vation; for such living conditions naturally go against the grain.
Monks had to literally force themselves to live in this way. During
all their normal daily activities, they were required to resist the
physical and mental pressure to simply follow their natural incli-
nations.
Sometimes it was necessary to endure days of fasting and
hunger for the purpose of accelerating the practice of medita-
tion. These periods, when monks abstain from food altogether
despite their hunger, are days of uninterrupted dedication to the
practice. The physical discomfort at such times is obvious, but
the purpose of enduring hunger is to increase mental vigilance.
In truth, fasting is a very suitable method for certain tempera-
ments. Some types of people find that if they eat food every day
their bodies tend to be vigorous but the mental endeavor – med-
itation – fails to progress. Their minds remain sluggish, dull and
timid, so a solution is needed. One solution is to try either reduc-
ing the intake of food each day or going without food altogether,
fasting – sometimes for a few days, sometimes for a longer period
- and carefully observing all the while the method that gives the
best results. Once it becomes apparent that a certain method is
suitable, that method should be pursued intensively. For instance,
should a monk discover that fasting for many days at a stretch is
suitable to his temperament, then it’s imperative that he accept
the necessity of following that path. Though it may well be diffi-
cult, he must put up with it because he inevitably wants to gain
the appropriate knowledge and skill to go beyond dukkha.
A person whose temperament is suited to long-term fast-
ing will notice that the more he fasts the more prominent and
courageous his heart is in confronting the various objects of the
