Lent is Upon Us…
Besides the color purple, the cross, and cats choking on Easter grass, Lent also reminds me of fasting. For us Catholics, fasting can mean giving up food (sometimes just specific types of food) or a bad habit. Some take the whole fasting thing seriously. Others, not so much. Several times during my childhood, my dad sucessfully “gave up” smoking for Lent. Sounds impressive, until you learn that he has never smoked once in his adult life.
If you take fasting a little more seriously than my Dad (who I have a ton of respect for spiritually, all joking aside), then you’ll eat very little on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and fast from meat during Fridays during Lent.
Side note: I never quite understood giving up meat on Fridays. This just meant we ate fish sticks instead. Fish sticks are delicious. Sacrifice? I think not.
However, all of the above pale in comparison to the fasting practices of the majority of the Christian mystics. According to their crew, if you haven’t been on the brink of starvation, you haven’t truly fasted.
Teresa of Avila was one such “all-in” ascetic. In The Interior Castle, written for Teresa’s Discalced (shoeless) Carmelite sisters, she sternly chastises those who are measured in their ascetic practices.
The penances performed by the persons I spoke of are as well regulated as their life, which they value very highly because they want to serve the Lord with it–in which there is nothing to blame–so they are very discreet in their mortifications lest they should injure their health.
Never fear they will kill themselves: they are far too sensible! Their love is not strong enough to overcome their reason; I wish it were–that they might not be content to creep on their way to God: a pace that will never bring them to their journey’s end.
Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle, Third Mansion, Chapter 2: 8.
Wow…she really just said that. To paraphrase–“You want to be moderate in your ascetic practices? You’ll be dead before you spiritually awaken!”
I get it…but…
I do understand her point. Ultimately, our body, (as some in the spiritual community refer to it, “this meat suit”) should take second place to our soul. If our concern for our body is greater than our devotion/love for God, then we need to take a serious look at our priorities!
Though I do see the value in ascetic practices (I primarily eat vegan and use intermittent fasting for both physical health and spiritual reasons), I cannot yet get my head around the value of extreme fasting, sleep deprivation, and the like. Does valuing the state of our soul first and foremost really mean having to neglect our body? Teresa is not alone in her beliefs. The greatest contemplatives who have acheived spiritual union with God share her views. Yet I can’t help but think, there has to be a better way!
So, Teresa and I are going to duke it out. Is it possible to achieve enlightenment/spiritual awakening/reach God in this lifetime while fasting in such a way that the body survives intact?
Let’s find out!
Round 1: Teresa vs. Me, Extreme vs. Moderate Fasting
| Teresa of Avila | Leah of Maryland |
| Extreme Fasting, Sleep Deprivation to Spiritually Develop | Mostly Vegan, Intermittent Fasting, Regular 8 hours a night sleep |
| Visions, Deep trance-like states, Channeling the Holy Spirit | Fun dreams about dragons |
| Carmelite Nun; Founder of multiple monasteries | High School Teacher, Overseer of “Bro Club” (my kids’ social group) |
| Christian Spiritual Master | Meditation Teacher |
| Dead (the body anyway), in large part due to extreme asceticism | Alive (for now) |
I think I just lost round one…
Round 2: Jesus’ Take On Extreme Fasting
Time for round 2. Whenever she had spiritual experiences, Teresa continually back-checked herself with church authority and the truth of the Gospels. Taking her lead, I’ll do the same (hoping to win this argument, because round 1 did not go as planned). Let’s take a look at what Jesus has to say about fasting.
Crud. Jesus kicked off his ministry with a 40 day fast. Doesn’t look good for my case…
To make matters worse, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses the wording “when you fast (Greek: when the conditions are right for fasting),” rather than “if you fast” or (ideally for me), “should you still feel the need to fast.” Clearly he assumed fasting would still be a thing. (Matthew 6: 16-18)
Let’s pile on Jesus’ advice to his disciples when they struggled to exorcise a demon (side note–I’m a visual person and I occasionally misread exorcise as exercise and imagine little demons on a hamster wheel…). Some versions of Mark 9:29 have Jesus telling the disciples that this type of demon can only be cast out by prayer and fasting.
A Chance For Redemption
There is one more passage in the Gospels where Jesus references fasting. It comes when the Pharisees chastise Jesus’ disciples for not fasting (ceremonial fasting).
Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”
Luke 5: 34-35
So, they didn’t fast when they were with Jesus, but will fast after Jesus leaves them…hmm… There might be something here–something we will revisit later. Let’s call this round a draw for the time being.
Round 3: Case Studies
Case Study 1: Special Forces Training
After losing round 1 (life comparison) and getting a draw for round 2 (Jesus’ take), I’m hoping for a win in round 3 (modern case studies)!
Though asceticism isn’t as much the rage in the modern era, there are some places where these practices still appear.
A few years ago, my oldest was into gymnastics. Every Friday night, I’d sit and watch him practice. As much as I enjoyed cheering on my acrobatic 6 year old, it got a bit old after awhile, as I witnessed him practicing the same moves weeks after week.
Full disclosure: 90% of these moves I would be too chicken to attempt.
Many of those nights, one of the other parents and I would get into rather lengthy conversations to pass the time. One of my favorite parents to converse with was a father of 3 boys who served in the Army Special Forces.
One Friday night, he described the intense training missions he had been put through–going without food for extended periods, wilderness survival, extreme sleep deprivation…all training to develop mental toughness and an ability to think clearly and lead no matter the circumstances. His experiences did not bring him to a spiritual awakening. However, he was one of the mentally strongest (not rocked by anything) people I have met to date.
Teresa’s (and many other Christian contemplatives’) extreme ascetic lifestyles served as spiritual training to achieve much the same results as Special Forces Training, just on a spiritual level. Though the emphasis is different (developing extreme humility and a detachment from earthly things), perhaps the extreme nature of the training yielded equally effective results.
Case Study 1 doesn’t point to the correctness of either side, so let’s take a look at Case Study 2.
Case Study 2: 30 Hour Famine
There was one instance when I took up an extreme ascetic practice (at least by modern standards). In college, with the support of my Intervarsity chapter, I took on the “30 Hour Famine.” I was in it for the right reasons. I wanted to understand what true hunger felt like and desired to give to a good cause. What I learned was truly worthwhile:
- Our culture is OBSESSED with food. Any gathering with friends, any even slightly important event revolved around a meal or a snack. I spent the bulk of the 14 hours I wasn’t sleeping either around people eating or around people talking about food.
- My body was strongly protesting by the end, but my spirit was still focused.
- I believed I had learned all the spiritual lessons there were to learn from the experience and had no desire to do it again.
Going without food helped me to see just how attached we humans are to earthly things. It did help me clear my attachments for a bit, and led to a deeper awareness of the relationship between the spiritual and the earthly.
The state of my heart made all the difference–fasting was effective and I would recommend that level of asceticism to anyone. Yet, it didn’t require a significant negative impact on my physical health. Secondly, I’m not sure that continued practicing at this level would have yielded significant spiritual benefit.
Case Study #3: Ramana Maharshi: My Ace in the Hole
G.G. Welling
So far in round 3, intensive special forces training coupled with my own fasting experience demonstrates that fasting + good intention has the potential to provide positive spiritual benefits. And yet, my own spiritual awakening (though admittedly not as profound as Teresa’s) did not come via asceticism. In addition to that, Jesus’ disciples did not fast during their own spiritual development. Perhaps there is an alternate path to enlightenment?
Ramana Maharshi, a well known and world-reknowned Hindu sage, may provide an answer.
Ramana was in high school when he had a very intense awakening experience. In perfect health at the time, he had a clear feeling pass over him that he was dying. He even laid on the floor for a time like a dead man. During his experience, he realized that he was not his body. He was a soul living in the body, and that soul was part of the larger divine.
Ramana was forever changed as a result of this experience. He fell in love with God. Suddenly disinterested in school (a stance which angered most of those around him), he left the “world” and entered an ashram where he lived for 50 years, enjoying the presence of the divine and teaching others primarily by the sheer force of his presence.
Ramana didn’t need a single fast to awaken his heart and mind to truth. Though it may not be accessible to everyone, there is an alternate path.
And I just won round 3.
Round 2 Revisited–Back to Jesus: The Heart of the Matter
Teresa won the first round, and I the third. We called the second a draw, but can I swing it my way?
Per Ramana’s life experience, there is an alternative to fasting. And I believe Jesus hints at something similar in the Gospels. Let’s return to Luke 5: 34-35. Jesus’ question, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while they are with him?” strongly suggests that while in Jesus’ presence, there is no need for fasting.
Interestingly, the Pharisees in this passage are comparing Jesus to John the Baptist, who practiced extreme fasting. John and his disciples were strong supporters of asceticism. Jesus had this to say about John:
“Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
Matthew 11:11
Here’s how I break this down: Fasting is a path for “men” (humans) to become good. So, for those who are in the “old covenant” trying to earn their way to God, fasting helps. Through fasting (with the right intentions), we shift our focus from worldly to spiritual things and release our attachments to earthly things.
As Jesus promises, his disciples would fast again. However, as referenced in Acts (Acts 14:23), instead of a means for spiritual growth, fasting was instead used as a tool to focus the mind when making important decisions. None of the fasting seems extreme in any way. Finally, mention of fasting of any kind is absent from the epistles.
Perhaps between Jesus’ time in the desert and his ascension, something changed.
Fasting for the purpose of soul growth may be yet another bit of the “old garment” that should not be sewn onto the new (Matthew 9:16). I believe that Jesus, with the ushering in of the new covenant, brought us an alternative to fasting. Jesus was clear that we are much more than human beings/minds in meat suits. As citizens of the kingdom of heaven, we are born again of the Spirit and that same Holy Spirit dwells within us. This is what makes the least in the kingdom greater than John the Baptist. If we can realize our true nature, like Ramana did and as Jesus helped his disciples to do, fasting for the purpose of spiritual enlightenment becomes obsolete.
Ultimately, whether by asceticism (old way) or an intense realization that nothing in this world will ultimately fulfill us (new way), we need to let go. To let God live within us and through us in a profound way, we need to release all that we cling to. We need to surrender utterly to the Father. However, I personally prefer a surrender in love rather than asceticism.
My Own Journey
Unlike Teresa, I am no saint. And yet, I can speak to the inner transformation that I have experienced over the past few years–a transformation that had nothing to do with fasting.
My inner transformation started several years ago with a conviction that something had to change–that my current patterns of thought were not fulfilling my soul. I was depressed, anxious, and suffering mightily. I turned first to meditation and mindfulness practices (In addition to my traditional Christian practices of weekly services, prayer, and scripture study). This led to immense strides in my emotional and spiritual well-being, but not to spiritual “enlightenment”.
Recently (over the past 3-4 months), I suddenly wanted a connection with God more than anything else in my life. Granted, this was spurred by some fairly large events in my personal life (not unlike Ramana’s “death” experience). Now, every moment of mental downtime I am thinking about our heavenly Father. I read about how to grow in relationship to God, I meditate, do yoga, and contemplate the nature of ultimate reality.
With “wanting God more than anything,” a huge shift took place. Though I can’t claim to be where Teresa was in her relationship with God, I am feeling a level of peace and connection with God that is completely unparalleled in my personal history and grows stronger week by week.
I have inwardly sold everything for the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45). I have fallen head over heels in love with the divine. Perhaps this is the narrow gate, the pearl, the treasure in the field…this great love for God is all that is truly worth living for.
Extreme Asceticism: The Final Verdict
Fasting may help us to let go of our clinging to the world to find that pearl of great price, but it is still a means to an end, the end being spiritual union with God.
Sure, it may take fasting from food, sleep, and any other worldly things to help our monkey minds to understand that only God can ultimately satisfy the aching in our souls. And Jesus himself allegedly fasted for 40 days.
And yet, it seems clear to me that there is another path–a path taken by the apostles and by modern spiritual gurus like Ramana Maharshi. It is a path of love and devotion–of wanting a relationship with God through the Holy Spirit more than anything else in your life. And perhaps this path was one that Jesus himself opened up for us through his sacrifice, should we chose to take it.
So, I’ll leave round 2 (and the final verdict) up to you–is it still a draw? Or did one of us eek out a win? Feel free to comment below.
A Creeper
Without extreme fasting, I’m spiritually on my way home. I want to be in unity with God more than anything else, and this colors nearly every decision I make. Yet, even though I am clear on my #1 priority, I am not an extreme ascetic.
Teresa might still call me a “creeper”, and that’s fair. However, according to my oldest, (minecraft) creepers are almost always successful in reaching their end goals. (In the case of these creepers, their goal is blowing up the protagonist in the game–so let’s not take the analogy too far.)
Maybe there’s hope in being a creeper after all.