In a book called "The Hidden Words"* Baha'u'llah tells his followers to "Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to give account for thy deeds."

After a while most Baha'is, rather than finding fasting a chore, look forward to it as a time of renewal. My sister who is into natural healing used to fast with me even before she became a Baha'i because she knew how good it was from a purely physical standpoint to give the body a rest and cleanse the system. How much more beneficial, then, to ones soul. Shoghi Effendi (Great grandson of Baha'u'llah and authorised interpreter of His teachings explains:-

My advice, therefore, to Bodhi would be:-

a. dont be consumed by guilt but rather see it as an inner prompting to return to the path

A BUDDHIST'S COMMENTARY
DHARMA THE CAT: EPISODE 5 - "GUILT"
by Peter Masefield, Pali scholar
[view the cartoon]

The rule that a monk should eat only after sunrise and before noon is one subscribed to solely by monks belonging to the Theravada; Mahayana monks, almost without exception, eat also in the afternoon and/or evening. More strictly, the Theravada rule states that the daily meal has to be commenced before noon--if for some reason the meal becomes interrupted, it may be resumed beyond noon, but in no case can it be commenced once noon has passed.

If successful, he would then take his bowl, together with its contents, back into the jungle and there consume the meal, bearing in mind as he did so that he was eating only in order to sustain his body until enlightenment was reached. It was also normal for all the various items in the bowl--whether sweet or savoury--to be mixed up into an unpalatable mass, so as to prevent any attachment to food.

Thereafter, he would take his noon-day rest--which is a good thing to do in the daytime heat of the Indian Subcontinent--and then, later in the evening, resume his meditation until the following dawn.

Given such a schedule, there was little opportunity for a meal later in the day; whilst, on a more practical note, a full stomach in the evening was, in any case, to be avoided, since it would cause drowsiness, and thus hinder the coming nighttime meditation.

It also follows from the practice of a random almsround that a monk should eat only what has been offered by someone else. To this end, there are monastic rules against the storage of food, and self-administration of same; and although these days laypeople may donate food, which is subsequently stored in the monastery fridge, it is, strictly speaking, an offence for a monk to serve himself (as Bodhi is presently doing). Rather, he should wait until some layman--usually a lay attendant--can serve him with same, or else, despite the fact that a well-stocked fridge is at hand, simply go hungry.

The strictness with which monks these days observe such rules is often a matter of individual conscience. In addition, certain facilities available to us in the present day were not available in the 5th century BC. We have already mentioned fridges--but a much more difficult obstacle is encountered on international air travel.

Let me cite two personal examples:

(1) Long ago, I flew from Sydney to Honolulu. I left at 6.00 pm on Christmas Day, spent twelve hours on the plane, and arrived in Honolulu at 6.00 am on Christmas Day. That meant that I had three Christmases: one in Sydney, one on the flight, and a further one in Hawaii.

(2) Even earlier, I once flew from Delhi to London on a hopping jumbo, which took off from Delhi at 7.00 am. We had breakfast before landing at Karachi. We took off from Karachi at 7.00 am and had breakfast before landing in the Persian Gulf. We took of from the Persian Gulf at 7.00 am and had breakfast before landing at Istanbul. We took off from Istanbul at 7.00 am and had breakfast before landing at Frankfurt, after which we had lunch before landing at London. Four breakfasts and a lunch, and still arriving before noon (London time).

What is a monk to do in such circumstances ? How on earth (or, more to the point, in the air) does he calculate when noon has passed. Such dilemmas are not, of course, covered in the monastic rules, and modern monks try to solve the problem in their own various ways. However, if there is any conflict, the more abstemious monks will probably simply fast for the duration of the flight, just as many monks had to do in the early days when they returned empty-handed from their almsround. -- Peter Masefield

INTERFAITH PERSPECTIVE
DHARMA THE CAT: EPISODE 5 - "GUILT"
by Rev Paul Brindel, Santa Cruz, California
[view the cartoon]

So if the kitchen had closed at noon the issue would never have come up.  See what happens,.... when you put "Hunger" in charge of the pantry; people break their word,  agreements go out the window, bending rules becomes easier with rationalization.

Bohdi eats after noon; Dharma sits quietly, a mute witness.  It comes easily to Bohdi to blame Dharma for the guilt he feels.  Too bad.  Guilt in this case is a small voice reminding Bohdi of his bent integrity.  Telling the truth is a path to freedom.

Many years ago I was responsible for submitting a grant application for emergency shelter funding to the Federal Government; funds that would keep 8 shelters running through the winter housing homeless people through the worst weather of the year.  The deadline for submitting the proposal was set in stone; the proposal must be postmarked by 5PM, the closing of the work day, on the 15th of October or it would not be considered for funding.  The postoffice closed at
5 PM.

Inspite intense work for three weeks I found myself nearing the deadline, unable to get the proposal to the postoffice in time.  There were 8 of us around the table at 4:45 on the 15th of October and we were putting the final pages of the 20 necessary copies together.  The forty page proposal was finished but the pages were in forty individual piles.  We rushed around the table in our meeting room, the 8 of us, putting the copies in order and stapling them and dropping them in a pile to be bound and wrapped and addressed. 

My guilt grew as the minutes passed and I knew we would not complete the job in time to get the large packet to the postoffice.  Thoughts of cold, shivering homeless children, public humiliation and unemployment filled my mind and  I felt panic rise and I began to silently rationalize how I would explain to the community who, other than myself, was to blame for my unnecessary administrative bungling.  

At 4:40 I knew that there was no hope.  And as despair replaced guilt and fear I surrendered to the situation and centered myself using the repetitive process of picking up pages and circling the table as a meditation.   And in that clearer space I was able to tell the volunteers circling the table the truth. 

"We're never going to make it." I said.
Rev. Walter V., one of the volunteers helping with the mailing of the proposal and a director of one of the shelter programs smiled at me and put his hand on my arm and said, "Don't worry.  I'll call the Postmaster and explain that we are going to be late and how important these funds are to the shelter programs."

At 5:20 we delivered the proposals to the postoffice, twenty minutes after they had closed.   We were met at the door by the Postmaster who unlocked the door and took the packet and stamped it posted at 4:59 PM.

He bent the rules in the Spirit of serving Shelterless people. -- Rev Paul Brindel.

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
DHARMA THE CAT: EPISODE 5 - "GUILT"
by Khalid Saifullah, Vice President
Ahmadiyya Muslim Assoc. Australia
[view the cartoon]

In this episode, Bodhi the monk (representing a religious person) is keeping a fast for the purpose of attaining righteousness and purity of soul. According to the precepts of fast, he is not supposed to take food after midday. The midday has elapsed --- though just by a few minutes --- but the monk failing to resist the feeling of hunger starts taking food.

When Dharma the cat (representing Dharm or religion) reminds the monk of the precept, he says that a few minutes don't matter, because it is really the spirit of the precept that matters and not the outward form. Despite being reminded the monk continues to take the food, but simultaneously feels the guilt of his action.

The following issues are generated by the above scenario, on which I would like to comment in the light of Quranic teachings, as expounded by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam and his successors: a) the Practice of fasting in various religions, b) the Purpose of fasting and how it is achieved, c) the Relationship of fasting with physical, moral and spiritual states of man, and d) the Need of retaining both form and spirit of ordinances.

a) THE PRACTICE OF FASTING IN VARIOUS RELIGIONS: The Arabic word for 'Fasting' is 'Saum', which means abstention from something. In Islamic terms, 'Saum' is one of the five pillars of Islam --- the other four being: 1) Kalima (there is none worthy of worship other than Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger), 2) offering five daily prayers, 3) paying Zakat (poor rate), and 4) performing the Pilgrimage of Kabah in Mecca once in life time.

According to Quran, Fasting was prescribed for believers of all religions (in one form or another). It says: " O! ye who believe, fasting is prescribed for you , as it was prescribed for those who were before you, so that you may become righteous." ( 2:184) Fasting is, therefore, as universal an institution as prayer in all religions.

In the Bible, Prophet David's fast is mentioned (2 Samuel 12:22).   Also many other instances of fasting are recorded, such as: Ezra 8:21; Nehemiah 9:1; Esther 4:3; Psalms 69:10; Daniel 6:18; and Zechariah 8:19 etc. Jesus also spoke of fasts. (Matt. 6:16, 17).  The Budha's abstention from food and exercising control over his desires was also a form of fasting. Abstention of Barahman Hindu saints from consuming meat, or anything cooked on hearth might have been another form of fast. The monk's fast as indicated in this episode was, therefore, in accordance with this tradition.

The mention of holy founders of major religions, as Prophets of God, should not surprise anyone, as it is in accordance with teachings of Quran, which declares: "We have sent thee with enduring truth, as a bearer of glad tiding and as a Warner, (and) there is no people to whom a Warner has not been sent." ( 35:25) Quran further declares: "We did raise among every people Messengers." (16:37) We, therefore believe that Allah sent His Messengers to all the peoples in all the ages such as, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, Krishna, the Buddha, Zoroaster, and Confucius, peace be on all. God provided guidance for all the peoples in accordance with the specific needs of their region, and time, and it continued to change as the human society evolved with the passage of time. The food of an infant could not be suitable for the adult, nor the shirt of a five year old could fit on a 25 year old. Moreover, the contents of various faiths faded and wilted under the vicissitudes of time, due to which their original forms underwent changes.

And this is how the differences in teachings of various religions, despite descending from the same source, may be explained.  Ahmadi Muslims believe that the Law consummated in the form of Quran contains lasting commandments of all the previously revealed Scriptures.

b) THE PURPOSE OF FASTING AND HOW IT IS ACHIEVED:   In Islam, the purpose of fasting is to bring about improvement in the moral and spiritual condition of man. This is clearly stated in the concluding words; "so that you may guard yourselves against evil, and attain righteousness."  The object is that man may learn how he can shun evil --- it is not merely to abstain from food and drink.

In fact, abstention from food is only a step to make a man realise that if he can, in obedience to Divine injunctions, abstain from that which is otherwise lawful, how much more necessary it is that he should abstain from the evil ways, which are forbidden by God. It is forbidden to quarrel while one is fasting. The Holy Prophet said: "--- Fast is a shield. When any of you is fasting, he should eschew loose talk and noisy exchanges. Should anyone abuse him, or seek to pick a quarrel with him, he should respond with: I am observing a fast---" ( Bokhari and Muslim). 

Fast is, therefore, an exercise in controlling anger, jealousy, selfishness, and in exercising tolerance and patience. And this is what all religions seek to inculcate in man -- to create peace and harmony.

Also, during the month of Ramadhan, Muslims are enjoined to spend for the poor in various forms. One has to pay expiation for the fasts lost on account of sickness or old age etc. It is a meritorious act to provide for the breaking of fast to others. It is obligatory to pay Fitrana which is spent on the poor. Moreover it attracts God's pleasure to give voluntary alms, particularly in the month of Ramadhan. It is reported in the traditions that: " During Ramadhan the bounty of the Holy Prophet increased so much that it became faster than the rain-bearing breeze." ( Bokhari and Muslim).

Thus fasting provides training in making sacrifices for the welfare of others. Fasting also seeks to inculcate truthfulness in man. People who do not abstain from falsehood and false conduct do not gain anything from fasting, as the Prophet said; " If a person does not eschew falsehood and false conduct, Allah has no need that he should abstain from food and drink." (Bokhari)

From the above it would be seen that the fasts act as Spiritual Exercise aiming to strengthen the moral and spiritual faculties of man, in the same way as physical exercise strengthens his body. One trains himself to control his passions and desires, and that makes him realise the pangs of hunger suffered by the poor, and arouses sympathy for them. Fasts kept with good intentions and true motives, refraining from all acts which render them ineffective, should be conducive to create peace and harmony --- which should be the aim of all religions. Presumably, the fast of the monk in this episode carried a significance similar to that of the Islamic fasts stated above.

c) THE RELATIONSHIP OF FASTS WITH THE PHYSICAL, MORAL AND SPIRITUAL STATES OF MAN: When a man works under the influence of his inherent instincts and follows his passions and desires without caring for the results, he acts similar to animals; and this may be called his Physical State. When he starts reasoning and questioning his own actions and reflecting on their effects, he starts observing certain rules and feels the guilt and reproves himself in the event of his failure to keep treading the right path.This may be called his moral state. When he makes spiritual advances, and sincerely searches to find and recognise his Creator by leading a virtuous life in accordance with the Divinely revealed Scriptures, with the sole motive of earning Gods pleasure, he enters into his spiritual state, and his actions begin attracting acceptance, reward, and merit from God, which he truly feels.

What I have stated above is based on teachings of Quran, as expounded by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in his renowned and remarkable book, " Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam", a small portion of which I quote below.

"THREE TYPES OF HUMAN ACTIONS: The first question relates to the natural and moral and spiritual states of man. The Holy Quran has indicated three separate sources of these states. In other words, it has pointed out three springs out of which these respective states flow. THE FIRST SOURCE; THE SELF THAT INCITES TO EVIL: The first spring which is the source of all natural states is designated by the Holy Quran the NAFSE AMMARAH, which means the self that incites to evil, as it says: The mind of man is ever ready to incite to evil (Yousuf 12:54). This means that it is characteristic of the human self that it incites man to evil and is opposed to his attainment of perfection and to his moral state. This is man's natural state, so long as he is not guided by reason in eating, drinking, sleeping, waking, anger, and provocation, like animals. When a person is guided by reason and understanding and brings his natural state under control and regulates it in a proper manner, that state ceases to be his natural state and is called his moral state. SECOND SOURCE; THE REPROVING SELF. The source of the moral state of man is designated by the Holy Quran NAFSE LAWWAMA, as is said: I call to witness the reproving self ( Al-Qiamah 75: 3); that is to say, I call to witness the self that reproves itself for every vice and intemperance. This reproving self is the second source of human state from which the moral state is generated. At this stage man cease to resemble the animals. Calling it to witness is for the purpose of doing it honour, as if by advancing from the state of the self that is prone to evil and arriving at the state of the reproving self, it has become worthy of honour in divine estimation. It is so called as it reproves man on vice and is not reconciled to man's submitting to his natural desires and leading an unbridled existence like animals. It desires that man should be in a good state and should practise good morals, and no kind of intemperance should be manifested in any aspect of human life, and natural emotions and desires should be regulated by reason. As it reproves every vicious movement, it is called the reproving self. Though it reproves itself in respect of vices, yet it is not fully effective in practising virtue and occasionally it is dominated by natural emotions, when it stumbles and falls. It is like a weak child who does not wish to stumble and fall, but does so out of weakness, and is then remorseful over his infirmity. In short, this is the moral state of human self when it seeks to comprehend within itself high moral qualities and is disgusted with disobedience, but cannot achieve complete success. THE THIRD SOURCE; THE SOUL AT REST: The third source which should be described as the beginning of the spiritual state of man is called NAFSE MUT'MA'INNAH, that is to say the soul at rest, as is said: " O soul at rest that has found comfort in God return to thy Lord, thou well pleased with Him and He well pleased with thee. Now join My chosen servants and enter into My garden.( Al-Fajr 89: 28-31) This is the stage when the soul of a person being delivered from all weaknesses is filled with spiritual powers and establishes relationship with God Almighty without Whose support it cannot exist. As water flowing down from a height, on account of its volume and the absence of any obstruction, rushes with great force, in the same way the soul at rest flows towards God. This is indicated by the divine direction to the soul that has found comfort in God to return to its Lord. It undergoes a great transformation in this very life and is bestowed a paradise while still in this world. As this verse indicates in its direction to such a soul to return to its Lord it is nourished by its Lord and its love of God becomes its nurture and it drinks at this fountain of life and is thus delivered from death. This is indicated at another place in the Holy Quran where it is said: He who purifies his soul of earthly passions shall be saved and shall not suffer ruin, but he who is overcome by his earthly passions should despair of life (Al-Shams 91:10-11). In short, these three states may be called the natural, moral, and spiritual states of man." ( The Philosophy of Teachings of Islam, by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian P 1-3)

This journey of purification of soul is achieved by making hard efforts to overcome the earthly passions and desires, and by invoking God's help through prayer, seeking God's forgiveness on sins committed in the past, as well as invoking His help to get strength against possible sins of future -- in addition to fasting and working for the welfare of mankind.

Thus in the spiritual journey from the moral state to the spiritual state the fasts play a vital role. The monk is striving hard to overcome his earthly desires, but when he fails to resist the temptation and stumbles, he feels a sense of guilt and reproves himself. He is, therefore, struggling in the moral state, which is the second stage of self-purification, and he deserves to be commended. The feeling of guilt by the monk indicates that his conscience is well and alive, and that he is fit to continue his spiritual journey.

d) THE IMPORTANCE OF RETAINING BOTH FORM AND SPIRIT OF ORDINANCES: It is hard to agree with the monk that non-observance of precepts literally does not matter because it's really the spirit of the precepts which one needs to follow. This principle is hazardous, because potentially it can gradually change the entire face of religion, and make it beyond recognition. Both the peel and pith of a fruit are necessary to keep the fruit healthy. Nonetheless, the monk is right in laying emphasis on the spirit of the ordinance, rather than sticking to its mere form. -- Khalid Saifullah