Bowing mat: straw or cloth mat on which the doshi or tenzo makes full bows at the kitchen altar

Buddha tray: small tray containing miniature oryoki with a small bit of each food served; offered to the Buddha and the temple founder at meals

Clappers (kaishaku): wooden sticks used to signal various mealtime activities

Doan: the practitioner responsible for keeping track of time during zazen and ringing bells to announce activities throughout the day

Doshi: the teacher leading the sesshin

Five colors (of food): white, black/purple, blue/green, yellow/brown, red/orange

Five cooking methods: boiled, steamed, baked, fried, raw

Gassho: gesture of respect made by putting the palms and fingers together

Gomashio: a condiment made of toasted sesame seeds and salt served at sesshin meals

Ino: the practice leader, responsible for directing meals in the zendo and leading chants

Jisha: doshi's attendant

Kaishaku: see Clappers

Kenton: a cloth used to wipe spills and collect dropped food after the serving of a zendo gyohatsu meal

Kinhin: walking meditation

Kuin gyohatsu: Formal meals eaten at a table using oryoki

Mealboard: short table set in front of each set of two practitioners in the zendo for meals

Okesa: monk's outer robe

Oryoki: set of four or five bowls, spoon, chopsticks, napkin, utensil holder and wrapping cloth used to eat a formal Zen meal

Rakusu: small robe worn by practitioners who have received lay ordination (jukai)

Ryaku handai: informal meals eaten at a table without oryoki

Sesshin: meditation retreat which usually includes zazen, gyohatsu meals, services, mindful work and lectures by the doshi

Shashu: hand position in which the fingers of the left hand are wrapped around the thumb, the right hand covers the left, and the hands are held in front of the chest with forearms parallel to the ground

Six tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, mind, spicy

Soko Fugin: the kitchen service conducted before each meal

Special: dish offered to practitioners with dietary restrictions in place of the dish served to the rest of the sangha

Soko Shinsai: guardian spirit of the oven

Soku: lead server who provides direction to other servers

Tenzo: head cook

Wiping board: small board wrapped in a wet cloth used to wipe the mealboards before and after meals

Zazen: sitting meditation

Zendo: main room where practitioners do zazen, eat meals and listen to lectures

Zendo gyohatsu: Formal meals in the zendo using oryoki