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YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED: F.A.Q. 20
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Maha Shivaratri QUESTION: Is fasting an
important practice in Yoga? ANSWER: The Sacred
Scriptures of India are unique among the Scriptures of the World in that they
clearly acknowledge the physical, religious and Spiritual importance of food.
Thus in the Upanishads food is said to be everything and everything is said
to be food. Indeed, the Supreme Being Himself is equated to food. Food - the Ground of all things Says Scripture: "That verily, from which beings are born,
that by which when born they live, that into which upon dying they enter,
That is the Supreme. For truly, indeed, beings here are born from food, when
born they live by food, on dying they enter into food" (Taittiriya Up.
3, 1-2). Indeed, the food man eats, the water he drinks, the air he
breathes is food for his body; what he smells, tastes, sees, feels and hears
is food for his mind; while God Himself and His Truth is food for his Soul.
When man dies his body turns into food for other creatures and his Soul
returns to God Who is the Ultimate Ground that gives nourishment and support
to all living things. Even in the Western World man's everyday experiences are
instinctively likened to the process of eating and assimilating food, as
becomes evident when we say that we "stomach", "chew on"
or "digest" a situation or experience. However, precisely because
food pervades all aspects of life, its importance tends to be overlooked. For this reason, in Yoga, certain customs and ceremonies
related to food are employed in order to enhance man's awareness of the
religious and Spiritual meaning of food. Thus food is offered to guests, to
the faithful who visit temples or attend religious ceremonies, at weddings,
etc. Food is even offered to animals in the forest, to the Souls of deceased
relatives and to the Gods. In For the same reason, abstaining from food is observed in a
religious, Spiritual and even medical context. Overeating has long been
identified as a cause of medical conditions by Indian physicians. Thus a
traditional saying tells us that he who eats one meal a day is a righteous
man (Yogi), he who eats two meals a day is a glutton (Bhogi) and he who eats
three meals a day is a sick man (Rogi). Fasting on New Moon's Eve There are many very ancient, traditional forms of Fasting
(Upavasana). One of the most ancient ones, known as Chandrayana,
is observed for a whole month. It consists in reducing the amount of food
which totals fifteen mouthfuls on Full Moon, by one mouthful daily until New
Moon when the fast becomes complete and then increasing it in the same manner
from the day after New Moon to Full Moon. Complete abstinence from food is
also observed for one, three, six, nine or twelve days according to each
person's capacity and inclination. Among the most auspicious times for fasting are the days of
Full and New Moon as well as the eighth and the twenty-third of each month
(counting from the first day after New Moon). New Moon Day (Amavasya)
is the last day of the lunar month. The night before this, that is, New
Moon's Eve, is the Sacred Night of Shiva (Shiva Ratri) which is
also known as The Fourteenth Day of Shiva (Shiva-Chaturdashi) and The
Dark Night of Shiva (Shiva Kalaratri). Fasting during the day and night
on this auspicious occasion is particularly meritorious, and is observed for the
expiation of sins as well as for acquiring religious merit. Thus it is written in the Shiva Purana: "O Sages! on the
thirteenth day of the dark half of the month, one meal only shall be taken
(by the devotee). But on the fourteenth, complete fast shall be
observed. The fourteenth of the dark half is sure to bring about the
propitiation of Lord Shiva". Even greater merit is acquired by fasting on New Moon's Eve in
the month of Magha (or Phalguna, depending on the calendar used). This is
known as the Great Night of Shiva or Maha Shivaratri and is the
most important holiday in Yoga. In Maha Shivaratri proper falls on the 14th of the dark
fortnight in February or March, which is usually the 3rd New Moon's Eve
(Amavasya) from the Winter Solstice (22 December) and a fortnight before the
Festival of Holi. The meaning of Shiva Ratri Being held close to the beginning of Spring, Maha Shivaratri
clearly represents a Spring Festival that celebrates the end of Winter and
the arrival of Spring, that is, the beginning of new life. It is the time of
the Year when days become visibly brighter and longer, and plants begin to
grow new leaves. At this auspicious time, Shiva, the Creator and Lord of the
Universe gives us the opportunity to cleanse ourselves of all negative
influences of the past and make a new start in life. By purifying ourselves
we also get closer to Lord Shiva, the Supreme Principle of Purity and
Goodness, and become infused with His Divine Grace. Spiritually speaking, therefore, Shiva Ratri symbolises the
regeneration of the human Soul through Unity with the Divine. Amavasya
or New Moon means literally, "together-dwelling". Astronomically
speaking, this refers to the dwelling together of the Sun and Moon (which on
that day appear to be closest to, and facing, each other when seen from
Earth). On this point, a traditional legend relates the story of a
young girl who lived in a mountain hamlet. Being the youngest of three
sisters, she saw her elder siblings marry which stirred her curiosity as to
who was going to be her future husband. Her mother, being a pious woman, one
day replied, "Lord Shiva, my dear. He is the Husband of all Souls and so
He will be your Husband, too". The girl took her mother at her word and from then on paid
daily visits to the local shrine, bringing food, flowers, incense and other
offerings and anointing with oil the holy Shiva Image that was worshipped
there by the people. When she reached the age of sixteen, on a New Moon's
Eve, her tireless devotion was rewarded by a vision of Lord Shiva Who
lovingly embraced her and carried her to His Celestial Abode. She later descended down to Earth and built a In Spiritual or Yogic terms this Celestial Union refers to a
state of Unity between the human Soul (symbolised by the Moon, Ha)
and God (symbolised by the Sun, Tha). For this reason, Yoga is also
known as Hatha Yoga, the Path of Unity between Man and God. Says the
Skanda Purana: "Fasting on the fourteenth day of the dark half of the
month is most excellent and conducive to the attainment of Oneness (Sayujya)
with Shiva. The observance of Shiva Ratri is famed as the destroyer of all
sins". For this reason, Fasting is one of the Five Duties of
Yoga. On a social level, fasting helps the believer to better understand the
hardships experienced by the poor of the World. While on a Spiritual level,
abstaining from food enhances the believer's self-discipline and Spiritual
awareness. Learning to renounce food, even temporarily, helps us learn how to
renounce the fruits of our actions and let go of the Ego that binds us to
material existence. Freedom from our Ego and its material preoccupations
enables us to come closer to God, the Ego being the main barrier that
prevents us from experiencing Unity with the Supreme. On this holy day, Spiritual thoughts and sentiments such as
Universal goodwill and solidarity with Nature and Mankind, are especially
cultivated and shared equally by all. Women and girls, in particular, pray
for a good husband and marital happiness. In communities living outside The Eve of Shiva Ratri which lasts from dawn to dawn is a very
sacred time which celebrates the Supreme Lord's Revelation of the Eternal
Wisdom of Yoga at the beginning of Kali Yuga (5102 BC). The devotees pay a
visit to the temples where religious services with chants and prayers are
held every Prahara (three-hour watch) throughout the day and night until
dawn. Devotional dances are sometimes also performed by the devotees in
honour of Shiva Nataraja, Lord of the Cosmic Dance. When a temple is not available, or in countries where Shiva
Dharma (the Law of Shiva) is suppressed, devotees may gather together at home
to pray and read from Scripture. Thus Shiva Ratri is the centre of Spiritual
life in the community of devotees as well as fulfilling a social function. The At sunrise (that is, in the first watch of the day) on Shiva
Ratri Day (Amavasya) a bath is taken in a river or temple bath. After one
last visit to the temple, food is distributed to holy men (Sadhus) and the
fast is ended with a festive meal which is shared by all the faithful (about
the middle of the second watch of the day). Home-made sweets and fruit are
distributed to relatives and friends and festive greetings are exchanged. It
is customary among the followers of Shiva on this holy day to pay a visit to
their Guru and present him with gifts. The greatness of Shiva Ratri is praised in all the
Scriptures. In the Shiva Purana, the Supreme Lord Himself declares: "No
other rite is more beneficial to man than Shiva Ratri. By worshipping Me on
Shiva Ratri the devotee attains the fruit that otherwise is only obtainable
by constantly worshipping Me for a year. At this time, the virtue of devotion
to Me increases like to the tide in the ocean at the rise of the Moon.
Assuredly, for the performance of Shiva Ratri, I, Lord Shiva, Destroyer of
all miseries, grant both worldly pleasures, Spiritual Salvation and all
desired benefits". The great Saint and poet, Utpaladeva of Kashmir exclaims:
"Where the Sun, the Moon and all other lights set, may the indescribable
Night of Shiva rise and reign supreme, spreading a radiance of its own!"
(Shivastotravali IV, 22). It is noteworthy that the Ancient Romans, Persians, Germans
and Russians among many other nations on Earth also began their year in March
or close to the beginning of Spring. In In |