God Among the Pots and Pans

In Teresa of Lisieux’s words, “the Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity. Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them.” She likely did not know of the Tao Te Ching, the great Eastern mystical text, which also advises, “Do the great while it is still small,” but their similar insights proves the universality of mystical insight. In a similar vein, Teresa of Ávila also observed, “God lives also among the pots and pans,” in other words in our daily actions. Generations of monastic cooks in both the East and the West have also noted the importance of mindfulness. Thirteenth-century head cook and Zen Master Dogen’s “Instructions to the Cook” recommends we practice in our whole life, for our whole life. Teresa of Ávila said, “When eating partridge, eat partridge. When praying, pray,” meaning that there is a time for every activity and for putting our full attention on each moment. She could have been echoing the Buddha, who said, when you walk, just walk; when you eat, just eat.

~ from Entering the Castle: An Inner Path to God and Your Soul,

by Caroline Myss