8 Precepts - Urgent Advice

[pummy369]

I want to take the 8 precepts tomoz, even tho I don't have refuge - it is still of some benefit for me to take it and I want to know if I can eat something when I wake up, before I take precepts.  I know I can only eat 1 meal before lunch but thought there could be an early morning, before precepts loophole.  I take them at 6.30am - ony 8 hours away so any advice received before then will help me not to torture myself wondering if I can slip in an early morning muffin or not.  Thanks guys.

[pummy369]

ok - forget the muffin.  So I lept out of bed at 6am this morning (and it is very cold at that hour might I add) and excitedly zoomed down to my centre to take precepts - only to find I had the time 15 mintues out and missed the start.  I decided to leave, not wanting to disrupt.    I dedicated the little merit anyway.  So now I'm searching round on the net seeing if I can just take them on my own - in front of my Lama photo or something.  Gotta be better than not at all.  So, any info on this appreciated.  Thanks.

Pummy

[pummy369]

ok - well I took them as per some Buddhist web-site instructions.  Maybe there's only a smarties worth of merit in that but oh well.  So, can I have a coffee?  I'm trying to find out what foods I must avoid.....

[pummy369]

had a coffee (cos I read somewhere it was ok and just to not have too much) and scoffed down a large hot chips the stroke before 12.  Figured something greasy in my body might last longer cos my metabolism is like a rocket.  This holy month is almost over and I had plans to do so many more meritorious things.  Don't know if we are celebrating this on the same day as everyone else - what about you guys?  Anyway, still time to create some merit maybe.  Seeya.

[goat]

hey pummy thanks for posting lately, its been interesting.