax in the kitchen. With ease, we learn to let go of these expectations, practicing our aspiration of ‘just being present’. Mindful cooking graces our mental and emotional continuum with a passionate, yet calm energy. We prepare food with a sense of wonder. Our aspiration, just to be, transforms us at a profound yet gentle way.  

Time spent in the kitchen grows into an expression of our connection with a deeply-rooted creativity. Meal preparation becomes an increasingly rich and meaningful activity. We cherish our experience, knowing we can fully participate in the great banquet of life.  Happy cooking!

Get the recipe to make these tasty 

"Spicy Peanut-Green Bean Wraps" 

at Juicy Foods