Itadakimasu

Katrinka and I say the Japanese "Itadakimasu" and gassho before we eat. We always do it even if we're out though we might bury it beneath token mumbles with friends. It's very common for Japanese to say that even before having a treat, but in that case, especially with friends. And they don't gassho. I've been saying itadakimasu since maybe 1966 when I came to Zen Center and lived in SF's Japantown though we didn't say that at Zen Center or any of its centers. It's not really Buddhist. It's Japanese and means to humbly receive - no subject, no object. I've used it in all the homes I've lived in and places I've been since then unless there was some sort of other something to say like at Zen Center. Tonight we said it and then we said it again and realized oh we've already said it. We do that quite a bit. I asked Katrinka if we get extra credit for saying it twice and she said, "Yes, absolutely." [All opinion expressed herein was not fact checked]. - DC