Munen Muso no Sushi
I eat Sushi in Marina at a restaurant called “Ichi Riki’s”. It’s famous on the Monterey coast, mostly so because there aren’t many good sushi bars. I avoided it when I first relocated to the Monterey coast because it was popular among the Salinas rodeo culture for all the wrong reasons, and by people who frankly I consider quite ignorant of anything Japanese.
Nonetheless as time passed I ended up there due to necessity and the fact that it’s on the way back home after my dealings in Monterey.
Initially I found both the Sushi chefs to be quite “zero charisma”, in fact I found all the wait staff this way, lacking any noticeable personalities, as though you had to be in some old-guys club to actually get personable service. There’s also loud Japanese women with unidentifiable jobs who don’t seen to be capable of speech without yelling, which at first I found annoying, then later found somewhat comical and entertaining.
I slowly began to form a strange inter-cultural connection with one Taisho however, while the other one remains personality-less to this day.
The first thing I noticed was that the bills for my lunch seemed to always be $16.xx no matter what I ordered. Also, my Taisho buddy started treating me to samples of sushi of his own creation, the first being a dish of seared Ahi tuna, and later all sorts of things from Nigiri sushi to cucumbers soaked in special sauce - all sorts of things. I ate what he served appreciatively and without undo fuss. Apparently this is a Japanese custom, but one which Japanese chefs in America seldom honor due to a lack of trust in their customers that they will actually appreciate or even eat what they create and serve.
I finally remembered to examine my bill on one occasion after eating enough sushi to run into the high 20’s, which the charisma-absent chef would have billed me for - the bill was $16.88 for “1 Nami”. What’s a Nami? A “wave”? I still don't know to this day.
As the weeks have passed we have continued our sushi relationship, all the time growing more mystical. Finally, last week, I apparently was promoted to “Sushi Judan”.
I walked into the resturauant and sat down with my book, “Pruning the Bodhi Tree…” which I’m reading for the third time. Immediately Taisho came with a glass of water and Miso soup, no questions asked, not a word exchanged. This particular day was hotter than normal for the coast and thus the executive decision. I waited quietly to try and read the “energy”, and see what would happen next.
Five minutes later, after laboring over his work station, lunch appeared. No order had been taken, not a word exchanged. One order Unagi, one order Uni, one Ikura (large fish eggs), one Maguro Tuna ( I don’t usually order either Ikura OR Maguro), one Hamachi and one Sake.
Without question I ate, and thoroughly enjoyed it all. I love sushi, ALL sushi, with very few exceptions.
But more importantly was the “unspoken” communication and trust that had appeared. Serving a Gaijin in this way must have been risky venture. I carefully maintained a casual demeanor and continued dining.
In critical Buddhism it is stated that speech is inseparable from the true teachings of the Buddha. Zen-like concepts of “transmission outside the sutras” or that which can only be experienced and not expressed in words, falls under the rubric of non-Buddhist, Hongaku Jiso (original enlightenment) or Tathagata Garhba teachings which are of a “Dhatu Vada” flavor, and clearly not truly Buddhism. Shakyamuni was, in his truest purpose, a criticalist offering a critical and challenging voice to the establishment of the Brahman priests and “Topical” religion of his time.
Once Shakyamuni experienced enlightenment he very well could have kept the secret to him self, but elected to share what he had learned to others, using speech. This is a crucial point when considering what is Buddhism and which is not. Buddhism and the development of language are inseparable from this point of view..
However, this is not so with sushi. Sushi is a Dhatu vada, an independently existing state of being, free from causality.
Once my “lunch transmitted beyond the Sutras” was finished, more followed all without request or question. First was an sushi roll of uncertain variety (maybe a California roll varient?). And, to my concern (because frankly I was getting full) came a single piece of surf clam nigiri and single piece of Sake nigiri.
Truthfully, all things considered, this was my ultimate sushi experience. Whatever secret society exists at Ichi Riki’s, either metaphorically or in actuality, I had been made a member.
Then, pièce de résistance - the check.
$12.49.
I left a $10.00 tip, said “Oishi! Arigato Gozaimashta”, and left completely satisfied both spiritually and physically. Have I attained sushi enlightenment? I do not truly know. One thing is for sure, I will continue my sushi practice, no matter what.
Rev. Greg