출가자의 식생활과 현대의 웰빙 __사찰음식의 보급과 관련하여__

Abstract

This study examines the dietary life of the early-era Buddhist monks based on the Vinayapiṭaka, a Buddhist scripture that regulated the daily living of Buddhist monks, and proposes the role of Buddhist temple foods in enhancing the contemporary culture of well-being. Recently, Buddhist temple foods have been gaining greater traction as they are well-suited to the culture of well-being that modern people zealously aspire to. As temple foods are wholesome, they serve to ameliorate widespread anxiety over the safety of foods. Temple foods have attracted keen attention, and the demand for them has been soaring. However, the so-called temple foods served at restaurants are often too elaborate and luxurious to be considered fit for Buddhist monks. Moreover, both cooks and consumers of temple foods seem only interested in the food itself. The current wave of commercializing temple foods and people’s perception of this trend overlook the essence of temple foods. In effect, temple foods are positively affecting contemporary dietary life. However, without delivering the underlying value of Buddhist monks’ dietary life, temple foods are merely a luxurious element of the culture of well-being with modern people rashly equating temple foods with eating well and living comfortably. Against this background, this study examines characteristics of Buddhist monks’ dietary life based on the Vinayapiṭaka and illuminates their diet’s meaning and value. Given that temple foods can be defined as foods consumed by Buddhist monks at temple who are dedicated to practicing asceticism, the essence of temple foods need to be found in the practice of asceticism. To find the virtue of abstinence, the study examines what kind of a dietary life the monks led and how they controlled their appetites and maintained peaceful states of body and mind so that they could fully devote themselves to practicing asceticism. By doing so, this study aims to show that temple foods can be seen as genuine well-being fare that enhances both physical and mental health, not because of the foods’ luxurious ingredients or enticing visual presentation, but because temple foods preserve the wisdom of creating the best with the most humble foods for Buddhist monks devoted to practicing asceticism to attain the ultimate goal of enlightenment.