This is the second year that I'll be doing a fasting diary! Quick introduction: Every year, Bahá'is fast for 19 days, right before Nawruz (our New year). This year, it's March 2 - 20th. Fasting means no eating, drinking, smoking from sunrise to sunset, and it's obligatory for Bahá'is between the ages of 15 - 70. However, those who are traveling (for more than 9 hours), women who are pregnant/nursing/are on their menstrual cycle as well as those who are engaged in heavy labor or are ill are exempted from the fast.
Fasting is a law from God that exists in all the other major religions - Muslims have Ramadan, Christians have Lent, Jews have Yom Kippur and Hindus... well it depends on the deity you worship. In Shoghi Effendi's words, "Fasting is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, or spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and invigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires."
No eating or drinking for 12 hours?! It always sounds difficult or scary, but you'll be surprised to learn how the body is able to adapt. At some point, you'll get a hang of the physical Fast, but it's so easy to forget the wisdom behind it. That's why I started this fasting diary so that I give myself time and space each day to reflect. My daily entries will have a paragraph from the Holy Writings (this year, my 19 quotations will be related to each of the 19 months of the Badi calendar), a photo of what I ate for breakfast or to break the fast and a few lines of reflection.
No eating or drinking for 12 hours?! It always sounds difficult or scary, but you'll be surprised to learn how the body is able to adapt. At some point, you'll get a hang of the physical Fast, but it's so easy to forget the wisdom behind it. That's why I started this fasting diary so that I give myself time and space each day to reflect. My daily entries will have a paragraph from the Holy Writings (this year, my 19 quotations will be related to each of the 19 months of the Badi calendar), a photo of what I ate for breakfast or to break the fast and a few lines of reflection.
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Food for the soul: Ala (Loftiness)
"...man should know his own self and recognize that which leadeth unto loftiness or lowliness, glory or abasement, wealth or poverty. Having attained the stage of fulfilment and reached his maturity, man standeth in need of wealth, and such wealth as he acquireth through crafts or professions is commendable and praiseworthy in the estimation of men of wisdom, and especially in the eyes of servants who dedicate themselves to the education of the world and to the edification of its peoples. They are, in truth, cup-bearers of the life-giving water of knowledge and guides unto the ideal way. They direct the peoples of the world to the straight path and acquaint them with that which is conducive to human upliftment and exaltation. The straight path is the one which guideth man to the dayspring of perception and to the dawning-place of true understanding and leadeth him to that which will redound to glory, honour and greatness."
Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh
Food for the body:
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| thirsty for that beautiful sunset |
After breaking my fast with a slice of my birthday cake from last night, I met with a friend to watch a movie (Black Panther) and we both talked about how our first day of the fast went. I told her that I'm taking the Fast to another level this year by doing a 19-days no social media challenge (I won't be logging into Facebook or Instagram; not just from sunrise to sunset, but 24 hours x19 days). This idea came about after reflecting on what Abdu'l-Bahá says, "This material fast is an outer token of the spiritual fast; it is a symbol of self-restraint, the withholding of oneself from all appetites of the self..." I admit, I am addicted to social media. I tend to spend an unhealthy amount of time aimlessly scrolling through my feed, and many times in the past I've switched off my accounts whenever I felt it was getting too much or whenever I noticed my moods/spirit were heavily affected. During the days that I'd be offline, I would find myself reading a book, working on a video, de-cluttering my room, and pretty much being more productive, and it's always refreshing coming back from that social media break.
This brings me back to today's quotation where Bahá'u'lláh says we need to be self-aware of what exalts us and what abases us (which leadeth unto loftiness and lowliness). Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate social media; it's one of my strengths and skills and I am aware that some of the pages I run (Bahá'i Faith in the Philippines - Instagram and Facebook) will suffer, but I also know that if I want to work on my relationship with God this fasting period, then I need to make sure I'm not worshiping or consumed by something else.
*I will, however, be logging in at the end of each week just to quickly post this*
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March 03, 2018
Food for the soul: Bahá (Splendour)
"O ye that pride yourselves on mortal riches!
Know ye in truth that wealth is a mighty barrier between the seeker and his desire, the lover and his beloved. The rich, but for a few, shall in no wise attain the court of His presence nor enter the city of content and resignation. Well is it then with him, who, being rich, is not hindered by his riches from the eternal kingdom, nor deprived by them of imperishable dominion. By the Most Great Name! The splendor of such a wealthy man shall illuminate
the dwellers of heaven even as the sun enlightens the people of the earth!"
Bahá'u'lláh, Persian Hidden Words
Food for the body:
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| dinner: my mom made a Persian vegetable and noodle soup called Ash |
Today wasn't a good day. Last night I went to bed at 3am, then woke up at 5am for breakfast. I was so tired and weak so I just had a quick few slices of bread and cream cheese and some hot tea then went back to bed even before sunrise. I woke up after a few hours feeling very heavy, drained and tired. I made the conscious effort three years ago to never go to sleep immediately after breakfast, because experience always shows it weighs me down, but I couldn't help it this morning. I took a shower in the middle of the day thinking it would help me wake up, but my head continued to throb. I know this feeling so well, it's not just because I slept on a full stomach but also because I had very little sleep last night. Fasting is never meant to be easy, in fact, Bahá'u'lláh says, "Even though outwardly the Fast is difficult and toilsome, yet inwardly it is bounty and tranquility". I know that struggling with the Fast, physically, is a good test, as it will make the experience more meaningful, but I didn't necessarily feel the "tranquility" today.
For me, this was a humbling reminder that just because one has been fasting for a couple of years now, does not mean you will ever get used to it; it does not mean it gets easier over time! I almost had that impression because last year's Fast went amazingly well (the memory is still fresh in my mind because I read through last year's diary before starting this) so I was confident this will be a good year again, but it's just the second day and I'm struggling. My over-confidence deluded me, which takes me to this phrase in today's quotation "Well is it then with him, who, being rich, is not hindered by his riches from the eternal kingdom". Today I was reminded that Fasting is hard work and I have to be mindful of how the physical and spiritual worlds are intertwined. I hope that over the next few weeks I'll be able to adhere to a better schedule of sleeping early, so that I can maximize my day.
For me, this was a humbling reminder that just because one has been fasting for a couple of years now, does not mean you will ever get used to it; it does not mean it gets easier over time! I almost had that impression because last year's Fast went amazingly well (the memory is still fresh in my mind because I read through last year's diary before starting this) so I was confident this will be a good year again, but it's just the second day and I'm struggling. My over-confidence deluded me, which takes me to this phrase in today's quotation "Well is it then with him, who, being rich, is not hindered by his riches from the eternal kingdom". Today I was reminded that Fasting is hard work and I have to be mindful of how the physical and spiritual worlds are intertwined. I hope that over the next few weeks I'll be able to adhere to a better schedule of sleeping early, so that I can maximize my day.
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March 04, 2018
Food for the soul: Jalal (Glory)
"The source of all glory is acceptance of whatsoever the Lord hath bestowed, and contentment with that which God hath ordained. The essence of love is for man to turn his heart to the Beloved One, and sever himself from all else but Him, and desire naught save that which is the desire of his Lord. True remembrance is to make mention of the Lord, the All-Praised, and forget aught else beside Him. True reliance is for the servant to pursue his profession and calling in this world, to hold fast unto the Lord, to seek naught but His grace, inasmuch as in His Hands is the destiny of all His servants."
Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh
Food for the body:
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| We broke the fast with a sea food dinner at Dampa (Macapagal) with a friend tonight. On the table: chilli garlic shrimps and crab and baked mussels |
I was off to a great start this morning, because I was able to sleep early and get a good 6 hours of sleep. I stayed up after breakfast because a Bahá'i friend came over and we started our group study of Ruhi Book 6 (with my mom as our tutor). The study went really well for 3 hours, then we stopped at a section which had a lot of quotations we were encouraged to memorize. We decided to pick one and put it into music. We had a few practices until we nailed a really nice melody to it. We could have done another quotation but this wasn't easy on our throats! We laughed at how singing was making us feel thirsty so we called it a day. After that I decided to go to the Bahá'i Center (every Sunday from 10 am - 1pm, we have devotional gatherings there). I arrived at 1:30 just as the devotional meeting was ending, but the friends still stayed back to plan for our electoral unit convention next weekend. During the consultation, some of us (myself included!) had our heads rested on the couches; it was clear we were feeling sleepy...and we would look at each other and just laugh! It was interesting for me to see how many people came to the center today (we were over a dozen). You'd think that because the weather is really hot, some people might decide to stay back home so we don't get tired... but no one complained. It was a nice day being surrounded with Bahá'is, knowing we are all going through the same thing, and we're handling it with smiles... or as the quotation today says, contented with what God hath ordained.
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March 05, 2018
Food for the soul: Jamal (Beauty)
"O ye friends of God! The world is like the body of man -- it hath become sick, feeble and infirm. Its eye is devoid of sight, its ear hath become destitute of hearing and its faculties of sense are entirely dissolved. The friends of God must become as wise physicians and care for and heal this sick person, in accord with the divine teachings, in order that -- God willing -- it may perchance gain health, find eternal healing and that its lost powers may be restored; and that the person of the world may find such health, freshness and purity that it will appear in the utmost beauty and charm."
Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'i World Faith
Food for the body:
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| I made some grilled tuna + mozzarella sandwiches for breakfast |
Today's quotation is very much related to the quote in Book 6 that we memorized/put into melody yesterday "Say: to assist Me is to teach My Cause. This is a theme with which whole Tablets are laden. This is the changeless commandment of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future." They both stress on the sacred duty bestowed upon us to teach the Cause of God. During the 19 Day Feast of Alá on March 1st, the friends talked about how the Fasting period is one of the easiest opportunities to teach, because our friends/colleagues ask us why we aren't having lunch with them. But you can't give what you don't have. Being and Doing need to co-relate; it will be futile to share the teachings when we ourselves are not a living example. How can we expect others to see beauty when we ourselves are blind? How can we heal the sick if we are ourselves feeble? Fasting gives us time to heal. Fasting, as Rainn Wilson puts it, slows down time. And how does this help us?
In the words of Abdu'l-Bahá, "Fasting is the cause of awakening man. The heart becomes tender and the spirituality of man increases. This is produced by the fact that man's thoughts will be confined to the commemoration of God, and through this awakening and stimulation surely idea advancements follow."
It's really beautiful how on one hand, the teachings of the Faith are all about self-less service towards mankind... then on the other hand, we are given these 19 days to remember not to completely forget ourselves. This period is to purify our bodies as well as to elevate our spiritual stations. "Fasting is the cause of the elevation of one's spiritual station" -Abdu'l-Bahá. This is a time for us to recharge, to read, learn and reflect, to give ourselves all the strength we need, if we are to become, as today's quotation states, "as wise physicians and care for and heal this sick person [the world] in accordance with the divine teachings...."
March 06, 2018
Food for the soul: Azamat (Grandeur)
"After journeying through the planes of pure contentment, the traveler cometh to the valley of wonderment and is tossed in the oceans of grandeur, and at every moment his wonder groweth. Now he seeth the shape of wealth as poverty itself, and the essence of freedom as sheer impotence. Now is he struck dumb with the beauty of the All-Glorious … For in this Valley the traveler is flung into confusion, albeit, in the eye of him who hath attained, such marvels are esteemed and well beloved. At every moment he beholdeth a wondrous world, a new creation, and goeth from astonishment to astonishment, and is lost in awe at the works of the Lord of Oneness."
Bahá'u'lláh, The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys
Food for the body:
I met a friend this evening and we broke our fast together over a Chinese dinner. When we were done eating (congee and steamed buns), I exclaimed "oh no, I forgot to take a picture of our food!" She looked confused, then I had to explain... it's for the blog! All that was left to take a photo of was our divine Chinese tea. It's funny how on a normal day I really dislike tea (see how I had to underline that), but when it's Fasting time, tea magically becomes my breakfast and break-the-fast drink. I'm a coffee person, but I can't take coffee as early as 5 in the morning, and neither can I take it in the evening on an empty stomach (it burns!) so plain tea is pretty much the hot water I need to warm up and warm down my system.
Today's quotation is from Bahá'u'lláh's Seven Valleys - the perfect book to read during this Fasting period. The stages... from the Valley of search, to love, to knowledge, to unity, to contentment, to wonderment and finally to the Valley of true poverty and absolute nothingness! It absolutely co-relates to the days of our Fast... the tests and difficulties we face, the adjustments we make during this period, the progress we achieve little by little, day by day, until we finally reach the final valley (the main point of the Fast) which is to acknowledge that we are spiritual beings. It has never been God's desire for us to be materially rich, but rather to acquire an abundant wealth of spiritual attributes.
Baháu'lláh says that in the valley of wonderment, "he seeth the shape of wealth as poverty itself..." This concept of wealth/poverty is so interesting, because I remember in the Bible it says "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God". There's nothing wrong with being wealthy though; religions do not shun wealth, in fact it is praised when it is acquired through honest means and used for philanthropic purposes. The best days to really reflect on these teachings are now because while we deprive ourselves of food and water, and detach ourselves from material yearnings... we get to empathize with the less fortunate and the down-trodden in our society. Personally, it's giving me the chance to re-evaluate my priorities, my wants versus needs, oh even my eating habits (because at the end of the day, health is wealth!)
Ahhh... the Valley of Wonderment :-)
March 07, 2018
Food for the soul: Nur (Light)
"Our greatest efforts must be directed towards detachment from the things of the world; we must strive to become more spiritual, more luminous, to follow the counsel of the Divine Teaching, to serve the cause of unity and true equality, to be merciful, to reflect the love of the Highest on all men, so that the light of the Spirit shall be apparent in all our deeds, to the end that all humanity shall be united, the stormy sea thereof calmed, and all rough waves disappear from off the surface of life's ocean henceforth unruffled and peaceful."
Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks
Food for the body:
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| for dinner, my mom made a quick stir fry of shrimps and veggies |
Here we go again, detachment! I think I took today's reading a bit too literally. So you know what I did today? Half my table basically went to the garbage. I went through several notebooks and folders on my table and decided to throw out what I don't use/need anymore. I have a habit of keeping little things over the years like movie tickets, brochures from tourist attractions I've visited, used agenda booklets... you get the idea. I shredded everything, and I feel good! Now my workspace is organized and clean and (almost) everything around me now is useful. Or maybe today's mission was just the Persian in me because in Iran, we have a spring cleaning tradition: weeks before Nawruz, everyone starts cleaning their houses, washing their carpets, dusting their furniture... out with the old and in with the New (year).
Clean and neat environments have a really positive effect on us mentally, emotionally and even physically. We're able to enjoy the space and achieve more. I guess it's the same with our inner conditions... we won't enjoy the virtues and qualities latent in our souls if they're surrounded with unnecessary clutter. We won't even know our true capabilities (what we truly have inside of us) if they're mixed with things that hinder our progress. One of those things that hinder progress is attachment to this worldly life. Something I've learnt over the years is that detachment from this worldly life is not just about the material things we own (money and the things money can buy)... it's also about our thoughts and feelings! Our spiritual life is made up of things that elevate us. When we have thoughts and feelings (that includes ideas, relationships, bias, etc) that drag us down... that's not part of the spiritual world...that's part of the material world because hey, they're being affected by gravity (lol).
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March 08, 2018
Food for the soul: Rahmat (Mercy)
"The earth is in motion and growth; the mountains, hills and prairies are green and pleasant; the bounty is overflowing; the mercy universal; the rain is descending from the cloud of mercy; the brilliant Sun is shining; the full moon is ornamenting the horizon of ether; the great ocean-tide is flooding every little stream; the gifts are successive; the favors consecutive; and the refreshing breeze is blowing, wafting the fragrant perfume of the blossoms. Boundless treasure is in the hand of the King of Kings! Lift the hem of thy garment in order to receive it. If we are not happy and joyous at this season, for what other season shall we wait and for what other time shall we look?"
Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of Abdu'l-Bahá
Food for the body:
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| I made a high-protein breakfast today: scrambled eggs with pepperoni and olives and baked beans |
Wow, it has only been one week?! I feel like we're already half way into the Fast. I messaged a friend in another town yesterday, asking about their Nawruz plans because I was convinced Nawruz is already next week! I really like today's quotation - it's all about the natural beauty of the universe. I really appreciate nature; I have a few blog posts here which contain photos I take of landscapes. We live in a corner unit of a condominium, so we get sunrise view from the windows of the left and sunset view from the living room window. Every single day between 5:45-6:00 pm, fiery orange streaks of sun shine through our living room window, making the entire room glow like gold! It's really beautiful! But something I don't get to appreciate as much is sunrise because I'm never really up that early. There's something heavenly about watching the sky lighten up and darken these past seven days... No wonder sunrise/sunsets are always associated with words like romantic and inspiring... You often hear people say that witnessing such moments make you feel #blessed to be alive.
Today's quotation, especially because of the last part "If we are not happy and joyous at this season, for what other season shall we wait and for what other time shall we look?" is a quotation I always select for readings for the celebrations of Ayyam-i-há, Nawruz, the Ridván festival, the Birth Anniversaries of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh because it fits really well with all those occasions. Reading it today (a normal/regular day) still feels relatable. I guess it's meant to fit with everyday! God wants us to be HAPPY everyday... even when we're thirsty and hungry in scorching 35 degrees celsius :-)
Today's quotation, especially because of the last part "If we are not happy and joyous at this season, for what other season shall we wait and for what other time shall we look?" is a quotation I always select for readings for the celebrations of Ayyam-i-há, Nawruz, the Ridván festival, the Birth Anniversaries of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh because it fits really well with all those occasions. Reading it today (a normal/regular day) still feels relatable. I guess it's meant to fit with everyday! God wants us to be HAPPY everyday... even when we're thirsty and hungry in scorching 35 degrees celsius :-)
Part 2 scheduled to be published on March 15th (Link here)
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My 2017 Fasting diary: