The world of Tzu Chi August 2020 (Vol.125)

TZU CHI 125 51 * This article is extracted from the book “Reminders under the Sala Trees – A Commentary on the Sutra of the Buddha’s Bequeathed Teachings”. and healthy religion that will naturally bring purification to people in every corner of the world, correcting superstitious customs and deviant thoughts. I hope that as spiritual practitioners, we will always keep the Buddha’s teachings and put sentient beings ahead of ourselves. We must not underestimate ourselves, but should conduct ourselves properly in daily living. This is also “disciplining one’s body”. Aproper diet is good for health “Eat at the right time.” To live and maintain our health, we must eat; however, we should eat in moderation. Uncontrolled eating and drinking easily brings about disease and disaster. When the Buddha was in the world, he had “an alms bowl that contained food from a thousand households”. Every monastic had three robes and an alms bowl. They would eat once a day at noon time, sleep under a tree, and lead a simple life without encumbrance. They would eat just enough to sustain themselves throughout the day. Thus, eating the prescribed amounts at prescribed times can treat the hindrance of insatiable desire. Many people eat without moderation. They eat snacks in addition to normal meals. Having just eaten regular meals and put down their bowls and chopsticks, they lay out a table full of snacks to eat, and bring food with them wherever they go. It is often said that a great ocean can be filled, but the hole under our nose can never be filled. Chinese people are particular about what they eat, and can spend several hours preparing a meal. In order to save time and promote health, I wish everyone can eat simpler and lighter food. In addition, some people in society cause tragedy when socializing, eating and drinking. For instance, people might go out to have drinks, and once they are drunk, they knock over tables and chairs, and even fight or kill each other with knives. Some people have even killed their best friends or loved ones by mistake. All of these are indirectly caused by “eating”. Nowadays, people have to work, so they need to get enough nutrition. Therefore, one meal a day is not necessarily sufficient; we may need to eat three meals a day to take in a regular amount of nutrition. Only with a healthy body can we develop our wisdom. We should not skip meals and replace them with snacks, since snacks do not benefit our body and this easily becomes a bad habit. These are the rules of eating and the details we need to pay attention to when we engage in spiritual practice. Furthermore, there is an etiquette to eating that must be followed. All in all, the body is a vessel for spiritual cultivation, so we need to take good care of our bodies and put the Buddhadharma into action. (To be continued in the next issue) REMINDERS UNDER THE SALA TREES