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.
Thoughts are the medium through which the ego, the limited self, appears and paves the way for all our likes and dislikes, pleasure and pain.
Mantra-exercise annuls the negative, the selfish, the sinful elements in us, and creates peace, bliss, well-being and success.
A human being has so many skins inside, covering the depths of the heart. We know so many things, but we don’t know ourselves!
Human beings protect the purity of manmade temples. Similarly, looking after the sanctity of this human body, a temple created by God, should become a spiritual endeavour that is of utmost importance.
The greatest freedom is to be obedient and faithful to God. As we yield ourselves to God’s love and mercy, we are liberated from the suffering of sins. No longer are we dominated by unreasonable fears, compulsions and addictions. We live in peace and unity with all people. Despair and rage pass away.
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.
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.
