Fasting

It’s the Christian season of Lent, and a time of fast and abstinence.  Fasting has a long history in all cultures, and is associated with drawing closer to the Almighty, or cleansing for the body and spirit.  At some point, everyone does a fast.  Whether it’s a self-imposed one the day after heavy indulgence (often accompanied by the groan “Never again!”) or deliberately done as part of another ritual (for religious, health or protest reasons) everyone has done it.

Why do we do it?  Essentially, a fast allows us to better appreciate the abundance that surrounds us.  It can provide a better understanding of what is needed to sustain life, and what is a luxury.  Fasting is an indicator of plenty, because it is a choice to avoid something (a food or an activity) that surrounds us and which we normally share.  It’s a self-imposed deprivation, and should be entered into with joy and a desire to improve.

The Bhagavad Gita calls fasting upavaasa, from the Sanskrit Upa meaning "near" + vaasa meaning "to stay".  It’s an invitation to stay near to God.  The more you indulge the senses, the more they make demands. Fasting helps us to cultivate control over our senses, sublimate our desires and guide our minds to be poised and at peace.  Fasting should not make you weak, irritable, angry or vain. It should not be a cause for shaming others, or for developing inordinate pride.

What things have gained control over your life?  Do you indulge heavily in internet browsing, or high speed driving, or shopping, or telling people what to do?  Can you, for one day, give up the thing that occupies most of your attention?  If it’s your job that creeps into personal time, can you reschedule your activities so that you have uninterrupted time with your family?  Can you give up following click-bait on the “10 most amazing…” for a day?  How about can you give up obsessing over your imperfections for not making every single dish your family eats from scratch?

Comments

  1. Aimee Wilson23 February 2015 at 21:48:00 GMT-5

    Sonja, thank you for this direct explanation of fasting and its purposes. You provide guidance on how to examine places in our lives where we can make adjustments.

    ReplyDelete

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