Fasting: A Personal Choice for Good Health and Spirituality

(CHAKRA) “Don’t eat meat on Tuesday!” “Consuming meat on Friday is forbidden!” “If you’re Hindu you should fast once a week”. Comments of this nature are not generally heard among the Hindu population although there are many individuals who abstain from meat or even fast on any given day of the week respective to their beliefs. Some Hindu’s fast on Tuesday for Hanuman and Friday’s for Durga Mata. Some Sikhs do not eat meat on Thursdays for Gurus. Although the practice of fasting and abstaining from meat is not strongly dictated, many Hindu’s and Sikh’s, through personal choice, take part in decreasing the intake of meat for a variety of reasons. Some feel it makes their spiritual mind clearer for the day. Some believe it helps them to better connect with god. Others take part in fasting as a test to prove to themselves that they are self-disciplined and carriers of strength-hence fasting on Tuesday for Hanuman. Some feel it will bring them good luck. And some do it simply for the most obvious reason—letting animals be. The list goes on.

The beauty of the practice lies not only in the fact that it can go hand-in-hand with a rich religion and path to spiritual self-realization but it also holds many health benefits for the physical human body and natural environment surrounding us. In North American society where obesity has become uncontrollable because of access to a surplus of food, changing dietary habits over time is very important. Fasting once or twice a week does just that. When an individual fasts and cleans out his/her system for a day or two in a week, it allows toxins, fat and other deposits to be removed. Once these are even partially removed, the human body ceases to crave greasy, fat filled junk food. When cravings lessen, food intake lessens but that is not all that is necessary. Discipline is the key word here. If there is a value system or reason other than self-gratitude behind the fasting, it will be much easier to carry out week after week. That is where Hinduism and spirituality fall into place.

Fasting on Tuesdays is devoted to Hanuman while in Southern India, fasting on Tuesdays is dedicated to Muruga or Kartikeya. Each geographic area of people fast according to their respective beliefs but the element of true and pure devotion is what makes the end result much more attainable. With the symbolism of strength (From Hanuman) one can be deeply inspired for oneself, for those around them and for god and this can be shown through a form of sacrifice—which is by abstaining from any food and especially meat throughout the day. Individuals will feel that they have accomplished something for the better. They will also realize the other benefits such as saving living animals in their environment and sharing an experience (to some extent) with those that live in poverty.

Ultimately there are no drawbacks in fasting. As Hinduism and other Dharmic Faiths are commonly interpreted as a way of life, that is exactly what we see here. An aspect of pragmatism clearly exists. Abstaining from meat not only shows kindness and respect to the living organisms around us but fasting once or twice a week to gradually become accustomed to such a diet is a pragmatic way to start. We must mutually respect residents of our planet whether they are animals, those in poverty, those with sickness or even ourselves in our search for truth and spirituality.

By Devi Rohtagi