Meal prayer

[Bonsai Doug]

I've been on the look-out for an equivalent pre-meal prayer like that of "grace" offered by many Christians.

I recently came across this and thought I'd share:

Wisely reflecting I eat this food,
remembering with gratitude where it comes from
and how many people have no food or too little.

Guarding my mind against indulgence,
mindful of each mouthful,
I take into this body what it needs
to support me on the path.

~ Ajahn Jayasaro

[Khalil Bodhi]

Nice! Thank you for that. Mettaya.

[bodom]

See this sutta:

Once when the Buddha was living at Savatthi, King Pasenadi of Kosala ate a whole bucketful of food, and then approached the Buddha, engorged and panting, and sat down to one side. The Buddha, discerning that King Pasenadi was engorged and panting, took the occasion to utter this verse:

When a person is constantly mindful,
And knows when enough food has been taken,
All their afflictions become more slender
— They age more gradually, protecting their lives.

Now at that time the brahman youth Sudassana was standing nearby, and King Pasenadi of Kosala addressed him: "Come now, my dear Sudassana, and having thoroughly mastered this verse in the presence of the Buddha, recite it whenever food is brought to me. And I will set up for you a permanent offering of a hundred kahaapanas every day." "So be it, your majesty," the brahman youth Sudassana replied to the king...

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .olen.html

[Cittasanto]

[T_Hill_616]

From The Four Foundations of Mindfulness In Plain English[u] by Bhante Gunaratana;
" with mindful reflection, I eat this food, neither for amusement, nor for intoxication, nor for the sake I physical beauty and attractiveness, but only for the endurance and continuance of this body, for ending discomfort, and for assisting the holy life, considering, "Thus I shall terminate old feelings without arousing new feelings. I shall be healthy and blameless and shall live in comfort."

[mikenz66]

Thanks for the quotation T Hill.

That's also part of the morning chant that monks do every day. At my Wat they also do it before meals.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/auth ... ml#morning
Reflection at the Moment of Using the Requisites

Paṭisaṅkhā yoniso piṇḍapātaṃ paṭisevāmi,
Considering it thoughtfully, I use alms food,
Neva davāya na madāya na maṇḍanāya na vibhūsanāya,
Not playfully, nor for intoxication, nor for putting on bulk, nor for beautification,
Yāvadeva imassa kāyassa ṭhitiyā yāpanāya vihiṃsuparatiyā brahma-cariyānuggahāya,
But simply for the survival & continuance of this body, for ending its afflictions, for the support of the holy life,
Iti purāṇañca vedanaṃ paṭihaṅkhāmi navañca vedanaṃ na uppādessāmi,
(Thinking,) Thus will I destroy old feelings (of hunger) and not create new feelings (from overeating).
Yātrā ca me bhavissati anavajjatā ca phāsu-vihāro cāti.
I will maintain myself, be blameless, & live in comfort.

And here it is in a sutta:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html

"Reflecting appropriately, he uses almsfood, not playfully, nor for intoxication, nor for putting on bulk, nor for beautification; but simply for the survival & continuance of this body, for ending its afflictions, for the support of the holy life, thinking, 'Thus will I destroy old feelings [of hunger] and not create new feelings [from overeating]. I will maintain myself, be blameless, & live in comfort.'

Mike

[T_Hill_616]

Thank you Mike for explaining what "feelings" the reflection refers to. I wasn't quite sure about that.