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Fasting & Karma


Shyam:- All religions are giving importance to fasting. So how our fasting can affect our accumulated karma? Can it burn our karma?

Have heard like that.


Krishnan Kartha :- Definitely.


Shyam:- To what extent fasting and karma are related? Or what's the idea behind it?


Krishnan Kartha :- The so-called Iife itself is and our so-called manifestation itself is as annamayakosha.

It means the most basic dharma a creature has is to eat.

Everything else is only after that.

So we are born itself because we die when its not possible to eat.

Even a child, the Chandogya Upanishad says even the cry of a child for milk is because of the fear of death.

Its because of the fear of death the baby cries in need of food.

The crying cease as the baby receives milk.

So this is one of the most basic desire of man.

Is it desire?

No.

It's an innate nature of emotion for survival.

So the comprehension of this hunger happens only when one is hungry.

By consuming food all the time the value of hunger is not known.

So to know the value of hunger is the first and foremost importance of fasting.

By fasting one gets a better understanding of what hunger is.

The fasting, especially those for longer periods without consuming food is to convince the same.

It is to convince that fellow creatures have hunger and its necessary to feed them.

That is the intend behind fasting.

To what extent it is being implimented is second thing.

As mentioned earlier, religions have noble ideas.

But human practice it with much deformity.

Then there is no point in blaming religions.

Then we have to understand that in fact we are ready to perform such a fast in order to go to the matter of that donation of it.

The most important advantage of this is that to the body its healthy to give a break from the internal metabolism to cook food, without having to do this cooking job inbetween.

All the doctors have now agreed that it is a very useful thing.

Never before had that been admitted.

But now it is difficult for people with acidity.

For those who are not, it's a good idea for us to learn to fast once a week as a child.

Because it becomes a habit.

Then one day sitting like that, and thus going along with fasting, the body will be very vigorously storing energy for the rest of the days with excitement and enthusiasm.

That's another interesting thing inside it.

When the body very well understands that one day it will not get, it reserves for that day also.

The body is a arrangement that is very beautiful.

The body does not desire to hurt us in any way.

In fact it is an arrangement that keeps us comfortable.

It causes us pain in unavoidable circumstances.

Even causing that pain is meant to correct us.

Even that pain is given to us as a signal when we need some correction.

Reason, disease.

In order to show that the body has a disorder of it.

We are not interested.

Now, what is said as this lockdown is a sufficient defense to prevent this disease.

That is going on to social spread because one jump out as how to avoid that.

But we have no interest in it.

That is going on to social spread because one jump out as how to avoid that.

It is one of the worst times in Italy that its spread occurred suddenly.

It means that our Bharat has entered into a similar situation this week.

It is a condition to be very careful.

If at all possible don't go out.

So all of this, when nature comes up with a control to control this body, all of these problems occur when we put up a defense against it.

The body is given a day of rest.

The fast is to make the body understand that the body can also adjust without food, and also to understand the mind.

Then another experience with fasting is that the mind will lose strength.

It is said in the Upanishads that 'Annam hi manasoumya'.

The Guru tells the disciple:

"My friend, my son, food is the mind.

'Tat vratham'

That is what is fasting.

Then you go and do one thing.

Try to sit without eating a little food."

Then, after sitting without eating food the disciple came and said:

"I sat without eating food."

“Okay, but let’s start discussion.

Let's start the discussion. "

Immediately the disciple says:

"Respected Guru, I can not even think of anything.

Please allow me to eat something.

Only then. "

That is 'Annam Hi Manasoumya'.

The mind is Anna (food).

Those who have seen that endless thoughts, thoughts and feelings that are being created is keeping us away from the truth envisaged these fasts as one of the many ways to control them.

Those fasts are meant for distancing, mentally.

Then why some of the fasts which are present here now, all over Bharat ?

In the case of Kerala, there is no rice food.

That is to give up.

Quit eating rice food - It is to quit food rich in starch.

Because of that being energetic will decrease a bit.

The body gets what it needs from other things.

That too is also being thought.

So by keeping a fast like eating rice food once a day there is a perception and a reason that since body will get what it needs only from it and also food is not available in large quantities there will be a decrease in thought.

And thirdly, within a question asked by Shyam - the result of karma?

There is no doubt in saying that being hungry is experiencing the results of karma.

Definitely there is a small element in that.

But we must understand that we are making.

Pilgrimage - what merit develops when one go on to places that are difficult, for pilgrimage? Its when in that journey one get death-like experiences.

Besides, when we go there in helicopter, there will be nothing.

When one goes through very close-up experiences with death it becomes a grave experience.

That is why difficult journeys are kept for pilgrimage by human.

There is a place called Madhuban, which is said to be the highest Sammedhasikhar by Jain monks.

My memory is that it is near Girnar.

There is a peak called Sammedhasikhar.

There are many steps to its top.

I do not know the number of steps.

For me now, climbing those steps is not even possible.

Such people do not climb.

Heart patients do not climb.

But they say by climbing there asthma goes away completely.

They sit in such hard places to meditate.

Reason is that it should be hard for the climber.

You know what their method is?

They intend to get rid of those karmas by torturing the body to the maximum.

Then for them the torment to this body without food - seven o'clock, after dusk then no food.

It does not mean to be hungry.

That means giving up food.

So they see it to teach the body like that.

So if such an action is to be taken as a sacrifice of the results of karma, it can only be made if it is so severe.

Otherwise it doesn't have much importance.

If we do not eat during the day and eat all night, there will be no Karmic difference.

Know hunger.

Give rest to the body.

These may be the dharmas, there.

Many, many fasts help man in many ways.

It is not possible to say that a common feature already exists in this.

Ekadashi.

But gurus in general have not shown a good attitude towards fasting.

The reason is not anything else that it often creates a negative attitude in them, in individuals.

Anger comes when you are hungry.

Then, untill the fast is over there will be a situation where it is said to be as serious as possible, not to laugh, not to be happy, and to respond angrily to whatever people say.

Better to eat and drink porridge and go to bed.

Therefore, fasting is relevant only if it is for the betterment of man.

If not, if it is making him devil, we should feed one more time.

That's better.

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