Home › Magazine › Fall 1999 › Rearranging the Clouds
Filed in Tibetan, Food

Rearranging the Clouds

With chaos all around—plus a teenager who bakes her boots in the oven—a chef is served tasty doses of dharma in a Tibetan center kitchen.

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It’s been two weeks since I took a vow of silence and as far as I can tell, no one has noticed. When people come into the kitchen, I simply nod as they talk, mastering the art of “um,” that neutral little sound that expresses so much, reveals so little. I sense that my reputation as a good conversationalist increases daily.

When I first went silent, I brought a small pad and pen with me into the kitchen at the retreat center. I kept fingering the pad and pen in my pocket, planning to write, “Silence.” Or maybe, “Silent Vow,” but I've never had to use either.

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