Experiencing Genuine Gratitude
These days, when food of all kinds is plentiful and many people seem gui
are indeed to teach through actual experience how precious our meals are and
why we should be thankful for them, and are being implemented especially
in
elementary and middle schools.
For example, in some middle schools the pupils themselves reduce waste by
choosing the size of their own lunch portions and so not leaving large quantities
of food uneaten. This type of experience can provide the impetus for changing
from the idea of taking for granted that our meals are part of a life of
convenienc
and comfort to a feeling of gratitude for having been caused to live thanks to
the things we eat. Furthermore, although we may also think of the air around us
as something to be taken for granted, breathing is essentially for life.
The body乫s absorption of oxygen is indispensable, so it is important that
we be
grateful for the air we breathe just as we are for the water and food on
which
our lives depend.
丂丂丂丂A recent article in a leading Japanese newspaper noted that 乬the old saying
乪Even a single grain of rice comes from the heart of the farmer who grew
it乫
has disappeared.乭 By learning the importance of the things we take for
granted,
we can be prudent in making use of those things and recognize their true values
in our lives.
In Order to Attain Enlightenment
The last of the 乬Five Verses on Taking Meals乭 in Zen Buddhism, which expresses
the Buddhist attitude to eating, is 乬I receive this meal for the sake
of attaining
enlightenment,乭 meaning that the ultimate purpose of eating is to attain
enlightenment. In other words, meals are taken in order to attain completion
of the True Way, and not merely for satisfying our appetite.
The image of Shakyamuni,
who always depended on a mendicant乫s bowl
for his meals when he was disseminating the Way day and night, teaches
what
taking meals should means for Buddhists, while also making us think deeply
about the basic concept of our food sustaining our lives.
丂丂丂丂Nursery school director Takeshi Yoro, a professor emeritus the
University of Tokyo, was recently quoted in a newspaper as saying,
乬Children should be allowed to play until their stomachs feel empty. Then
they
can settle down and eat as if they are really enjoying their food. Most
mportant is that they can experience the basic value of a meal, and thus
refine the sensations related to eating, such as taste and hunger.
Improving those sensations can help children mentally process new
information.
丂 丂丂乬For what we a丂We should say the Grace before Meals
every day: 乬For what we are about to eat and drink, we are grateful
to the Buddha, to nature, and to many people.乭 We should always
maintain feelings of gratitude for the meals that sustain us.