Digital Dictionary of Buddhism
施食偈
PronunciationsSenses:
gruel time 粥時 (breakfast) verse:
This morning gruel has ten benefits 粥有十利
that richly profit the practitioner. 饒益行人
Its fruit is boundless: 果報無邊
a supreme and lasting ease. 究寬常樂
The 'ten benefits' 十利 are: (1) good physical appearance 色, (2) strength 力, (3) long life 壽, (4) bodily ease 樂, (5) a clear voice 調淸辯, (6) prevention of indigestion 宿食除, (7) prevention of colds 風除, (8) elimination of hunger 飢消, (9) elimination of thirst 渴消, and (10) healthy defecation and urination 大小便調適. 'Lasting ease' 常樂 refers both to the physical wellbeing that results from the meal and to the ultimate wellbeing that is nirvana.
main meal time 齋時 (midday meal) verse:
This food of three virtues and six flavors 三德六味
is given to Buddha and his saṃgha. 施佛及僧
May sentient beings throughout the Dharma realm 法界有情
be equally nourished by this offering. 普同供養
The 'three virtues' 三德 of food are that it is: (1) light and soft 輕軟, (2) pure and clean 淨潔, and (3) in accordance with the rules 如法, i.e. the dietary restrictions that pertain to alcohol, meat, hot peppers, alliums, etc. The 'six flavors' 六味 are (1) bitter 苦, (2) sour 醋, (3) sweet 甘, (4) hot 辛, (5) salty 鹹, and (6) bland 淡. The point of this verse is to accept the food that has been donated to the monastic community by lay patrons and to offer 供養 it in turn to all sentient beings. It may also be construed as a verse in which the merit produced by donations of food to the saṃgha is dedicated 囘向 to all sentient beings.
[Griffith Foulk][Dictionary References]
Zengaku daijiten (Komazawa U.) 658a
Japanese-English Zen Buddhist Dictionary (Yokoi) 602
Copyright provisions
The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!
Entry created: 2009-12-21