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The prime consideration in
undertaking fast, as in any act of devotion, is
to seek NEARNESS TO GOD and beseech HIS PLEASURE
and FORGIVENESS. This itself generates a spirit
of piety in man.
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The wilful creation of the
stringent conditions of hunger and thirst for
one’s own self, simply in obedience to the
Divine Order, measures the FAITH of man in God
and helps to strengthen it by putting it to a
severe test.
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Fasting enhances through
creation of artificial non-availability, the
value of the bounties of God, which man is apt
to take for granted in the midst of plentiful
availability, and thus inculcates in man a
spirit of GRATITUDE and consequent DEVOTION to
GOD. Nothing else can bring home to man the
worth of God’s bounties than a glass of water
and a square meal after a daylong fast. This
also reminds man that the real joy in enjoying
God’s bounties lies in MODERATION and RESTRAINT
and not in OVER INDULGENCE.
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Fasting makes us deeply
conscious of the pangs of hunger and discomfort
suffered by the less fortunate among our
brethren, who may have to put up with such
stringent conditions all through their lives
it thus enkindles in man a spirit of SACRIFICE
leading to CHARITY towards his suffering
brethren.
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Fasting affords man an unfailing
training in ENDURANCE i.e. a SPIRIT OF.
ACCEPTANCE of the inevitable, which could well
prepare him to put up with the unchangeable
situations in life in the same spirit of
RESIGNATION as cultivated during the fasts.
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Fasting develops COURAGE,
FORTITUDE and a FIGHTING SPIRIT IN man to
surmount the heavy odds in life with a cool and
tranquil mind. It sharpens his, power of
CONCENTRATION to overcome obstacles, through a
vigorous exercise all through the month, leading
to a steeling of his WILL POWER and RESOLVE,
which could help him in trying situations in
actual life. It is seen that many an undesirable
habit which is found hard to leave, is more
easily left off during the days of fasting.
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Fasting teaches man RELIANCE on
God and CONFIDENCE in HIM in facing the bitter
situations in life with the comforting thought
that these too, ordained by Him, could well be
surmounted through His assistance alone, even as
the rigorous state of fasting for a complete
month. For, fasting develops the quality of
PATIENCE in man, with the realisation that, as
the days of fasting, though seeming unending do
have a successful and, so are all the bitter
situations in life. It therefore infuses a
spirit of GOOD CHEER, (driving away BITTERNESS
and DESPAIR) in his attitude towards life and in
his demeanour towards others.
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Through quick alternation of the
state of plenty and of scarcity, fasting seeks
to inculcate in man the right type of attitude
in different situations in life of GRATITUDE
and THANKSGIVING in plenty and of PATIENCE and
FORBEARANCE in difficulty.
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Fasting is meant to CONQUER
ANGER, not to augment it, and to develop
SELFCONTROL in man; for the vigorous effort of
wilfully putting up with a continued state of
hunger and thirst can well be extended to
conquer other infirmities of human character
that lead man into error and sin.
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Fasting inculcates a spirit of
TOLERANCE in man to face unpleasant conditions
and situations without making his fellow-being
the victim of his wrath on account of his
adverse conditions, such as deprivation of his
basic needs of life, which constitutes the
common cause of dissension among men.
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Fasting MELLOWS a man and
enhances his character, giving jolt to the human
instincts of ‘PRIDE, HAUGHTINESS, ENVY and
AMBITION, for when fasting, a man’s energies are
too sapped to follow these instincts which are
the chief causes of discord and conflict among
men.
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Fasting exposes the weakness of
man in the event of his being deprived of but
two of the bounties of God those of food and
drink; it thus infuses in him a spirit of
MEEKNESS and SUBMISSION, generating HUMILITY and
PRAYER in an otherwise arrogant man.
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Fasting breathes the spirit of
FORGIVENESS in man towards his subordinates, as
he himself seeks God’s FORGIVENESS through fasts
and prayers.
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Fasting affords lessons in
PUNCTUALITY through man’s strict adherence to
various timeschedules in the observance of
fasts and offering of prayers.
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Fasting can be made to effect
ECONOMY in an individual’s life, which can be
extended to wider spheres.
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Fasting enforces in man rigid
DISCIPLINE mental, spiritual and physical a
trait of character which forms an essential
ingredient to success in human life.
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Fasting provides LEISURE, that
could he gainfully employed in devotional or
intellectual pursuits. The monthlong duration
of fasts creates a proper climate for the
SPIRITUAL REFORMATION in man, infusing in him a
spirit pf enthusiasm and zest to turn over a new
leaf an opportunity provided every year.
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On the physical side, fasting
cleanses the human system of the accumulated
impurities of uninterrupted eating throughout
the year. It prepares the body for toughness and
hardihood to face disease or conditions of
scarcity. The rigid abstinence that the fast
provides, regulates man’s HEALTH, sharpens has
INTELLECT, gives spurt to his SPIRITUALLY and
enhances the qualities of his HEART. With the
cleansing of the human body, it paves the way
for its easy and effective rebuilding through
meals at the end of the day or after the month
is over.
