Food is more than just a means of bodily nourishment. It influences our mental, spiritual, and emotional development. Therefore, we should take great care in what we put into our bodies.
How we eat is also important. In order to extract all of the energy of the food, we can mentally vocalize the mantra Krim (pronounced krrrrreeeemmmm, with a rolled r if possible, and the e as in tree). This energy will then not only feed our physical body but our internal bodies as well. When we eat, we must remember God and pronounce the mantra Krim so that the energy can nourish us spiritually.
Grace
When we sit down to eat our meals, God should be remembered and thanked. With this traditional Christian prayer, or Grace, we can focus on the blessings, on the gift of food that God has provided us. We should eat with gratitude, mindfulness, and be present in order to fully benefit from the food.
Bless us, O Lord, and these your gifts, which we are about to receive from your goodness through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hindu Prayer Before a Meal
Brahmarpanam brahma havir brahmagnau brahmanaahutam brahmaiva tena gantavyam brahma-karma-samadhina.
Quoted from Bhagavad-gita 4:24, this prayer means: Brahman is offering Brahman through Brahman for the sake of Brahman, a beautiful teaching about the law of reciprocal nourishment.
Tibetan Prayer Before a Meal
I offer the essence of this food to the Three Precious Jewels: the Precious Buddha, the Precious Dharma, the Precious Sangha. Please bless this food that we may take it as a medicine, with our minds free from attachment and desire. May it nourish our bodies so that we can work for the benefit of all sentient beings.
Muslim Prayers for Meals
Prayer before a meal:
Bismillahi wa ‘ala baraka-tillah.
Meaning: By Allah’s name and blessings (do we eat).
Prayer after a meal:
Alham do lillah hilla-thee at Amana wa saquana waja ‘alana minal Muslimeen.
Meaning: Thank you, Allah, for feeding us and making us amongst the believers.
Gokan-no-ge
The Five Reflections or Five Remembrances are chanted before a meal in the Zen Buddhist tradition.
First, let us reflect on our own work and the effort of those who have brought us this food.
Second, let us be aware of the quality of our deeds as we receive this meal.
Third, what is most essential is the practice of mindfulness, which helps us to transcend greed, anger, and delusion.
Fourth, we appreciate this food which sustains the good health of our body and mind.
Fifth, in order to continue our practice for all beings we accept this offering.
