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.
Christ was crucified once, but his teachings suffer crucifixion every day at the hands of men of limited vision. Christ’s teachings cannot be understood just by reading the Bible…but by living and trying out in everyday life the principles taught in the book.
Mankind is a great, immense family… This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas.
You may control a mad elephant; You may shut the mouth of the bear and the tiger; Ride the lion and play with the cobra; By alchemy you may earn your livelihood; You may wander through the universe incognito; Make vassals of the gods; be ever youthful; You may walk on water and live in fire; But control of the mind is better and more difficult.
A fasting person is in a state of worship even if asleep in bed. Every breath he takes while asleep is ‘tasbih’, and his sleep itself is worship.
Many teachers will tell you to believe; then they put out your eyes of reason and instruct you to follow only their logic. But I want you to keep your eyes of reason open; in addition, I will open in you another eye, the eye of wisdom.
God provideth every one with his daily food; why, O man, art thou immersed planning; He putteth their food even before the insects which He created in rocks and stones.
Hanuman is the breath of Rama, the breath of God. God is not far away from us but as close as our breath. Symbolically Hanuman represents the breath, our constant companion and aid along the spiritual path.
