Weight Loss Tips From Buddhist Monks!

Well not exactly weight loss tips, more like, the rules they have to follow on the path to enlightenment, which include being mindful of your food and not stuffing your face like a pig. I ran across this list a couple of days ago and wanted to share it here because there are some really good concepts that I have found useful trying them out this week! I’ve highlighted the ones in bold that may be of interest to other fatties trying to fight the desires..

Speaking of which, wasn’t Buddha a big fat guy? All of those depictions, statues, etc., Buddha is always a big fat happy guy, I’m not sure if he was following his own rules on this, but nonetheless, if you’ve ever seen or met any Buddhist monks, they do not weigh as much as Buddha at all, most of them are really slender people. Probably has something to do with doing as Buddha said and not how he did. lol. Anyways.. on with the list, I’ve printed out the bold ones and taped them up in my kitchen:

Bhojanapatisamyutta (food)

1. I will receive pindapāta (alms round) food attentively.
2. When receiving pindapāta food, I will look only into the bowl.
3. I will receive curries in the right proportion to the rice.
   
4. I will receive pindapāta food only until it reached the rim of the bowl.
5. I will eat pindapāta food attentively.
6. When eating pindapāta food, I will look only into the bowl.
7. I will not dig up the rice making it uneven.
8. I will eat curries in the right proportion to the rice.
9. I will not eat rice only working from the top down.
10. I will not cover up curries – or curry mixed with rice – with white rice because of a desire to get a lot.
11. When I am not sick, I will not ask for curries or rice for the purpose of eating them myself.
12. I will not look at another’s bowl with the idea of finding fault.
13. I will not make up a very large mouthful of food.
14. I will make food up into suitably round mouthfuls.
15. I will not open my mouth until the portion of food has been brought to it.
16. When eating, I will not put my fingers into my mouth.
17. When food is still in my mouth, I will not speak.
18. I will not throw lumps of food into my mouth.
19. I will not eat by biting off mouthfuls of rice.
20. I will not eat stuffing out my cheeks.
21. I will not eat and shake my hand about at the same time.
22. I will not eat scattering grains of rice about so that they fall back into the bowl or elsewhere.
23. I will not eat putting my tongue out.
24. I will not eat making a champing sound.
25. I will not eat (or drink) making a sucking sound.
26. I will not eat licking my hands.
27. I will not eat scraping the bowl.
28. I will not eat licking my lips.
29. I will not take hold of a vessel of water with my hand soiled with food.
30. I will not throw out bowl-washing water which has grains of rice in it in a place where there are houses.