Fasting is not a hunger strike

T S Ananthu

Recent reports covering Sonam Wangchuk’s fast have referred to it as a ‘hunger strike’. There is a world of difference between the two. MK Gandhi explained that fasting is very different from a ‘hunger strike’, which has a coercive element. A hunger strike is similar to a labour union’s strike – the idea is to force the management to accept its demands. So, the management is treated as an adversary. In fasting, there is no adversary, for there is no ‘other’.

Indian word for fasting is upvas , up in this context means in the upper portion, and vas means residence. Hence, the real meaning of fasting must be understood in relation to the two portions into which our body can be divided – the lower and the upper. Everything below the eyes is lower, and everything above is upper. Our minds can choose to reside in either. Normally, they are in the lower, hence we identify with the physical body. When we do so, there is always a separation of ‘me’ from ‘you’.

Through fasting, the objective is to minimise, if not remove, the feeling of separation. The Buddha had put it eloquently, “Among men of hate, let us learn to live with love”. To do so, we try to keep our attention on the forehead – above the eyes. That is upvas. It helps us remove our separation from others because our forehead is the seat of consciousness.

Scientist Erwin Schrodinger put it this way: “Consciousness is a singular of which the plural is unknown…there is only one thing and that, what seems to be plurality, is merely a series of different aspects of this one thing, produced by a deception (the Indian MAYA).”

Real fasting is a means of connecting oneself with the deeper reality of One-ness. At that level, whatever ‘vibrations’ one puts into the ‘field’ around impacts all others, irrespective of how far away they are separated in space and time. As British astrophysicist and mathematician Arthur Eddington said: “When an electron vibrates, the entire universe shakes.”

MK Gandhi explained that the more one has real ‘swaraj’, the more one’s vibrations impact that invisible ‘field’ (consciousness) through which we are all connected. The real swaraj is mastery over yourself. Therefore, when Gandhi was fasting, he was expanding his consciousness to encompass all, including the British.

To understand what fasting truly means, we need to take into account that neither the body nor mind is our reality, but consciousness is. We do not realise the truth of Aham Brahmasmi only because we identify ourselves with the body/mind rather than with consciousness. It may be difficult for us to overcome this limitation. But what we can do is – listen to our conscience, which represents our consciousness. As it grows, it metamorphoses into what Gandhi called ‘inner voice’. All his fasts were prompted by this ‘inner voice’.

Consciousness represents life, which is the only Truth. At our level, it manifests as a conscience. Right now, perhaps Sonam’s conscience is not permitting him to end his fast.

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