Who Ate My Happiness?

By on March 22, 2009 in Food & Nutrition

A koan is a kind of question used as a training device in the Buddhist tradition, designed to help the aspirant attain a degree of clarity. I’m sure you’ve come across these zany questions before ("What’s the sound of one hand clapping?" or "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, does it make a sound?").

Here’s an emotional eating koan for you to meditate on…

Who ate my happiness?

Below are the previous eating koans that I posed:

What is your mind full of when you feel empty?

Does food have a taste when it is eaten without awareness?

What do you think?

Pavel Somov, Ph.D., author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, 2008)

www.eatingthemoment.com

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About Pavel Somov, Ph.D.

My intent is to help you reclaim eating moments of your life with meaning and moderation; to help you leverage self-acceptance and compassion; and to help you rediscover your essential self. Pavel Somov, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and the author of "Eating the Moment" (New Harbinger, 2008), "Present Perfect" (NH, 2010), "The Lotus Effect" (NH, 2010), "Smoke Free Smoke Break" (2011), and "Reinventing the Meal" (in press, 2012). He is in private practice in Pittsburgh, PA. http://www.eatingthemoment.com http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pavel-somov
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13 Responses to Who Ate My Happiness?

  1. Dominic March 22, 2009 at 6:58 pm #

    Pavel, if a tree falls in the forest, does the sound make anyone there?

    If you don't have a mind does emptiness become full?

    Does awareness know taste before food is eaten?

    Dom

  2. clearlight March 22, 2009 at 7:27 pm #

    ala Ramana Maharshi,

    Who is it that is hungry ? Who is it that is empty ?

  3. pavel.somov March 23, 2009 at 4:29 am #

    I like your angle, Dom!

    Pavel Somov, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, 2008) http://www.eatingthemoment.com

  4. pavel.somov March 23, 2009 at 4:30 am #

    Clear Light: Who is it that is hungry? – Neti, neti. Not this, not this.

    Pavel Somov, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, 2008) http://www.eatingthemoment.com

  5. Dominic March 23, 2009 at 1:56 pm #

    Thanks Pavel.

    Here is another one .

    If one hand is clapping. Why do we need two?

    I asked that question today while picking up a co-worker and he replied,

    "Because we have two ears." I fell out of the driver seat laughing so hard.

    Here is another from I believe it came from my meditation about 1 1/2 years ago.

    A Buddhist Deity appeared to me and it look like Amitabha and He said,

    The muddy water sees clearly, the water is muddy.

    Dom

  6. pavel.somov March 23, 2009 at 2:25 pm #

    un-ask the question

    nameless

    it is not

    Pavel Somov, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, 2008) http://www.eatingthemoment.com

  7. Rouzanna Vardanyan March 24, 2009 at 5:33 am #

    Pavel, I love Zen games!

    Does food have awareness when eaten with taste?

    Does happiness eat me?

    Does full stomach imply empty mind? Are all hungry smart?

  8. ardverk March 24, 2009 at 5:46 am #

    Do all hungry smart?

  9. pavel.somov March 24, 2009 at 5:47 am #

    Exactly. Thanks, Rouzanna!

    Pavel Somov, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, 2008) http://www.eatingthemoment.com

  10. pavel.somov March 24, 2009 at 5:48 am #

    Yes, Ed. Exactly!

    Pavel Somov, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, 2008) http://www.eatingthemoment.com

  11. Dominic March 24, 2009 at 9:34 am #

    Remember this when you seek it and you say to yourself, "I am no where." Look again. No where just became NOW HERE. And you have found it. Satori.

    Continue to move straight ahead.

  12. pavel.somov March 24, 2009 at 10:10 am #

    Yes on that.

    Pavel Somov, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, author of "Eating the Moment: 141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating One Meal at a Time" (New Harbinger, 2008) http://www.eatingthemoment.com

  13. clearlight March 24, 2009 at 8:43 pm #

    empty mind = Fullness / DesireLessNess

    full / busy mind = craving / desire