Jain Spirit 2003 10 No 16

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 25

The sun is the primary source of energy for all living beings on earth
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the sunlight, you look at the sun or gaze at the sun and charge your brain, which is lying idle 99% of the time, and it is slowly awakened as the sunlight or the sun energy reaches the brain. A lot of the infinite inherent powers recharging the human being are awakened by solar energy and slowly we see the earth at a higher standard. Fasting happens in you; you are not fasting but controlling it. When hunger disappears, fasting happens very naturally.
It seems that there is a very important spiritual dimension in fasting. It is not something that people just do to keep the body healthy. Spiritual faith is essential for prolonged fasting. Can you elaborate on that?
Every human being at birth is gifted with good and bad qualities. But in the absence of good energy for the brain and the body, the purest form of which is through the sun, the body develops bad qualities. The moment we free ourselves with the sun, the bad qualities disappear, good qualities recharge us, and all the ordinary men become real extraordinary human beings.
What would you say about the nutritional problem of fasting? Wouldn't the body lose the vitamins and the minerals? Are there any dangers in fasting?
There is absolutely no danger in fasting. The body requests energy, so whatever we eat, the sum total ultimately is energy for the body. Food is all originally manufactured by the solar energy. What we eat today is a secondary form of this solar energy, as we are avoiding the original purest form. But the body has a mechanism to receive directly the original form of sun energy, and automatically everything that is necessary is manufactured within the body. If energy were manufactured and absorbed in a pure state then we would not need to follow the traditional way of intake of food and nutrients.
The majority of Jains are not going to be fasting the way you are doing it. However, they can do a certain amount of fasting from time to time and also have a positive attitude towards diet. What would you say to them, how frequently should they try to fast? Should every Jain try to do the eightday fast every year during Paryushan for their health as well as their spirituality?
Photo: Dinodia
Q&A
From the health point of view, even medical science accepts that one fast only on water, three continuous fasts once a month and eight or ten fasts continuously once in a year are good for the health of the body because this tones up your entire energy system and enables many body parts to rest and rejuvenate. Medically, fasting is now becoming an important part of the treatment. I think Jains should fast at least one day a week and definitely do the Paryushan athaai every year. I am suggesting to the masses of humanity that it is possible to fast for the whole of your life if you gaze at the sun, if you just reproduce the technique I have revived. There are thousands of people living on light energy and people who live without food for three or four years. If fasting is practised, then everybody in the world would desire less; there would be natural fasting for all, it would help cure people with mental or physical illnesses and remove spiritual ignorance. Then everyone would become Jain: a desire-less person. If this message becomes known, Jainism will become universally accepted and popular.
What is wrong with desire?
Desire leads to karma. When you desire to acquire food and you want to fulfil your desire, you are disturbing someone near you. When you have this feeling of desire it is the karma, the sin is coming to pass.
A lot of young people today do not worry about karma and sin. They are living in a world where the idea, especially the Western idea, is to enjoy, celebrate and have fun, to do what you want and when you want it. What is wrong with that philosophy?
There is nothing wrong with enjoying your life as long as your enjoyment doesn't disturb others. And there we have it: in making other people understand the true spirit of Jainism we have to project the scientific benefits of the Jain principles. People find it difficult to control the mind of their desires; they find it difficult to fast; they find it difficult not to commit sins. It is very easy to eliminate all bad things from life. If scientific methods are observed, then everyone will accept it.
September November 2003
• Jain Spirit
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