Present Moment, Meaningful Meal

I struggle with my choice not to eat red meat. Occassionally, I'll think about "backsliding" into my red meat eating ways.

Once, it was suggested to me the idea of "mindful eating." This suggested reminded me of a slim volume I had read in college, Present Moment, Wonderful Moment: Mindfulness Verses for Daily Living by author Thich Nhat Hanh. Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk who has also done some writing around a variety of topics inlcuding mindful living, as well as, the similarities between Buddha and Jesus.

In Present Moment, Hanh offers some suggestions for increasing mindfulness in eating, including the following short gatha, or "mindfulness verse":

In this food,
I see clearly the presence
of the entire universe
supporting my existence.

I often think about reconciling the conflict inherent in moving towards a vegetarian diet and the possibility of eating tuna fish. Once suggestion has been to celebrate the inherent communal nature of ingesting the food in a way that recognizes the contributions of the being to be eaten, as well as, the individual eating.

I seem to remember in my Catholic upbringing, opportunities for giving thanks prior to eating not just to my Higher Power, but also to those creatures that "gave" to the meal I was about to eat. Now, while this may seem a bit esoteric but (stay with me), when one chooses to eat something for which another thing has given of itself, is it not appropriate to celebrate that beings contribution?

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!