Fasting vs. feasting

What is it about?

Fasting is one of the most universal patterns of religious behaviour. From prehistoric shamans to the mystics of our own time, the sensory deprivation provided by a fast has been used to fuel mystical experiences. The most extreme form of this is fasting to the point of death, exploited as a religious exercise in the Jain religion and more recently as political blackmail. But fasting has its counterpart, and we call it feasting. Where fasting has been the technique of choice of the solitary mystic, and more occasionally codified into rituals for the masses, feasting has been far more universally adopted. Religion is part of this social context. There is some indication that religion may act as a contributing factor to eating disorders, although the evidence is hardly overwhelming, and at times contradictory. It is rather more obvious that westernisation is a powerful factor. Religion, or at least aspects of religion, has also been used as a tool for recovery.

Featured Image

Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash

Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This article explores the dichotomy of fasting vs. feasting from the point of view of Buddhist philosophy, in an attempt to provide religious professionals (Buddhist or otherwise) with a conceptual toolkit to address the issues that may arise.