Fasting

Some people fast as a penance for bad behavior, or in religious circles, for their sins.  What has fasting to do with bad behavior?  It is a matter of the "Will."  One can choose to do a bad deed, which is a willful act.  Or one might do a bad deed because they have no will power.  In either case, the will is damaged as to doing good deeds and healthy actions.  Fasting is an attempt to deal with the will.  One decides to fast from something, often a food, but it could be a place or people or temptation to do the wrong.  Is not sobriety a daily fasting from alcohol for an alcoholic?  They have broken wills.  That is the basis of addiction.  On their own they cannot say no to alcohol.  But if they only try to fast from alcohol, they will not be sober.  They will only be "dry."  They need more of a spiritual solution.  Fasting is only the bottom line to a whole program of action.  So too, with anyone who fasts to strengthen the will.  To just skip meat on Friday does not make one a better person.  If anything, it probably makes one more prideful that they "kept the fast."  Or maybe they do it simply for health reasons.  So now, they are healthy people who practice bad behavior!  If we are going to become better persons, fasting can be part of a larger practice that gets at our spiritual innards.  Back to meditation.  Gotta go!