Post ShivRatri fast the first thing that came to my mind is why do we fast ?
"I'll fast today"I announce."Me Too" adds my daughter on an asthami day when my wife is fasting.
We are both excited about the fasting thing for the simple reason that when it comes to fasting,its more of feasting, with different dishes on table than a normal day.
Among us Gujaratis there is saying,"Gujarati ni aankh ne modhu saathe khule".Roughly translated it means:"Ours eyes and mouths open together first thing in the morning"
A Gujarati can't savor his morning tea without his theplas.
Wikipedia defines fasting as :Fasting is primarily an act of willing abstinence or reduction from certain or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day (24 hours), or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive, limiting particular foods or substances. The fast may also be intermittent in nature
Typically, religious fasting is undertaken with the purpose of going closer to God and one is expected to engage in spiritual pursuits and prayers. Also it is healthy to fast periodically as one grows older.
Some say,Fasting allegedly gives you miracle power.So,Next time you need a mountain moved, call a modeling agency to have them send over one of their girls to do the job.
Some preachers are so far gone they think personal sin doesn’t matter as long as they skip lunch the next day to show God how sorry they are till the next pretty dish comes along to tempt them.
In India with surfeit of Gods if we all started propitiating each of them we shall end up eating nothing all 365 days of the year.
Sometimes I ask myself a very simple question:Why did God give us teeth if chewing is such a sin? Why didn’t He just give us a gas tank like a car, so we could just go guzzle our dinner at Bharat Petroleum ?
Don’t dig your spiritual grave with your own teeth. Lay down your fork and pick up your straw.
Preachers tell you to at least fast till sunset. So what if you live up in Alaska
For me fasting has always been till the break fast.Or more often,that 10 minutes that missus takes in making the plates at the dining table.Those ten minutes are the longest time doing a penance of some sort.
Personally I have nothing against people doing their fasting. Morari Bapu who has been giving 9 day-long sermons (kathaas) in both Gujarati and Hindi all over the world—is strictly against fasting.He has in his many sermons mentioned that he himself does not fast for a single day in all 365 days except on Hanuman Jayanti.
But there are all kinds and its basically the religious strictures that have made this fasting thing so popular.Santoshi Mata movie did such a raving business in India and thereafter almost half of India went viral doing that Santoshi Mata Vrats on every Friday.
Personally I have nothing against such beliefs.I am more of "To each his own" kind of person.
I remember sometimes on a strict fast, I would raid that fridge midnight and gorge 6000 calories to make up for the 2000 calories I lost not eating during the day light hours !!
Fasting is not restricted to the Hindus alone. All major religions have fasting in some form or the other. Christians fast during Lent and Muslims during the month of Ramzan. Muslims are allowed to eat before sunrise and after sunset, but forgo even water during the day, which can be really tough since the month typically falls during summer. Jains have several ways of fasting too.
Do you feel that one can get closer to God only by fasting?
My mantra:Eat,drink and be merry...till gluttony do us apart.
F(e)asting through Feasting ;-)
