Family Meals

Photo Credit: Rob Walsh

A few years ago, l asked some children, "What is the purpose of eating breakfast?" One boy replied, "To get energy for the day." Another said, "The purpose of eating breakfast is to eat breakfast." I think the second child is more correct. The purpose of eating is to eat.

We do our best to eat at least one meal a day with the whole family. Eating a meal together, we cultivate more harmony and love as a family. Someone in the family can recite the contemplations or we can sing them together before eating. We use our talent and our creativity to make it pleasant for everyone.

Practice

Practice silent meditation, breathing in and out three times. Look at one another, recognize each other's presence, and eat silently for the first two minutes. You may like to recite the Food Contemplations for Young People:

THE FIRST CONTEMPLATION - This food is the gift of the whole universe: the earth, the sky, the rain, and the sun.

THE SECOND CONTEMPLATION - We thank the people who have made this food, especially the farmers, the people at the market, and the cooks.

THE THIRD CONTEMPLATION - We put on our plate only as much food as we can eat.

THE FOURTH CONTEMPLATION - We want to chew the food slowly so that we can enjoy it.

THE FIFTH CONTEMPLATION - This food gives us energy to practice being more loving and understanding.

THE SIXTH CONTEMPLATION - We eat this food in order to be healthy and happy and to love each other as a family.

The practice is easy. To be worthy of the food, you only have to eat it mindfully. If you don't eat it mindfully, you're not kind to the food or to the producers of the food. I like to remind myself to eat in moderation. I know food plays an important role in my well-being.

That is why I vow to eat only foods that maintain my health and well-being. Both adults and children can practice in this way.