Fasting

[AndyDT]

Does anybody do this as an exercise, religious or otherwise? How long do you fast for? I heard a Taoist follower who advised a 24hr fast in exercising the Tao.

[Dublagent66]

I fasted for 40 days and 40 nights a long time ago.  I'm hungry.

[zerogravityfat]

i don't get the point of it, there is no reason for it.

[eric42434224]

Stop eating?  No fu*king thanks.

[AndyDT]

i don't get the point of it, there is no reason for it.

Self-mastery, control over ego and to focus on the joy of existence outside of sensory pleasure from what I've read/heard.

[Ħ]

i don't get the point of it, there is no reason for it.

Well, there is a reason, but ultimately, the only fruit of fasting is a distracting hollowness in your stomach.

[zerogravityfat]

it's simple thermo, you need fuel, you can go on and on about mind and shit, but at the end, you are just screwing up the system.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

I fast a few times a year. I fast for Yom Kippur and for Pesach. Never more than 24 hours though

[Jamesman42]

I do it every once in a great while. Sometimes for the health benefits (give those organs a break), and sometimes for spiritual reasons.

[Chino]

I fast before I get cat scans, and the day before the Big E. That's about it.

[yeshaberto]

my wife and daughter do it quite often to help them focus on critical prayer requests.  they usually go between 24-48 hours.

[Adami]

In august I went a week without eating anything. Then in sep I went 5 days.

I plan on doing that again during my winter break.

[AndyDT]

Did you get any benefit from it?

[Adami]

Did you get any benefit from it?

It was an amazing experience. The first three or so days were very tough, but after that I stopped being hungry. I felt a new sense of energy, actually it was a deeper sense of hunger. I wasn't hungry for food anymore, but it re-awakened my desires for a multitude of other things.

It was an amazing experience and I hope to do it again. But right now, I need to focus on school and fasting means you probably shouldn't have a bunch of other things you need to be focusing on.

[Fuzzboy]

^ Sounds really really cool and I want to give it a shot, but I have a feeling my parents would think I'm trying to actually kill myself in an elaborate manner.


Also, I read the thread title as "Fisting" and hurr hurr'd

[Birch Boy]

I fast before I get cat scans, and the day before the Big E. That's about it.

Big E? My first thought was ecstasy...

[lonestar]

Got a kinda funny story about fasting.  We had a floor manager a while back who was muslim.  During ramadan(sp?) he couldn't have anything touch his lips from sunup to sundown.  So at sundown, around eight at night and during the peak of the dinner rush, he would disappear to smoke and eat.  For thirty minutes, everybody is bitching,"Where the fuck is Mo?"


Also, my boss asked if his wife was muslim too, he said yes, and my boss said,"guess I'll have to wait till sundown for my daily hummer then."

[ack44]

Has anybody here fasted by inspiration from Buddhism?

[Adami]

Has anybody here fasted by inspiration from Buddhism?

No, but I was a vegan for three years because of that.

[Rina]

Lol, I love your stories Lonestar. 

That's interesting. I honestly enjoy food too much to go longer than a few days without, plus I'm too cranky when I'm hungry. It's also not good for your system (although that's in general, because sometimes there can be benefits to fasting)..

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

i don't get the point of it, there is no reason for it.

[Adami]

My grandfather knew a guy who fasted till his cancer went away.

I'd say that's a good reasons.

[Progmetty]

I fast sun rise to sun set in Ramadan as usual.
Although I've been sloppy since I got married and got introduced to the concept of nooners, sex breaks the fasting.

[In The Name Of Rudess]

Has anybody here fasted by inspiration from Buddhism?

Buddhism is generally against fasting. Buddhism is a practice of moderation in all things (the Middle Way). Fasting can quickly become an ascetic practice. Buddha's experience with fasting taught him that it wouldn't lead to enlightenment.

It is true that fasting is occasionally used in Buddhism, but only under tight supervision of a Zen master. Even then fasting in Buddhism never takes more than several days. Fasting allows coarse thoughts to diminish, but strength also diminishes, so there is a trade-off between mental clarity and reduced ability to meditate as long.

There are exceptions to this rule. For example, there are high-level Dzogchen practices (undertaken only under the guidance of a qualified lama) in which an herbal supplement called Chulen is used in a way that gradually allows the practitioner to subsist without eating regular food. Some Mahayana monks also fast for longer periods of time (but most don't).

One more point: It is not necessary to be a vegetarian as a Buddhist. Buddha himself wasn't vegetarian and he didn't prohibit meat-eating for his lay-followers.

Self-mastery, control over ego and to focus on the joy of existence outside of sensory pleasure from what I've read/heard.

Fasting isn't necessary for this, especially not for laypeople. If you want to fast with spiritual purposes in mind the only way is with constant supervision of a qualified individual.

My grandfather knew a guy who fasted till his cancer went away.

I'd say that's a good reasons.

That seems extremely far-fetched. Unless you were joking and my sarcasm detector failed.

[Adami]

I don't agree that supervision is needed.


And I wasn't being sarcastic. Despite how far fetched you want it to be.

[In The Name Of Rudess]

I don't agree that supervision is needed.

For Buddhist fasting it is certainly needed. Buddhist fasting is much more than just not eating. There are many steps involved. The line between asceticism and purity of mind is very thin. It could be done without supervision, but the benefits wouldn't be nearly as great (if there were any).

And I wasn't being sarcastic. Despite how far fetched you want it to be.

I've heard that fasting can improve the effects of chemo therapy because tumor cells rely on glycolysis and fasting reduces the available glucose. So I believe it can help, but in order for the entire tumor to disappear there shouldn't be any glucose left. If that were the case then the individual would be dead. That's why I think it's far-fetched.

[Adami]

It's all second hand, so call it BS if that makes you feel better.


Also, restricting buddhism to specific rituals kind of misses the point. But whatever works for you buddy. My fast was only a week, but I had no supervision and I got A LOT out of it.

[ack44]

I'd try fasting but I don't care to get any thinner than I am and I wouldn't have a clear purpose other than "enlightenment come to me!"

[AndyDT]

I think if I want to exercise heavily then fasting isn't a good idea so I'm interested in doing it for 24 hours now and then. I don't see how supervision would assist a long fast? 5 days is incredible, I can believe how it would change your focus.

[hefdaddy42]

I've known people who fast every once in a while, but I've never seen the point.

[kirbywelch92]

I don't believe that fasting is necessarily limited to food, while it may be as far as definitions are concerned.

[Rina]

For me I can't see it helping in a meditative way, more like a "I'd like to lose a few pounds and reduce my intake" kind've thing.

@ Adami: That's great if it helped. I'm not sure if it'd get rid of the whole cancer issue, but I'm pretty sure that it can help it. 

[AndyDT]

Managed to fast from Sunday to Monday, just less than 24 hours. I found the hunger quite easy to manage although felt lethargic in the afternoon. I see how supervision/guidance might help. I had to repress the thought (definitely ego) that I was doing it for attention.

[Perpetual Change]

So, when you fast, do you eat nothing? Or do you allow yourself some snacks, beverages, ect.?

[AndyDT]

I ate nothing but had drinks, without milk. Some people only have water.