Fasting

In the purport in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada mentions that Srimati Kuntidevi after the Mahabharata war she prepared herself to return to Goloka dham. She used eat once in every thirty days. This is the way to spiritual life – is to give up eating. My advise that every month we should only drink water for 3 days and no food at all. After that we have fruits for two days. After that we eat boiled or steam foods only without salt. You may use nimbu instead of salt. This is how we purify our body and control our tongue. Once tongue is controlled then your senses become fully controlled. Fasting on water for three days is very easy you won’t die.

I am pleased that many sadhakas have responded to my water fast announcement. I will add that fasting like this has lots of health benefits. Fasting on water detoxifies the body and should not be seen as austerity. I myself fasted on water for 18 days. When fasting pranakriyas and yoga is essential. One could easily fast for 3 days on water while doing hard work. Three days of water fast technically is not even called fasting. Fasting only start after three days.

Please take care of your health now and a healthy body gives you a healthy mind. The easiest way to stay healthy is to eat healthy, meaning mainly fruits and raw foods. One should start with 50 percent raw food daily and gradually increase to 80 percent. Refined sugar, white flour and salt are poisons invented for sense gratification. Eating raw foods and fruits have all the salt and sugar necessary. I am sure many of you are understanding. Diet is also hinted at by Rupa Goswami in the Nectar of Instruction. Ragunatha dasa Goswami lived only on buttermilk. Why was it austerity? Certainly not. Shows that we can just live on buttermilk. My personal diet is fresh fruits in the morning and buttermilk. Lunch little saltless kichidi to keep my body together. I do regular yoga and pranakriyas for one hour daily. Chant Harinama for minimum 6 hours daily and hear Srila Prabhupada for one hour and make notes. Unfortunately I know many of you who work like asses are not able to do this. But at least control your eating and do pranakriyas regularly. Pranakriyas is real food for the body. Without prana you will not live therefore you breathe unconsciously. When we breathe consciously then the Prana is more subtle and beneficial. Hare Krishna.

To give you one example for the power of fasting on water. Once Sri Krishna das Prabhu and Vraja Vishmay Prabhu and Madhavendra das puri prabhu came to Radhakunda. At that time Sri Krishna das was almost crippled and he could not walk properly. I immediately put him on 8 days of water fast and after the fast he could run.