WHY DO WE FAST?

Most devout Indians fast regularly or on special occasions like festivals.
On such days they do not eat at all, eat once or make do with fruits or
a special diet of simple food.
Fasting in Sanskrit is called upavaasa.
Upa means “near” + vaasa means “to stay”.
Upavaasa, therefore, means staying near (the Lord),
meaning the attainment of close mental proximity with the Lord.
Then what has upavaasa to do with food?
A lot of our time and energy is spent in procuring food items,
preparing, cooking, eating and digesting food.
Certain food types make our minds dull and agitated.
Hence on certain days man decides to save time and
conserve his energy by eating either simple, light food or
totally abstaining from eating so that his mind becomes alert and pure.
The mind, otherwise pre-occupied by the thought of food,
now entertains noble thoughts and stays with the Lord.
Since it is a self-imposed form of discipline it is usually adhered to with joy.
Also every system needs a break and an overhaul to work at its best.
Rest and a change of diet during fasting is very good
for the digestive system and the entire body.
The more you indulge the senses, the more they make their 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 us weak, irritable or create an urge to indulge later.
This happens when there is no noble goal behind fasting.
The Bhagavad-Gita urges us
to eat appropriately – neither too less nor too much - yukta-aahaara and
to eat simple, pure and healthy food (a saatvik diet) even when not fasting.

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WHY DO WE DO PRADAKSHINA (CIRCUMAMBULATE)?

We cannot draw a circle without a center point.
The Lord is the center, source and essence of our lives.
Recognizing Him as the focal point in our lives,
we go about doing our daily chores.
This is the significance of pradakshina.
Also every point on the circumference of a circle
is equidistant from the center.
This means that wherever or whoever we may be,
we are equally close to the Lord.
His grace flows towards us without partiality.

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To be continued as HINDUISM - 13 / 23