一个开饭店的老人说，请给我们谈饮食。

他说：

我恨不得你们能依靠大地的香气而生存，如同植物受着阳光、空气的供养。

既然你们必须杀生为食，而且从新生的动物口中夺他的母乳来止渴，那就让他成为一个敬神的礼节吧。

让你的肴馔摆在祭坛上，那是丛林中和原野上的纯洁清白的物品，为更纯洁清白的人们而牺牲的。

当你杀生的时候，心里对他说：

“在宰杀你的权力之下，我同样地也被宰杀，我也要同样地被吞噬。

那把你送到我手里的法律，也要把我送到那更伟大者的手里。

你和我的血都不过是浇灌天树的一种液汁。”

当你咬嚼着苹果的时候，心里对它说：

“你的子核要在我身中生长，

你来世的嫩芽要在我心中萌茁，

你的芬香要成为我的气息，

我们要终年的喜乐。”

在秋天，你在果园里摘葡萄榨酒的时候，心里说：

“我也是一座葡萄园，我的果实也要摘下榨酒。和新酒一般，我也要被收存在永生的杯里。”

在冬日，当你斟酒的时候，你的心要对每一杯酒歌唱；让那歌曲成为一首纪念秋天和葡萄园以及榨酒之歌。

06

on eating and drinking

then an old man, a keeper of an inn, said, "speak to us of eating and drinking."

and he said:

would that you could live on the fragrance of the earth, and like an air plant be sustained by the light.

but since you must kill to eat, and rob the young of its mother's milk to quench your thirst, let it then be an act of worship,

and let your board stand an altar on which the pure and the innocent of forest and plain are sacrificed for that which is purer and still more innocent in many.

when you kill a beast say to him in your heart,

"by the same power that slays you, i to am slain; and i too shall be consumed.

for the law that delivered you into my hand shall deliver me into a mightier hand.

your blood and my blood is naught but the sap that feeds the tree of heaven."

and when you crush an apple with your teeth, say to it in your heart,

"your seeds shall live in my body,

"and the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart,

"and your fragrance shall be my breath,

"and together we shall rejoice through all the seasons."

and in the autumn, when you gather the grapes of your vineyard for the winepress, say in you heart,

"i to am a vineyard, and my fruit shall be gathered for the winepress,

"and like new wine i shall be kept in eternal vessels."

and in winter, when you draw the wine, let there be in your heart a song for each cup;

and let there be in the song a remembrance for the autumn days, and for the vineyard, and for the winepress.