Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tfunk]

What's the deal with Buddhist monks? I heard they don't eat after 12 o' clock. What do they do all day...what's their routine?

I used to have a noisy neighbour but he's gone and now I have a Buddhist monk clanging his drum outside my window at 4.30 in the morning.

I thought they were into universal compassion? If so...stop waking me up!

Anyway, I want to go on a diet and was thinking of not eating after a massive meal at 12:00. The thing is, if I had a massive meal at 12:00 then I'd feel sleepy when I go to teach. So, my question is:

Q.1: Should the above poster:

a. Eat a massive meal at 12:00 and get his nutrients, feel sleepy during class but lose his belly and then find some Korean princess.

b. Just eat whatever happens?

[ghost]

Check out this article which will give you some info about eating habits of monks

Today is the bi-weekly Buddhist "sabbath" called Uposatha. It's celebrated mostly in traditional Buddhist countries, and not so much in the West. These Uposatha days usually fall on the New Moon and Full Moon of each month.

Usually Buddhists follow the Five Precepts I mentioned a while back, but on Uposatha, people can choose to follow the Eight Precepts instead for one day. The Eight Precepts are:

1. I undertake the precept to abstain from killing living beings;
2. I undertake the precept to abstain from stealing;
3. I undertake the precept to abstain from all sexual activity;
4. I undertake the precept to abstain from false speech;
5. I undertake the precept to abstain from intoxicants and harmful drugs;
6. I undertake the precept to abstain from eating at the improper time (eating after noon);
7. I undertake the precept to abstain from decorating myself with perfumes or jewelry, and to abstain from music, dancing, games and shows;
8. I undertake the precept to abstain from sitting or sleeping on high, luxurious places.

These precepts are usually permanent vows by monk trainees, but regular lay people can take these precepts for a day or more if they choose. It doesn't even have to be on Uposatha, but that's just tradition. Since today is Uposatha, I decided I would give it a try. We'll see how it goes.

Uposatha traditionally was a day for lay people to hang out at the local monastery, but for us Westerners, following the Eight Precepts is especially tricky. For #8, it's kind of challenging since I work in an office, and take the bus to work, so I just replaced my fancy office chair with a more basic one. For #7, I took a shower like usual, but I left my wedding ring and other jewelry at home for the day.

The Eight Precepts, like the Five Precepts, aren't rules like the Ten Commandments. They're voluntary acts people choose to do. If you make a mistake, that's ok. You just learn from it and try again. Buddhism is about training the mind, so the Precepts help one simplify their life for a day so they can focus on religious matters more freely. That's why the Buddha came up with Uposatha and the Eight Precepts. It was a chance for lay people to add more religion to their life if they wanted to. If they don't, that's OK too. Everyone has their reasons.

So anyways, it's 8:40 am and I need to eat before 12:00 noon. I was up all last night on-call, so I taking comfort in some good ol' Office Coffee at least. Wish me luck!

Posted by Gerald Ford at 8:30 AM



2 comments:
Jeannie said...
I'd love to hear how it goes for you. I'd be curious to see which precept you found to be the most difficult to follow.

My thoughts are with you, GF!

2:26 PM
Nyiti (Gabor) said...
When I was living at Amaravati, and told my parents and friends that I eat only a light oats-porridge in the morning, and a meal at noon, they were somewhat worried about me... I used to grow hungry by the morning, but than there was the porridge again. In Thailand, the practice of the monks is that they get up before dawn, walk to one of the nearby willages on almsround, come back to the monastery, eat what they recieved, and that was the food for the day! Seeing the bhikkhus on almsround in the morning mist, walking barefoot, being composed and light, in their simple, orche robes, it's one of sights that really lifts my heart.
It is interesting how this idea of three meals is set in our minds. In fact, to be hungry a bit is quite healthy. It lowers your cholesterin, your sugar, and the body can concentrate it's energies on other things than always grinding that food we stuff it with, like sorting out accumulated toxins. And also, one has a very good opporunity to observe just how much we are obsessed with food...
Of course, as a layperson, it is often very difficult to organize this one-meal-a-day, simply because it doesn't fit the routine our job requires. However, it can be done even when one works something heavy, phisycal. At last autumn I helped with the yearly forest works at Cittaviveka, and that included carrying the cut wood (20+ kg logs), which we finished in ~15 days. We had one porridge on the morning, a meal at noon, and we were all fine.

About beautification, in laylife there are these generally agreed things like perfumed after-shave, deodorant, special shampoo, or trend of fashion with our hair, clothing and other gadgets on our body, etc.
When I notice that I think "oh, with this I will look/smell good", but actually I don't need it for my health or to be clean and tidy, then that's something I don't take the trouble for.
Or, when I walk in town or somewhere, and I notice my reflection from a glass surface or something, and I look there "does that thing still looks good on me?" then it may be an item that is unnecessary, or it's time grow less obsessed about looks.

[tfunk]

It's true that we don't need shampoo, perfume, deodorant etc. but for me it comes down the following question:

Do you eat to live or do you live to eat?

Shampoo is fun, even if it is unneccesary. Eating isn't just about surviving, being healthy. It's also nice to slosh things around in your mouth.

The girl you quoted is still concerned about how she looks and acts. She's got an image of spiritual perfection(no jewellry because it is egoic etc.) rather than physical perfection.

[Grimalkin]

I read that buddhists who meditate regularly were shown to be the most consistently happy people (and not just while they're meditating).


Eat smaller portions and walk briskly for an extra 20 minutes a day.


What happened your blog....it was a laugh.

[igotthisguitar]

[Skinny Hippy]