This happened in India. During my freshman year I was traveling with my family for a wedding in Udaipur, Rajasthan. We decided to take a break and get something to eat. We stopped the car at a rest area and each one of us took things to eat like Namkeens (Salted Snacks), tea, coffee, some chips etc. My younger brother was very hungry so he took more than he could finish. After about half hour when we were full we decided to resume the journey. My brother was not able to finish his portion so he asked me what to do. I told him leave it on the ground for the dog to eat. A street dog came and sniffed the food, he licked some of it; but since it was salty and dogs do not like salty food he just walked passed it. During this whole time my eyes were neither on food nor the dog but on a man who was standing approx 2 feet away from the dog and watching the food without blinking his eyes. He was a home less person who was very hungry. As soon as the dog left the place, this person jumped on the food, grabbed it and started eating it.
I was so shaken by the incident that I realized and experienced how important food is. Food that was sniffed and licked by a street dog was being eaten by a human being. Indeed it was clear to me whatever we are doing it is for food. But sometimes we take a lot of things for granted, as we have not seen or experienced the other extreme. As written is Upanishads “Annam Brahmam” – meaning Food is God, I saw it by my eyes that yes food indeed is God and one should not waste it anytime. From that day, I made sure that I do not waste food at all.
Was an eye opener for me......
...Am
