Yes, Buddhist monastics traditional abstain from eating solid food after noon, and Venerable Master Hsuan Hua famously emphasized that reducing food intake directly minimizes sleepiness and desire.Throughout his life, Master Hsuan Hua strictly upheld the practices of taking only one meal a day at midday and never lying down to sleep at night (sleeping upright in meditation instead). In his Dharma talks, he explained the deep spiritual relationship between food, desire, and sleep.1. Less Food, Less Desire, Less SleepIn Chan Buddhist training, food is viewed as "medicine" to prevent the body from collapsing, not as a source of pleasure. Master Hsuan Hua taught that when you overeat or consume food late in the day, the body devotes an immense amount of energy to digestion. This heavy energy creates drowsiness and fogs the mind.According to his teachings:Curbing Energy Flow: Eating late or eating too much fuels the fires of desire and sexual energy (yin energy), which makes the mind agitated.The "Hunger" Effect: Being empty or slightly hungry keeps the body light, clear, and vibrant. Instead of wanting to sleep, a practitioner's energy becomes sharp, supporting long hours of intensive meditation.2. The Practical Purpose of Not Eating After NoonThe rule of uivika (abstaining from food after midday) was established by the Buddha for very practical and spiritual reasons:
For Master Hsuan Hua and the monastics at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, these rules were not seen as painful punishments. Instead, they were treated as a liberating framework: by eating less, you sleep less; by sleeping less, you have more time to wake up to your true nature.
