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When people say 'man is what he eats', this way of speaking implies that result of eating is either healthy or ill, or happy, or unhappy. Indeed, consequence of eating relates to many problems of life in which the problems such as health, disease, beauty, and hunger are called the most burning problems of the day. These problems will be reviewed through Lord Buddha's teachings. a. Health The World Health Organization describes health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely an absence of disease or infirmity. Bonnie J. Kaplan in the 'Encyclopedia of Mental Health' asserted, "Food and food substances affect mental health 376 376 Kittler, Pamela Goyan and Kathryn P. Sucher, Food and Culture, USA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2008, p. 41.

205 in the broadest sense inasmuch as the development and function of the human brain is dependent on the ingestion of appreciate nutrients. It is said that a person who consumes enough nutrition from various foods, he or she can get healthy; this means human beings often take care of physical health more than mental health. Most importantly, just as the body needs the right nutrition for health, so does the mind. Food for the mind, like that for the body, creates the energy that allows it to work. Like the body, the mind has its proper exercise and expression, which requires the right food to sustain it. 378 People often think that mental health depends on physical health; this is to say it is dependent upon the condition of in-take of food or it is affected directly to some extent by the way of consumption of food. This thought should be considered carefully. Why is it? Because, as we see in modern life, mental health is getting worse although physical health is looked after deliberately with menus in which rich vitamin and protein contents are quite enough. Therefore, the problem of mental health should be reviewed. Nowadays, the situation of malnutrition of body speaks only of the poor countries, but undernourished mentality seems to have spread the whole world even in the rich countries. The issue of malnutrition mentality is very dangerous but human beings seem not to take care of it, it has caused and was causing silent conflicts between man and man, its token is seen through wrong relationships, lost faith, family violence, school violence, a series of massacre, and other immoral problems. Thus, food for sound mind should be reviewed. According to Hindus tradition, health depends on one's manner and thought of taking food. Therefore, food is regarded as the prime preventive 378 377 Howard S. Friedman, Encyclopedia of Mental Health, vol. 2, USA: Academic Press, 1998, p. Frawley, Dr. David, Ayurveda and the Mind: The Healing of Consciousness, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Phublisher Pvt. Ltd., 2006, p. 169. 241.

206 medicine. When taken properly, it enhances youthfulness and longevity. .... Improper intake of food creates toxins and ultimately takes one's life (Prana pranabhrtamannam tadayuktya nihantyasan visam pranaharam tacca yuktiyuktam rasayanma) (Caraka Sutra Sthana 27:3). 379 In Buddhist view, health is the state of freedom from physical or mental ailment. Hence, it includes physical as well as spiritual soundness or well-being in which state the human organism discharges its functions efficiently. The perfect state of health from Buddhist point of view would be the state of perfection itself wherein one has overcome craving and ignorance completely. 380 The Buddha has taught: "Having seen that health is from the destruction of desire, he that serves discriminatingly and stands fast in the Dhamma cannot be reckoned as existing, being accomplished. ,,381 The above verse refers to genuine inward health as the condition in which the asavas (defilements) are eliminated. From the Buddhist point of view, true health is based on the purification of the mind resulting in the production of a healthy body as well. Mere appearance of outward health is never an indication of true health. 382 The importance of health in the ordinary life of day to day activity, where one is expected to lead the correct life (samma-ajiva,) is fully recognized in Buddhism. Without a healthy mind and healthy body, one cannot think of leading a correct life. It is true that mind and body which are healthy in the ordinary sense would, as Buddhism teaches it, gradually become old and decrepit in course of time (jara) and succumb to the state called death. But the overcoming of this sorrowful state of 379 Partap Chauhan, Eternal Health: The Essence of Ayurveda, India: Jiva Institute, 2000, p.101. Malalasekera, G. P., Encyclopaedia of Buddhism, vol. V, p. 420. 380 381 Suttanipata v. 749. 382 Op. cit.

207 impermanence and change is the purpose of living for which health is considered as of inestimable value (arogya parama labha) 383 as the Buddha taught: "Health is the greatest of gifts, contentedness the best riches; trust is the best of relationships, Nirvana the highest happiness." ,,384 If health were to be genuine and complete it has to be both physical and spiritual. Spiritual health is to be achieved by basing one's life on an ethical footing, generally called sila, which is broadly divided as negative (varitta) and positive (caritta) or as those practices that are to be given up and those that are to be cultivated. It is the person who first establishes himself in sila and then works towards both mental and physical health that could be spoken as being destined to enjoy true health, both moral and physical. The bodily and mental hardships that one might have to face in the process would be of temporary nature. In the true state of health, both mind and body should act in perfect harmony. The Buddha never overlooked the importance of health in ordinary life. Over-eating and such other unhealthy dietary habits that are contributory factors towards ill-health are pointed out to be given up. It is clearly laid down in his teaching the required quantity of food and abstemious use (bhojane mattannuta) as well as forgoing the night meal would lead to good health. Regular dietary and other hygienic habits are recommended in order to preserve one's health. Regular bathing, regular tonsure and shaving, wearing clean clothes, getting up early and not over sleeping and such other habits are to be cultivated by those who intend to follow the pure life, whether as monk or as layman. The majority of Vinaya rules are, in short, nothing but regulation intended to preserve the health of the bhikkhus. Hence it follows that in addition to having a calm 383 Encyclopaedia of Buddhism, vol. V, p. 420. 384 Dhammapada , v. 204.

208 and a poised mind free from selfishness, greed, lust, anger, hatred, jealousy, fear, pride and worry, one has to obverse the various external hygienic practices as well. 386 The value of good health is known to everyone and needs no emphasis. Not only is it called the highest gain (paramalabha: Dhammapada v. 204) but it is also referred to as one of the five kinds of bliss, it is also reckoned as one of ten desirable things in the world but hard to obtain and while unwholesome activity (asappayakiriya) is an obstacle to health, wholesome activity (sappayakiriya) promotes it. Lord Buddha taught: 387 "Acting unseasonably is an obstacle to health (amandana avibhusana vannassa paripantho) and seasonable action is a help to health (mandana vibhusana vannassa aharo.)"³88 From the above teaching, Lord Buddha has described ahara for health with an extraordinary meaning that is seasonable action is help or aids (food) to health. He did not mention material food for health but for Him actions will directly affect human health. Here, the term 'action' is understood as the deed of body, speech, and mind or the operation of the six sense organs (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind) touch the six externals (shapes, sounds, odours, tastes, tangibles, and mental states.) 'Seasonable action' known as a state of mind freed from craving, grasping, lust and hatred in all actions; in other words, the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path is seasonable actions for health. A person who keeps seasonable actions also lives the present moment, which is The Secret of health as Lord Buddha said: 385 Ibid., p. 421. 386 The five kinds of bliss: kinsfolf, wealth, health, virtue, and sound opinion, D. III, 235. 387 388 The ten desirable things: wealth, beauty, health, virtues, the Brahma-life, friends, much knowledge, wisdom, teachings, and the heaven worlds, A. V, 135-136. A. V, 135.

209 "The Secret of health for both mind and body is not mourn the past, not to worry about the future, not to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly." Infatuation with one's health (arogya-mada) like any other form of infatuation is an obstacle to spiritual progress and has to be gradually overcome 'three intoxications, to wit, the pride of health, the pride of youth, the pride of life. In short, all actions originated from the mind and physical health sustained by way of material food consumption is also controlled by the mind, it is not merely an action; therefore, mindfulness and moderation in all actions will help people get long health. Especially, if one has seen that health is from the destruction of desire for the four foods, he that serves discriminatingly and stands fast in the Dhamma cannot be reckoned as existing, being accomplished. If he does the opposite way, he will get disease. b. Disease (vyadhi) 390 If health is one of desirable, dear, and charming things of human life, hard to win in the world, disease is very hard to avoid in life. It is said that, "a good appetite and good sleep is like a fairy; not feeling appetite and no good sleep is to have to borrow money." This is to say that if one does not want or be lazy to eat food and cannot sleep well for a long time, he will be getting disease. Nowadays, human race has entered the 21 century with endless progress of science and technology, has ameliorated a lot about people's living conditions, but each and all must not have felt appetite and slept well. 389 D. III, 220 (see also Vism. p. 77; A. III, 72.) 390 Suttanipata Verse No. 749.

210 Living in an era of 'fast food,' though there are many types of various fast foods, how many people pay attention to how to eat and which right ways are there? Even they ignore the value of awareness while consuming food. In reality, people, in modern times, eat every day, all day long. But they are eating on the run, or while reading e-mail and 391 392 393 listening to phone messages, grabbing a doughnut and a cup of coffee on our way to work, heating up TV dinners, or making meals from instant foods. In the incredible pace of our lives, and with the availability of every prepackaged food imaginable, men have lost the connection between what they eat, why they feed themselves, and how they feel. For the most part, people eat without a great deal of thought beyond the taste. People should know that the simple, daily act of eating has potential to become a profound catalyst for spiritual growth, from experiencing a renewed sense of vitality and purpose in life to discovering men's true vocations and making deeper connections in all relationship. Right way of food consumption, nevertheless, is not seriously noticed owing to stress in running with mass changes of society and wrestles with material life; therefore, mostly people get insomnia disease as well as have no appetite feeling while eating. This real situation has caused many various dangerous diseases and affected or gotten bad the human beings' living conditions. It is, of course, in cases a number of others who have an appetite and sleep well but have done many evil deeds, this is called mental disease or mental disorder. This means that most of people merely consider how they feed their bodies, they seldom think of how they feed their mind; in other words, they do not pay attention to what kinds of food are needed for the mind. 391 If The Buddha Came To Dinner: How to Nourish Your body to Awaken Your Spirit, ibid., 392 Ibid., p. 3. 393 Ibid. p. 26.

211 There are many viewpoints speaking about causes of disease. men think that disease is not complicated or mysterious. The causes of disease 394 395 lie in our own every day nature and behavior. One of the most important factors in the disease process is the wrong use of the senses. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell are the five sense qualities through which environmental factors enter the body and mind. Sensory contacts such as excess, deficient, inappropriate cause disease. For example, if the five sense qualities are taken in too much, they will cause disease. Just as sounds that are too loud can damage health, the same is true of harmful exposure to the other sensory qualities of sight, taste, odor, and touch. An excess of sensations disturbs the mind and leads to wrong actions and dietary indiscretions. Human beings usually look at only disease according to external pathogens and do not acknowledge the role of the senses; they miss much of the real problem. The senses are link to the outer world and the relationship with environment, healthful or unhealthful, can be measured by how they use them. Sensory impressions are like food for the mind and determine how they think, feel, and judge things. 398 396 397 Other main factor in the disease process is volitional transgression or wrong use of will, which relates to causes from within people's psyche that result in defective, excessive of perverted actions of body, speech and mind. Most of people today are taught to indulge their senses and to pursue desire rather than to cultivate their will power and enjoy freedom from external influences, they do not know the proper use of the will; 399 therefore, create many types of diseases for themselves. 394 395 Frawley, Dr. David and Dr. Subhash Ranade, Ayurveda Nature's Medicine, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Phublisher Pvt. Ltd., 2004, p. 167. Ibid., p. 168. 396 Ibid. 398 397 Ibid., Ibid. 399 Ibid. p. 169.

212 Generally speaking, in the present day, people misuse too much of the senses, body, mind, speech, and especially waste of time for sensual pleasure and useless actions, eventually making health attrition and causing diseases. According to the way of treatment of western medicine, a doctor will prescribe a medicine after diagnosing ill symptom of any part of the body. However, to some extent, the effect of the medicine only relieves pain and defends against bacteria and other disease caused. This treatment really cannot root out the origin of disease. In reality, disease cannot arise in a short moment, it has taken form through a process of years; therefore, there is not any symptom, it is improbable without disease. Further, most western medicine relies on modern medical instruments to diagnose disease and prescribe a drug. Nowadays, although there are up-to-date diagnosis means and a great deal of costly sophisticated medicaments made up from famous pharmaceutical companies in the world, a number of patients not only does not diminish but also has a tendency to increase quickly. Why is it? It can be because modern medicine has attached great importance to symptom, parts of physical body, has ignored mental disorder or volitional (karma) disorder or has disregarded the profound origin of disease in human thought. 400 It In Buddhist view, disease is an integral part of the ordinary life. is more or less this viewpoint that is expressed at Anguttara, (II, 143) where, after dividing disease into two as physical and mental, it is said that although there may be beings who can be free from bodily diseases even for a period of hundred years it is hard to find in this world a person who can admit of freedom from mental diseases even for a single moment 400 Encyclopaedia of Buddhism, vol. V, Sri Lanka, p. 420.

213 (muhuttampi.) The person who can admit such a state is the one who has destroyed the influxes (asava) and conquered depravities (kilesa)." 401 The health-conferring nature of the Buddha's teaching is very well seen in the concept in which he is hailed as the king of physicians (bhaisajya-raja,) an idea fully developed in the Far Eastern Mahayana. When considered from the Buddhist point of view ordinary human life is like a disease body for the curing of which Gotama has given the prescription. Hence, it is with perfect justification that sometimes an analogy is drawn between the Indian science of medicine, known as ayurveda, and the Buddha's analysis of the problem of life. Hence the four noble truths of suffering, the cause of suffering, the extinction of suffering and the path leading to the extinction of suffering are juxtaposed with the four divisions of ayurveda which are: disease or roga, cause of disease or roganidana; curing of disease or roganivarana, and the administration of medicine or tikiccha. 402 Lord Buddha has asserted that when there is an existence of this body, there is sickness. This body has many ills, many disadvantages, it arises diverse diseases, such as: disease of eyesight and hearing, of nose, tongue, trunk, head, ear, mouth, teeth; there is cough, asthma, catarrh, fever, decrepitude, belly-ache, swooning, dysentery, griping, cholera, leprosy, imposthume, eczema, phthisis, epilepsy; skin-disease, itch, scab, tetter, scabies; bile-in-the-blood (jaundice), diabetes, piles, boils, ulcers; diseases arising from bile, from phlegm, from wind, from union of bodily humours, from changes of the seasons, from stress of circumstances, or from the ripeness of one's karma; also cold and heat, hunger and thirst, evacuation and urination. 403 This body is a store, which contains many 401 402 403 Ibid. Ibid., p. 421. A. V, 110.

214 ills, cannot avoid. If one wishes that 'may his body not be sick all the time,' according to Lord Buddha this is a food wish as He taught: moment's "For one carrying this body about, house-father, to claim but a health would be sheer foolishness. Wherefore, housefather, thus you should train yourself: 'Though my body is sick, my mind shall not be sick.' Thus, housefather, must you be train yourself."404 For the Buddha, physical body is a combination of many types of food, even animal flesh. From birth to growth, the body has consumed countless food and the very rot of food in the body after the food is digested, even not to mention some types of food that are not digested will be the causes of disease. Further, human beings have often taken immoderate in food, so the body sick is an obvious thing. The problem is how to realize the truth of the body that is sick and the way leading to heal it. In order to heal it, one of the best ways is to take moderate in food. Lord Buddha again taught: - "And how is body sick, housefather, and mind sick too? Herein, housefather, the untaught many-folk, who discern not those who are Ariyans, who are unskilled in the Ariyan doctrine, who are untrained in the Ariyan doctrine, who discern not those who are worthy ones, who are unskilled in the worthy doctrine, untrained in the worthy doctrine these regard body as self, they regard the self as having body, body as being in the self, the self as being in the body. "I am the body," say they, "body is mine," and are possessed by this idea; and so, possessed by this idea, when body alters and changes, owing to the unstable and changeful nature of the body, then sorrow and grief, woe, lamentation, and despair arise in them. They regard 404 S. III, 2.

215 ... feeling as the self ... I am feeling, feeling is mine By doing so perception, activities, and consciousness ... That, housefather, is how body is sick and mind is sick too. And how is body sick, but mind not sick? This is contrary to body sick and mind sick."405 "Here, student, some woman or man is one who harms beings with his hands or with clods or with sticks or with knives. Due to having performed and completed such karmas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of deprivation. If instead he comes to the human state, he is sickly wherever he is born. This is the way that leads to sickness, that is to say, to be one who harms beings with one's hands or with clods or with sticks or with knives."406 Human beings often pay attention to the sick body, but Lord Buddha who has especially cared about the sick mind. He has expounded on the truth of things is to rise from the mind, so the mind is the root of disease. His purpose is to center on eliminating ills of the mind. Many toxins such as lust, hatred, killing, harm, etc., have fed the human's mind. The toxins are spreading throughout the world to create karma catastrophes and they have dragged from this life to the next incarnations. The toxins are regarded as materials to consolidate fame, position, wealth and to form severe and illusion 'selves, or egos.' The very toxins have covered wise capacity for the truth of impermanence and no self of all existing things. c. Beauty 407 Beauty (subha) is also known as one of desirable, dear, and charming things of human beings, and very hard to win in the world. Sound body and mind of a person has often been evaluated through his or her appearance or beauty. Human thinks that what he eats has a profound 405 Ibid., 4-5. 406 M. III, 203. 407 A. V, 136.

216 effect on his outward appearance as well as on his physical well-being. An ideal diet should provide adequate quantities of all the nutrients essential to health and beauty. Beauty fitness really does start from within. It is the quality and the right kind of naturally available foods you eat that will help prevent premature aging or reduce its effects. If one wants to maintain his outer glow, then beauty food is his main ally. Yes, eating the right kind of food will help you to look his most youthful and beautiful. People believe that food content will make them gain fine and sound beauty of body. There is no doubt that all of us want to look beautiful, slim and fit. One has to exercise sufficiently to look good. But it is important to eat the right kind of diet to look beautiful. The nutrients or some foods, which are of particular importance for beauty, are healthy and help in enhancing your looks. In modern viewpoint, all vitamins, proteins and other contents as enumerated are ingredients to make the beauty of body. However, for human beings, caring about beauty is more complex and fussy; they not only consume enough dainty food contents, but also often rely on cosmetics made of chemical substance, nice clothes, and even cosmetic surgery. Human beings always prove to be worried and interested in making beauty by this or another way, and they are really tired by or attach special importance to beauty and unsightliness of physical appearance, they ignore its change and uselessness after death, and do not know that 'before long, alas! this body will lie in the earth, despised, without understanding, like a useless log. ,408 In Buddhism, Lord Buddha did not overplay care about beauty by the forms as said, but He really notices the art of living, art for life's sake 408 Dhammapada , Verse No. 41.

217 or art of looking after one's beauty. He has taught, "lack of finery and adornment is an obstacle to beauty (amandana avibhusana vannassa paripantho) and finery and adornment are helps (food) to beauty (mandana vibhasana vannassa aharo.) "409 Here, 'finery and adornment' is alluded to the practice of morality (sila,) concentration (samadhi,) and wisdom (pranna,) they are related to Ariya Atthangika Magga (the Eightfold Path.) Lord Buddha has asserted that a person who dwells and trains seriously sila, samadhi, and panna (Threefold Training) he or she prettifies not only for him or her both physical and mental, but also for life. Thus, beauty in Buddhism springs from the strength of the inner mind by training morality, such strength of beauty is described as 'the scent of flowers does not travel against the wind, but the odour of virtuous people against the wind, good man pervades every place. In other words the very virtue constitutes a monk's beauty as the Buddha taught: $410 >>,411 "And what constitutes a monk's beauty? There is the case where a monk is virtuous. He dwells restrained in accordance with the Patimokkha, consummate in his behavior and sphere of activity. He trains himself, having undertaken the training rules, seeing danger in the slightest faults. This constitutes a monk's beauty. Having trained way of Buddhist life, bhikkhus and bhikkhunis have not saved times for taking care of beauty but the very morality and mindfulness cultivation have made them feel unaffected, fair-minded, tranquil, youthful, loveable, and especially there is no entanglements of thought of either beauty or unsightliness. In other words, beauty of monks and nuns, in Buddhism, originated from 'calmed are one's senses, clear and pure is one's 409 A. V, 136, Itthadhamma sutta. 410 Dhammapada , Verse No. 54. 411 D. III, 77, Cakkavattisihanada sutta.

218 complexion>412 This lifestyle is called the art of looking after beauty, regarded as a solution for maintaining health and beauty in Buddhism. King Pasenadi of Kosala has commented on health, beauty and unaffected vitality of the Buddha's disciples as follows: "Revered Sir, I pace up and down and roam about from one park to another, from one pleasance to another. And there I see some recluses and brahmans who are thin, wretched, their colour bad, yellowish, their veins standing out on their limbs, methinks not at all pleasing to behold. So it occurs to me thus, revered sir: Undoubtedly these venerable ones are faring the Brahman-faring displeased, or there is some evil kamma done by them and concealed, and that is why these venerable ones are thin, wretched ... not at all pleasing to behold. On the other hand I, revered sir, see monks here who are very joyful, very exultant, looking contented and cheerful, living unconcerned, unruffled, dependent on others, with a mind become as a wild creature's. so it occurs to me, revered sir: Undoubtedly these venerable ones recognize a high excellence in the Lord's teaching, a gradual accomplishing, and that is why these venerable ones are very joyful, very exultant, looking contented and cheerful, living unconcerned, unruffled, dependent on others, with a mind become as a wild creature's. ,,413 The above king Pasenadi's remark proves that monks possess youthful and tranquil lifestyle with loveable physiognomy, and the king believes that there is healthy and beautiful art of living in the Buddha's teachings experienced by them. In fact, the entire teaching of the Buddha will help human beings live in health and beauty of both in body and mind, because it is a lifestyle of the middle way comprising of 412 S. III, 2. 413 M. II, 121, Dhammacetiya Sutta.

219 experienced solutions and very useful for any individual who wants to improve one's life. On the other hand, beauty or unsightliness of physical body is the result of deeds from the past, so human beings cannot change it, and if they use modern surgical instruments to change their bodies, they will get problems because of contrary to law of karma or cause and effect. This meaning taught by Lord Buddha is as follows: "Here, student, some woman or man is angry, much given to rage; even when little is said, he is furious, angry, ill-disposed, resentful, he shows ill-temper, hate and surliness. Due to having performed and completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a state of deprivation ... If instead he comes to the human state; he is ugly wherever he is reborn. This is the way that leads to ugliness, that is to say, to be furious, angry, ill-disposed, resentful, and to show ill-temper, hate and surliness. But here some woman or man is not angry or much given to rage; even when much is said, he is not furious, angry, ill-disposed, resentful, nor does he show ill-temper, hate or surliness. Due to having performed and completed such kammas, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in a happy destination If instead he comes to the human state, he is beautiful wherever he is reborn. This is the way that leads to beauty, that is to say, not to be angry or given to much rage; even when much is said, not to be furious, angry, ill-disposed or resentful, or to show ill-temper, hate or surliness. In short, beauty must encompass both body and mind. Vitamins and proteins contents are for body beauty and loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity comprise the mind of beauty. However, 414 M. III, 204.

220 mind beauty is always dignified; unlimited loving-kindness, compassion, tolerance, and devotion as well as mindfulness are called types of food, are the causes of beauty. It is said that, if one lives in the spirit of no-self, frees from all craving and defilements, he can get perfect beauty for both body and mind. c. Hunger Generally, the term "hunger" is defined as lack of food, especially for a long period of time, that can cause illness or death; or when people are ill, or dying because of not having enough food. The definition that often alludes to physical body hunger, specially refers to the poor or undernourished people of the undeveloped countries, it is true; however, it also does not except the rich and the developed countries. Furthermore, the word 'hunger' is not only for physical body hunger but also for mind hunger. Having lived in the age of high development of science and technology called the civilization zenith of the twentieth century, human beings believe that they will be well-fed, not starved, and modern industry means can make them free from hunger, but it is quite contrary to human hope. Indeed, the situation of hunger in the world is increasing more and more. It is said that the causes include both objective and subjective leading to the world hunger. The contemporary leaders believe that the causes of hunger or poverty originate from food insecurity, high population, economic crisis, poor countries, environment degradation, and disaster. Therefore, they have alerted people to the situations of the hunger in the world through the different causes such as regardless of race, religion, sex, or nationality. Our bodies experience similarly the effects of food insecurity and its companion hunger. Hunger is the 415 415 Marie A. Boyle and David H. Holben, Community Nutrition in Action: an Entrepreneurial Approach, USA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2006, p. 415.

221 416 biggest risk for illness worldwide. Food insecurity was once viewed as a problem of overpopulation and inadequate food production, but now people recognize it as a problem of poverty. Food is available but not accessible to the poor who have neither land nor money. 417 418 The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that of the more than 6 billion people in the world, at least 852 million people - 18 percent of the developing world's population - suffer from chronic, severe undernutrition, consuming too little food each day to meet even minimum energy requirement. Approximately 1.2 billion people (up to this time -2009 is 2 billion people) live in poverty. Living standards declined during the past two decades, partly because of accelerated rates of population growth and environmental decline, but also as a result of lower export earnings, rising inflation. In other words, the poor earned less and paid more. According to the FAO, widespread chronic hunger is most likely to be found in developing countries that can neither produce enough food to feed their populations fully nor earn enough foreign exchange to import food to cover their deficits. Those who live with chronic poverty often face unsafe drinking water, intestinal parasites, insufficient food, a low-protein diet, stunted growth, illiteracy, disease, shortened life spans and death. The lives in the villages of the developing world are more difficult than anything we have ever known. Poverty is much more than an economic condition and exists for many reasons, including overpopulation, the greed of others, unemployment, and the lack of productive resources such 419 421 420 416 Ibid. 417 Ibid. 418 Ibid., p. 416. Ibid., p. 417. 419 420 Ibid. 421 Ibid.

222 as land, tools, and credit. 422 Hunger and malnutrition can be found in people of all ages, sexes, and nationalities. Even so, these problems hit some groups harder than others. 423 424 The grim tally of human lives cut short or scarred by disability leaves no doubt that hunger is morally unacceptable. However, calculating the economic costs of hunger shows that it is also unaffordable - not only to those affected by hunger but also to the future development of the countries in which they live. The burden of hunger includes both direct and indirect costs. The most obvious are the direct health-related expenses associated with maternal complications in pregnancy and with the poor health of low - birth weight babies and malnourished children. The indirect costs of hunger include lost productivity and income caused by problems associated with chronic hunger. 425 Every year the burden of hunger in both direct and indirect costs is estimated by the FAO to be hundreds of billions of dollars. 426 The situation of world hunger as presented is true and current. The contemporary leaders have put forth the solutions to ameliorate. They believe that the roots of hunger and poverty, like those of many other current problems, can be found in numerous historical and natural developments, including colonialism, economic institutions, corporate systems, population pressure, and agricultural technology. Hence, they also try to center on improving those problems with this way or another, such as to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty, they often center on raising income, by taking more time for working or overworking, decrease in population, etc. However, the situation not only has not reduced at all, 422 423 Ibid. Ibid., p. 420. 424 Ibid., p. 421. 425 Ibid. 426 427 Ibid. Ibid., p. 423. 427

223 but also has increased more the problems of theft, fraudulence, corruption, deception, disloyalty, and filial impiety. These problems are extending fast everywhere. The contemporary leaders have put forwards the solutions to prevent them but they do not have the desired effect. In reality, their solutions that they apply are limited, negative and not real and therefore need to be reviewed through Lord Buddha's teachings. In the Nikayas, especially in the Cakkavatti Sihanada sutta of the Dighanikaya, Lord Buddha has only taught clearly the causes of hunger or poverty and the way leading to end it. The significance of hunger or poverty as deprivation (daliddiya) and its effects upon both individuals and their society occurs in this Sutta. The Sutta is composed of two parts: a monastic frame tale concerning how one can be an island to oneself, and an embedded story, deeply concerned with socio-political affairs, about the rise and fall of a mythical kingdom. This Sutta has asserted and dignified the spirit of 'one can be an island to oneself and the Dhamma as one's refuge, with nothing else as one's refuge,' which especially implies the significance of governing country and reassuring the people, eliminating hunger and reducing poverty for one who is leading his country. Hence, this spirit of the teaching is not only for monastic life but also for all human life. Usually, people think that what the Buddha taught his disciples - monks and nuns, the Buddhist lay man should not practice because either it is too difficult for them or the rules are for monastic life not for worldly life. They also think that what is called the holy teachings such as the spirit of not self, unlimited loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity and so on, that does not concern them. The very thought drags their life to hunger and disease. Actually, they can do what the monks and nuns do. Realizing the importance of the practice of the Ariyan duty to govern the country and to reassure the people, in the

224 Sutta, the seven successive kings of the embedded story who have done what the monks have done, have practiced the Dhamma and applied the Dhamma to govern their land and people. Hence, their kingdom is always well-fed, peaceful, without war, hunger, conflict, and theft. But the eighth king did not do as what they did, so the kingdom falls into hunger, theft, disease. The content of the embedded story can be depicted as follows: The demise and reestablishment of the kingdom established by King Dalhanemi, and each of seven successors, reestablishes the boundaries and prosperity of the kingdom through following a set of duties known as the noble duty of the wheel-turning monarch. (ariyam cakkavattivattan.) A "wheel-turning monarch" (cakkavattin) is the ideal ruler, one whose rule is just and virtuous. The noble duty consists in the following: becoming the embodiment of dhamma in all activities, providing shelter and protection for all segments of the realm including the animals and birds, ensuring that no wrongdoing occurs, providing wealth for those who are without wealth (adhana,) being advised by the religious, and avoiding anything that might cause the religious to give up their practice. The eighth king, whom the text distinguishes by noting that he ruled according to his own mind (samatena pasasati,) did not follow this pattern and the kingdom failed to prosper. When instructed by his courtiers and other important citizens on his duties, he followed all with one exception. He did not give wealth to those who had none. As a consequence of this, hunger and poverty became widespread (vepulam agamasi.) When cases of theft occured, the king initially provided the thieves with wealth and the injunction to use the wealth to care for themselves, parents, wives and children, to set up a business, and give gifts to the religious that will benefit them here and lead to heaven. Eventually, however, a case of theft resulted in public humiliation and beheading of the thief. The king reasons that if he simply

225 keeps handing out wealth to thieves, he would be providing motivation for others to steal. From the point at which hunger and poverty is introduced into society, the process of social disintegration and human degradation proceeds rapidly via a sequence of action-reaction scenarios, each one worse than the one before. 428 The embedded story as mentioned attaches special importance to the role, vitality and behavior of kings, leaders of countries for their people. If a leader loves his people, takes care of them, give them wealth to live, as he does for himself, his country will be prosperous without hunger and poverty, war and conflict. Indeed, when a country falls into hunger and poverty, for which the leader must be responsible. The following teaching points out the cause of hunger and poverty owing to leader of a country governing their people's lack of virtue: "Thus, brethren, from goods not being bestowed on the destitute, hunger and poverty grew great ... stealing ... violence ... murder ... lying evil speaking abusive and idle talk ... ... adultery ... ... covetousness and ill-will... false opinions ... incest, wanton greed and perverted lust... till finally lack of filial and religious piety and lack of regard for the head of the clan grew great. From these things growing, the life-span of these beings and the comeliness of them wasted."429 Nowadays, hunger, poverty, stealing, and other risks are increasing more and more, they stem from wrong search for foods, the contemporary leaders and rich are in a divided mind as to what to prevent them. They think that if they bestow wealth to the poor in order to reduce the poverty, poor people will become passive and idle, not take care of their work, the situation will cause the decline of the national budget. This worry and query solved by the Buddha in one another sutta of the Dighanikaya 428 Mavis Fenn, Journal of Buddhist Ethics, vol 3, McMaster University, 1996, pp. 100-101. 429 D. III, 71-72.

226 through the story of the king Mahavijita (Wide-realm) who is mighty with great wealth and large property, would offer a great sacrifice for his wealth and his welfare for many days but he does not know how to do rightly, then asks the Brahman for the way and the Brahman instructed as follows: "The king's country, Sire, is harassed and harried. There are dacoits abroad who pillage the village and townships, and who make the roads unsafe. Were the king, so long as that is so, to levy a fresh tax, verily his majesty would be acting wrongly. But perchance his majesty might think: 'I'll soon put a stop to these scoundrel's game by degradation and banishment, and fines and bonds and death!' But their licence cannot be satisfactorily put a stop to so. The remnant left unpunished would still go on harassing the realm. Now there is one method to adopt to put a through end to this disorder. Whosoever there be in the king's realm who devote themselves to keeping cattle and the farm, to them let his majesty the king give food and seed-corn. Whosoever there be in the king's realm who devote themselves to trade, to them let his majesty the king give capital. Whosoever there be in the king's realm who devote themselves to government service, to them let his majesty the king give wages and food. Therigatha those men, following each his own business, will no longer harass the realm; the king's revenue will go up; the country will be quiet and at peace; and the populate, pleased one with another and happy, dancing their children in their aims will dwell with open doors Therigatha the king Wide-realm accepted the word of his chaplain, and did as he had said ... The disorder is at end. The country is at peace. 9,430 ... The above teaching can help the contemporary leaders to check seriously the government way and policy that connect closely with virtue or not? This 430 D. III, 135-136, Kutadanta sutta.

227 is to say that the leaders in the world should not use power or violent methods. to govern because this way will never bring peace and safety to the country. The leader is regarded as the soul of the country, hence the teaching also reminds the leaders about constant cultivation and development of the spirit, a leader has his good and constant mind, he can find down easily the right way to rule. If all leaders unify the government way as Lord Buddha taught, everywhere in the world will be without war and hunger. As discussed above, the Buddha has emphasized the importance of the government way of each country as well as the virtue of the leaders of those countries, each country that becomes hungry and war or peace is quite dependant upon the way and responsibility of the leader. However, in a different and profound meaning of hunger, the Buddha has taught that: "Hunger is the worst of diseases, the elements of the body the greatest evil; If one knows this truly, that is Nirvana, the highest happiness. ,,431 Indeed, hunger, which is a serious disease of humankind, covers the entire world, hard to heal. But if one realizes the truth of hunger by practice of the Noble Eightfold Path, they will eliminate his hunger and get the highest happiness in the present life. According to Buddhist view, the roots of all life problems originate from greed, hatred, delusion, and grasping. These ingredients make men hungry and thirsty anytime. The word 'hunger' in the above teaching which is the very craving, is the cause of suffering, it is the principal condition of any "in-take" or "up-take," that is, of ahara in its widest sense. 432 According to Buddhist concept, hunger world is one of the "ten worlds," or "ten Dharma worlds," which are: hell, hunger, animality, anger, humanity, rapture, learning, realization, Bodhisattva, and Buddha. In fact, these ten worlds refer to ten realms or states of mind rather than to 431 432 Dhammapada , v. 203. Ibid., p.2.

228 ten actual worlds; it is not implied that, beyond ours, there are other worlds which are for hunger, animality, and so on. The worlds relate to human beings, who, with the changes of feelings, may be at one time in hell and at another in heaven. For instance, when one suffers emotional or physical torment, one is in the state of hell; when greedy, one is in that of hunger; when evil-minded, in that of anger; and when over-indulgent in material pleasures, in that of animality. One is in the state of humanity when calm and peaceful, and in that of rapture when pleased by joyful events. 433 From the analysis, we realize that hunger or craving must be solved by each individual, cannot shift the responsibility onto anyone; a man makes himself hungry, no one does it for him. Similarly, a person who eats his ahara, others cannot be full for him. In this significance, the problem of the world hunger springs from the ceaseless hunger of both body and mind of each individual. Therefore, in order to prevent the world hunger situation, firstly, each person must ameliorate his or her hunger. This is the very meaning of 'one can be an island to oneself as preached in the Cakkavatti Sihanada sutta. As mentioned in third and fourth chapter, Lord Buddha said four kinds of food of man are conditioned, impermanent, and suffering. This way of teaching helps us understand the truth and value of foods, how to consume them rightly, to ameliorate ways of earning a living, and to prevent us earning from wrong foods or doing from wrong occupations. This way of teaching also helps us to adjust the development of economics in the right direction. This means that, the development of economics has to tend to balance between physical body and mentality, does not harm the environment and guard life of creatures. 433 Baoxu Zhao, Buddhism of Human Society, p. 159.

229 What the Buddha taught not only for studying, but also for training. Lord Buddha emphasized the importance of the practice to remove obstacles and troubles more than the accumulation of knowledge, theory or notions. 434 Especially, the teaching on ahara, as discussed, is known as the most urgent message of the Buddha that was sent to humankind for over 2500 years ago, in which He has showed the useful methods of cultivated and transformational "ahara" (nourishment) to us. This will be presented in the next chapter. 434 S. II, xiv 10.