What’s the Importance of Fasting on Appearance and Disappearance Days? Radhanath Swami Enlightens…
Insights — By RNS Online on October 25, 2010 at 5:40 am
Question to Radhanath Swami: It is recommended that we fast on the birthdays (usually called the appearance days) of great acharyas or spiritual preceptors. Similarly, it is recommended that we fast on the anniversaries of their departure from this world (disappearance day.) What is the importance of this fasting?
Radhanath Swami: Ultimately, it’s to show our love and appreciation for what that great acharya or spiritual preceptor has done for the world. Performing tapasya or austerity is a way of showing love on the path of bhakti. Essentially, everything in bhakti, every single thing that we do according to rules and regulations, is to express our love and our desire to serve. And the best way to show our love is to engage in a process by which our heart is purified, so that we could actually develop true love. Fasting helps us to control our mind and senses. And controlling the mind and senses is a part of the process of purifying our heart by which love of God can be awakened. But why we want that love? Because the more love we have for God and his devotees, the more we can serve them in everything we do. In our Gaudiya Vaishnav tradition, we don’t want to love Lord Krishna simply so that we can be in ecstasy. We want to love Lord Krishna so that whatever we do, say or think will give ecstasy to Lord Krishna.
We fast so that our physical and mental energies could be concentrated on hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord and engaged in the service of the Lord. These activities please the great acharyas or spiritual preceptor whose appearance or disappearance day we are celebrating. If we are trying to follow the rules and regulations carefully in their service and for their pleasure, then they will be truly pleased.
Sometimes we have seen people engaged in very severe types of fasting. And what happens is, their bellies shrink, but their ego becomes very stout and fat. That is not good. All of our regulative principles in Bhakti Yoga are to simply give pleasure to Lord Krishna. And what gives pleasure to Lord Krishna the most? All of our austerities should be actually helping us to become more humble, more self-controlled and more dedicated to give pleasure to Krishna and guru through our service.
So the great acharyas, they who are expert at knowing what purifies the heart, they have given us these regulations to fast on particular days. However, if it is not done with the right spirit, we will not get the maximum effect.
Tags: acharya, austery, control mind, fasting, god, love, radhanath swami, self control, senses
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56 Comments
Radhanath Swami transforms fasting from ritual to spiritual….
Thanks a lot for sharing.
Thank You Radhanath Swami Maharaj for explaining the right spirit behind the appearant ritual to make it spiritual and progress.
Radhanath Swami is the perfect spiritual guide. He explains the need for all the rules and regulations, and simulatneously warns us against the pitfalls of adhering to them too much.
Very nice question & wonderful answer given by Radhanath Swami Maharaj.
Fasting is a tradition of Vedic culture and civilization. Even children enjoy undertaking fasts with their parents, and benefit.
Radhanath Swami Maharaj is emphasizing humility in all our actions!
Thank you Maharaj for showing us the importance fasting on Appearance and disappearance day of great acharyas .
A deep and profound understanding of this purifying process is given to us by Radhanath Swami
Thanks Radhanath Swami for clearing my doubt. I always had this question.
Thank you Radhanath Swami for a beautiful answer – all my doubts are clear.
Such a complete understanding of what should be done while fasting by Radhanath Swami.
Radhanath Swami so wonderfully explains fasting as an expression of love.
Real essence of fasting very expertly explained by Radhanath swami maharaj.
So nice to have answers to all questions. Both philosophical and practical. Radhanath Swami is a great teacher.
Thanks for this article. This clearly explains what is the right purpose and attitude behind fasting
Amazing reminder from Maharajah to his students
we don’t want to love Lord Krishna simply so that we can be in ecstasy. We want to love Lord Krishna so that whatever we do, say or think will give ecstasy to Lord Krishna.
Like Radhanath Swami says, austerities perfomed in a humble mood will help us in purifying our consciousness so that we can truly relish the love for God.
Material world is a perverted reflection of Spiritual world.In material world love is expressed by feasting in hotels and restaurants, while in spirituality love is expressed by fasting.
Nice answer by Radhanath Swami. If we simply follow the acaryas and please them then we are sure to progress in Bhakti.
thank you very much for sharing
Radhanath Swami has given so clear answer that all the doubts are gone now.
The main purpose behind fasting is to please our acaryas, and by their blessings, we are sure to progress in our spiritual lives. Thank you Radhanath Swami for pointing this out.
Radhanath Swami has given such an amazing and motivating understanding of something thats so difficult to practise.
Simply wonderful…Maharaj explains it so beautifully when he says “we don’t want to love Lord Krishna simply so that we can be in ecstasy. We want to love Lord Krishna so that whatever we do, say or think will give ecstasy to Lord Krishna”….Hari Bol!
Maharaj has nicely explained why we fast on appearance and disappearance days.
Radhanath Swami Maharaj is showing how consciousness is higher than actions!
Sense control is very joyful in service to God.
Thanks for a detailed & scientific explaination of fasting…….
Radhanath Swami makes a pertinent point that to show love takes loads of austerity-I more than agree with this
What a deep explanation ! Radhanath Swami always strikes a balance and warns us on taking extremes
Anyways we fast, better to get the maximum benefit!
We fast so that our physical and mental energies could be concentrated on hearing and chanting the glories of the Lord and engaged in the service of the Lord.Maharaj has nicely explained the purpose of fasting on certain days. Thank you Mahraj.
thank you for wonderful answer
elaborate explanation of fasting by Radhanath Swami Maharaj.
Thank you Maharaj for explaining about importance of fasting so clearly.
thank you very much for the answer
Thanks to Radhanath swami for this very wonderful answer
Now I understood the philosophy behind fasting on appearance and disappearance days of Acharyas
Very lucid and clear explanantion on the importance of fasting on certain days.
Radhanath Swami logically and step by step explains how fasting is a perfect spiritual practice and not a mundane ritual.
If we are fasting with incorrect aspirations, we may end-up feeding our ego tremendously. So, we have to be careful not to turn these days of austerities for our physical body into days of celebrations, feasting, and festivals for our false ego.
Thank you Maharaj for such a nice article.
All Glories to Maharaja!
Thanks Maharaj for such an detailed explanation
It’s really practical, Thank you so much Maharaj.
His Holiness Radhanath Maharaj has provided an inspirational message for the reason to fast.
Nice reply !
Maharaj nicely explained the importance of fasting in step by step with more elaborative.
Thank you so much Maharaj for being enlightened.
Thanks for sharing wonderful nectar.
Thank you maharaj for clarifying the concept of fasting on special days like appearance of great acaryas. Your explanation strikes a perfect balance between the two extremes of:
(1) Not following any rules and regulations or acting whimsically
2) Following rules only for the sake of following without understanding the essence which is to become humble and give pleasure to guru and krishna.
Very nicely answered by Radhanath Swami – external practise to be done and the inner mood with which it has to be done…
Maharaj herein has revealed the very essence and has extracted the mood and attitude in which one has to fast
It is an eye-opener. Many times we fast & feel proud about it. But it is meant for the pleasure of the Lord.
Thank you Radhanath swami for explaining us what ever we do in bhakti yoga should be done with right spirit.
After you read all the answers Maharaj has provided, you are really left with no questions. Somehow when you read Maharaj’s words, it feels so satisfying. We can actually feel Maharaj’s presence through his words. I feel very humbled by reading anything spoken by this great guru.
amezing,If we are trying to follow the rules and regulations carefully in their service and for their pleasure, then they will be truly pleased.
Thank you Radhanath Swami Maharaj for giving us this method to please our previous acharyas and also purify ourselves.