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32 EASTERN HORIZON | FEATURES

And the Buddha just told him, “I’m a farmer too.” We have to choose healthy food here. When you’re at
The farmer was surprised, and said, “You’re a farmer? If home, you can choose the food you like. Of course, we
you’re a farmer, where’s your seed? Where’s your cow? suggest people be vegetarian, because that’s what we
Where’s your field? How can you call yourself a farmer?” do here – we don’t eat meat or eggs. It’s good for your
health, and it’s also good for the environment: if you
The Buddha replied, “All my teachings are my seeds. I use the same space, water and resources that are used
practice diligently – that is my cow. And all the sentient to produce meat, you can actually make much more
beings in the world – that’s my field. So I just diligently vegetarian food than meat-based food.
instruct people in my teaching. I diligently plant my
seed into peoples’ minds, so that after I plant this seed,
in the future they have a chance to get liberation, and
avoid vexations.”

Then the farmer realized, “Oh – the Buddha is a much
better farmer than me.” So the farmer repented, took out
all his best offerings, and sang to Buddha, saying, “For
the day you plant your seed in my mind, for the chance
that I can get liberated – you deserve this best offering.”

Food For Spiritual Thought

Coming back to the present time, we monks and nuns There are many documentaries that all say a vegetarian
can still call ourselves farmers. Of course it’s just diet is much better, because to produce meat, you have
an analogy, but it’s the same principle: we practice to produce a lot of food and water to feed the cattle.
Buddha’s teaching, and we have to practice diligently. Instead, we can use those same resources to feed people
We pass these teachings on to people as also a kind of – a lot of people. A vegetarian diet is not only good for
‘planting of a seed,’ so that in the future, after they learn you, but it’s good for the earth.
these methods and teachings, they have a chance to get
liberated. That’s why we can receive the offerings of So first of all, our food here is vegetarian. But at home,
food. But when most people eat, they don’t think that that’s up to you – you don’t have to feel guilty.
way; but when they come to the monastery, we will
teach them this kind of concept. There’s also another documentary that talks a lot about
sugar.
Instead of just eating because you paid for it, it’s better
you have this kind of grateful mind when receiving the It’s not good to eat too much sugar, especially
food, to help you practice more diligently. considering the country’s problem with obesity.
Oftentimes, the reason you gain weight is because
So the reason we eat is to try and sustain this body, and you consume too much sugar. When you eat sugar, the
to make this body healthy and suitable for practice. sugar levels in your body spike, and your body has to
That’s why we eat. In order to keep our body healthy, we deal with that; so there’s something in your body – I
have to choose what to eat, and how to eat. To eat or not can’t remember the name – that comes out and tries to
to eat – that’s the question. balance the high sugar levels in your blood, and during
that process, it will generate lots of fat in your body.