offered into his bowl, never feeling anxious or upset should it fail
to meet his expectations. Anxiety about food is a characteristic
of hungry ghosts – beings tormented by the results of their own
bad kamma. Never receiving enough food to satisfy their desires,
they run madly around, desperately trying to fill their mouths and
stomachs, always preferring the prospect of food to the practice
of Dhamma. The ascetic practice of refusing to accept any food
offered after almsround is an excellent way of contravening the
tendency to be greedy for food. It is also the best method to cut off
all expectancy concerning food, and the anxiety that it creates.
Eating only one meal per day is just right for the meditative
lifestyle of a dhutanga monk, since he needn’t worry about food
at all hours of the day. Otherwise, he could easily become more
worried about his stomach than he is about Dhamma – a most
undignified attitude for one sincerely seeking a way to transcend
dukkha. Even when eating only once a day, there are times when
a monk should reduce his consumption, eating much less than
he normally would at that one meal. This practice helps facilitate
the work of meditation, for eating too much food can make the
mental faculties sluggish and unresponsive. In addition, a monk
whose temperament is suited to this practice can be expected to
experience results invaluable to his spiritual development. This
particular dhutanga observance is a useful tool for eliminating the
greedy mentality of practicing monks who tend to be infatuated
with food.
In this respect, the safeguards that society has introduced
to protect itself operate in much the same manner as the safe-
guards of Dhamma. Enemies of society are confronted and sub-
dued wherever they pose a threat to wealth, property, life and
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
#1