Food and Karma

I think we would all be familiar with the Urban dictionary definition of “food Karma” - when you eat something delicious only to feel it later that day or the next morning. Most commonly associated with buffalo wild wings and cheap fast food!

I think given his size, the great Buddha too evidently enjoyed his fair share of buffalo wings or whatever the ancient Nepalese equivalent was. So I say embrace your Buddha belly!

His greater message however, would have certainly taught that food karma extends past an individual scale of craving to a more universal one. According to Buddhist teaching, ignorance (avijja), or not knowing things as they truly are, is the chief cause of Karma. Knowing where your food comes from and how it is produced, especially that if it is produced in an exploitative way is vital.

Changing food preferences have had huge implications globally. The popularity of Quinoa in developed countries has sky rocketed and with it the price at it’s home in Bolivia. Long a staple of the Bolivian diet, its price in one of the world's poorer nations is now out of reach and Bolivians, like other third world nations, are replacing healthy indigenous foods with processed junk food because of price and availability.

We can tackle poverty in a big way through trade. Check out fair trade products available through your local supermarkets at http://www.fairtrade.com.au/buy-sell. By supporting your producers instead of the large multinationals like nestle or proctor and gamble, or simply by avoiding food wastage you are already half way to nirvana.

Being mindful and awakening our inner conscious to one that includes others around the globe may alleviate a lot of suffering in the world. If we can show a little compassion in such minute ways, a little bit of luck may befall us –if not in this life, maybe the next!