The Culture and Diet of Buddhism and HinduismChristina FerraiuoloColleen Lynch

Objectives

I. Identify the history and dietary practices of Buddhism and their origin.

II. Identify the history and dietary practices of Hinduism and their origin.

III. Compare and contrast the Buddhist and Hindu cultures.

Origin of Buddhism Nepal, India Bihar, India

Buddhism Beginning 6th Century B.C.E - 490-410 BCE Life of

Siddhartha Guatama, the historical Buddha.

4th Century -Second Buddhist Council at Vesali, India (386)

3rd Century- Indian Emperor Asoka (272-231) converts and establishes the Buddha's Dharma on a national level for the first time.

Buddhism Beginnings 2nd Century BC-The beginning of the

Mahayana

1st Century CE-Buddhism enters Central Asia and China.

2nd Century CE- The Age of Indian Buddhist

Teachings of Buddha

The Self The Western notion of the individual self (or

shall we say "selfish individual") is distinctly "un"-Buddhist

“He who lives only for pleasures, and whose soul is not in harmony, who considers not the food he eats, is idle, and has not the power of virtue - such a man is moved by MARA (evil one), is moved by selfish temptations, even as a weak tree is shaken by the wind.”

Karma Karma- We are affected by a collective

karma Bad karma from not following the moral

code causes a person to be reborn as a lesser being

Good karma from following moral precepts will be born a higher being.

Holy Days in Buddhism Vesak or Visakah Puja ("Buddha

Day")

Buddhist New Year

Ulambana (Ancestor Day)

The Buddhist teachings and tradition provide important "food for thought" to all of us.

Buddhist Meal Chant First, let us reflect on our own work and the effort

of those who brought us this food.Second, let us be aware of the quality of our deeds as we receive this meal.Third, what is most essential is the practice of mindfulness, which helps us to transcend greed, anger and delusion.Fourth, we appreciate this food which sustains the good health of our body and mind.Fifth, in order to continue our practice for all beings we accept this offering.

The first morsel is to cut all delusions.The second morsel is to maintain our clear mind.The third morsel is to save all sentient beings.May we awaken together with all beings.

A Theravada Meal Chant Wisely reflecting, I use this food not

for fun, not for pleasure, not for fattening, not for beautification, but only for the maintenance and nourishment of this body, for keeping it healthy, for helping with the Spiritual Life;Thinking thus, I will allay hunger without overeating, so that I may continue to live blamelessly and at ease.

Buddhism Diet Restrictions “A son of the Buddha shall not eat the

flesh of any sentient beings. If he eats their flesh, he shall cut off great compassion, as well as the seed of Buddhahood within him.”

Buddhism, in general, fundamentally prohibits any and all animal meat or intoxicants at all times.

A Part of the Whole The Buddha taught that all sentient

beings are really a part of one original whole organism. Therefore, when one kills another, they are actually killing a part of themselves. They are also killing a part of their parents (also forbidden in Buddhism). So, in effect, eating meat is suicidal!

Vegetarianism and Veganism “A natural and logical ramification of the

moral precept against the taking of life" is a diet that includes no animal meat.

In modern terms, we might use the word "vegan" to describe the strict Mahayana diet.

Pure Bodhisattvas follow this ideal: “[they] who do not wear silk, leather

boots, furs, or down ...and who do not consume milk, cream, or butter, can truly transcend this world. Both physically and mentally one must avoid the bodies and the by-products of beings, by neither wearing them or eating them. I say that such people have true liberation.”

Forbidden Foods It is important to know why certain foods and drink fall

into either the forbidden or appropriate categories

Vegetables that result in the death of the plant were not eaten.

"Five Pungent Spices", including garlic and onions, are forbidden. If these five are eaten cooked, they increase one's sexual

desire; if they are eaten raw, they increase one's anger.

Other Restrictions Proper times and amounts of food that

can be eaten forbiddance of raw foods The observance of a diet that does not

violate the moral precept of no killing is most important and universal.

Many only eat after dawn and before midday.

Ceremonial Food Offerings In Theravada countries such as

Thailand, monks still rely on receiving alms for most of their food.

Food may be simply and silently left on an altar, with a small bowl.

Zen make food offerings to the hungry ghosts.

"Five Moral Precepts" Failure to follow any of the "Five Moral

Precepts" causes harm to others, further clouds one's true seeing nature, and greatly decreases one's chances of being born a human again (a vantage point along the path to enlightenment).

NO killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, or partaking of intoxicants.

"Five Contemplations While Eating" This is an exercise that forces the Buddhist

to stop and think about the food they are eating.

What food is, why we eat it, where it comes from, and when and how we should eat it.

"think about where the food came from and the amount of work necessary to grow the food, transport it, prepare and cook it and bring it to the table.”

Killing or eating meat breaks several rules: One who harms other sentient beings and

restricts their path/chance to gain enlightenment/nirvana.

One also hurts one's self since all beings are a part of one whole.

One also spreads the bad killing karma, which will later cause one suffering, or propagate more killing.

One also enforces the suffering caused by the cycle of death and rebirth.

It is believed that the Buddha himself actually died from food poisoning.

Hinduism

Origin Originated around

the Indus Valley near the River Indus in modern day Pakistan.

The religion of the majority of people in India and Nepal. Over 900 million practicing worldwide.

Teachings No single founder, no single scripture,

and no commonly agreed set of teachings

The main Hindu texts are the Vedas and their supplements.

Veda- a Sanskrit word meaning 'knowledge'. Many scriptures discuss dharma, which can be rendered as 'code of conduct', 'law', or 'duty'

Beliefs Most Hindus believe in a Supreme God,

whose qualities and forms are represented by the multitude of deities which emanate from him.

Existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed by Karma.

The soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation is always dependent on how the previous life was lived.

Holy Days Diwali- the Hindu festival of lights

Holi- originally a spring festival of fertility and harvest

Ganesh Chaturthi- the birthday of lord Ganesh

Hindu beliefs emphasize the importance of living in harmony with nature, and having mercy, respect and compassion for all creatures. 

Dietary Practices Ayurvedic dietary practices- under this

system, certain foods are classified as hot or cold and can adversely or positively affect health conditions and emotions.

Hot foods-foods which are salty, sour or high in animal protein.

Cold foods- generally sweet or bitter. Food is divided into three categories based

on how they enhance or hinder physical and spiritual development.

Three Categories Tamasic foods- foods considered heavy, dull and

depressive; Including meat, heavy cheese, onions, garlic, and mushrooms, old and stale food.

Rajasic foods- foods that are hot, spicy and salty are said to irritate and stimulate, often to a state of high agitation, anger and hate.

Sattvic foods- foods like many fruits, fresh yogurt and leafy greens, are supposed to bring clarity and perception and help unfold love and compassion in the consumer.

Vegetarianism Hindus believe in the interdependence

of life and will not eat any food that has involved the taking of life.

Many do not eat beef or beef products because the cow is held to be sacred.

Fish is a staple food product.

Preparation and Drink Milk products are considered essential to a

vegetarian diet and ghee (clarified butter) is a widely used frying medium.

Spices provide taste, aid digestion and promote good health.

The main meal, lunchtime, will typically consist of rice, sabji, dahl and chapattis.

Orthodox Hindus and most vegetarians are unlikely to consume alcoholic beverages.

Food and Worship Food offered to the deities is

thought to bestow considerable religious merit, purifying body, mind and spirit.

Temple cooks are usually brahmanas and follow strict standards of personal cleanliness.

There is a belief that the consciousness of the cook enters the food and influences the mind of the eater.

Prasad For true service to God, purity of food is necessary to

maintain the desirable state of mind that leads to enlightenment. Food is consumed not only to survive but also to stay healthy and maintain mind/body equilibrium.

A true devotee will refuse to accept any food that is not offered first to God.

Before starting any daily meal, water is sprinkled around the plate as an act of purification.

Five morsels of food are placed on the side of the table to acknowledge the debt owed to thedevta runa (divine forces) for their benign grace and protection.

Fasting Fasting is seen as a means of purifying the body

and the soul, encouraging self-discipline, and gaining emotional balance.

Practiced on specific days of the week, during festivals or on holy days, or in conjunction with special prayers.

It is not required for a Hindu patient to fast during hospitalization. However, some may wish to do so.

There is no specified way to fast. May choose to abstain completely from all food and drink or only abstain from certain foods.

Buddhism Both Hinduism

Tibet, Sri Lanka

Siddhartha Gautama

Sutras, Pali canon,Tipitaka

Eightfold Path

Vedas and the Brahmans

Atman

bodhisattva

Collective

India, Nepal

No single founder

Vedas, Upanishad, Puranas, Gita

dharma shastras

Perist and Brahmins

The five Jivas

Ashrama

Individual

Polytheistic

Reincarnation

Vegetarianism

Karma

Forbiddance of onions and garlic

Use of spices

References BBC Religions. Hinduism. Accessed by http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/. Retrieved on March 6, 2013. BBC Religions. History of Hinduism. Accessed by

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/history/history_1.shtml. Retrieved on March 8, 2013. CNN Eatocracy. Clarified: Religious Dietary Restrictions. Accessed by http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/07/20/clarified-

religious-dietary-restrictions/. Retrieved on March 6, 2013. Devasthanam. Hinduism and The Indus Valley Civilization. Accessed by http://www.sanskrit.org/www/Hindu

%20Primer/induscivilization.html. Retrieved on March 8, 2013. Diffen. Buddhism vs. Hinduism. Accessed by http://www.diffen.com/difference/Buddhism_vs_Hinduism. Retrieved on

March 8, 2013. Find the data. Hinduism vs. Buddhism. Accessed by http://religions.findthedata.org/saved_compare/Hinduism-vs-

Buddhism. Retrieved on March 8, 2013. Government of Western Australia. Culture and Religion Information Sheet: Hinduism. Accessed by

http://www.omi.wa.gov.au/resources/publications/cr_diversity/hinduism.pdf. Retrieved on March 6, 2013. Health care providers’ handbook on Hindu patients. Hindu Beliefs Affecting Health Care. Accessed by

http://www.health.qld.gov.au/multicultural/support_tools/hbook-hindu-s2.pdf. Retrieved on March 6, 2013. Minority Nurse. Hindu Dietary Practices: Feeding the Body, Mind and Soul. Accessed by

http://www.minoritynurse.com/dietic/hindu-dietary-practices-feeding-body-mind-and-soul. Retrieved on March 6, 2013.

New Hampshire Curriculum Frameworks. K-12 Social Studies New Hampshire Curriculum Framework. Accessed by http://www.education.nh.gov/instruction/curriculum/social_studies/documents/frameworks.pdf. Retrieved on March 8, 2013.

Religion Facts. Hinduism. Accessed by http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/index.htm. Retrieved on March 6, 2013. The Heart of Hinduism. Accessed by http://hinduism.iskcon.org/lifestyle/809.htm. Retrieved on March 6, 2013. http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_buddhism.asp http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/b_chron-txt.htm http://www.academia.edu/1474695/HIndu_Gods_represented_in_Buddhist_Texts http://www.patheos.com/Library/Buddhism/Origins/Beginnings.html http://www.ancientindia.co.uk/buddha/home_set.html