A fasting person is in a state of worship even if asleep in bed. Every breath he takes while asleep is ‘tasbih’, and his sleep itself is worship.
He who knows his soul knows this truth: “I am beyond everything finite; I now see that the Spirit, alone in a space with its ever-new joy, has expressed itself as the vast body of nature…I am the wisdom and power that sustain all creation.”
The universe has been created out of knowledge and action and seems also possessed of consciousness.
True realisation of the actual nature of this material world, its perishable, transitory and illusory aspects best dawns on a person in suffering.
Fasting in the monastic community is considered an ascetic practice, a “dhutanga” practice. Dhutanga means “to shake up” or “invigoration”. The Buddha, as is well known, emphasized moderation, the Middle Way that avoids extremes, in all things. Fasting is an additional method that one can take up, with supervision, for a time.
Why impress false religion on the world? It will be of no service to it. Why run about for the sake of wealth? You cannot escape from death… Think, O think, you thoughtless fool, you shall have in the end to depart alone.
Do not take this material world so seriously because it is always changing. Something terrible that you take so seriously today is going to change tomorrow.
