By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
Last Wednesday, Christians celebrated Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lent. Lent is a 40-days (excluding Sundays) season for repentance, prayer and fasting. The season to slow down which is just as well because of Covid-19. Muslims also have a 30-days fasting season during Ramadan. “In Buddhism, fasting is recognized as one of the methods of self-control.” (Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera). In indigenous Igorot Kankanaey tradition, what I know is that there are short fasts as part of the wedding preparations and ceremonies for the parents and bride and groom. Longer fasts are also required of elders who perform other indigenous rituals. In modern society, we have short fasts like “nothing after six” although this should be continued “and nothing before six”- that would be a 12-hour fast.
Fasting, by tradition, has always been a part of prayer, self-control or sacrifice, whether in the East or in the West, North or South. And these two, fasting and prayer, by tradition, play the role of cleansing and healing.
Let’s dissect how this happens so that we can appreciate the value of fasting and prayer, not just because it is a tradition and the priest said so but so we will realize that traditions are meant for our survival and development. Perhaps because fasting allows more blood to the brain, we can think better. Science has shown that good circulation is needed by any part of our body for optimum function. Science has also shown that blood will concentrate in the part of your body that is functioning, because blood is the carrier of oxygen and nutrients. For example, if you do gardening, more blood will go to your hands so they will perform the job well. Another example is after eating, more blood will be directed to your stomach because that is where the action is- the action of digestion. So you will notice that if you are so busog, you cannot solve a problem. In fact, many would feel sleepy. Why? Because blood has been directed to your stomach at the expense of the brain work. So don’t decide on something of consequence if you are so busog. How about praying while busog? How can you pray and focus on your prayer intentions if your brain is fuzzy? You cannot also do heavy physical work if you are so busog.
Fasting means your stomach is empty so there’s no need for blood to be concentrated there. Fasting then frees more blood to your brain thus making your mind clearer and thoughts profound. Buddhists know this because they practice it more often than those of other religions. Prayer and meditation also require energy but there’s enough energy stored in your liver and fatty tissue to be used while fasting. So fasting cleanses our body of excesses that we accumulate in our bodies. And when we are cleansed, healing follows. Let us compare this to a rusty leaking roof. It first has to be polished clean before it can be sealed with a roof sealant. We need cleansing before we can be healed. This is true not only for material things but also invisible ones. We need to fast from greed, envy, anger, jealousy, deceit and other negative thoughts and emotions so we can be cleansed. We need holistic cleansing before we can be healed. There are studies to show that sick people got healed only after they have forgiven themselves or others or after they let go of those negative emotions.
Fasting from food need not be difficult. The simplest is water fasting – just don’t eat for a day or two and eat little in the next meals but drink as much water as you like. Or juice fast – this means that instead of just drinking plain water, you juice fresh vegetable like squash, sayote, pechay and that will be your food. No solids. Or you can just eat raw vegetables – raw sayote is also good for cough and sore throat. Remember to chew very well.
This cleansing method is for adults, though, not for babies or young children. Primarily because babies and children don’t need cleansing as much. Why? They don’t overeat like adults. They will eat only when hungry, drink when thirsty. So parents, please believe your children when they say they don’t like to eat anymore. They don’t have to finish all the food in their plate. Kids don’t have an idea how much they can eat and sometimes it was you who placed the food in their plate. Take note that their stomach is not as big as yours.
After water or juice fasting, eat some vegetables and a little fruit in season to continue the cleansing process. If you cannot do water-fasting, fast from meat, eggs or fish or dairy. Or you can decide to fast from meat only. Or chocolate only for a week. Whatever it is that you decide to fast from, you have to decide how and when and how long you will fast. Whether it is a short fast or a long intermittent fast, take it seriously. For example, if this time you want to fast from TV, then unplug the TV and cover the screen, and make yourself busy with prayer or meditation or gardening (which could also be meditative if you like it to be). If you want to water fast, then remove all food from your sight and concentrate in prayer. The wonderful thing about fasting is that it detoxifies your body, mind and spirit. A clean body-mind-spirit has a lot of positive power that can change you for the better, for you and for those around you.
By the way, fasting is also sacrifice. Meaning you fast from things you like to indulge in, like meat eating. Or milk or chocolates. Or gossiping. Then the money that you save, you give to your church or to the poor if you have no church. I don’t know, though, how much gossip is worth. It should cost more because of its damaging effects. A meaningful Lenten season to all!**
**
“Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant- the Ten Commandments.” Exodus 34:28
