Throughout the ages of Buddhism, monks have been supported by receiving food from their communities, traditionally by going on rounds with a begging bowl. The lay people would place food and medicine within these large bowls which would then be used by the monks not only to feed themselves but also their entire Sangha.
Even the Buddha himself performed these alms rounds, and, as shown by the story of Bāhiya, they were a high priority: the Buddha would not stop his alms round to answer a desperate petitioner until the man had asked three times, and even then the Buddha gave only a brief teaching.
There are many layers to the practice of alms rounds, but one in particular stands out: monks must use whatever is put into their bowl to bring nourishment, no matter their preferences or thoughts on the contents.
Even if we are not begging for food, we face a similar situation every day.
In so many moments, other people and the world itself put things into our life over which we have no control; if we want to be happy and healthy, we must find a way to make use of those things. Even things which are unpalatable offer us wisdom.
This does not mean we should accept injury and injustice without taking action to protect and heal ourselves and others. The teaching points out, rather, that no matter what we do, unexpected things will end up in our bowl and we must wisely learn how to respond to them in a way that reduces suffering.
This week, Michael led our Sangha in a discussion about the practice of receiving and how it applies to our modern life.
