Eating/Cooking while listening to Dhamma talks

[Alex123]

Hello all.

I wonder: Is it inappropriate to listen to recorded Dhamma talk while cooking or eating in the kitchen?
I don't think that it is. I mean it is not intentionally disrespectful, just saving and making good use of the time in today's busy world.

Thanks.

[User13866]

One will say;
"This man has no deference towards the Dhamma such that he listens to it even while cooking!"

Another will say;
"This man has much deference for the Dhamma such that he listens to it even while cooking!"

The drawback of listening to recorded Dhamma all day is that you don't want to spend your days merely listening to the Dhamma. Ideally you should spend your days exerting yourself in training.

Then a certain monk went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, "'One who dwells in the Dhamma, one who dwells in the Dhamma': thus it is said, lord. To what extent is a bhikkhu one who dwells in the Dhamma?"

"Monk, there is the case where a monk studies the Dhamma: dialogues, narratives of mixed prose and verse, explanations, verses, spontaneous exclamations, quotations, birth stories, amazing events, question & answer sessions.[1] He spends the day in Dhamma-study. He neglects seclusion. He doesn't commit himself to internal tranquillity of awareness. This is called a monk who is keen on study, not one who dwells in the Dhamma.

"Then there is the case where a monk takes the Dhamma as he has heard & studied it and teaches it in full detail to others. He spends the day in Dhamma-description. He neglects seclusion. He doesn't commit himself to internal tranquillity of awareness. This is called a monk who is keen on description, not one who dwells in the Dhamma.

"Then there is the case where a monk takes the Dhamma as he has heard & studied it and recites it in full detail. He spends the day in Dhamma-recitation. He neglects seclusion. He doesn't commit himself to internal tranquillity of awareness. This is called a monk who is keen on recitation, not one who dwells in the Dhamma.

"Then there is the case where a monk takes the Dhamma as he has heard & studied it and thinks about it, evaluates it, and examines it with his intellect. He spends the day in Dhamma-thinking. He neglects seclusion. He doesn't commit himself to internal tranquillity of awareness. This is called a monk who is keen on thinking, not one who dwells in the Dhamma.

"Then there is the case where a monk studies the Dhamma: dialogues, narratives of mixed prose and verse, explanations, verses, spontaneous exclamations, quotations, birth stories, amazing events, question & answer sessions. He doesn't spend the day in Dhamma-study. He doesn't neglect seclusion. He commits himself to internal tranquillity of awareness. This is called a monk who dwells in the Dhamma.

"Now, monk, I have taught you the person who is keen on study, the one who is keen on description, the one who is keen on recitation, the one who is keen on thinking, and the one who dwells in the Dhamma. Whatever a teacher should do — seeking the welfare of his disciples, out of sympathy for them — that have I done for you. Over there are the roots of trees; over there, empty dwellings. Practice jhana, monk. Don't be heedless. Don't later fall into regret. This is our message to you."

Note1.The earliest classifications of the Buddha's teachings.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html

[Alex123]

The drawback of listening to recorded Dhamma all day is that you don't want to spend your days merely listening to the Dhamma. Ideally you should spend your days exerting yourself in training.

Of course one should practice and not just listen to it whole day. It is just that while cooking/eating I can't (yet) meditate/contemplate and so listening to Dhamma might give me an extra 1-2 hours not to listen but practice it. And of course it can be inspirational to listen to this.

"This man has much deference for the Dhamma such that he listens to it even while cooking!"

Right. Try not to lose time when possible.

[santa100]

I wonder: Is it inappropriate to listen to recorded Dhamma talk while cooking or eating in the kitchen?

You can APPLY what you've listened to the Dhamma while cooking or eating in the kitchen, ie. applying mindfulness to the act of cooking, chewing, etc..

[Ontheway]

It is good. It is like making your mind constantly stick with the teachings and associating with the teachings.

I say one can even do asubhanussati when pooping too: "Such is the nature of this body, there it produces poop (karisam in Pali) due to the ingestion of physical food and now it is coming out. Such is the process and it is impermanent, conducive to suffering, and not me, mine or my self."

[Goofaholix]

I don't listen to Dhamma talks while eating or cooking but I do while driving. If only 10% of the talk gets in that's 10% more than would otherwise, sometimes useful stuff pops out of the talk.

[Ceisiwr]

I think it's best to listen to Dhamma talks when you are focused solely on them.

[Alex123]

I don't listen to Dhamma talks while eating or cooking but I do while driving. If only 10% of the talk gets in that's 10% more than would otherwise, sometimes useful stuff pops out of the talk.

Me to. I listen to Dhamma talks when driving (making such mundane activity more beneficial).

[Alex123]

I think it's best to listen to Dhamma talks when you are focused solely on them.

Yes.

[Gwi II]

Hello all.

I wonder: Is it inappropriate to listen to recorded Dhamma talk while cooking or eating in the kitchen?
I don't think that it is. I mean it is not intentionally disrespectful, just saving and making good use of the time in today's busy world.

Thanks.

It is not polite. It's the same as you in class, the teacher
is explaining so it's forbidden to eat (even though you're
hungry especially if you're not).

[Inedible]

to listen to recorded Dhamma talk while cooking or eating in the kitchen?

It's a good guess that some people here will be offended. I'm not one of them. Often I find that material sticks better when I'm listening to it while my hands are busy. A lot of apps will let you increase the speed. It doesn't take long to work your way up to 2x or 3x, especially since a lot of Dhamma teachers speak slowly. Once I have listened to enough hours of the same sort of content I start having dreams about it. Just last night I had a dream about going into a classroom and the teacher spoke to me on the way in.

[Dhammapardon]

Of course one should practice and not just listen to it whole day. It is just that while cooking/eating I can't (yet) meditate/contemplate and so listening to Dhamma might give me an extra 1-2 hours not to listen but practice it. And of course it can be inspirational to listen to this.

Doing two things at once does neither of them fully but listening to dhamma distracted is probably better than no dhamma so long as you don't accidentally understand something wrong and then practice it wrong for a time before you find out you misheard it during cooking or driving.
Though at times when I've been stubborn listening to dhamma with music has helped even though it's ultimately a place for potential attachment to the music I suppose. Just depends on how strict one likes to practice I think.

[Alex123]

It is not polite. It's the same as you in class, the teacher
is explaining so it's forbidden to eat (even though you're
hungry especially if you're not).

When you listen to a live person sitting there teaching to you, then definitely it is not polite.
However, if it is a video/audio recording... No person is being offended.
Right?

[Gwi II]

It is not polite. It's the same as you in class, the teacher
is explaining so it's forbidden to eat (even though you're
hungry especially if you're not).

When you listen to a live person sitting there teaching to you, then definitely it is not polite.
However, if it is a video/audio recording... No person is being offended.
Right?

So, can we listen to it while on the toilet?
The answer is not polite (u no respect for the Dhammå).

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

Ideally, listen to the Dhamma respectfully while sitting with the hands held in añjali.
Read the Dhamma in a quiet place where there are no distractions.
Practise mindfulness while cooking, eating, driving, etc.

“Puna caparaṃ, bhikkhave, bhikkhu abhikkante paṭikkante sampajānakārī hoti, ālokite vilokite sampajānakārī hoti, samiñjite pasārite sampajānakārī hoti, saṅghāṭipattacīvaradhāraṇe sampajānakārī hoti, asite pīte khāyite sāyite sampajānakārī hoti, uccārapassāvakamme sampajānakārī hoti, gate ṭhite nisinne sutte jāgarite bhāsite tuṇhībhāve sampajānakārī hoti.

“Again, monks, a monk, in going and coming practises clear comprehension; in looking ahead or to the side, he practises clear comprehension; in bending and stretching the limbs, he practises clear comprehension; in carrying the double robe and alms-bowl, and wearing the robes, he practises clear comprehension; in eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting, he practises clear comprehension; in defecating and urinating, he practises clear comprehension; in walking, standing, or sitting, in falling asleep and waking up, in speaking or remaining silent, he practises clear comprehension.”