When We Look at Our Food, We Should Feel Joy

Hoo Nam Seelmann: Most Korean Buddhist temples are deep in the mountains, and the snims [a title used for Korean Buddhist nuns and monks] live in seclusion. So, temple food—which has a tradition going back more than 1,500 years—remains quite hidden from the view of the public and above all the world. Is there something that has caused this to change?

Venerable Jeongkwan Snim: When the Summer Olympic Games were coming to South Korea in 1988, there was a conversation about what parts of our culture and traditions we wanted to show visitors. Since Buddhism has a long history, constitutes a living tradition, and has a rich cultural heritage, the government asked the Buddhist orders to open the temples to the public. A program called Temple Stay was planned and gradually implemented. However, this required renovations and new construction, because up to that point, the temples were not prepared to receive guests. Opening them was meant to give a glimpse into the lives of the snims. Meditation courses were also offered.

In the beginning, only some of the larger temples were selected for this initiative, but more were gradually added. The closed world of Buddhism opened up wide. And if guests were coming, of course there had to be food. We organized a big temple food festival, and many people took part and saw what sorts of old traditions there were.

Another important year was 2007. The government at that time wanted to promote traditional Korean food and bring it to the rest of the world. I went to prepare temple food in other countries, and I was met with great enthusiasm. I brought a tea master along with me and held tea ceremonies.

In this way, temple food gradually became better known to the public. In 2012, I went with some snims to New York for the first time and made temple food. Three hundred people came to see us. Then I went to France and other countries. I wasn’t alone, though—others were there. Jeok Mun Snim, a man, Seonje Snim, Dae-Ahn Snim, and Wookwan Snim all cooperated with me to compile, organize, and publicize the traditions of temple food. There were lectures on temple food and cooking courses. Everyone worked together to further develop and therefore preserve the old traditions.

HNS: Who determines what temple food should be? What is it based on? 

VJS: During his lifetime, the Buddha already stipulated quite a bit regarding what a member of a monastic order should eat and what they should be mindful of. So, for example, he said that we should eat only once each day, and the meal should be calm and silent.

The okwangae formula was already known. It says that we should thank all living beings and people before we begin to eat. We should think about where the food comes from and how nature makes it possible for us.

The Buddha may have stipulated that we should eat only once per day, but he allowed for exceptions when someone is sick or weak. He left behind a lot of rules regarding details.

Temple food today is viewed differently than it was in the past. However, the basic idea that we should think about where the ingredients come from and who we have to thank for the food—not only should we thank all of the farmers who work in the fields but also all of the living creatures, including insects, who are harmed or killed in the process. It is important to protect life as much as possible and to try to coexist. All of this was already there in the Buddha’s time. This is actually where the beauty of temple food comes from.

HNS: What do you think about temple food aligning with vegan principles?  This term is new, but it has founded a new food tradition.

VJS: Temple food was not vegan in the beginning, and you have to ask whether you can automatically equate it with modern veganism. The Buddha himself wasn’t vegan since he lived on donated food. In many Buddhist countries, consumption of meat is permitted. The temple food tradition that developed in Mahayana Buddhism became increasingly vegetarian and then vegan due to the prohibition of killing. There can be different opinions on whether or not we should eat meat. However, what is really important is contemplating why you want to renounce meat. Is life something that should be respected and not destroyed? It is worth thinking about why the temple food tradition became vegan and why this form is necessary.

Before I came to the temple, of course I ate everything. My mother was a good cook, of both meat and fish, and I emulated her. I still remember the taste of it.

HNS: Temple food has become famous and excites interest all over the world. How do people in other parts of the world react to it?

VJS: It is important that I feel fulfilled within in order to be able to give. My mission also requires inner preparedness, because only then can I truly face my mission. Food gives me the energy I need to do this.

Food and the self—the two are inseparably linked together. However, people see them as being separate: eating here and the self there, the body here and the spirit there. They do not reflect enough on what we need to live and to act. Interest in food and nutrition is not great, and many do not know how to cook—rather, many people focus on enjoyment and cultivating their palates. But isn’t something missing when we approach food that way? If people prepared food together in a community, they would think more about it.

You can contemplate where the food comes from, what happens to it in our bodies, and how it becomes one with the body in the digestive organs. You can also contemplate how the food transforms inside the body, how it becomes part of the body, and how it enables life. Finally, food helps with the formation of identity. This is because it becomes part of the immune system, the spirit, and the body. This enables me to do everything that I want to—through food, the world outside merges with the world inside of me into one. It is like a work of art that, created from various ingredients, brings the body and soul together, creates balance, and provides us with energy. What we eat is important, because food is life, and it forms the personality.

You have to pay attention to harmony, because not every food is good for us. Even if I have a strong digestive system, food can make me sick if I do not pay attention to the details. I must pay attention to what is good for me in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and which flavorings are good for me. One should also pay attention to the beauty of things. All of these aspects are important for me, and I would be happy to share my knowledge and experience with many people. When we look at our food, we should feel joy. This makes it easier for it to transform into vital force. When I prepare the temple food, I like to do this together with others and share. Because I give my best each time, I am content and can start anew the next time. If more people sat joyfully around their food, it would be good for the world.

21/2 cups (500 g) short-grain rice (ssal)
1/2 cup (100 g) yellow millet (gijang)
4 white button mushrooms
4 fresh Korean shiitake mushrooms (pyogo beoseot)
2 king oyster mushrooms (saesongi beoseot)
1/2 pound (200 g) oyster mushrooms (neutari beoseot)
1/4 pound (100 g) dried wood ear mushrooms (mogi beoseot)
1 tablespoon soy sauce (ganjang)
Salt for seasoning
1 tablespoon sesame oil (chamgireum)

Rinse the rice and the millet and soak them in water for 20 minutes.

Remove the stalks from the white button mushrooms and the shiitakes and slice the caps into 1/8 inch (3 mm) slices. Halve the king oyster mushrooms lengthwise and cut the pieces into slices of the same thickness. Tear the oyster mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Soak the wood ear mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes, then tear them into bite-sized pieces as well. Mix all the mushrooms together and season them with soy sauce and salt.

Add the rice and millet to a pot with an equal quantity of water. Layer the mushrooms over the top and drizzle them with sesame oil.

Bring the mushrooms to a boil. When the water bubbles, reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer until the mushrooms have ab­sorbed the liquid.