Meal time chant during Ango

[ChrisA]

Re: Meal time chant during Ango

I think that it's fascinating that so many of us are finding these little chants so challenging! Me, I hasten to add, included: I forgot again before dinner, my google reminder having come and gone in the gap between prep and service. With nearly everything else I'm locked in, even the truly difficult stuff for me. Perhaps it goes to how little we perceive the extent to which food -- of all things! -- is a vivid example of our connectedness to myriad things. I mean, really, if chewing isn't as much of a this/here/now moment as breathing, what else is?!?

[Ekai]

Re: Meal time chant during Ango

I think that it's fascinating that so many of us are finding these little chants so challenging! Me, I hasten to add, included: I forgot again before dinner, my google reminder having come and gone in the gap between prep and service. With nearly everything else I'm locked in, even the truly difficult stuff for me. Perhaps it goes to how little we perceive the extent to which food -- of all things! -- is a vivid example of our connectedness to myriad things. I mean, really, if chewing isn't as much of a this/here/now moment as breathing, what else is?!?

I was just thinking the same thing this evening after I forgot to do the meal chant at dinner!

Jodi

[Nenka]

Re: Meal time chant during Ango

Just a note:

I sometimes pass by a church downtown with a side door where their food pantry is. Yesterday . . . in fact a lot of days lately . . . the line of people needing food was well out the door.

Today I did the meal chant and really meant it.

Gassho

Jen

P.S. Next month I will be participating in a food drive.

[ChrisA]

Re: Meal time chant during Ango

Good point. I have a friend who works for the RI Food Bank, and as your anecdote suggested, there are a lot of hungry people out there -- and winter is coming to the northern hemisphere.....

[Hoyu]

Re: Meal time chant during Ango

I sometimes pass by a church downtown with a side door where their food pantry is. Yesterday . . . in fact a lot of days lately . . . the line of people needing food was well out the door.

Today I did the meal chant and really meant it.

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing this story Jen. It's nice to see how this practice has the ability to make us look at things from a different perspective.

An example for me is similar to this wonderful insight from Chris, as he mentioned here

Perhaps it goes to how little we perceive the extent to which food -- of all things! -- is a vivid example of our connectedness to myriad things. I mean, really, if chewing isn't as much of a this/here/now moment as breathing, what else is?!?

After dinner last night I remembered that I had forgotten the meal chant. At that moment I realized this: If I am so mindless as to even think of the meal chant before eating, am I not just as mindless while I'm actually eating?! Open mouth, insert food, repeat. My meal is not the only thing being consumed! So too is my mind by all the myriad things, none of which are truly taking place at that moment!

Gassho,
John

[Dokan]

Re: Re: Meal time chant during Ango

Just a note:

I sometimes pass by a church downtown with a side door where their food pantry is. Yesterday . . . in fact a lot of days lately . . . the line of people needing food was well out the door.

Today I did the meal chant and really meant it.

Gassho

Jen

P.S. Next month I will be participating in a food drive.

Thanks for sharing this. This is something close to my heart as well. I am in the middle of a food drive myself. In Dallas there are so, so many hungry people ..and visually so. I can only imagine how many go hungry behind the scenes. There is a school about 20 minutes away where 80 percent of the kids are what they classify as at risk in relation to hunger. Some of the stories of kids only eating well at school and practically fasting during the weekends just breaks my heart...

Thanks for your practice.

Gassho

Shawn

Sent from my SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

[murasaki]

Re: Meal time chant during Ango

Dang it, I forgot to chant today again too. For lunch because I was exhausted and preoccupied about some pressing issues, and for dinner because I didn't really eat dinner. I was so busy I shoved a protein bar in my face quickly so I could get on to putting out the next fire. How's that for Ango? :roll: I guess it's like dropping thoughts in zazen -- you just keep on doing it until you do it.

[ChrisA]

Re: Meal time chant during Ango

Sounds like we need a gatha for when we forget our meal gatha!

[Hoyu]

Re: Meal time chant during Ango

Sounds like we need a gatha for when we forget our meal gatha!

:lol: Interesting idea Chris!

Gassho,
John

[Kyonin]

Re: Meal time chant during Ango

Sounds like we need a gatha for when we forget our meal gatha!

Inception-Gatha!

[ChrisA]

Re: Meal time chant during Ango

Thanks to Shinkai, we've got one!

Realizing my forgetfulness
I vow with all beings
to acknowledge every moment as a new beginning
and start fresh with renewed faith.

[Hoyu]

Re: Meal time chant during Ango

Hi All,

I've been doing the mealtime chant with the family when we are together for dinner. My wife had a special request. She(being Japanese) wanted me to sometimes do it in Japanese as well. Does anyone have the Japanese version of this which is said before meals?

Thanks in advance,
John

[Dokan]

Re: Meal time chant during Ango

Hi All,

I've been doing the mealtime chant with the family when we are together for dinner. My wife had a special request. She(being Japanese) wanted me to sometimes do it in Japanese as well. Does anyone have the Japanese version of this which is said before meals?

Thanks in advance,
John

I didn't see that John while googling around but did find a pretty neat gem:

http://www.buddhistglobalrelief.org/doc ... Gathas.pdf

Gassho,

Shawn

[Jundo]

Re: Meal time chant during Ango

Hi,

Our 'Meal Gatha' which we are chanting this Ango is based (my abbreviation) on the longer "Formal Meal Verses" (Gyohatsu Nenju 行鉢念誦) recited during Oryoki in a Soto Zen Monastery, and mainly the portions known as:


I - The Verse of Five Contemplations (Gokan No Ge 五観の偈)

The Gokan No Ge is ...

一つには功の多少を計り彼の来処を量る
二つには己れが徳行の全缺を忖つて供に應ず
三つには心を防ぎ過を離るることは貪等を宗とす
四つには正に良薬を事とするは形枯を療ぜんが為なり
五には成道の為の故に今此の食を受く

or (in a way a bit easier for modern Japanese to read)

一には功の多少を計（はか）り彼（か）の来処（らいしょ）を量（はか）る。
二には己が徳行（とくぎょう）の全欠を［と］忖（はか）つて供（く）に応（おう）ず。
三には心を防ぎ過（とが）を離るることは貪等（とんとう）を宗（しゅう）とす。
四には正に良薬を事とすることは形枯（ぎょうこ）を療（りょう）ぜんが為なり。
五には成道（じょうどう）の為の故に今此（いまこ）の食（じき）を受く。

Translations vary (Shawn linked to some versions above), but generally something like ...

First, innumerable labors have brought us this food. We should know how it came to us.

Second, as we receive this offering, we should consider whether our virture and practice deserve it.

Third, as we seek the natural condition of mind, to be free from clinging.

Fourth, we regard this meal as medicine to sustain our life

Fifth, to attain our way, we take this food

II - Food Offering Verse (Sejiki Ge 施食偈)

三徳六味。施仏及僧。法界有情。普同供養。 （さんてるみ、しふぎすん、はかいうじん、ふずんきゅんにょう）
「三徳と六味を仏及び僧と法界の有情に施し普く同じく供養せん」

The three virtues and six tastes of this meal. Are offered to buddha and sangha. May all sentient beings in the universe. Be equally nourished.

Just as a reminder, our version for Treeleaf Ango is ....

(Hands in Gassho) This food comes from the efforts
of all sentient beings past and present,
and is medicine for nourishment of our Practice.
We offer this meal of many virtues and tastes
to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,
and to all life in every realm of existence.
May all sentient beings in the universe
be sufficiently nourished.

Gassho, J

[Hoyu]

Re: Meal time chant during Ango

Thank you Jundo Sensei and Shawn for helping out on this one!

Gassho,
John