Friday, 04/17/2026
Health
Five Benefits of Punctual Eating
Update: 10/10/2015
These are Devas receive the punctuate offering; Sramana avoid unpunctuate eating and punctuate offering; visitors are inviting to have punctual meals; servants are are pleasant; and punctual eating provides full of nutrients.
Bhikshu! With these five benefits, punctuate meals should be served
(ÄTKVN, Anguttara Nikaya II, Chapter 5, Section Long Journey, Part: Meals, VNCPHVN published, 1996, page 728)
COMMENT
In the old days, in every meal , though frugally or hearty, eaters were always careful thinking about the offerings and invitation rather than sitting at the table and immediately eating like us now. First of all, displaying meals offered to deities, gods, souls of the dead; after that, according to conditioning cause, they could offer monks, Sramana, Brahmin, then they invited their visitors (friends) before eating. These rituals may seem redundant and waste time in the hustle life nowadays; however, it shows the reverence, gratitude and concerns to everyone. Few people believe that the sincerity offering is the opportunity to cultivate blessing for themselves and their families.
On the other hand, having punctual meals and resting will create comfort for the staff and employees to improve labor efficiency. The labor supervisors today will be surprised and delighted to hear that from ancient times. Bhagavan was interested in the relationship among labor efficiency, meals and resting.
The most important issue is that having punctual meals will be provided full of nutrients from foods. We all know that the food after processing will be gradually decomposed. Thus, we should eat on time. Today, in ceremonies providing for monks, offering foods are mostly cooked from very early and offering process is redundant; that is why foods become cold and affect to monks’ health seriously.
Bhagava not only pays attention to enlightenment and liberation but also concerned about normal issues such as eating on time. Body and mind have close relationships, interaction and mutual influence. Therefore, beside cultivation, Buddhists always focus on healthcare. One of the therapies to improve human’s health is moderate and on-time eating.
Quảng Tánh.
Translated into English by Huynh Thi Khanh Phung.