the first day of the Fast

today is the first day of the Baha'i Fast, which lasts from 2 through 20 March every year, and each day from sunrise to sunset Baha'is (including me! and shaun!) abstain from food and drink. also water. and gum. and smoking. and snuff. (just to cover all bases.)

i wasn't going to describe the Fast in full, but Jess asked me whether it's like Ramadan, from sunrise to sunset (check that), and then i thought i would maybe divulge a bit more about this to those of us who are perhaps uninitiated.

so this morning shaun and i woke up at 5 a.m. above is a picture of the pre-dawn morning light just kindled over the galillee hills. shaun made tea and brought over his oatmeal cookies and some peanut butter for good breakfast eats. we read a prayer about the Fast, and then i went out to the kitchen to get more food after taking mostly fuzzy pictures of the clouds (you can see another Fasting flat in the picture above: their lights are on at horrible o'clock, just like ours!). i proceeded to ingest squash soup, a cheese toastie, and frozen blueberries in kiwi and pear juice. shaun pointed out that i practically ate something from each food group. NO MEAT THANKS VERY MUCH. i'm thinking now that i might change the order of consumption next time, though.

we had more prayers and meditative time, after which i had internally committed myself to some dishwashing and other productive, farmer-early domestic activities. instead, i felt sleepier ... and sleeeeeepier .... and basically we both crashed out again. not the best chaser to a full-on breakfast before the light comes up. even at almost one p.m., my belly's still all Glooooop Glugh Glurgle Gloooooop Grrrrr. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

the reason for this disruption to our usual fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants morning schedule? from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, one of the purposes of fasting is as follows:

All praise be unto God, Who hath revealed the law of obligatory prayer as a reminder to His servants, and enjoined on them the Fast that those possessed of means may become apprised of the woes and sufferings of the destitute.

the Baha'i Writings also include this description of the Fast:

Verily, the religion of God is like unto heaven; fasting is its sun, and obligatory prayer is its moon.

i don't know that i really understand what this mystical language means, but this is just the first day of the Fast, right? i mean, i've got eighteen more days to figure it out. YOU KNOW I WILL FIGURE IT OUT.

we are told to "cling firmly" to the law of fasting, to not be "neglectful" of it, that it is a "bounty" and a "light" from God: "Moreover, obligatory prayer and fasting produce awareness and awakening in man, and are conducive to his protection and preservation from tests." i think that this passage sheds more light on the meaning and purpose of the Fast:

We beseech God to assist His people that they may observe the most great and exalted Fast, which is to protect one's eye from beholding whatever is forbidden and to withhold one's self from food, drink and whatever is not of Him. We pray God to confirm His loved ones that they may succeed in accomplishing that which they have been commanded in this Day.

it seems to me that part of the meaning of the Fast is to learn to transcend our bodily nature, wherein we are compelled to eat because eating is what our bodies do. this is normal and fine, except the Fast is like a nineteen-day reminder of our spiritual nature, which is our true nature. it is our true nature because it is what distinguishes us from other creatures on planet earth, and when we allow ourselves to be dominated by spiritual qualities rather than material qualities, the betterment of humankind and what is best for the earth itself is advanced. in fact, the name of the Baha'i month during which the Fast occurs is 'Ala; in english, "Loftiness". anyway, this is truly a huge subject. i would recommend 'Abdu'l-Baha's Friday morning, 17 November 1911, Paris Talk for much more elucidation on this theme. but the following Hidden Word, translated from the Arabic, does touch on this:

12. O SON OF BEING!

With the hands of power I made thee and with the fingers of strength I created thee; and within thee have I placed the essence of My light. Be thou content with it and seek naught else, for My work is perfect and My command is binding. Question it not, nor have a doubt thereof.

meanwhile, i'm still not eating. and Baha'is all around the world, in every vale, mountain (Hello!), city, village, and yurt and houseboat aren't eating either (you are exempt if you are a traveller, ailing, with child or giving suck, or if you are menstruating, according to the Baha'i Writings) partly because this is a time where we are reminded in a very real way, all day long, that we are spiritual beings, and our purpose is to develop spiritual, divine qualities all throughout the months and years of our lives. Consider these ideas in this context:

"Blessed is the one who through the heat generated by the Fast increaseth his love, and who, with joy and radiance, ariseth to perform worthy deeds."

"Even though outwardly the Fast is difficult and toilsome, yet inwardly it is bounty and tranquillity. Purification and training are conditioned and dependent only on such rigorous exercises as are in accord with the Book of God and sanctioned by Divine law, not those which the deluded have inflicted upon the people."

"Verily, I say, fasting is the supreme remedy and the most great healing for the disease of self and passion."

so the physical fast is a symbol of a spiritual fast, by which is meant, spiritually we are purifying, cleansing, and deepening: "This Fast leadeth to the cleansing of the soul from all selfish desires, the acquisition of spiritual attributes, attraction to the breezes of the All-Merciful, and enkindlement with the fire of divine love."

but i also ask that my fast is accepted in the Sight of God, because going through the motions of waking early, intoning prayer, NOT EATING ALL DAY LONG EVEN WHEN SOMEONE'S LEFT SWEETS IN CONSPICUOUS PLACES ALL AROUND THE OFFICE, and feeling groovy about myself throughout (in the sense of OOh How Good And Spiritual And Holy I'm Being) is clearly a form of self-righteous fatuity. i mean the spirit in which the Fast is performed is important, obviously. it's pointless to fast if all the while one is smugly considering oneself being holier than thou or not reflecting on how to improve oneself spiritually or how to contribute constructively to one's community or, or, or. all these other things that indicate "heat" being generated through fasting for love for humanity and the desire to be of service to others.

ultimately, what do i know about the true spirit of fasting. i'm just discovering, innit. this is all part of what i think is the mystery and the blessing of fasting. on previous years, i've been struck with the element of delayed or denied gratification. if you, like me, have mostly lived under circumstances where if i am hungry, i have eaten, or bought something to eat, then the discipline that fasting has on my behaviour gives me pause to think about the Majority---i uppercase for emphasis---of the world's peoples who do not have this luxury, this opportunity to indulge. i mean i really think about what life could be like for someone who is hungry all day, and they may not even have the excitement of a delicious dinner to look forward to when the sun goes down. this is an outrageous, horrible aspect of humanity's life right now. eliminating these extremes of poverty and wealth is a concrete goal of the Baha'i community, as generated in these words of the Writings:

"Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, lest heedlessness lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues."

"The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust, and be not intent only on your own ease."

to close these verbose notes on The Fast and Why I Do It, Or Something Like That, i think it's important to note that the days of "Ha" (Ayyam-i-Ha), which Baha'is all over the place have been celebrating like it's 1999, are the four (or five?) days at the end of the Baha'i calendar year designated as kind of 'free-fall' days; they are actually in excess of the Baha'i calendar. Baha'u'llah says that during these days of Ha*, "it behoveth the people of Baha ... to provide good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy, and with joy and exultation to hail and glorify their Lord ... and when they end---these days of giving that precede the season of restraint -- let them enter upon the Fast."

* geddit, "good cheer"---"HA"? you don't think it's funny? okay, whatever. i'm fasting.

and then after the Fast, it's Naw-Ruz---in english, New Year. it's NEW YEAR, BAYBEE, YEAH! 21 March is the first day of the year for Baha'is. it's so cool. usually Great Big Parties. i'm getting excited already.

meanwhile, i'm also quite flushed at the idea of going home right now for another nap. please don't take this as representative of Baha'is', or even me, in general sleeping during the day and then waking up at night during the Fast. when they can eat. i'm just a little bit zzzzzz.

love from leila

Handy links about the Baha'i Fast in case you're not glutted** yet:

Baha'i Writings on the Fast
"Fasting", by John Walbridge
"The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting", a compilation


** i PROMISE that ALL of the synonyms, euphemisms, and idioms that have come to mind while writing this epic were foodish, cuisinical, or edible. maybe it's like being pregnant and suddenly noticing that everyone else is pregnant with you. not that i would know.