Fasting - Sai Baba's advice and Mundaka Upanishad - a perception

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Why Sai Baba did not approve fasting? - Connection with Mundaka Upanishad - a

few perceptions

 

Sai Ram. When I read the note from Mundaka Upanishad given below, a few

perceptions came by the grace of Guru, and the same are being shared.

 

" Two birds living together, each the friend of the other, perch upon the same

tree. Of these two, one eats the sweet fruits of the tree, but the other simply

looks on without eating. " --Mundaka Upanishad

 

Sai Ram. The one which eats the fruits (sweet and or bitter) is Indra and the

one which does not eat but sits watching is Upendra (Vishnu). We can also think

of them as Jeevatma and Paramatma. The ego 'enjoys' the fruits of karma because

of the sense of doership, and the Self, Paramatma, God... is unaffected by Karma

but remains a witness. A jnani also remains unaffected by the impact of the

sensory inputs and remains one with the Supreme Self.

 

Sai Baba of Shirdi never fasted and did not approve His devotees fasting. Why

was Sai Baba against fasting? What is the connection with the saying from

Mundaka Upanishad? Let us see.

 

There is a beautiful story in Sri Sai Satcharitra, Chapter 18 & 19, that I am

sharing below.

 

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Mrs. Radhabai Deshmukh

 

There was an old woman by name Radhabai, She was the mother of one Khashaba

Deshmukh. Hearing Baba's fame, she came to Shirdi with the people of Sangamner.

She took Baba's darshan and was much satisfied. She loved Baba intimately and

resolved in her mind, that She should accept Baba as her Guru, and take some

Upadesh from Him. She knew nothing else. She determined to fast herself unto

death, so long as Baba did not accept her, and give her any Upadesh or Mantra.

She stayed in her lodging and left off taking any food or water for three days.

I (Shama) was frightened by this ordeal of the old woman, and interceded with

Baba on her behalf. I said, " Deva, what is this You have started? You drag so

many persons here. You know that old lady. She is very obstinate and depends on

You entirely, She has resolved to fast unto death, if You don't accept and

instruct her. If any thing worse happens, people will blame You, and say that

Baba did not instruct her, and consequently she met her death. So take some

mercy on her, bless her and instruct her. " On seeing her determination, Baba

sent for her, changed the turn of her mind by addressing her as follows:-

 

" Oh mother, why are you subjecting yourself to unnecessary tortures and

hastening your death? You are really My Mother and I am your child. Take pity on

Me and hear Me through. I tell you My own story, which if you listen carefully,

will do you good. I had a Guru. He was a great Saint and most merciful. I served

him long, very long; still he would not blow any Mantra into My ears. I had a

keen desire, never to leave him but to stay with and serve him; and at all costs

receive some instructions from him. But he had his own way. He first got my head

shaved and asked Me two pice as Dakshina. I gave the same at once. If you say

that as My Guru was perfect, why should he ask for money and how should he be

called desireless? I replied plainly that he never cared for coins. What had he

to do with them? His two pice were (1) Firm Faith and (2) Patience or

perseverance. I gave these two pice or things to him, and he was pleased.

 

" I resorted to My Guru for 12 years. He brought Me up. There was no dearth of

food and clothing. He was full of love nay, he was love incarnate. How can I

describe it? He loved Me most. Rare is a Guru like him. When I looked at him, he

seemed as if he was in deep meditation, and then we both were filled with Bliss.

Night and day, I gazed at him with no thought of hunger and thirst. Without him,

I felt restless. I had no other object to meditate, nor any other thing than My

Guru to attend. He was My sole refuge. My mind was always fixed on him. This is

one pice Dakshina. Saburi (Patience or perseverance) is the other pice. I waited

patiently and very long on My Guru and served him. This Saburi will ferry you

across the sea of this mundane existence. Saburi is manliness in man, it removes

all sins and afflictions, gets rid of calamities in various ways, and casts

aside all fear, and ultimately gives you success. Saburi is the mine of virtues,

consort of good thought. Nishtha (Faith) and Saburi (Patience) are like twin

sisters, loving each other very intimately. "

 

" My Guru never expected any other thing from Me. He never neglected Me, but

protected Me at all times. I lived with him, and was sometimes away from him;

still I never felt the want or absence of his love. He always protected Me by

his glance, just as the tortoise feeds her young ones, whether they are near her

or away from her on the other side of the river bank, by her loving looks. Oh

mother, My Guru never taught Me any Mantra, then how shall I blow any Mantra in

your ears? Just remember that Guru's tortoise-like loving glance gives us

happiness. Do not try to get Mantra or Upadesh from anybody. Make Me the sole

object of your thoughts and actions; and you will, no doubt, attain Paramartha

(the spiritual goal of life). Look at Me whole-heartedly, and I in turn look at

you similarly. Sitting in this Masjid, I speak the truth, nothing but the truth.

No Sadhanas, nor proficiency in the six Shastras, are necessary. Have faith and

confidence in your Guru. Believe fully, that Guru is the sole Actor or Doer.

Blessed is he who knows the greatness of his Guru and thinks him to be Hari,

Hara and Brahma (Trimurti) Incarnate. "

 

Instructed in this way, the old lady was convinced; she bowed to Baba and gave

up her fast.

 

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Fasting in English means abstaining from food, where as Upavas in Sanskrit has

that plus a more significant meaning - being near (upa means near in addition to

being lesser, minor etc.). In upavas, the mind is near God and thus forgets or

does not need to eat. Please see the very significant words of Baba above: Night

and day, I gazed at him with no thought of hunger and thirst.

 

So, when the mind is absorbed in samadhi, contemplation, there is no need for

food and water. Ramana Maharshi used to be in Samadhi for days together and had

to be fed some gruel or buttermilk by others. But for normal people, moderation

in food is needed and mind should not be made to think of food by abstaining /

forced fasting!

 

Just physical fasting (abstaining from food while thinking all the time about

it) may at the most be a cleansing technique (detox) and useful to give rest to

the overworked organs of digestions, especially from the fast / junk food!

 

In spirituality, long term fasting / suppression has no use. Sai Baba was

against fasting for that reason only. There is another inspiring story in Sri

Sai Satcharitra about Baba making another lady give up her fasting! (Ladies are

especially fond of fasting it looks!)

 

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Chapter XXXII

In Quest of Guru and God - Fasting Disapproved.

 

 

Fasting and Mrs. Ghokhale

 

Baba never fasted Himself, nor did He allow others to do so. The mind of the

faster is never at ease, then how could he attain his Paramartha (goal of life)?

God is not attained on an empty stomach; first the soul (Indra, Jeevatma, ego,

body) has to be appeased. If there is no moisture of food in the stomach and

nutrition, with what eyes should we see God, with what tongue should we describe

His greatness and with what ears should we hear the same? In short, when all our

organs get their proper nutrition and are sound, we can practice devotion and

other sadhanas to attain God. Therefore, neither fasting nor overeating is good.

Moderation in diet is really wholesome both to the body and mind.

 

One Mrs. Ghokhale came to Shirdi with an introductory letter from Mrs. Kashibai

Kanitkar (a devotee of Baba) to Dada Kelkar. She came to Baba with a

determination to sit at Baba's Feet observing a three days fast. The day

previous, Baba said to Dada Kelkar, that He would not allow his children to

starve during the Shimga, i.e., Holi holidays, and that if they had to starve,

why was He there? Next day when the woman went with Dada Kelkar and sat at

Baba's Feet, Baba at once said to her, " Where is the necessity of fasting? Go to

Dadabhat's house, prepare the dish of Puran Polis (wheat rotis with gram-flour

and jaggery), feed his children and yourself too. " Shimga holidays were on. Mrs.

Kelkar was then in her menses and there was nobody to cook in Dadabhat's house.

So Baba's advice was very timely. Then Mrs. Ghokhale had to go to Dadabhat's

house and prepare the dish as directed. She cooked that day, fed others and

herself. What a good story and how beautiful its import!

 

--

 

Lord Sri Krishna also suggests moderation about food, sleep etc., in His Gita.

Lord Buddha also recommends the Golden Mean path.

 

Similarly, abstaining from senses forcibly may be beneficial in the short run

but does not help in the long run for spiritual seekers. Mindful awareness and

contemplation of the thoughts arising is recommended.

 

As the ego gets refined, and the energy flow through the body improves, the

seeker may find that he / she needs less and less food or the type of food that

the body accepts keeps changing. The best thing is to listen to the body and

give it just enough of what it needs.

 

Thanks to all of you for the satsang. Sai Ram.