FormalMeals.docVIP

Formal Meals Every morning after practice and during multi-day retreats, we have formal meals. This is a style of eating that has been used in Buddhist temples in Korea and China for centuries. These meals are conducted in silence and follow a formal procedure for a couple of reasons. Firstly, this eliminates the need to communicate verbally, in order to maintain the silence that is kept during retreats to help us focus on our practice. Also, in former times it was not uncommon for monks to go blind in old age and the procedure helped these monks eat without assistance. Each person has a set of four bowls which are usually made in decreasing sizes so that they fit inside each other. The largest is called the Buddha bowl. Traditionally, only white rice is served in this bowl. At the beginning of the meal, water is served and used to rinse the bowls before the food is served. This water is kept in one of the bowls until the end of the meal, when it is used to rinse the bowls again. Then the water is poured into a bowl to be offered to the “hungry ghosts”—beings who live in one of the lower realms and have large stomachs but extremely thin throats. Care is taken to only offer clear water, as food crumbs will cause the hungry ghosts to choke. Cleaning the bowls after eating is included in the meal procedure. This is done with hot tea, which is then drunk along with any remaining food crumbs. Thus, no food, even the smallest crumb, is wasted. Our four-bowl eating style is a modification of the form used in Korean monasteries. Originally, in Buddha’s time, there was only one bowl. The four bowls are symbolic of the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) and also of Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and Mind. Eating meals together in silence is an important part of formal practice. Meals are always eaten in formal style during retreats, and the guiding teacher will determine which meals are eaten formally during non-retreat times. When the dinner bell rings, it is time to go to