“FERVER A ÁGUA, MEXER O CHÁ, BEBÊ-LO E NADA MAIS”

This article examines how Buddhist philosophy shapes dietary practices and the tea ceremony as spiritual paths. It analyzes the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination to show how early Buddhism guides ethical and contemplative approaches to food for liberation from suffering. It then compares dietary ethics in Mahāyāna, Theravāda, and Zen traditions, emphasizing compassion (karuṇā) and interdependence in mindful eating. The second part explores the tea ceremony's Zen roots and its formalization in Japan as chadō, drawing on Okakura Kakuzō and Daisetsu Suzuki. The article argues that integrating body, mind, ethics, and aesthetics reveals everyday life as a path to awakening.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article investigates the relationship between Buddhist philosophy and dietary practices. Through an analysis of the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, the text discusses how early Buddhism guides ethical and contemplative approaches to food in the pursuit of liberation from suffering. The article then explores dietary ethics within Mahāyāna, Theravāda, and Zen traditions, highlighting the role of compassion (karuṇā) and interdependence in cultivating mindful eating habits. The second axis of the study examines the aesthetics and spirituality of the tea ceremony, from its Zen philosophical roots to its formalization in Japan as a spiritual art (chadō). Authors such as Okakura Kakuzō and Daisetsu Suzuki are engaged to demonstrate how ordinary alimentary practices become vehicles of wisdom, discipline, and enlightenment. Ultimately, the article argues that the integration of body, mind, ethics, and aesthetics reveals a radical philosophical conception of everyday life as a path to awakening.