News about a girl’s death while observing religious fast, and another news about offering 20 crores rupees worth of edible ghee as offering to deity, that flooded the street are crass display of blind faith. Devotees turn into insane mob by wasting money and edible resource. This amount of ghee could have fed many poor folks. Cash could have been donated towards welfare of soldiers’ family. Religious fasting with total disregard to health and safety of devotee is also blind faith. It is a pity that no research is done to make religious practice a pleasant one, without torturing one self.
In a book ”Yogi kathamrut-Paramhamsa Yogananda”, there is mention that a true yogi can fast for 40 years. This statement is verified medically in Bengal-1936 and Ahmedabad-2006. Intelligent devotees must pursue such knowledge and bring the religion in 21stCentury. Such a gift can far outweigh technology gift by modern science, which has created lethal radioactive fallout, scrap, and weapons of mass destruction. Such practice can liberate devotees from mundane sorrows. In most pragmatic terms, such method of getting sustenance from sun, ether and atmosphere can be useful n famine, non-pastoral areas and astronauts’ space travels.
Ramesh Jhalla
By email
