Buddhadasa Bhikkhu quote

"Let us start with the first material necessity-food. We should eat food that is food. Do not eat food that is "bait." We should understand the crucial distinction between "food" and "bait." We eat food for the proper nourishment of life. We eat bait for the sake of deli-ciousness. Bait makes us unwise and causes us to eat foolishly, just like the bait on the hook that snags foolish fish. We must eat the kinds of food that are genuinely beneficial for the body, and we must eat in moderation. "Eating bait" means eating for the sake of deliciousness and fun. It is also usually expensive. We must stop swallowing bait and learn to eat only food that is proper and whole-some. This is especially important while staying in Dhamma centers.

If you are eating bait, you will be constantly hungry all day and night. You will always be sneaking off to eat yet more bait. Eating bait impairs our mental abilities. The mind surrenders to the bait and is not fit for the study and practice of Dhamma. On the other hand, when you eat food, it will be at appropriate times and in moderation. There will be little waste and no danger."

(P.41 Mindfulness with Breathing (1996))

The first time I read this book, I read through it fast, and I found it to be a little old fashioned. But this time through I find it profound and I'm reading it slowly. He talks about the 5th paccaya as entertainment. I've always thought there was a part to entertainment of the Dharma as a replacement for the energy that sexuality used to used on. In a way, that's what this blog is about, exploring the culture and teachings as a wholesome pastime.