Fasting has never been my forte. But Being a Jain , my surrounding has always been full of people who either preach fasting or practice it by themselves now and then. But it has always been a topic of curiosity for me. The Question “How can someone think of Godliness or the Divine with empty stomach?” always kept running in my mind. Mahavira attained enlightenment with fasting technique, but he was one of the billions who could do it. And to prove this fact, there has never been a second Mahavira who has attained his state of mind in last 2500 years in spite many people fasting day in and out.

Despite this fact, my curiosity always asked for an answer. Hence during this year’s Paryusan I thought of fasting myself and to experience how it feels. This was the first time I chose to fast on Sanwatsari in my life just to experience what it feels like. But the experience of fast wasn’t as expected. I simply kept thinking of food the whole day, without a moment of enlightenment or peace. Indeed I found the answer to my curiosity that fasting and religion don’t go together for me. But that day there was one more inquiry arose in my mind. Are we practicing or defining the right way of ‘Religion?’

I believe the natural evolution of apes have stopped at man. For thousands of years nothing has happened to humans. It seems the nature has done its part. Now its in humans’ own hand to take the course of evolution further. And I call this course as religion or what many say as ‘The way of Life.’

Religion to me means that man starts standing on his own feet, become responsible for his own being, starts searching and inquiring into as “Who am I?” And this inquiry should not be curiosity. Curiosity is something like you scratch your head and you get the answer. Curiosity gives rise to various philosophies. It is superficial. Inquiries give rise to Religion. From philosophies and curiosity you accumulate knowledge but you never practice it.

Some year back during the Holy days of Paryusan, I witness some eye opening incident. A Jain scholar was trying to impart Jain teaching to his seven year old grandchild and the importance of ‘Michhami Dukkadam (Forgiveness).’  After listening patiently to his grandfather for a while, the child inquired innocently, “You know so much about Jainism. As you narrate, you have been learning the teachings since your youth. You know all the shlokas and mantras by heart. You know what is best suited to Jainism and what should be avoided. Then why each year you still make mistakes and keep asking for forgiveness (Michhami Dukkadam). Is it what you know you don’t practice?”

And that was the line that has been permanently embossed in my mind. Many scholars know many things but fail to live up to it. Religion is not a question of knowing but living up to it. As everyone says, Religion is the way of life and until you live onto it, how will you know about it.

To be a religious seeker one has to drop all philosophies and start experimenting on oneself. One has to drop all the pre acquired information and knowledge. All the prior philosophies are hindrances, because it stops your inquires. How can one be Jain and also religious? Being a Jain means that you have already concluded, you have decided what truth is. Now there remains no point in inquiry. Hence to be a Jain and to be religious is impossible. What will you inquire? All you would be doing is finding support, arguments, for what you have already concluded.

Now just give it a thought, how do you know that your conclusions are right? They may be wrong as well, no one knows. You can never be aware if your believes are right or wrong, cause they are not yours, they have been handed to you by the community or society.

Belief is a drug. One starts believing, and goes on believing. Slowly, slowly one starts thinking that his belief is his experience and life eventually. Belief is what I call it as hypnosis. Like those grandparents who kept suggesting their child that “You are a Jain, You are a Jain.” They take him to the temple, lead him through religious rituals, ceremonies and by and by, he starts concluding to idea of being a Jain, and that all that is Jain is right and others are wrong.

Once you have believed something you will find all the supports and arguments to help it. You stop inquiring. And this remains same for all kind of communities. Communities help you with philosophies, hence they differ. Philosophies differ; evolution is same for all its kind. All Apes evolved to humans, without any difference. Hence what I realized that day is Hindusim, Jainism, Buddhism and what not are different kind of philosophies in reality and not ‘Course of Evolution’ or what as ‘The Religion.’

Coming back to fasting, almost all so called religion have this concept of fasting, some fast in day, some without water, some for various occasions. But there was this beautiful line I read in the temple some year ago, “if you find God with Fasting, then beggars would have been the most happiest creature on earth.”

Hence, there has to be an evolution in the concept of fasting. Right concept should be inquired and understoodd. Like if you sacrifice food, you will be tempted for food always. But if you start accepting hunger in yourself, you will surely be at peace.

Inquire within and not outside you, and surely you will find the definition of what I call it as “Religion.” Isn’t it?