The Food of Dharma Joy and the Food of Meditative Delight

[The Buddha] predicted that [Purna] would become the Buddha Dharma Glow (Dharmaprabhasa) in a Buddha Land called Well Purified (Suvishuddha). In that land there are two kinds of food that are given to the people every day – the food of Dharma Joy and the food of Meditative Delight. Dharma Joy is the feeling of joy we have when we are able to hear and learn about the Dharma. When we listen to a Dharma talk, participate in a Dharma discussion, and study the teachings, it is great joy and it is also a kind of nourishment for us. The food of Dharma Joy belongs to the realm of study, and the food of Meditative Delight, meditative concentration, belongs to the field of practice. When you listen to the teachings with concentration, you are at the same time enjoying the food of Dharma Joy and the food of Meditative Delight. These two expressions, Dharma Joy and Meditative Delight, are taken from a gatha in the Avatamsaka Sutra.

Peaceful Action, Open Heart, p76-77