Has anybody ever thought what exactly we sought of fasting?

The overall importance of fasting aims at abstaining from food and other materialistic things in order to seek spirituality. The other good benefits of fasting is thought that it detoxify our senses and body when we abstain ourselves from food in order to achieve a higher realm of spirituality.

Philosophy of fasting

Hindu philosophy and mythology propounds fasting to gain control over senses which ultimately means to elevate them to contemplation. People starve themselves as Hinduism proposes specific days which are maintained by particular God. They keep fast on these days as per their choice and try to attain God's blessing and wishes to fulfill.

Fasting theory is twofold in Hindu philosophy first in the form of meditation or manifestation of yogic power, fasting strengthens the mind, body and soul. It also helps to build up self-control and discipline. Secondly, according to ayurveda fasting actually helps a person to keep him healthy and disease free. Chiefly, fasting means abstention from partaking food, drinks, speech and sexual activity. A person must be free from mind when fasting and shall not think about food or any other thing.

According to ayurveda, the paraphernalia of fasting stating that it gives rest to the digestive organs which resulted in cleansing of body mechanisms. Fasting is referred as an anti-dote to the many diseases and toxins which get accumulate in our body system, retorts ayurveda. Basically there are types of fast:
Fastings by festivals
Fastings by lunar days
Fastings by week's days or planetary influences
Fastings by second half of the lunar month (shukla paksha)

The scientific relevance of fasting

Thus we came to know why we keep fast and what it signifies, but do we know the scientific relevance of fasting? I guess many of us are not acquainted with the scientific logic of fasts and how it helps in metabolism. Hindus keep fast, for their spirituality and salvation which has to achieve after death; ironically they are keeping a balance between spirituality and physicality which increases their chances of spiritual gain.
Scientifically fasting benefits to the physical body in many ways such as:

Overhauls the respiratory, circulatory, digestive and urinary system
Cleanse the body by expelling impurities from the body
Gives rest to internal organs.
An inspection over fasting by few scientists claims that it increases the lifespan of the reproductive system.

Unity in diversity

Fasting significance can only be felt when we realize this thing common in all the religions of the world. Even if many things are different in our cultures but a single thing works as a unifier i.e. fasting, this fits perfectly into such sensibility, as many people are practicing it in the search of god.

'Fasting'- Hindu call it vrata or upavas; Muslim calls it roze; Christian also take fast, Arabic term for fasting comes to 'swam'.

No such practice other than fasting can propagate peace, equality and international unity that require physical, mental and spiritual practice in common.

Didactic lessons of fasting

All the way we have so many things to eat, but what provokes us to take on fast and abstain from delicacies we have with us. Today food available to us is processed and advanced, and we can readily avail from shops. We are paying the prices for that food which may put us in severe trance. It is the awareness that one practice to control over senses and body in order to get a much better compensation that food.

Fasting can also awake us that not everyone around the world has all the resources
Fasting could be a good way of giving rest to our dulled senses through abstention which can also help in regaining over wrought senses.
It increases physical sensibility and works as reset button, suddenly put things into perspective, self control and energy returns.
Once you control over your senses and consuming habit, nothing is impossible to over come.

Sometimes body observes weakness after fasting, but that weakness doesn't mean from hunger. Weakness comes from the detoxification due to fasting which cast off the accumulated toxins from the body making you internally strong. It is a best means to purify your body and soul. Such short fasts encourage self-discipline and are of immense, physical, psychological, emotional, intellectual and spiritual gain.

To conclude we can say that fasting is good for health and everybody needs to fast atleast once in a week to detoxify body and to ensure spiritual benefit.

Vastu Shastra

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