Art of the Inner Meal: Eating as a Spiritual Path

In this short, effective book, Altman (a former Theravada Buddhist monk who is a two-time Emmy Award-winning writer) discusses the Hindu, Buddhist and Catholic monastic approaches to fasting and eating in moderation, practices he believes can lead to a heightened spiritual awareness. He also describes the Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Jewish and Islamic customs for using ritual meals to enhance family and communal life. Jewish dietary restrictions, for example, elevate food and ""all of life"" from the realm of the ordinary to the sacred, while Sabbath dinners and Passover seders make meals ""a tangible remembrance of things past."" The Japanese Zen tea ceremony, Altman writes in the book's most interesting chapter, is a process that builds both spiritual awareness and community. Altman provides specific and practical advice for daily application of the general principles he explains; for example, he shows how a short, moderate fast can demonstrate that hunger is a learned, yet controllable, response. His monk's training is evident in his especially useful description of how habits influence response and limit one's ability to change and grow spiritually. Each chapter closes with a handy ""Practice"" suggestion for initiating home rituals or cultivating more mindfulness of food and hunger. This book will appeal to a wide audience of general spirituality readers as well as to those who seek more meaning in the rituals of preparing, sharing and eating food. (Dec.)