Abstinence

You may remember about the Lent abstinence I had written in the blog on 'Carbon Foot Print'. Just to recall,

Two Church of England bishops called for Britons to cut back on carbon, rather than alcohol, for the period of Lent.

After reading this, I was wondering about abstinence and especially, when it gets linked to food items. Our political parties have perfected the art of 'Fasting' as a protest - Gandhi will cry to see our politicians conducting 'relay fasting' ! Mockery of the concept of satyagraha Gandhi practised ! Gandhi wanted to punish himself by fasting continuously for days. But, our politicians fast between 9 AM to 1 PM, then a lunch break, then they fast between 2 PM to 4.30 PM, then a tea break; then someone else takes over to fast from 5 PM to 8 PM, rush home for a sumptuous dinner before retiring for a good night's sleep.

I have heard about the practice of Hindus not eating on certain days; the sabaribala swami not eating non-veg during those 40 days; our muslim friends not eating during the day time in Ramzan season etc. Wanted to learn a bit more about this Lent abstinence. Here is what I read about Lent in the internet.

"Fasting during Lent was more severe in ancient times than today. In some places, all animal products were strictly forbidden, while some will permit fish, some others permit fish and fowl; others prohibit fruit and eggs, and still others eat only bread."

I wonder, how do they decide which one to prohibit ? The most popular ones ? Tastiest ? Healthiest ?

"In some places, believers abstained from food for an entire day; others took only one meal each day, while others abstained from all food until 3 o'clock. In most places, however, the practice was to abstain from eating until the evening, when a small meal without meat or alcohol was eaten.

Today, in the West, the practice is considerably relaxed. On days of fasting, one eats only one full meal, but may eat two smaller meals as necessary to keep up one's strength. The two small meals together must sum to less than the one full meal."

Interesting ! There is prescription not only for the kind of food, but also how much you can eat ! But, how do they measure this ?

"Many modern Protestants consider the observation of Lent to be a choice, rather than an obligation. They may decide to give up a favorite food or drink (e.g. chocolate, alcohol) or activity (e.g. going to the movies, playing video games) for Lent, or they may instead decide to take on a Lenten discipline such as devotions, volunteering for charity work, and so forth."

For people whose devotion to food is as much as that to God, there is a loophole in the rules, of course. A bit similar to our 'special darshan' in many Indian temples, where you can see the God faster - jumping the queue - and for longer (you are allowed one second more than the other normal 1.5 seconds).

"However, dispensations for dairy products were given, frequently for a donation, from which several churches are popularly believed to have been built, including the "Butter Tower" of the Rouen Cathedral. In Spain, the bull of the Holy Crusade allowed the consumption of dairy products and eggs during Lent in exchange for a contribution to the war against Islam."

There is a cusom in Hindu religion. People are required to visit Kaasi (Varanasi) in North India at least once in their life time. When they visit, they are required to take a vow that they will stop eating one vegetable, one fruit and stop using one flower. I know, what will be my choice, if ever I get to go to Kaasi. It is going to be Brinjal (I don't eat it anyway), Straw Berry (we don't get it in Gudalur at all) and I will stop wearing Jasmine in my hair ! (or, should it be rose ? Anyway, there is time to solve this dilemma. I can decide that while traveling to Kasi in the train.)

You too think ahead and plan for things that you would like to abstain from. (I should not have added the words 'like to' in the last sentence on abstinence, I think).

But, if we take the spirit of abstinence seriously - leaving out the popular association with sex alone, what are all the dear things that we should consider abstaining from.

As a cartoon said, should we 'Leave Google during Lent' ? Checking Emails or reading newspapers ? Listening to Music or going for the relaxed walk in the evening ? Enjoying the morning mist or laughing aloud for a silly joke ? With changing times, if the religious institutions come out with such stipulations, what shall we do ? I will tell you what.

Let us contribute to the Iraq war and abstain from any such abstinence !

Turned out to be a rather long, sacrilegious blog !