Buddhist festivals vary according to region. From July to October, Buddhist monks are directed to remain in retreat and meditate, coinciding with the rainy season and the sprouting of rice in the fields. The first day of retreat is a time for worshipers to bring gifts of food and articles of clothing to the monks; the retreat ends with pravarana, the end of the rainy season, when worshipers once again offer gifts to the monks, invite them to a meal, and organize processions. On three separate days (which vary according to the regional calendar), Mahayana Buddhists commemorate the birth of Buddha, his enlightenment, and his death; Theravada Buddhists celebrate Magha Puja, the Four Miracles Assembly, in February or March when Buddha appointed the first Buddhist brotherhood of monks at a coinci- dental meeting of 1,250 disciples at a shrine. In April or May they honor the Buddha on a single
Chapter 4: Food and Religion 105
In both Theravada and Mahayana temples, wor- shipers may offer food at the altar, such as apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, pineapples, candy, rice, dried mushrooms, and oil. A Zen Buddhist monastery, Tassajara, located in central California, is famous for its vegetarian restaurant and popular cookbook. Macrobiotics is not associ- ated with Zen Buddhism (see Chapter 2 “Traditional Health Beliefs and Practices”).
Buddhist monks in Tibet carve sculptures in butter (as high as fifteen feet) and parade them during an evening in March, lit by lanterns, for Chogna Choeba, the Butter Lamp Festival. Afterward they are dismantled and thrown in the river, symbolic of the impermanence of life.
holiday called Vesak.Buddhist monks may fast twice a month, on the days of the new and full moon. They also do not eat any solid food after noon.
CHAPTER 4 REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What are the basic tenets of Western and
Eastern religions?
2. Pick two of the following religions and
describe the dietary laws for food preparation and consumption, and any additional laws for holy days: Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam.
3. List the Five Pillars of Faith in Islam; and the
Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path in Buddhism.
4. Describe and compare the roles of fasting in
Islam and Hinduism, using examples of fast- ing practices in each faith.
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