Immolation of three Buddhist monks in China last week:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-16895812
A list of video interviews with Thich Nhat Hanh a renowned Vietnamese Buddhist monk.
https://www.google.com/search?q=thich+nhat+hanh+video&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
A Charlie Rose interview with the Dalai Lama
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4235480941561974775
Mindful Eating
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/dining/mindful-eating-as-food-for-thought.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha210
I understand the philosophical aspect of the article and actually enjoyed it. Not sure on the relation (if any?) to "death and dying". With that being said, it is an interesting thought. I think that if people took time to actually eat and practice "mindful eating" instead of acting as a human vacuum a lot of problems in obesity could be solved. I don't think that it could be used as a way to lose weight but helpful none the less.
ReplyDelete[Will: the relationship is less to death and dying per se and more directly to human nature. We're reading about Buddhism as one approach to understanding human nature. Buddhist practice calls us to be mindful of everything we do. The article is illustrating being mindful].
ReplyDeleteIn the article concerning "mindful eating," the reader is exposed to a significant hidden by-product of food consumption that many people neglect to ever consider. Amidst the fast-pace lifestyle that many people lead across the world, people often cannot wrap their head around how enjoyable the act of eating can be. As Will alluded to, many people gorge themselves without any forethought. The article stresses the importance of stimulating a "hidden sense" provided by food, which allows people to truly and deeply take pleasure in food. The article suggests putting the fork down and delving into the sense-stimulating properties of food. The activity of mindful eating can be easily compared to the Buddhist precept of meditation. During meditation, we deeply reflect on our surroundings and engage in deep thought; a similar process can be carried out while eating. While "mindful eating" is not always a reasonable idea, trying it sometime may open many schools of thought.
ReplyDeleteThe Mindful Eating article really opened my eyes. I, myself am guilty of scarfing down my food without really appreciating it. Yeah, I say a prayer and give thanks for the food in front of me before a meal. But that’s not the same as this. Many Americans are guilty of taking things for granted. Not everyone has the pleasure of eating. I think if more people knew of this practice, more people would be appreciative of the pleasure of having something to eat. Yes, there’s enough food in the world to go around. It’s unjustly distributed, like many other things in the world.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s really cool that people do this practice of slowing down and thinking about the food. I honestly would have trouble practicing Mindful Eating with others because I don’t like silence when I’m with other people. But this has intrigued my interest to try this sometime by myself.
I felt like the Mindful Eating Article was a good summary of the American way in a sense. I would feel like the majority of us are not mindful of eating in any sense in that, we are in a rush to be somewhere (fast food), or maybe there is something interesting on tv that we want to watch so we eat furiously without savoring our food. It would be interesting to see how people could handle slowing down and taking the time to think about the food they are eating. Of course it would be difficult to do for plenty of people, including myself, but would be a challenge in and of itself to see how we would respond differently to our meals.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ryan that we rush to eat and think of it as a secondary thing to do while doing something else. Slowing down would be interesting not only in eating but in other aspects of life as well seeing how the american life is rush rush rush. I think if we slowed down we would be more open to change and different things and it would be interesting to see.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article on the monks in Tibet setting themselves on fire I only thought of it as a sign of their discontent with the Chinese government that controls them. But upon further thinking and doing a little research, I think I have a better understanding how it relates to Buddhism. Self immolation has been around since early history. It has been seen around the world and also in some Hindu and Buddhist cultures. Self immolation is prohibited because causing injury to oneself is wrong in most Buddhist doctrines but some pull justification from a chapter in the Lotus Sutra. Thich Nhat Hanh said, "The bodhisattva shined his light about him so that everyone could see as he could see, giving them the opportunity to see the deathless nature of the ultimate”. So the justification of setting oneself on fire is trying to show others the illusion of the self or the ultimate reality. While this seems to be a drastic action to raise eyebrows on a situation that otherwise wouldn’t be heard it also has religious background as well. One question I had was how does self-immolation that kills the one performing it effects the karma or rebirth of someone or is this a question that misses the point in terms of Buddhism.
ReplyDeleteRenouncing conventional living and becoming a monastic, the development of mindfulness and practice of meditation, cultivation of higher wisdom and discernment, and the study of scriptures are common aspects of Buddhism. However, I believe that several of these practices should be applied to all people, in particular the development of mindfulness. In his article "Mindful Eating as Food for Thought", Jeff Gordinier challenges Americans to practice this concept of mindfulness.
ReplyDeleteMany people are guilty of mindlessly eating, I know I am! Often times people sit down to dinner in front of the television, or eat in the car, or eat while doing some other activity. As mentioned by Kelsey, eating is a secondary activity for many people. One does not take the time to think about the texture of the food, the flavors released with each bite, or the labor required to put that food on a plate because we are preoccupied with other things. While this practice of mindful eating is not ideal due to the rushed lives many lead, I believe that it would definitely be worth testing when time allows. Such a practice could lead to a whole new appreciation for the world we live in.