Itmustbeclearlyunderstoodthatfastingisnotthegoaloflife.Itisatooltobeused
wiselyandpurposefully.Throughtheextendedpracticeoffastingforevenashort
timeorafterafewtimes,itispossibletoexperiencealossofdesireforeatingatall.
Atthispointthebodycanbecomeveryemaciated.Thiscanaffectthephysiologyof
thebrain,whichinturnaffectthecognitivefunctionsofthemind.Themisguided
notionthatbecomingemaciatedandlosingthedesiretoeatistobeequatedwith
spiritualenlightenmentmustbeeradicatedbeforeenteringintothefast.Atthispoint
theadage:“Eattolive;donotlivetoeat”comesinhandy.Onemayhavetoforce
oneself to eat at this point, but not what was eaten previously.
Itmustbeclearlyunderstoodthatlossofappetiteforeatingatalliseasiertoachievethanabalance
betweeneatingtoomuchandnotenough.Reachingthisbalanceistheultimategoaloftheseprac-
tices,andthegoal,whichwillhelpintheendeavorofpromotingspiritualenlightenment.Fastingfor
fastingsake,fastingtoproveone’sabilitytofastorbecomingemaciatedduetoamisguidedmove-
menttowardshealthisaneffectofthedullintellect,andshouldbeavoided.Thedisciplineofhealth,
whenpracticedwithwisdomandinsightintothenatureoflife,yieldsthetruefruitsofhealth,i.e.vi-
tality, inspiration, detachment and freedom from the world, and ultimately self-discovery.
Injunctions from the Precepts of Maaton Food
(10) “I have not snatched away food.”
(14)“Ihavenoteatenmyheart”(overcomewithanguishanddistraught).Vari-
ant: Committed perjury.
(36)“Ihaveneverbefouledthewater.”Variant:heldbackthewaterfromflow-
ing in its season.
Thereisaproperbalancetobediscovered.Inthisbalanceyouaretryingtomaintain
aharmonysothatyouhavesufficientvitalitytosustainthenormalactivitiesoflife,
butwithouttheextraneousweightandimpuritiesthatdragtheminddowntoworld-
liness.Youwanttobeconsumingjustenoughsothatyoumaybeabletoremainin
touchwithandhaveenoughvitalitytooperateintheworld,butnotsomuchthat
yourspiritualsensitivityishampered.Youmustcarefullymonitorwhatandhow
muchyoueat,andalsoadoptthephilosophythatyouareeatingoutofdutytosus-
tainthebody,sothatyoursoulmaycarryoutitsdivinedutyonearth(attainenlight-
enment) and not for the mere pleasure of eating.
Fastingisnotadisciplineforhurtingorpunishingthebody,butratherapracticeofausterity.Auster-
ityandasceticismaredisciplinesforcontrollingthelowernatureofahumanbeing,includingthede-
siresandotherworldlyaspectsofthepersonality,tobringthemunderthecontrolofthemindandits
directingprinciple,theintellect.Theencumberedintellectcannotfunctionproperly.Thepracticesof
asceticismhavebeendevisedfordiscipliningthemindandbodybycontrollingtheinteraction