What is the significance of fasting in spiritual practice?
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definition
"True fasting is not about abstaining from food, but about dwelling in the depths of your being, where the body and its desires fade into oblivion."
According to Osho, true fasting (upavasa) means dwelling near the Self, not merely abstaining from food (anāhāra). Skipping meals is spiritually irrelevant and often fixates the mind on the body and food; it dulls the senses without ending desire. Real upavasa happens when inward absorption is so deep you forget the body and meals—mastery, not suppression, naturally elevates consciousness.
Fasting isn’t starving yourself; it’s being so absorbed in your inner self that you forget about eating.
Why this matters practically
- Shift from food-denial to meditation and self-attention.
- Avoid harm and obsession caused by hunger-focused rituals.
- Build true mastery of the senses through effortless inner absorption.
- Avoid harm and obsession caused by hunger-focused rituals.
- Build true mastery of the senses through effortless inner absorption.
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