Everyone needs food to survive; it’s one of the basic needs of life. While one can have a 12-course meal, one can also eat simply. Venerable Master Hsing Yun (Will be shortened to Ven. Master) thinks that simple meals are healthy, economical, efficient, and sustainable. It’s something worth promoting. This thesis will be exploring Ven. Master’s lifelong philosophy of “Simple Meal,” which is also inspired by alms begging during Pre-Sectarian Buddhism. Other than nourishing the body, alms begging allowed the Sangha to interact with the public, and to spread the Dharma. It was a form of cultivation. Pre-Sectarian Buddhism used food as a form of cultivation, and such practice was carried into Chinese Buddhism. However, alms begging was not suitable for Chinese culture, it was seen as barbaric and uncivilized. Furthermore, Emperor Liang prohibited all monastics from eating meat, which was not practiced during Buddha’s time. Throughout the history of Buddhism, from India to China, the method of dining has changed dramatically, yet it still holds the spirit of “benefiting oneself while benefitting others.” Chinese Chan Buddhism also promoted “a drop of sweat for a grain of rice,” meaning working for one’s meal. Cultivation was no longer limited to the traditional forms of sitting meditation, it also extended to everyday activities, such as walking, eating, and sleeping. Through these mundane activities, monastics practiced self-discipline. To preserve the precepts set by the Buddha, founding monastics of the eight schools of Chinese Buddhism set rules and etiquette, to help navigate life in a Sangha. The spirit of “benefitting oneself while benefitting others” through food can still be seen today. This thesis will be using silent meal at the Fo Guang Shan Monastery as a case study. Through contemplating the affinities of the food, one can have a positive and healthy relationship with food, one can be self-reflective, one can learn to appreciate the conditions of the food, and one can learn to be compassionate. This thesis will continue to explore Ven. Master’s philosophy of “Simple Meal,” how he promotes this dining style, and how it has positive impacts on the environment and people’s body and mind.
