Begging Bowl and Banquet: Food and Drink in the Buddha’s India

To live a full and fruitful Buddhist life, it is necessary to be acquainted not just with what the Buddha taught but also when he taught it and why he taught it in the way he did. In this, as in other quests for understanding context is useful, some might say essential, given that the Buddha lived so long ago and in a world in many ways so different from our own. This small book offers some insights into what the Buddha thought about something so commonplace that it is hardly given a thought by those trying to live by the Dhamma – food. But the production, preparation and consumption of food can have practical and even ethical implications and thus needs to be inquired into. Why should monastics abstain from eating after midday? Can over-eating have an effect of one’s meditation practice? Is the food we eat produced by exploited labour or artificially manipulated and if so, does it matter? Is it true that some foods assist and others hinder spiritual growth? The reader may be surprised to learn that the Buddha had things to say about some of these and other questions related to food and eating.