Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

From taking food carefully and thoughtfully, two
qualities may be strengthened: the mental attitudes of
gratitude and regret. Here I have my own experience:
when I was living in a cave, I was taking only a little
rice and no vegetables as they were not available. From
fifty miles away, a lady to whom I was distantly related
brought me some beef. Then I noticed that greed had
arisen in me. "What is the use," I thought, "of being a
hermit and finding that on the first temptation to take
tasty food, strong desires for it are stirred up?" So I
threw that offering, disgusted, on the table. The lady
asked me why I behaved like that and I told her. She
nevertheless cooked the food for me and then went
away. Even in a cave, a hermit may still get some
offering, so he should first develop full renunciation, so
that this sort of thing would not happen to him. If, after
two years of hermit life, one suddenly has a craving for
meat, then one knows that renunciation is not very
strong. Always keep renunciation, even when one is
offered something good. If one takes it, then it should be
offered to the Buddha, thinking, "O Blessed One, you
are my teacher. My religion is the way you have shown,
and your teaching is the way of renunciation. Therefore,
please accept this proffered gift!"
In the Buddhist fire-sacrifice, the good and precious
things which have been offered by patrons are all
consigned to the flames and not a scrap of anything is
kept for oneself. Even the merit of performing the
sacrifice is transferred to the patron. This I do often.
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