One of the fundamental standards of being a monastic is to rely on the generosity of others. The meal offering is a very concrete manifestation of that. There’s all these tables back there, full of food, but it’s actually your food. As monks, we’re not allowed to go pick it up and eat it—to graze alone—until it’s been formally offered. This makes for an interesting lifestyle. And it’s wonderful, being completely dependent on people’s goodness. So we get to have physical food, but it’s also really partaking of people’s goodness.
Ajahn Pasanno
Monastic
Ajahn Pasanno took ordination in Thailand in 1974 and was a disciple of Ajahn Chah. He is now the Guiding Elder at Abhayagiri Monastery.