Five Contemplations Before Eating

This food is a gift of the earth, the sky, numerous living beings and much hard and loving work.

May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to be worthy to receive this food.

May we recognize and transform unwholesome mental formations, especially our greed, and learn to eat with moderation.

May we keep our compassion alive by eating in such a way that reduces the suffering of living beings, stops contributing to climate change, and heals and preserves our precious planet.

We accept this food so that we may nurture our brotherhood and sisterhood, build our Sangha, and nourish our ideal of serving all living beings.

The Plum Village website describes beautifully the practice of eating meditation with these Five Contemplations.

"Mindful consumption is the way out of our difficulties, not just our personal difficulties, but also the way out of war, poverty and climate crisis."

                                         --Thich Nhat Hanh, How To Eat (2014)