mindofmahatmagandhi

The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi
06. MY FASTS
MY RELIGION teaches me that, whenever there is distress which one cannot
remove, one must fast and pray. (YI, 25-9-1924, p. 319)
They [fasts] are a part of my being. I can as well do without my eyes, for
instance, as I can without fasts. What the eyes are for the outer world, fasts
are for the inner. (YI, 3-12-1925, p. 422)
Higher Dictate
I am not responsible for these fasts. I do not undertake them for my
amusement. I would not torture the flesh for the love of fame. Though I bear
joyfully the pangs of hunger and many other discomforts of fasting, let no one
imagine that I do not suffer. These fasts are bearable only because they are
imposed upon me by a higher Power and the capacity to bear the pain also
comes from that Power. (H, 24-8-1934, p. 223)
I cannot fast at the dictation of anyone. Such fasts [unto death] cannot be
lightly undertaken. They can conceivably be wholly undesirable. They cannot
be undertaken out of anger. Anger is a short madness. I must, therefore,
undertake the fast only when the still small voice within me calls for it.
(H, 15-6-1947, p. 194)
Fasting and Prayer
A genuine fast cleanses the body, mind and soul. It crucifies the flesh and to
that extent sets the soul free. A sincere prayer can work wonders. It is an
intense longing of the soul for its even greater purity. Purity thus gained, when
it is utilized for a noble purpose, becomes a prayer. (YI, 24-3-1920, p. 1)
I believe that there is no prayer without fasting, and there is no real fast
without prayer. (H, 16-2-1933, p. 2)
A complete fast is a complete and literal denial of self. It is the truest prayer.
'Take my life and let it be, always, only, all for Thee' is not, should not be, a
mere lip or figurative expression. It has to be reckless and joyous giving without
the least reservation. Abstention from food and even water is but the mere
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