Conclusion
The Buddha is the only Teacher who never claimed that his teaching alone is right and others are wrong. Freedom of thought is the Buddha's perfect strategy of investigating what is right and wrong. Without further investigating what the essence of his teaching is one should not end up by merely thinking that refraining from food what is regarded as impure makes one a good Buddhist. Diet should not become a source of serious controversy with regard to one's sprituality.
Food, of course, is important to everyone because among the four necessities of human requisite (viz: food, shelter, cloth and medicine) food is one of them. Therefore the Buddha says (sabbe satta aharatthitika) "all beings subsist on nutriment or edible food". In the Kosalasamyutta of the Samyutta Nikaya, the Buddha advised King Passenadi Kosala to be moderate in food (bhojana mattannu). Whether it is vegetable or meat one has to be moderate in consuming them. This may also be related to the Vinaya rule of not to eat after mid day and the practice of bhojane mattannuta by monks. Over eating cause laziness, which is one of the six kinds of avenues leading to downfall mentioned in the Sigalovada Sutta of Dighanikaya. Monks are supposed to contemplate on food (paccavekkhana) before they partake it. In Puttamamsa Sutta, the Buddha taught to his disciples who to regard the material food (kabalinkara ahara). Food should be taken not for pleasure (davaya), not for indulgence (madaya), not for personal charm (mandanaya), not for comeliness (vibhusanaya), but for the sheer necessity of living. The Buddha gave a parable concerning parents with their child in desert about 100 yojanas extant. When their provisions have run out and extremely feel hunger, their beloved child was killed and they eat it flesh. They ate it without passion of the senses and as this simile shows material food also should be taken without passion, without further thinking that "this food is very taste, what is make of?" The material food is also important for living being. there are three other important nutriments for life. They are; Phassa-ahara (sense-impression), Manosancetana-ahara (volition thought) and Vinnana ahara (consciousness).
Living style of monks during the Buddha time was begging for food from house to house and accepting food when invited and offered by devotees. Therefore it is reasonable to set a rule of consumption of food. If the food offered was meat, monks are allowed to eat under three circumstances; that is unseen, unheard and no doubt. The ideal monkhood is described as controlled in deed and word, restrained food for the stomach, with small stomach, moderate in food, easily satisfied, and undisturbed. A person who immoderate in food is described as one who is thoughtless and unwise. He takes food for the sake of amusement, pride, decoration, ornamentation, insatiability, immoderation and thoughtlessness as to food.
Nutriment is not only a material phenomenon, but as an active process it is also a condition (ahara-paccaya) of support of two kinds: the relation of edible food to the body and the relation of immaterial support to co-existing states of mind and body. It is this nutritive support in the psychological field which forms the basis of the doctrine of kamma and the teachings connected therewith. Food or sustenance (ahara) is frequently synonymous with causal condition, e.g., "from the arising of food is the arising of the body; from the ceasing of food is the ceasing of the body; and the way leading to the ceasing of the body is the Noble Eightfold Path" (aharasamudaya rupasamudayo, aharanirodha rupanirodho; ayam eva ariyo attangiko maggo rupanirodhagamini patipada): (S. III, 59)
The Buddha is the only Teacher who never claimed that his teaching alone is right and others are wrong. Freedom of thought is the Buddha's perfect strategy of investigating what is right and wrong. Without further investigating what the essence of his teaching is one should not end up by merely thinking that refraining from food what is regarded as impure makes one a good Buddhist. Diet should not become a source of serious controversy with regard to one's sprituality.
Food, of course, is important to everyone because among the four necessities of human requisite (viz: food, shelter, cloth and medicine) food is one of them. Therefore the Buddha says (sabbe satta aharatthitika) "all beings subsist on nutriment or edible food". In the Kosalasamyutta of the Samyutta Nikaya, the Buddha advised King Passenadi Kosala to be moderate in food (bhojana mattannu). Whether it is vegetable or meat one has to be moderate in consuming them. This may also be related to the Vinaya rule of not to eat after mid day and the practice of bhojane mattannuta by monks. Over eating cause laziness, which is one of the six kinds of avenues leading to downfall mentioned in the Sigalovada Sutta of Dighanikaya. Monks are supposed to contemplate on food (paccavekkhana) before they partake it. In Puttamamsa Sutta, the Buddha taught to his disciples who to regard the material food (kabalinkara ahara). Food should be taken not for pleasure (davaya), not for indulgence (madaya), not for personal charm (mandanaya), not for comeliness (vibhusanaya), but for the sheer necessity of living. The Buddha gave a parable concerning parents with their child in desert about 100 yojanas extant. When their provisions have run out and extremely feel hunger, their beloved child was killed and they eat it flesh. They ate it without passion of the senses and as this simile shows material food also should be taken without passion, without further thinking that "this food is very taste, what is make of?" The material food is also important for living being. there are three other important nutriments for life. They are; Phassa-ahara (sense-impression), Manosancetana-ahara (volition thought) and Vinnana ahara (consciousness).
Living style of monks during the Buddha time was begging for food from house to house and accepting food when invited and offered by devotees. Therefore it is reasonable to set a rule of consumption of food. If the food offered was meat, monks are allowed to eat under three circumstances; that is unseen, unheard and no doubt. The ideal monkhood is described as controlled in deed and word, restrained food for the stomach, with small stomach, moderate in food, easily satisfied, and undisturbed. A person who immoderate in food is described as one who is thoughtless and unwise. He takes food for the sake of amusement, pride, decoration, ornamentation, insatiability, immoderation and thoughtlessness as to food.
Nutriment is not only a material phenomenon, but as an active process it is also a condition (ahara-paccaya) of support of two kinds: the relation of edible food to the body and the relation of immaterial support to co-existing states of mind and body. It is this nutritive support in the psychological field which forms the basis of the doctrine of kamma and the teachings connected therewith. Food or sustenance (ahara) is frequently synonymous with causal condition, e.g., "from the arising of food is the arising of the body; from the ceasing of food is the ceasing of the body; and the way leading to the ceasing of the body is the Noble Eightfold Path" (aharasamudaya rupasamudayo, aharanirodha rupanirodho; ayam eva ariyo attangiko maggo rupanirodhagamini patipada): (S. III, 59)
1 comment:
very good blog, congratulations
regard from Catalonia Spain
thank you
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