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Living Buddha, Living Christ
Living Buddha, Living Christ
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Chapter 3
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"Bread and wine are not symbols. They contain the reality, just as we do." In reading TNH's chapter on Holy Communion I was struck by how well our seemingly unique Christian rite encapsulates Buddhist thought. As a young person, I shied away from the concept that the bread and wine were really Christ's flesh and blood. Expressed that way it was a bit horrifying! But to describe bread as something that embodies the whole universe feels better. As a gardener living in a northern climate I can appreciate where bread comes from, and how wheat plants transform sunshine and rain and soil into something we derive nourishment from even in the depths of winter.The simple act of eating with mindfulness is a prayer. I rarely practice it but when I do it affects my state of mind long after the actual meal.
For most of my life, communion had no meaning for me and I could not go along with it being a reminder that Jesus died for me and my sinful ways. Then came my struggle with anorexia and food and drink were the enemy. I had to learn to befriend it once more and acknowledge its blessing, the delight of food. So . . . communion became my way of saying yes to food - yes to life. Instead of avoiding life and praying that mine would be short, I used communion to make a renewed commitment to love God, to love life, to not give up on the existence of joy and meaning despite all the imperfections in myself and the world. Well - that's my aim anyway!
Lynn, what a beautiful, affirming story you have about communion. Such courage and faith that must have taken, but what a perfect way to reintroduce yourself into the world of food as nourishment.
Lynn, your redefining the meaning of communion as a means of nourishment, healing and better health touched me deeply. Thank you for sharing.I've always loved communion as a time of gathering together. The altar at my childhood church had a large round rail around it for communion service. The sixties being a tumultuous time, I greatly appreciated the opportunity for congregants to come together for at least a brief time of peaceful reflection.
I have tried eating in silence at two Buddhist retreats, most recently during my visit to Vietnam. It didn't work for me, I think because I see mealtimes as a social time. I admit to having difficulty eating alone and to having the television as a companion if there is no human around. I'm also more apt to order room service rather than eat alone in a restaurant if I'm traveling solo...I guess I'm a borderline intro/extrovert?!
I found this chapter really interesting because I am basically terrible at all this. No, I don't eat mindfully and I don't give thanks beforehand and I'm not grateful nearly often enough. I'm going to try to put into practice some of his ideas about eating mindfully and being deliberately grateful.
"So . . . communion became my way of saying yes to food - yes to life. Instead of avoiding life and praying that mine would be short, I used communion to make a renewed commitment to love God, to love life, to not give up on the existence of joy and meaning despite all the imperfections in myself and the world." Wow, Lynn, this is so powerful! I love the idea of saying yes to food, yes to a renewed commitment to love God, yes to life in spite of all the struggles of this world. Thank you for sharing your story! With the weekly ritual of communion at worship, it has become all too easy for me to rush through it and get back to my seat with very little thought. After this chapter and some of our discussions here in this group, I feel like I am coming away with a deepened and renewed excitement for the GIFT of communion. It's just been so refreshing exploring new ways of approaching my faith.
1) and 2): I find myself feeling convicted by question 1 in particular. I know I am far too likely to take for granted the blessings of having enough to eat, plenty of clean water, a safe home to reside in, and so on. A year ago I did a gratitude challenge where every day I wrote down something I was grateful for, and it helped a lot! During the day I now find surprising things coming to mind to be grateful for, and it's a good attitude check. It's a good challenge to look for something to be grateful for at random times during the day!I was intrigued by the "Five Contemplations" TNH explained in this chapter. It reminds me a lot of daily prayer before mealtimes which I admit to often forgetting or just hurrying through. I have a handful of memorized little prayers from when I was growing up that I frequently use: "Come Lord Jesus, Be our guest, And let these gifts, To us be blessed." and "We thank you Lord, For all this food, For life and health and every good." and "God is great, God is good, And we thank him, For our food." and even--if I'm REALLY in a hurry--"Thank you, Jesus, for our food." (this was used as a first mealtime prayer for my baby sister and it still makes me smile remembering it today) :) But my goal is to get more comfortable with saying a spontaneous, from the heart prayer before a meal on a more regular basis. I love the idea of using the Five Contemplations as a basis for constructing a prayer of thanksgiving of one's own before eating and I want to try that . . .
1. To Be Grateful ~~ This chapter focuses on being aware and mindful, of being truly present to the many gifts God gives us. Paul in I Corinthians chastises the early church which is gathering for the regular agape feast for not being grateful, but in fact being just the opposite, in essence for being like “pigs”. How grateful are you for the little miracles of life that Thich Nhat Hanh suggests e.g., seeing a flower, breathing fresh air, eating a meal?
2. Looking into Our Food ~~ In Buddhism before every meal the Five Contemplations are recited to help the monk or nun deepen their appreciation of the meal they are about to eat. How often do you say thanksgiving before a meal? When you do, is it done mindfully? When it is done in deep gratefulness is the experience of the meal changed in any way?
3. Living in the Presence of God ~ “Piety is the recognition that everything is linked to the presence of God in every moment.” How do you experience this?
4. The Bread We Eat ~~ The feast of Passover/Seder is celebrated as a thanksgiving and a memorial for the release of Israel from bondage in Egypt. Jesus followed the tradition with his disciples. In Christianity, the tradition continues and is the basis for the Eucharist/Holy Communion. What meaning does Eucharist/ Holy Communion have for you? When have you had a particularly moving experience of communion?
5) TNH says "We drink and eat all the time, but we usually ingest only our ideas, projects, worries, and anxieties." What do you ingest?
Activity: If your life lends itself to this kind of experience, try eating an entire meal in silence. Eat slowly, paying careful attention to the food on your plate, the actual process of eating and giving thanks for this wonderful gift. How does this change your perspective of meal time?