Food, how much do we need?

[Nichole]

Hubert,
Perhaps you're just partial to not starving the donkey because of your spiritual name?

Originally Posted by Hubert

Saint Francis of Assisi used to call his body "Brother Ass". When he died, he asked this Brother to forgive all the pain he caused to him with his austere lifestyle.
So, feed the donkey, so you don't have to be sorry later.

Provided the link as the description fits very well not just donkeys, but the body of a yogi.

[Hubert]

Lol, you got me here !

[Lars Rimböck]

So it looks like a balance is needed.
Giving the donkey to much food he`ll be lazy, giving him to little food he`ll die.
All the best
lars
__________________________________________________ __________
Patanjali Yoga Schule Münster

[Pandara]

And I was just reading in the our local Sunday newspaper that there is a world food crisis looming, not enough to feed all 6 billion + humans and that it will get worse within the next 3 years. It then filled me with great gratitude that I had actually more than enough to eat, no matter what, today.

[Bentinho Massaro]

A few weeks ago I did not eat for a week. Nothing for 7 days, only water and a bit of vegetable juice. I felt just as strong by the end of the weak as I did in the beginning.

Not just based on this experience, but based on my beliefs concerning this universe, I have to say one can do without food at all. Even without drinking eventually.

I've had the crazy idea of learning this skill myself, to not need food, and then teach it to third world countries. Or at least teach those who are capable or fit for meditation, how to reduce their need for food and still feel healthy and powerful.

[Pandara]

Dear Bentinho,

I do a similar fast sometimes, which I like to call my "Spring Clean Fast" (which I took from a local yoga magazine), it is simple and starts Friday Morning and ends Monday Morning, and I always feel great after it.

On the idea of teaching your skill of not needing food to third world countries: First of all I commend you on the idea. However, I live in the so called third world (South Africa) and I want to share the following with you. Years ago when I finally made the complete switch to vegetarianism I decided to inform my domestic worker as well of my decision. So the next morning I explained to her the whole concept and why I am doing it and all the whats etc. That whole day she was extremely down and by the afternoon she just couldn't bear it anymore. She came into my office with tears flowing down her cheeks. You can imagine my surprise, I thought perhaps somebody in her family died or something. So calming her down it transpired that she is very worried about me and that I am on my way to die now, because how can I live if I don't eat meat she asked me. To this day, and it is now about 10 years later, she is still worried about me not eating proper food (meat) and remind me constantly that I must eat meat.

As Ghandi once said: "some people are so poor they only see God in a bread."

[Lars Rimböck]

Fasting is indeed very healthy and I also do it twice a year.
There has been peaople running a marathon in their personal best time after a 50 days fasting.
But still fasting has it´s limits.
If we all would live vegetarian a bit part of the food crisis would be disolved.
To produce one kalorie of meat food it needs thousands of vegetarian kalories.
So yogic living is on a good path.
All the best
Lars
__________________________________________________ ________
Patanjali Yoga Schule Münster

[Pandara]

Dear Lars,

I once read some statistics in a local magazine you can feed about 100 000 000 more people on earth if the world slash their meat intake by 10% a year. So do we still wonder why some people are starving of hunger?

[Hubert]

Originally Posted by Bentinho Massaro

A few weeks ago I did not eat for a week. Nothing for 7 days, only water and a bit of vegetable juice. I felt just as strong by the end of the weak as I did in the beginning.

Not just based on this experience, but based on my beliefs concerning this universe, I have to say one can do without food at all. Even without drinking eventually.

I found that this is a siddhi (Haadi Vidya). It's supposed to be achieved by focusing on the hollow of the neck (Vishudda Chakra).

[Bentinho Massaro]

Yes Hubert, it is indeed a Siddhi described by Patanjali in one of the sutras. Thanks for the reminder.

Lars: I am not so sure that fasting has its limits. I think the limits are defined by the individual. So it is very personal. But fasting does not have its limits per se. That is my belief.

Pandara: Hahaha that story made me laugh. Especially this line:

So calming her down it transpired that she is very worried about me and that I am on my way to die now, because how can I live if I don't eat meat she asked me.

But yeah, thanks for the perspective you added. I understand what you mean, I think.