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Edible Food
Breathing in, I am aware of the active part of the day ending.
Breathing out, I smile to the active part of the day ending.
Breathing in, I feel the spaciousness of the Sangha all around me.
Breathing out, I feel the strength and protection of this Sangha.
Can I say, “if you love me, you belong to yourself?” Because the word “self” is composed of non-self elements. Emptiness means empty of a separate self—the flower is empty of a separate self; we are too. A wrong view of self gives rise to the suffering of not belonging. The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, practicing prajñāpāramitā, saw that the five skandhas are empty of a separate self and overcame all suffering. The practice is to look deeply, see the cosmos in ourselves, and transcend both the notion of self and the notion of non-self. From the Diamond Sutra we remove six pairs of opposites:
- self and non-self
- being and non-being
- birth and death
- coming and going
- sameness and otherness
Ill-being (khổ) arises when parts of us are at war: body, feelings, perceptions. Well-being is peace in body, feelings, perceptions. The Buddha’s Middle Way transforms ill-being and nurtures well-being by “selective watering” of seeds of happiness instead of suffering. Four kinds of nutriment nourish body and mind:
- edible food (Đoàn thực)
- sense impressions (xúc thực) via six doors—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind
- volition
- consciousness
Mindful eating begins before the meal—shopping, cooking—and avoids greed and toxins. Mindful consumption of sense impressions protects us from harmful sights and sounds.
The Sangha is our refuge and protection against ill-being. Together we practice:
• Shining the Light (Pavāraṇā/Tự tứ)—brothers and sisters honestly tell one another what they see, hear, and suspect of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Flower Watering—identifying and nourishing wholesome seeds in one another before addressing our sufferings.
By practicing mindfulness in breathing, eating, consuming impressions, and building Sangha, we identify the nutriments of our ill-being, stop their intake, and walk the path of emancipation.