Kaizen Wednesday: With this Food...

The Five Contemplations

This food is the gift of the whole universe;  the earth, the sky and much hard, loving work.

May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to be worthy to receive it.

May we recognize and transform our unwholesome mental formations, especially our greed, and learn to eat with moderation.

May we keep our compassion alive by eating in such a way that we reduce the suffering of living beings, preserve our planet, and reverse the process of global warming.

We accept this food so that we may nurture our sisterhood and brotherhood, strengthen our community, and nourish our ideal of serving all living beings.

~Thich Nhat Hanh

Today we continue our yearlong Kaizen path with February's focus on mindful eating.  You may find other posts on mindful eating here and here.  This week, I encourage you to post these contemplations in your eating space, and take a brief moment to meditate on these values before eating.  For those who pray, integrate it into you prayer before meals. 

Our food is taken in gratitude for all those who have worked to provide it.. from the cook, to the shopper to those who work in our market and grocery systems, to those who transport our food items, to the farmers and to those who assist the farmers.  And to the source of our food.. our earth and it's Creator.  Pray that they are able to continue to do their work in harmony with their own lives and with others and that our food becomes a product of this.  May we not take for granted all the work that went into this food and for any consequences that may have come from it.  May we come to the table, with balanced hearts,  taking what we need, not just what we want. May consider the ethical treatment of every living thing when we eat.  And may we use this nourishment, to feed our souls to do good in this world.

May we see our eating as a cycle of gratitude in receiving and joy in giving.

♥