Satori kitchen at Dharma Mountain dealt with a record number of participants in the summer retreat. Many sannyasins are involved in making it possible to serve delicious, tasty and fresh food to everyone.
We asked some of them how it was, and what the work in the kitchen means for them:
Ashika
Kitchen planning team
My heart and my life
It has never been so many people eating at Dharma Mountain as this summer! We had around 160 people eating lunch – before it has been around 120. The number for breakfast was around 100, before it has been around 65. So the team got together to look at how we could receive everyone and how this would affect the kitchen processes; if we had enough workers, enough place to store food, and many other things. We had to buy more serving utensils and kitchen equipments, and found solutions to make the shopping and storing in a smarter way. We got some suggestions from the cooks and assistants on how to make things flow easier during the service times. And it has worked fine! Of course, some times it was crowded in the mainhouse – but it has been a good flow.
To work in the kitchen in Dharma Mountain is my heart and my life. That is clear. And it feels a blessing to work out from that space.
Kazuya
Cook and assistant
Time for fun
It is all about following the recipe. I feel myself belonging to the kitchen, to the Sangha, to Babaji.
He is the Chef! When I’m working in the kitchen it is me that is being cooked. This retreat we are cooking for many people, and it has been a dance in kitchen! So many teams coexisting and passing by. Breakfast, lunch, veggie cutting, pastry, dishwashers, dinner, fruits. For me it’s an opportunity for presence, awareness and relaxation. Planning, responsibility, team work and love. When the food serving is about to start I use to say: “It’s time for fun!”.
Gratitude, Beloved Babaji!
Farooq
Assistant
Love and awareness
It is very special for me to work in the kitchen. What I learn is these two, love and awareness. Both are there in the kitchen. I feel love – for the friends working together, the food, the quality of love and togetherness. I feel so open there. Then there is also the awareness, the need to be focused, present, sharp. In the beginning I couldn’t recognize myself, because in daily life I am not always like that – I have ideas, I can close down – but in the kitchen something special happens. I become open, I am out of the way, with no ideas. I learn this in the kitchen – to be in a state of love, joy and awareness at the same time. I see I can bring this more to my daily life. The kitchen is a precious opportunity to practise. I am working there, making beautiful food, but at the same time working for something bigger.
