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Further Divisions
Both these classes of Tap have been further divided into six types each
Outer Tap--(1) Anshan (fasting), (2) Unodari (diet restrictions or eating less than normal requirement), (3) Bhiksha-charya (aims collecting), (4) Ras-Pariyag (abandoning tasty food), (5) Kavaklesh (hardships of the body), and (6) Pritiscumleenuta (introversion). All these have further divisions.
Inner Tup-(1) Pravashchit (atonement), (2) Vinaya (humbleness or modesty), (3) Vuivavratru (service to others), (4) Sradhyavu (self-study), (5) Dhvan (meditation), and (6) Vyutsarga (detachment).
BENEFITS, TYPES AND PROCEDURES OF OUTER TAP The six types of outer Taps have been mentioned above. Now we give brief information about their forms, benefits, and procedures, etc. 1. Anshan (Fasting)
This is the first type of the outer Taps. It may be called the first section of the palace of Tap. The purification of the physical covering of soul or the Tuijas and Audarik bodies or subtle and gross bodies is achieved through fasting.
Ashun means food or to eat food, and Anshan means absence of food or not to eat food.
Fasting is beneficial for the body because it removes disorders. At the same time it benefits the soul also.
A weekly holiday provides rest to the body and the person gets refreshed. A machine runs better after a rest is given to it. Fan, heater, generator and other electrical appliances also need rest. If they are run conunuously they will burn out, therefore it is essential to give them rest.
Similar is the functioning of the machine that is our body. With intake of food every part of the body has to function. The digestive system digests food and liver makes blood. When we eat continuously these parts do not get rest and they start mallunctioning. This causes many ailments like loss of appetite, constipation, flatulence, ulcer etc. The simplest cure for these is fasting. That is the reason that abstaining from food intake is termed as the ultimate medicine in Ayurveda.
This benefit of fasting is visible in the gross body. But it also has spiritual benefits that are only experienced by a seeker who indulges in austerities.
Simply fasting or not eaung food or remaining hungry is not Anshan Tap. Fasting becomes Tap when its purpose is cleansing the soul or cleansing of the body that is attached to the soul.
In spiritual terms Anshan is also called Uparaas, which means to live near soul. In other words, to abandon all activities of the body, including food intake and all the time to conteniplate about soul.
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Antakriddasha Mahima
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