Concept of fasting misunderstood

WHILE Hindus are observing Purtassi and Pitr Paksh and follow a complete vegetarian diet during this period, the concept used as fasting is incorrect, I believe. It is an abstinence from nonvegetarian and other luxury desires where we need to focus on the prescribed period of revering our ancestors.

According to Hinduism, food is an aspect of Brahman. Devout Hindus observe some rituals and there are no hard and fast rules for fasting unless you are performing a particular Vedic sacrifice, in which case you have to follow the scriptures.

The Hindu fasting is not just fasting of the body, but fasting done by the mind. The fasting is more a mental exercise than a physical one, hence any restrictions to your physical body during that fast are only to aid the mental fasting you need to do.

In Mahabharata, based on Yudhistraa’s question, the greatest of sages (and creator’s son) Narada informs him that fasting done under vedic practice is the best form of sacrifice. Under Vedic practice, it has to be done by restricting the mind to focus on God and God’s works solely. To aid in such austere practice, feeding and other distractions of the body are minimsed and concentration and such other faculties of the soul are maximized. MEENA SOOKDAW

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