- Wash and clean vegetables three times to thoroughly remove dirt and insects. It’s a Buddhist tradition and a good general practice.
- When pouring out hot water, lower the temperature to lukewarm first to prevent burning yourself or other sentient beings.
- When possible, limit your sampling of a dish during cooking to no more than three times.
- Tell the Dharma Master or the responsible party when you borrow an item from the kitchen.
- Unless invited to help yourself, always check with the Dharma Master or responsible party before taking or consuming items in the kitchen or refrigerator.
- When bringing items to the monastery as an offering, let the Dharma Master know. Don’t simply leave it. This prevents items from spoiling because no one knows about it.
- Whenever possible, bring your own bowl and utensils. Limit using disposable products to reduce waste and help the environment.
- Do not bring expired or opened food items to the monastery. Always bring food offering with a respectful mind. Think, would you offer this to Buddha?
- When you bring food offerings to the monastery, make sure that they do not contain alcohols, meat, seafood, any animal ingredients (such as gelatin in the jelly, and rennet in the cheese), garlic, onions, shallots, leeks and corianders. This will help maintain the purity of the monastery, keep us mindful of our cultivation, and help us fulfill our resolve and accumulate merits and blessings.
