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Why do Buddhists not eat after noon?

Surely they must be starving?
Only the monks do that, not every Buddhist.
Original post by Zargabaath
Only the monks do that, not every Buddhist.


If you eat loads pre 12pm you can defs keep going as well and they probably have more space to think and stuff without the need for food.

It's a bit like Ramadan as a time for cleansing. Most Muslims eat tons at night to be able to survive the days.
Original post by Ethereal World
If you eat loads pre 12pm you can defs keep going as well and they probably have more space to think and stuff without the need for food.

It's a bit like Ramadan as a time for cleansing. Most Muslims eat tons at night to be able to survive the days.


Yeah i think it's something along those lines. The monks view food as something required for sustainance as opposed to something to be enjoyed. So they likely view eating as a distraction.
Original post by Queen Cersei
Surely they must be starving?


There are several reasons as to why the Buddha stated that monks not eat after noon.

The first is that it made sure the monks weren't too much of a burden for the laity, by only eating in the morning they looked less demanding and put less worry on the community.

A second reason has been stated, it gave them more time to meditate and study without having the get food all the time from the sorrounding.

A third is because since Buddhist monks mostly relied on the sangha for food it was believed that if they went at night they would be vulnerable to mugging and other crimes.

Overall it was mostly historical reasons as to why this rule was placed. As stated above the sangha didn't have to follow the rule and later Buddhist monks of the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions mostly ignored the rule; as such this is observed today mostly among the Therevada.

Hope that helped.
Reply 5
well you learn something every day
I did not know this :0


But yes, similar to Muslim fasting like Ethereal said, it's actually not hard to get used to.

In fact we don't even need to eat a lot during Ramadan in the nights. Normal size meals suffice - people who pig out during the non fasting hours actually tend to gain weight
I'm a Theravada Buddhist and I eat after noon in general...I have never actually heard of this being done by people who are not monks. :redface:

Well, the more you know...


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