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30 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

6. Embrace death begin to be a great source of peace also about those gifts which we give
Death is an often taboo topic in and help you appreciate the many each and every day which we don’t
Western society. We do everything joys in your everyday life. typically see as gifts at all.
we can to not only avoid the subject,
but pretend that it doesn’t even exist. A true appreciation for life can Buddhists hold a very deep
never be fully realized until you understanding of the nature of
The reality is, this is really come face-to-face with your giving, particularly in that life
unfortunate and in no way helps us own impermanence. But once you do is a constant play between the
to lead better lives. Becoming keenly this, the world opens up in a new and act of giving and receiving. This
aware of your own impermanence profound way. doesn’t just help us find peace
and deeply understanding the in understanding the way of the
nature of death with regards to our 7. Your food is (very) special world around us, but helps us
interconnectedness are both things Buddhist meditative practice, realize the amazing gifts we all have
which can help us find great peace. particularly mindfulness and within us that we can give others
contemplation, helps you realize the in every moment, such as our love,
In Buddhism, students in many precious nature of the food in front of compassion, and presence.
sects at one point or another you. Indeed, with how integral a part
“meditate on the corpse” as it were food plays in our lives, to transform 9. Work to disarm the ego
(a practice which is said to have our relationship with food is to The easiest way to sum up
originated at least as far back as the transform a key aspect of our entire all “spiritual” practice is this:
Buddha’s lifetime). lives, both now and in the future. spirituality is the act of coming
in touch with the ultimate reality
This is literally what it sounds like. By contemplating on the food in or the ground of being, and as a
They meditate on the image of a front of us, for example, we can result spiritual practice is the act of
corpse slowing decomposing and come to realize the vast system of overcoming those obstacles which
imagine that process through to its interconnectedness that is our life, keep us from realizing that.
end, eventually resulting in a deep and how our food coming to be on
and profound realization on the true our dinner plate as it is depended on The primary obstacle in our way?
nature of death. numerous elements coming to be. The ego.
This helps us to deepen our
That might sound a little intense relationship with food, cultivate To put it short and sweet, the reason
to you, but the truth is, if you live a deep sense of gratitude before the ego is the major obstacle in
your entire life acting as if you’re each meal, and learn to respect the spiritual practice, or simply the
never going to die or ignoring your delicate but ever-pressing balance practice of finding true peace and
own impermanence then you won’t that is life. happiness (whatever you choose
ever be able to find true peace within to call it, it’s all the same), is
yourself. 8. Understand the nature of giving because it’s very function is to pull
you away from the ground of your
You don’t necessarily have to being by convincing you that you’re
meditate on the image of a corpse, this separate self.
but simply opening up to yourself
about death so that you’re no The process of unraveling the ego
longer shielding it from your can take time, as it’s something
mind (which you’re likely doing which has been with us, intertwined
unconsciously, as that’s how most of Giving is more than the act of giving with us, for years. But it’s infinitely
us were brought up in the West) can Christmas and Birthday gifts, it’s rewarding and altogether necessary