Silent Lunch and Black Jello by Julien Isaacs - China Group "A"

7/2/2007 8:13:46 PM Silent Lunch and Black Jello

We woke up early yesterday morning, stopped for some breakfast at the nearby bakery and headed off for Lantau island via ferry. We took a long taxi ride up the mountain, at parts barely dodging oncoming traffic. We arrived at a huge buddha resting on top of the hill, surrounded by colored flags. We continued on a winding hike snaking past waterfalls and lush landscape. We were heading to a Zen Monastery, nestled in the midst of a jungle. After lots of sweat, we arrived and were greeted by Doo Gut, a monk originally from Britain. He showed us around the small monastery and we were separated, boys from girls, as lunch began. The beating of a metal block signaled the commencement of the meal. The monks filed in based on rank into a room with lean tables facing each other. WE quietly filed in and sat before three bowls. One with soup, one with rice, and one with vegetables. We were instructed before hand that we had to finish all food given, for reasons of karma and out of respect for the monks on dish duty. The abbot rang a bell and all the monks and nuns began to sing grace. The song was memorizing, sweeping into high tunes and low chants in an unknown tongue. The last few notes died down and our silent lunch began. The only sound that broke the silence was the clink clank of chopsticks and the loud burp of a Chinese woman. The monks instructed us to really feel the food we were eating, and ponder such questions of who am I, who is this person eating the food. The tofu was delicious, the soup not so much. Mistakenly, I asked for the dessert, a black jello coup concoction that soon became painful to eat. WE were the only ones who couldn't finish our food. It was slightly embarrassing. The meal ended with another chant. Afterwords we had a Q and A with the British monk who explained Buddhism and such concepts as separating the Chinese from Buddhism. WE left the monastery, full, slightly queasy but full of knowledge.