Porridges have been considered as universal diet in Korea for a long time. It is said that Buddhist temples that regarded frugal meals as a virtue simmered porridges to feed many people at the same time. According to Goryeodogyeong, they had a porridg... Porridges have been considered as universal diet in Korea for a long time. It is said that Buddhist temples that regarded frugal meals as a virtue simmered porridges to feed many people at the same time. According to Goryeodogyeong, they had a porridge pot called Jukbu. In the meantime, many people ate a bowl of porridge in the morning instead of rice during the Joseon Dynasty. In the 1700s, porridges were so universally enjoyed that they were sold to ordinary people. In the Royal Court, the king had breakfast around 10 in the morning, so liquid foods such as recuperating porridge, Ongie or thin rice gruel were served early in the morning when he did not take a tonic medicine. In the Royal Court, porridges were not eaten only when one was sick, but they were frequently served as breakfast or lunch. Buddhist foods refer to dishes that Buddhist priests made with the spirit of Buddhism in person in order to discipline themselves. Buddhist priests considered cooking as self-discipline, and they cooked and ate dishes as if they disciplined themselves. Characteristics of temple foods can be summarized as follows. First, meat is not used in temple foods. It originates from Buddha’s teaching about prohibition of destruction of life, and Buddhism forbids meat-eating that necessarily entails destruction of life. Second, five spicy vegetables are not used. They include garlic, green onions, wild rocamboles, leeks and scillas. It is because those who eat the five spicy vegetables after cooking tend to become lewd and those who have them without cooking tend to become in a fit of anger. Third, seasonal foods can produce various medicinal effects. Since most Buddhist temples were located in mountains, seasonal foods were developed as vegetables or wild medical plants that could be acquired from the surroundings in every season became main food ingredients. Since various medicinal plants grew in the mountains, methods of recuperation through the use of medicinal plants were further advanced. Fourth, only the natural seasoning was used. Fifth, preserved foods were developed. Sixth, various refreshments were advanced. Temple foods were made through the use of the food ingredients with the above-mentioned characteristics. In that case, what does eating mean in Buddhist temples? Buddhist temples consider eating as maintaining the body of mankind and Buddhist priests as it is through nursing. It means that eating is to sustain the body instead of glutting oneself. It is also known as raw meal, and it not only acts as general diets, vegetable diets and natural diets but it also cleanses one’s soul. Temple foods are also called flavored glutinous rice. In Buddhist temples, after receiving one’s food, one must recite the Five Stanzas of Insight : “Where has this food come from? Whose hard work has brought this food to me? I am ashamed that my virtue is insufficient to receive this food. But I receive it nonetheless at as a medicine, that I might abandon all desire, sustain my body, and attain enlightenment.” It means that one must eat food as medicine in order to keep the body from getting emaciated and discipline oneself. Eating aims to cleanse one’s soul and preserve the body of a disciplinant. Eating is divided into daily food, porridge and patient’s diet. Since porridge is such an important meal in Buddhist temples that it is separately classified at a time of division of type of eating. In addition, Buddha encouraged his disciples to have a bowl of porridge and told them that it gives five types of benefits to their body. ‘First, it satisfies one’s appetite. Second, it quenches one’s thirst. Third, it calms down vigor. Fourth, it removes a chill under the belly. Fifth, it reduces indigestion.’ Currently, Buddhist temples perform these benefits of porridge. Rice accounts for 74.3%, and it is followed by porridge (13.7%) and noodles and dumplings (12.0%). Rice was the most frequently served food in Buddhist temples, and it was followed by porridge. Many Buddhist temples preferred porridge that can be easily cooked early in the morning instead of rice. In particular, meditation rooms and Buddhist lecture rooms in some Buddhist temples served porridge every morning or every evening, and others served it two to three times a week. According to the Chogye Order Rules, Buddhist temples must serve porridge in the morning, and bestowed Buddhist temples often serve healthful porridge made with beans and nuts. There were so many different kinds of porridge that their basic efficacy was recorded in Sikchi in oriental medicine. A recipe for porridge is recorded as well so that consumption of porridge can lead to enhanced efficacy of food ingredients. Oriental medicine accentuated porridge in terms of medical treatment whereas Buddhist temples regarded it as a method of self-discipline considering it as a flavored glutinous meal and a raw meal that can nurture the body and cleanse souls. As described above, porridge was a kind of food not only in Buddhist temples but also in the royal court, and it is being used as a therapeutic diet as seen in the medical sector. A theory on recuperation focused on maintaining healthy body and sound mind through the use of porridge is believed to equal a theory on temple foods concentrated on consuming foods in order to discipline oneself in a pleasant condition where one does not contract a disease. The study selected food ingredients used in making porridge to examine recuperation functions in terms of oriental medicine as well as sitology function and found out that temple foods can be traditionally useful to disciplinants on the back of consumption examples in Buddhist temples and meditation rooms as well as recipes. There are differences in methods of using food ingredients according to types of porridge from the perspectives of general use, oriental medicine and Buddhist temples, but a method of consumption of porridge refers to a method of recuperation focused on composition and harmonization of porridge ingredients according to conditions of the body and the mind, environment and bodily constitution as well as selection of porridge. Continuous studies need to be conducted on more concrete and systematic use of porridge for the purpose of more widespread and wiser use of it so that ordinary people, disciplinants and patients who need porridge can gain easier access to porridge.
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