"Is there anybody hungry? Please come to my home, my wife has prepared a meal. We have enough to feed 20 hungry men. She has prepared the finest rice, curry, and puris (fried bread). I will not take my meal until I know that every man, woman, and child is fed..."
Such selfless gestures of hospitality were conunon in the village life of ancient India. The religious householders of the Vedic times saw themselves as providers for all living beings, including the animals. No creature was allowed to go without food during the pinnacle of Vedic civilization in India. This is the fertile ground in which the seeds of Food for Life's philosophy were sown.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, hospitality is "a friendly and generous reception of guests or strangers." To be hospitable, therefore, means to care and show respect for another being. It is a sincere expression of appreciation, love, and humility. A person whose heart is filled with gratitude, magnanimity, and spirituality is naturally hospitable.
It's important to note that hospitality is not the same as entertaining, which is, unfortunately, the more conunon approach today. When we entertain, we put all of our effort into the event-the appearance of the home, the rich, high-calorie/low-nutrient food and refreshments, and seating and table settings. We judge the success or failure of the event by such unimportant details as whether or not the souffle fell or the ice ran out. In contrast, hospitality focuses on the comfort and wellbeing of our guests, and our desire to freely share our home, the nutritious, life-giving food we have prepared, and above all, us.
Some hosts put so much energy into preparations for entertaining that they have little left for their guests. By the time the guests leave, the host is exhausted. Hospitality, on the other hand, is physically and spiritually refreshing and nourishing. Simply put, entertaining comes from pride; hospitality comes from humility.
Hospitality does not distinguish based on species, race, caste, creed, or color; these differences are meaningless from a spiritual perspective. Rather, hospitality welcomes all with loving warmth. For an example of profound hospitality, see the story of King Rantideva on the Food for Life website.
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