Hey guys. The first day of Ango went pretty well for me and so far so good.

Everything I'm doing seemed perfectly natural and I felt great with two long sittings during the day. Well three, really, because of the Zazenkai.

But when I sat at the table and started to chant before eating... I couldn't do it.

The reason is because I felt so Christian! I know Buddhist monks chant before meals. I've seen it in movies and documentaries. I know I need to be mindful of my eating. That all is clear to me.

Thing is that when it comes down to it, years upon years of Catholic/Christian imagery get to my head and I feel like I am praying to a god instead of just being mindful of what I eat.

At the end of the day I just said the chant in my mind through out my meals, but I felt very strange.

Perhaps is just a mental block I need to get rid of. I will work on that.

Has this happened to you?