Moving into an awareness of the breath,
In and out at your own pace,
And an acceptance of this moment just as it is.
Preparing your mind and your heart to savor a meal.
Preparing your body,
Simple awareness,
Simple acceptance.
Bringing breath and body and mind together.
Taking this a time where you're aware of what you're eating.
You're aware of what's going into your body.
You focus on this awareness and acceptance.
And bring yourself into a place of savoring each bite,
Each moment.
These are the five contemplations.
This food is the gift of the whole universe.
The earth,
The sky,
Numerous living beings and much hard loving work.
May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to be worthy to receive it.
May we recognize and transform our 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 we reduce the suffering of living beings,
Preserve our planet,
And reverse the process of global warming.
We accept this food so that we may nurture our sisterhood and brotherhood,
Strengthen our community,
And nourish our ideal of serving all living beings.
And then as you eat,
In silence or in conversation,
Bring your awareness back as often as you need to the beauty of the moment.
