Fasting in the monastic community is considered an ascetic practice, a “dhutanga” practice. Dhutanga means “to shake up” or “invigoration”. The Buddha, as is well known, emphasized moderation, the Middle Way that avoids extremes, in all things. Fasting is an additional method that one can take up, with supervision, for a time.
Like the waves in great rivers, there is no turning back of that which has previously been done…The soul is bound with the fetters made of the fruit of good and evil.
It is inevitable that a tragedy should arouse sorrowful feelings. Still, out of that sorrow itself comes a feeling of triumph – the victory of the human will over the most adverse circumstances. And thus out of sorrow and defeat come joy and victory.
The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically…Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.
