It's actually accurate — beans often cause gas, and yes, cowboys often ate beans on the trail. The Shaolin Temple diet is a balanced way of eating that can help you live a long, active and healthy life. By Staff Writer Last Updated Apr 5, 2020 10:15:07 AM ET. These monks eat not only to fuel the physical body at its essential level but also for spiritual reasons. In his "Praise of the New Knighthood", Bernard of Clairvaux, the monk-knight and founder of the Cistercian monastery, describes how he was pleased with the idea of the Templar’s creation, life and activities of the monks. Sext was the main service of the day at noon, which was followed by a period of private study and contemplation. Not eating a meal in the evening I, monks, am aware of good health and of being without illness … Others washed the clothes, cooked the food, or did repairs around the monastery. There are a few other rules that also need to be considered when discussing what a monk eats. Carthusian monks ate together in their refectory (dining room) only on Sundays, feast days and days when monks were buried. The two main considerations are: Monks are not to cook their own food. What Did Knights Eat? The diets of Shaolin Monks are mainly based on the concept of Buddhism, which is simplicity and pacifism. They ate their main meal mid-morning, with a second light meal after Vespers. The Knights Templar, who decided to sacrifice their lives in the service of the Order, lived according to strict discipline and had to follow many rules. One of the principal precepts of Buddhism, after all, is to "abstain from killing." Some monks were scribes and would spend their day copying manuscripts and making books. Meals were eaten with the accompaniment of a reading from the Bible. It provides a simple and streamlined formula for preparing vegan macrobiotic meals with relative ease. It makes sense, right? In line with their beliefs surrounding food combining, the monks often spend chunks of time eating just one type of food as a type of cleansing practice. The monks would have different jobs depending on their talents and interests. This utterly simple approach to feeding oneself is found to be easier on the stomach because it ensures there is no clash in terms of digestion. Knights were considered noblemen and ate quite differently than the lower classes; they enjoyed fresh meat, river fish, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit and bread. Jobs at the Monastery Eating and Drinking. A monk is then free to select what he wishes to eat and fill his bowl for his daily meal. "Once when the Buddha was touring in the region of Kasi together with a large Sangha of monks he addressed them saying: 'I, monks, do not eat a meal in the evening. The cowboys settle down for an evening meal of beans, with typical, albeit immediate, digestive reaction. Learn how to eat like the Shaolin monks, some of the fittest and healthiest people on the planet. Meals were eaten in total silence, while one monk read from The Bible or other religious text (often at a pulpit raised above the heads of the monks as they ate). Their daily diet mostly consists of rice, vegetables, and fruits. Some worked the land farming food for the other monks to eat. Shaolin Monks. The first assumption you might make about the Dalai Lama's eating habits is that the man is a vegetarian. The Religious Services in a Medieval Monastery. One of the most famous food scenes in modern cinematic history takes place in Mel Brooks's western farce Blazing Saddles. Different sects of Buddhism, however, interpret that law in different ways, and the Dalai Lama's strand (known as the Gelug school) does allow for meat to be eaten by its practitioners.