"Let us be together, let us eat together,
let us be vital together, let us be
radiating truth,
radiating the light of life, never shall we denounce
anyone,
never entertain negativity."
--The Upanishads, ancient Vedic
text
When asked to think of a memorable dining experience, in terms of
atmosphere, presentation, flavors, and other factors, how many of us will recall
an experience in a restaurant, rather than a dining experience in our own homes?
Why should we find an experience in a strange location, served by strangers,
dining amongst other tables of strangers more memorable than our own homes,
where we are in familiar surroundings, attended to by loved ones, dining in the
company of loved ones, eating food that has been prepared with love? In these
tough economic times we can all benefit from reducing our food bills by not
eating out as often, but if we take something away without replacing it with
something of equal or greater significance, we may feel that we are deprived.
Why not substitute the dining-out experience with an elegant dining-in
experience?
Hindu tradition says that if food is prepared lovingly it is
more easily digested. Following Ayurvedic protocol which calls for a “rounded”
or “balanced” variety of flavors (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, etc.) to soothe
the spirit as well as the palate, the individual is actually satisfied with less
food, feeling fuller sooner. I think that we respond positively to elegant
presentation and atmosphere because it reflects the care and mindfulness of the
person(s) preparing the meal and atmosphere.
Why do we set the table more
elegantly, and pay more attention to preparation of food and atmosphere when
guests come to dine, and not when “just the family” is dining? (If you are a
member of a household, how many meals do you eat together each week? If you are
single, how many meals do you eat standing up at the counter, not even bothering
to sit down, let alone set the table?)
The French possess a most
marvelous attitude towards dining. Whether they are eating a picnic lunch, an
evening meal after a long day’s work, or a Sunday repast, they bring an element
of style to the experience. The French have an extraordinary knack for bringing
style to the mundane, for elevating a daily dining ritual to a simple elegance.
This attention to detail is evident in their preparation and presentation of
food, harmony and balance of flavors, table placement, the atmosphere, the
pacing of the meal, and much more. They have practiced it so long it is innate,
and many are not even aware of how wonderfully they perform their dining ritual.
There is no reason that we cannot follow their lead. It is easily achieved with
little expense, and one can receive a wealth of return for the effort! Most
households have a tablecloth, or a set of placemats, an array of dinnerware and
eating instruments (Yes, most cutlery sets come with salad forks as well as main
course forks!) Bringing elegance to each meal mostly has to do with mindfulness
and a little attention to detail. For quite a while, American culture has
emphasized quantity over quality, but it is the quality, the attention that we
imbue upon it that is memorable.
Thich Nhat Hanh speaks of the importance
of mindfulness, paying attention to everything, every experience in our day,
including breathing. Mindfulness can slow down the frenzied pace of the day. So
many of us eat non-nutritive, tasteless, processed food so quickly that we do
not even taste it. This cannot be good for either the body or the
spirit.
So, for your next meal, and every meal to follow, I propose we do
the following:
--Set the table, paying attention to the visual, the
aesthetic. Make it beautiful and soothing.
--Place a flower or two (real or
silk) in a vase on the table.
--Arrange the dinnerware and cutlery elegantly
(and correctly!)
--Lower the lighting, perhaps add a candle or two.
--Turn
off the television and play some soothing music. Turn off the cell phones, and
turn the ringer off the land line. Let voicemail take a message.
--Opt for
courses, rather than country style, one course at a time, so you pay attention
and really taste the food.
--Eat slowly.
--Maintain pleasant
conversation.
--Use good table manners.
--On Sunday, or one other day, you
may want to make dining a real occasion, and dress up for the meal.
If
you are a family that never eats together, it’s time to begin again. Make meals
together a priority. It will help you pay attention to your loved ones, and will
do wonders for family relationships. If you are eating on paper plates with
plastic cutlery, do yourself a favor -- value yourself a little more, and save
the paper and plastic for pot luck dinners and picnics. Food looks so much
better on a real plate! All of this requires only a little investment of your
attention, care and time. The return on your investment will come to you in
improved family relationships, actually tasting the food, and, most importantly,
happiness.
“Do we need to make a special effort to enjoy the beauty
of the blue sky? Do we have to practice to be able to enjoy it? No, we just
enjoy it. Each second, each minute of our lives can be like this. Wherever we
are, any time, we have the capacity to enjoy the sunshine,the presence of each
other, even the sensation of our breathing. We don't need to go to China to
enjoy the blue sky. We don't have to travel into the future to enjoy our
breathing. We can be in touch with these things right now.” --Thich Nhat
Hanh
“If we do not change our daily lives,we cannot change the world. “ –
Thich Nhat Hanh
“The foundation of happiness is mindfulness. The basic
condition for being happy is our consciousness of being happy. If we are not
aware that we are happy, we are not really happy. When we have a toothache, we
know that not having a toothache is a wonderful thing. But when we do not have a
toothache, we are still not happy. A non-toothache is very pleasant. There are
so many things that are enjoyable, but when we don’t practice mindfulness, we
don’t appreciate them. When we practice mindfulness, we come to cherish these
things and we learn how to protect them. By taking good care of the present
moment, we take good care of the future. Working for peace in the future is to
work for peace in the present moment.”
--Thich Nhat Hanh
