【The Meditation Session – what to do in between sessions 】- Appropriate Diet - Eating appropriate food which does not produce afflictions (4)

Once you have understood this contaminated mind, then you can eat appropriately. But, conversely, if you persist with this appropriate diet, even if you are contaminated, the benefit is still there. Because at least you are eating properly, after eating you won’t keep thinking about it. Maybe on the first day you would feel the amount is a bit too little, but after the third day of having less food, you become used to it. Then the following maintenance of your body and mind will not be as weighty as before. By then, your study will be more effective. Let’s think about it, is it right?

Thus, here, this is why I often bring it up, that is how it works. Even though you might not be used to it in the beginning, but after a few days you will get used to it. Take this place for example. In the beginning, everyone feels that the arhat-dish [a pot of assorted vegetables for monastery meal], well, so difficult [to accept], but after eating it for a few days, everyone is pretty pleased with it! That is the way it is! So make note of this! This is absolutely a true fact. Let me tell you, you must not emphasize the taste, [do not] focus on it! So if we can achieve “eating foods which do not produce afflictions” and eat “appropriate” foods, these are the best. However, most of the time for us – I know for myself – we lack these qualifications. What is our qualification? Our virtuous roots from past lives have led us to forsake the worldly path and we are willing to be here [in the monastery], this present state is very precious. So what should be done? Take in the qualification [as a monastic] with the recognition that it will help me. Even though, in the beginning, we are not used to it and feel wronged, but after doing it for a while, well, gradually conform to it.

SOURCE 来源 :

26A 23’13” Vol 4 of Master Jih-Chang’s Discourse P56 L7
English Lamrim Vol 1 P105

日常师父法语📡26A 23’13” 手抄稿第4册P56 L7

修持轨理 - 未修中间 : 饮食知量-非染污心中量食4

然后呢你有了这个（非）染污心，你才能够中量食；不过反过来，假如说硬是把住你这个中量食，虽然你染污心，它也有好处的。因为至少你中量食，吃过了以后，你不会再去脑筋里老想。也许第一天你觉得今天怎么少一点，少了三天你也就习惯了，于是下面你保持身心的，比较不会像前面的沉重，那时候你用功就比较更好，大家想想看对不对？

所以这个地方啊，为什么我常常提起一个事情来，就是这个样。虽然晓得刚开始不习惯，你过了几天也就习惯了。就拿我们这里来说，刚开始的大家觉得这个罗汉菜，唉呀，不晓得多困难，结果我们现在吃了几天，大家还来得个高兴耶！就是这样嘛！所以注意！这千真万确的这个事实，我告诉你们，千万不要讲口味啊，讲那东西啊！就是我们能够做到“非染污心”而“中量食”这是最上等，但是平常我们，我也自己晓得，我们不是这种条件的人，我们条件什么呢？宿生的善根都能够放弃世间走的路，肯来，这是个非常可贵的，现在。那怎么办呢？接受它那个条件，心里先晓得：这个条件帮忙我的，虽然刚开始不习惯、委曲，那么做了些时候，欸，慢慢地相应了。