Confucius Analects – Food and Sleep

Confucius Analects – Food and Sleep – 孔子论语 – 吃饭睡觉

10.2 Confucius eating habits

食饐而餲、魚餒而肉敗、 不食、色惡不食、臭惡不食、失飪不食、不時不食。不多食。

He did not eat rice which had been injured by heat or damp and turned sour, nor fish or flesh which was gone. He did not eat what was discoloured, or what was of a bad flavour, nor anything which was ill-cooked, or was not in season. He did not over eat.

10.3 Confucius eating and sleeping

食不語、寢不言。

When eating, he did not converse. When in bed, he did not speak.

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Besides moral standards, Confucius also recommended healthy diet and sleep.  Eat fresh and well-prepared food, in adequate quantity, be mindful in eating and sleeping so we can digest and rest well.   Daoist also pay attention to diet and lifestyle as part of holistic approach to health and longevity.  In meditation and internal alchemy practice, a healthy physical and energetic body is a pre-requisite for advanced  practice.  While in the absolute level the physical becomes less relevant, for beginners and regular practitioners, maintaining a healthy body through healthy food and lifestyle is recommended.

10.2 吃饭

食饐而餲、魚餒而肉敗、 不食、色惡不食、臭惡不食、失飪不食、不時不食。不多食。

10.3 食不語、寢不言

食不語、寢不言。

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除了道德标准外,孔子也建议健康的饮食和睡眠。 吃新鲜和准备好的食物,适当的数量(不要太饱或太饿),吃饭和睡觉时要专心,让我们可以消化和休息好。 儒家外,道家养生里也相当注意饮食,作为健康生活的一部分。 在打坐和内丹修炼中,绝对健康的身心,是修炼的先决条件。 虽然,在绝对的真理中,身体会变得不那么相关,但对于普通的学道者而言,透过健康的饮食和生活方式来保持一个健康的身体,是一个好的主意。


Comments

2 responses to “Confucius Analects – Food and Sleep – 孔子论语 – 吃饭睡觉”

  1. 妮基 Avatar
    妮基

    Aside from being be careful in how we eat and sleep and what we eat…
    Did Confucius also comment on a practice of being thankful for having enough and having the good fortune of good quality food to eat? Did Confucius comment on giving up our own food to others that may be more needy? Did Confucius comment on how one should eat/ conduct oneself in a setting of a meal in the presence of our elders, be that in terms of age and/ or in terms of intellectual/ spiritual/ other accomplishment?

    For surely food is a fundamental need (and desire), at least at the level where most of us are, and as such can it not serve as a powerful vehicle for spiritual development? Both in terms of how we approach it (food/ the act of eating)
    and in terms of what we eat (It can effect on our emotions/ personality/ meditation practice…. etc.)….

    Without dwelling too much/ over-thnking this topic… what do the teachings of the East teach us are the most important points to reflect on when it comes to all that is involved in feeding ourselves?

    1. Derek Avatar
      Derek

      I’m not aware of any detail instructions from Confucius himself on eating manners. Perhaps they can be found from Confucius predecessors and followers who specialized in this area. Indeed, besides nurturing and healing the body, food and eating is one aspect of our life where we can cultivate gratitude, generosity, focus, and dedication (of energy acquired). Confucius followers take care the body to honor the gift from parents; Daoists take care the body in quest for harmony and longevity; Buddhists takes care of the body to support learning and serving the world. For spiritual students, I recommend looking at food as an area to cultivate focus and awareness, pay attention to what is going on in the body-mind-beyond before, during, and after you eat. Food then, become a form of meditation.

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