I bring Buddha an orange.
I place it next to him on the windowsill.
Buddha and the orange glow golden in the morning sun.
I look at them.
I think of the components making up the orange.
Sunlight,
Rainwater,
Air,
Nutrients in the soil.
I also imagine the farmer who has cared for the tree.
The people who have transported the orange here.
The woman in the shop who sold it to me.
I pick up the orange carefully like it's a baby Buddha.
I feel its weight in my hand.
I notice a navel on the plump little thing.
I feel the skin with my fingers.
I sense a subtle smell.
Then I dig my fingers slightly into the surface and start peeling.
A fresh citrus scent,
Sticky on my fingers.
I loosen a boat.
I bite off a bit the thin skin bursting between my teeth.
The bittersweet juice.
I chew,
Spit mixing with the flesh and juice.
Sunlight,
Rainwater,
Air,
Soil.
The entire cosmos in my mouth.
I swallow and sense how it moves down the throat and becomes part of this body.
See for yourself.
You can meditate while eating an orange or something else.
Sit with what you eat in silence.
Think of the components that make up the food such as sunlight and rainwater.
Perhaps you can also think of the people who have made it possible for you to have the food such as farmers and people transporting and selling the food.
Pay attention to what you eat using all your senses.
Sight,
Smell,
Taste,
Sound and the sensations in your mouth and body as you eat.
When you notice that you've been lost in thoughts,
Return to eating and what you're eating here and now.
