The Buddha’s Begging Bowl

Buddhism, Culture, Diet, Education, ethics, Food, Health, Medicine

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The word ‘diet’ has several different meanings. The Collins Dictionary defines it to be ‘the food and drink one regularly consumes’. An alternative to that is the definition given in A Kind Diet, which states that diet is “a way of living, or thinking, a day’s journey.”

The time we spend on shopping for food, planning our meals, thinking about what it is we like and do not like to eat and what adheres to the medical profession’s recommendations surrounding the subject of diet is indeed considerable. We spend many of our waking hours working out this basic survival function and the money that goes towards keeping this human body of ours in good shape and healthy is enormous. Having thought about that, and briefly looked into some popular diet trends that are heavily advertised on local media, I thought to divert away from the consumerist approach to food for a moment and consider the Buddha’s teaching on non-attachment.

One symbol the Buddha employed as a means to convey his teaching on non-attachment was the use of an alms or begging bowl. Alms are charitable donations of money or goods to the poor or needy, yet the Buddha was neither of these things, so why bother with the use of a begging bowl? The alms bowl is considered to be symbol of the monastic life or life of a renunciate, and an aid to the life of the holy and those interested in seeking the truth. Once made from clay, which broke easily, the bowls were then forged with iron for added durability.

Specifically, the alms bowl refers to the time in the Buddha’s life just before he attained enlightenment, when a young girl, named Sujata offered the Buddha a bowl of milk rice. Although the Buddha was practicing the austerity of eating only a little food at the time, he realized that to achieve the final stages of enlightenment, he would need to partake of the offering of rice from Sujata. After partaking of the meal, one tradition states that the Buddha then threw away the small amount of food left in that bowl to symbolize the Buddha’s complete non-attachment to material possessions. Another legend tells the story that the Buddha threw away the begging bowl itself into the river to symbolize the mind of non-attachment.

The point of all this is to question the validity, or lack thereof, of the attached state of mind itself. The mind of attachment is traditionally explained in Buddhist philosophy to be a mind that exaggerates the good qualities of an object and ignores it’s perhaps less apparent flaws. One apparent flaw in all objects of this world is their impermanent nature. Of the Four Seals of Buddhism, the first is that all compounded phenomena are suffering. The second is that all contaminated objects are impermanent.

What do we mean when we use the word stained or contaminated to describe states of mind and actions?

Stained or contaminated actions are actions, emotions or thoughts polluted by selfish attachment, or by hatred, greed or ignorance. Such actions motivated by these negative states of mind always result in suffering.

When motivated by an attached state of mind, we cling onto material possessions, relationships or even ideas, and fail to recognize the intransigent and impermanent nature of the object. That does not mean to say that we are not in need of food and other such things to ensure our good health. It does indicate however, that having a more open and loving attitude towards other beings is more important. Given the violent nature of our human history and past, the gross lack of regard for the lives of others and destruction of the environment and other species, it is most definitely time to act to lighten our environmental footprint and reduce our grasping towards the status symbols of the wealthy. Instead of spending big bucks on expensive living and chasing the latest fad or diet trend, I suggest that there is much more happiness and satisfaction to be gained and maintained from living a more moderate and simple lifestyle with a focus more upon ensuring a happy state of mind. If we spent more time ensuring our mind itself is in a positive and peaceful state, through the practice of meditation, this would naturally lead to a more balanced and healthy lifestyle which would not only benefit the practitioner, but others on the planet as well.

I will leave you here with a totally different interpretation of the word diet, from one of the founders of Buddhist literature and Mahayana thought. The great Nagarjuna once wrote of the Five Diets being;

The Diet of Concentration

The Course Diet

The Inner Diet

The Diet of Touch and

The Diet of Volition.

The symbol of the Buddha with an alms bowl is an important director of peace, happiness and prosperity to keep in mind as we go about our daily habit of foraging for food, drink and clothing, if in the least to try to minimize our ever-expanding impact on this precious planet.

Do you really need Jenny Craig for weight loss? I think not!

Buddhism, Diet, Education, ethics, Food, Health

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I have a much better idea, having tried out Jenny Craig for a couple of weeks.

Breakfast

Tea and toast with jam

Lunch

Green salad with mixed lettuce, rocket and avocado with a good dressing

Snack

Vegetable or fruit juice and some laughing cow cheese

Dinner/Supper

Blueberries and raspberries with honey and natural yoghurt

This diet is low in kilojoules and perfect for the middle aged. This is my suggestion. Personally, I don’t really like eating meat, so lots of fruit and salad with some vegetable or fruit juice is really all I need and some tea.

Let’s see the weight come off with at least 40 minutes of walking done on the treadmill daily. My ten minutes, break, ten minutes routine to gently raise the heart rate without feeling too overdone with a massive aerobic workout.

This diet is sensible. Vegetarian, ethical and good for the body, speech and mind.

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How to abandon the beached whale

Buddhism, Culture, Diet, Food, Happiness, Health

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Yes, I know it’s been said before. New Year, New Year’s resolution, how to diet, how to get that fit, young feeling, that Elle Macpherson trim taught and terrific look. What? At the age of fifty? Hmmm, well these days, people don’t exactly embrace ageing well. I’m not really here to bore you. I could say, yes, you bore me.

So, we’ve been through several periods. Molly Meldrum’s hum drum. Yes, but I’m funnier.

I’ve thought about Jenny. Hmmm, Jenny Craig. Jenny is nice. I don’t need to cook. I’ve cooked for the past thirty years. I’m a gourmet. There’s no pesto pasta like my pesto pasta. I’m not here to brag, but my Thai Red Curry and Rice is good too. Anyway, the problem is, I need to lose the kilos. I used to be nice and small, but then I got cooking. That’s smart, life is what it is. It needs meaning. Why not enjoy yourself a bit and cook a decent meal, instead to tearing around town like a chook without your head on behaving in the abominably meaningless and selfish way of an aetheist. Ya, I’m Buddhist and happy to be that way.

Here, there is lot’s to discuss. Really, how do you lose weight on Jenny Craig when it’s healthy and of course beneficial to have or to enjoy a whiskey? OH what, so now I’m damned? I don’t think so. So it’s 5000 kilojoules daily and I am advised by my doctor to drink whiskey. Outcome number one, my dress size probably won’t decrease that much. Still, I can ponder a bit more. Did you figure out the meaning of life? Well I did, it means you should and of course need to be happy. Now I’m not a hedonistic narcissist. And I’m not getting into an argument over that subject.

Did I get anywhere? Well, I don’t have as many dishes to wash, and apparently Jenny Craig is organised by a group of scientific dieticians and medics. So that’s something. My diet is good too, but a lot of work. The bad news is I need to lose weight. So, how much damage does to whiskey and diet coke do to one’s waist line as one attempts to drop one kilo or so a week. See, I’m going to document this, because some alcohol is good for the heart. Whiskey has around 300 kilojoules or so per glass. There’s no kilojoule count with the diet coke. I’ll probably have to move a bit however.

The modern era has some good things, but how to get over the incessant neuroticism? That’s something that I believe probably causes cancer. The weather this summer is good. Nice and warm, not too windy and I’m out for a break. Can I lose any weight however? What if I went for a swim and a walk? I know, it’s all been said and done before, but did you check out the stress levels attached with the dieters dream to lose weight? Miranda Kerr is young. Does she look after her children properly however, or is she always struggling away at the gym?

Stay tuned. This is jiminny crickets. Norm once wisely said, isn’t beer better ?

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Great day cream for men and women

The Art of Cooking and the Science and Philosophy of Mind

Buddhism, Culture, Diet, ethics, Food, Health

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written by Vanessa Anne Walsh

A wisdom mother’s and practitioner of ethics guide to vegetarian food

Today I cooked Vegetable and Silken Tofu Teriyaki Stirfry with Black and White Rice.

This is a food journal designed to explain the Art of Cooking. In my opinion, most people get diet and exercise horribly incorrect and wrong. I have about twenty one or so vegetarian recipes. These recipes make up well balanced, ethical and nutritious meals.

To eat well, you need either rasberries and blueberries for breakfast with some natural yogurt and a dash of honey if you like, or some home made bread made with organic flour in a breadmaker, with some organic butter and jam and some loose leaf Ceylon black tea with full cream milk, or a slow juiced orange, mango, banana and passionfruit juice. That’s it. Food like that is nutritious and good for your body and mind. It’s not fattening, but it’s not crazy non-fat. It doesn’t cause diabetes, cancer, bowel or stomach complaint, heart disease, liver disease, or damage to one’s brain. None of this food does that. It is the healthiest range of recipes you can find. It’s kind on the environment and on oneself and others. It doesn’t harm other beings. It is not dependent upon the senseless slaughter of the beast or animal, fish or chicken, lamb, cow or pig.

Diet’s like the CSIRO diet are disgusting. Why? Because they are the polar opposite to this diet. There are many reasons the CSIRO Diet can be called unethical and bad for you. It is, because it relies upon killing other living beings.

This is how to prepare and cook the recipe

Teriyaki Vegetable and Silken Tofu Stirfry with Black or Wild Rice and White Basmati Rice.

Serves Three People.

I use all organic produce.

So you need a good organic food source and supplier, like Greenline Organic.

One organic onion, diced

½ punnet cherry tomatoes, cut in half

a Couple of tablespoons of Extra Virgin cold pressed olive oil, enough to cover the base of the wok.

One organic carrot, washed and sliced in quarters

210 mls Teriyaki Sauce

About twelve small or medium sized swiss brown mushrooms, washed and sliced

120grams snow peas, washed with the stalky end cut off

One bunch of broccolini, with the end cut off, washed and slicing the flowerets or top part of the broccolini. No need to use the base of the stem.

One packed of silken tofu, cut into small pieces.

To cook

Measure one cup of wild or black rice and one cup of white rice. Put the black rice with about two cups of water in one saucepan and one cup of white rice with two cups of water in another saucepan. Start cooking on a medium heat the black or wild rice which takes 30 minutes to cook. After twenty minutes, cook the white rice for ten minutes and strain then mix the two rices together and serve.

Whilst the black rice is cooking, add the olive oil to the wok with the diced onion and heat on a medium heat. Add the sliced cherry tomatoes and fry gently for a few minutes. Add the sliced carrot and stir and then add the teriyaki sauce. Add the mushrooms, snow peas and broccolini. Add the silken tofu and stir gently cooking unti the rice is ready with the lid of the wok on, Stir occasionally, but don’t overcook it. Lower the heat if necessary, to a gentle heat.

Serve with a ladle and some of the sauce. My suggestion is you spoon some of the rice mix onto a plate and then ladle the stir fry out and next to the rice mix with a little sauce from the bottom of the wok. Enjoy this very healthy and nutritious meal. You really only need one meal like this a day to maintain good energy and a healthy weight range.

Bless the food by reciting OM AH HUM three times before eating slowly.

Say Goodbye to the Car

Buddhism, Culture, Diet, ethics, Food, Medicine

This is a Buddhist Blog designed to inform people of how to live well, economically, efficiently, environmentally friendly, green, healthy, vegetarian all throughout your life. Say goodbye to Vogue magazine, which never really gave good advice anyway did it? I can step out in style, with lovely colourful, well tailored clothing that’s creative, designed well and warm in winter, cool in summer, still look the best on the street and at home or at the Buddhist Centre. Can you do that for a good budget, observing modesty, not annoying the men into a state of sexual misconduct and samsaric misery?

I think the world should be interested in this wonderful journey. As I said, I am living green, environmentally consciously, locally, not tearing, raping the planet with an overuse of oil and hard to acquire energy. How to stay fit, relaxed, looking after the heart, the mind, the body, organising a healthy vegetarian diet whilst catching public transport, making good use of that very amazing infrastructure that our government and Metlink kindly create for the good use of public benefit.

Let’s just look at starting the day with a mind that appreciates very deeply the wonder of enjoying a fresh organic cup of ceylon tea with full cream milk. Then onto baking some fresh bread with organic, biodynamic stoneground wheat flour.Yum. How delicious to experience around lunch time toasty bread fresh from the oven, with organic butter and jarlesberg cheese. I’m not finished. Today I am eating spinach with sesame sauce – horenzo gomae, avocado sushi and miso soup. Great for the stomach and digestive system and not too heavy. Then time to walk a bit catching the tram to the local Buddhist Centre for a latte, a think and relax, a meditate and to pick up some lovely vegetable soup cooked at Cafe Bliss by gorgeous Tibetan friends. China, suck on that!

The Yummiest Salad and Soup Diet

Buddhism, Diet, Food, Health, Medicine, Philosophy

If I can get this blog to work, my intention was to journal about a Buddhist journey into the Essential Wellbeing Diet. This diet is scientifically proven to support and create a state of excellent health as tried tested and experienced by my own religious practice.

I am a medic, a Buddhist doctor who would like to document my experience with what I consider to be a very healthy, non-harmful diet, the Essential Diet, as I like to call it. Having suffered from crohns disease, and wanting to avoid all other types of disease, I feel it’s in the community interest to encourage people to do even better than what they feel they may have been doing with their diet. I think people in Australia eat too much meat. This diet is primarily vegetarian, and does include dairy, full cream diary products.

All good diets start with a plan and a shopping list.

Yummyist Salad

Yummy? What’s yummy? Well, my cooking for starters. No, it’s delicious. Are we a nation of fatties? Obesity – give it the boot. Diabetes, who needs it.

Anyway, I’ll show you how to start the day, how to continue it and finish off. It’s all about reducing greed, a lack of satisfaction and ill health. I thought to blog on this last week, but basically, cooking got the better of me and I was so in the moment, that the words never hit the page. So, I had a good time. That’s what it is about in part, really, how to be beneficial to yourself and to others. The bodisattva or Buddha way.

This is the sort of shopping list you need.

For two people

Ancient grains and seed organic loaf of bread

organic butter

Organic Chilli Hommous

Tasty cheese sliced – bega

Organic ceylon tea

Organic coffee

Organic cream

Organic full cream milk

Raw sugar

1 bag organic mixed lettuce leaves

One organic avocado

Soy and sesame dressing or honey soy dressing or ranch dressing or greek yoghurt dressing

Organic fetta cheese

Passionfruit

Rasberries one punnet

Blueberries One punnet

Organic yoghurt natural

Organic sour cream

2 Organic dutch cream potatoes

salt flakes and cracked black pepper

What you need to begin is some good organic bread. Healthybake I think, the baker does some nice loaves. Then some organic butter and a nice slice of tasty cheese. Next a cruskit with organic chilli hommous. Have that with a nice ceylon tea or an organic coffee and cream and what a delicious breakfast you have.

You will need some meditation before lunch. Thank all those wonderful growers and food manufacturers, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for the energy they give to get out of bed to make the world a better place by bringing to market, such yummy produce. It works to give thanks. To show appreciation. To make offerings of body, speech and mind to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to create the causes for all beings to attain the highest state of enlightenment.

Then, next is lunch. Some delicious organic mixed lettuce leaves, some soy and sesame salad dressing, an avocado sliced and some organic fetta broken up over the salad leaves. Toss and enjoy.

Afternoon tea is to enjoy two fresh passionfruit sliced in half and eaten, some raspberries and blueberries in a bowl mixed with fresh organic or gippsland yoghurt. Yum. Very light, very nutritious.

Dinner: one baked potato (organic dutch cream is nice), some organic butter and a dollop of sour cream. It takes a bit over an hour to cook. Enjoy. And give meat a miss for a while.

The soup, I’ll discuss later. But start with some good salad and your body, speech and mind will thank you for the diligent care and attention.

Can you please support this community service blog which makes excellent dietary guidelines, shopping lists and recipes available for the public’s benefit.

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About the text, Nights in the Moon Lily Garden

art, Buddhism, Diet, Food, Health, Uncategorized

As I look like this, and not with a wig, or a bob hairstyle. Why so? It’s called renunciation, darling.

I’ve just had dinner. What are you going to eat tomorrow. Honey, once the shopping is done, I was thinking a little along the lines of spaghetti, sweety. So, how goes the recipe cheeky chop?

And it goes like this. Doesn’t really move like Jagger, but it does taste good.

Spaghetti Tugpa

for 3-4 people.

500 grams of heart smart mince

one onion chopped

garlic one clove chopped

one punnet of cherry tomatoes

a few twigs of rosemary

6 sliced mushrooms

one teaspoon salt flakes

a few shakes of cracked black pepper.

water

olive oil

good quality dried spaghetti or fresh spaghetti

chilli jam

Put some olive oil in a saucepan heat and add chopped onion and garlic. Don’t burn, just soften, then add the cherry tomatoes and mince. Stir and let cook a few minutes until meat browns a bit. Then add water to cover the meat, rosemary, sliced mushrooms and salt and pepper. Cook on a low to medium heat stirring for about 30 minutes.

Cook the spaghetti for twelve or so minutes until al dente.

Drain the spaghetti and serve with the tugpa mince sauce. Adding the liquid from the tugpa is delicious with the pasta. To sex it up, add a teaspoon of chilli jam to taste.

Meditators Diary – Doing the Buddha Do

Buddhism, Culture, Diet, ethics, Food, Health, Medicine, Philosophy

May 23 2016

We are discussing the emptiness of form, feeling, recognition, compositional factors and consciousness. What sort of diet do you need to follow? I have just the plan and way of being. It’s the meditators diet and it’s for the benefit of all living beings.

Let’s just discuss the menu for the day. What are we going to eat, or what did we just consume? What was done on Sunday has been done, but it’s definitely worth looking at, investigating and discussing.

Sunday’s menu included the following:

Dinner was the following.

Half a green salad with dressing 50 kilojoules

Half a horenzo gomae which is spinach with sesame seed sauce 30 kilojoules

2 pieces of fried tofu in broth. 80 kilojoules

1 piece of scotch fillet bar-b-qued. 500 kilojoules

Total 660 kilojoules

Lunch was this:

One spanakopita filo pastry with salad 500 kilojoules

One freshly squeezed orange juice 300 kilojoules

One Latte with one teaspoon of raw sugar. 250 kilojoules

Some green tea and English breakfast tea.

Total 1050 kilojoules

½ piece chocolate 150 kilojoules

Total Kilojoule count: 1850 kilojoules

This is an example of an average daily consumption of a diet that does not cause heart disease, diabetes, cancer or obesity. The thing is the Australian Government’s own website recommends to the public of Australia an average daily kiloujoule intake of between 9000 kilojoules and 11000 kilojoules for average workers (not athletes), who are advised to eat even more than that.

Clearly the Australian Government’s health advisory team is barking mad. Their health advice, their dietary advice is obviously an example of extreme ignorance, greed attachment, desire and hatred. On this diet that we, the Tibetan Government recommend, you do not suffer a loss of energy, sickness or hunger and thirst.

I will discuss Monday later in the day.