The Transformative Power of Food: The “Milk Mothers” in Sri Lankan Buddhism

Abstract

This article examines the role of food in the religious cosmology of Sri Lankan Buddhists, combining textual and ethnographic research and drawing on original material, including untranslated pamphlets and interviews. Looking at food as an agent rather than an instrument reveals a creative and transformative power that is tangible in individual ritual contexts. One such context is the offering of dishes rich in milk to seven "milk mothers," who are representatives of the Buddhist goddess Pattini. Despite its great popularity this ritual has so far received little scholarly attention. The milk mothers are often invited in fulfilment of a vow to Pattini who is associated with fertility, childbirth and childhood diseases, but also more generally with prosperity and health. The article demonstrates how milk is crucial for the success of this popular ritual as it creates the necessary ritual frame and, from an ayurvedic perspective, has the power to transform mothers into milk mothers.

Feasting with Buddhist Women: Food Literacy in Religious Belonging

“…Although her slicing and chopping skills never made it past aesthetic scrutiny, the second time she helped with the preparations, she was permitted to arrange the lunch boxes.10 Just as Aoyama explained earlier, women did the labor of planning, cooking, arranging, and presenting the food consumed by all. They possessed both knowledge about the symbolism of the meritorious and relational nature of Buddhist giving (Kolata 2019: 85-115;Langer 2019;Starling 2019: 63-80) and embodied knowledge applied through their micropractices of cutting, seasoning, and pairing foods. This expertise enabled them to attend to the aesthetics of food and ensure that the experience was shared and appreciated collectively and individually.…”