Jan. 1, 2026
Food, Fasting and Spiritual Development
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 4, Desire — Food — Sex, pg. 67This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/12/30/food-fasting-and-spiritual-development/
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The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo’s writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #fasting #food
1
00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,000
It is tempting for a spiritual
seeker to undertake some form of
2
00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,560
extreme fasting.
The practice of fasting has been
3
00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:13,200
used since time immemorial all
around the world to increase the
4
00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:17,920
vital force by reducing the drag
of the physical body and its
5
00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:23,160
operations around acquiring,
preparing, eating and digesting
6
00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,880
food.
Additionally, extreme fasting
7
00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:30,840
has been reported to help the
seeker achieve various altered
8
00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:35,200
states of awareness in what has
been called a vision quest.
9
00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:39,520
In certain traditions, fasting
has also been used as a
10
00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:44,240
mechanism to interfere with the
vital desire or craving for food
11
00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:48,040
or specific tastes.
And it has been used by many
12
00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,280
traditions as a means of fixing
the attention on the spiritual
13
00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:56,640
process and having the seeker
learn how to rely on the Divine
14
00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:01,000
for his sustenance by whatever
comes into the begging bowl that
15
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,680
day during the time prescribed
by the path for seeking
16
00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:10,520
nourishment for the body.
At the same time, there are
17
00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,840
limitations to the use of
fasting and the imbalances it
18
00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:18,520
can create in the physical body,
which, after all, is
19
00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,320
foundational for the life on
earth and should be properly
20
00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:26,800
attended to in order to provide
a solid support for the
21
00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,920
spiritual development.
It should be noted that the
22
00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:35,640
Titiria Upanishad makes numerous
references to the role that food
23
00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:37,680
plays in the spiritual
practitioner.
24
00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:42,960
Sadhna quote.
Verily, all sorts and races of
25
00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:46,920
creatures that have their refuge
upon earth are begotten from
26
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,920
food.
Thereafter they live also by
27
00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:55,120
food, and tis to food again,
that they return at the end and
28
00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,160
last.
For food is the eldest of
29
00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,400
created things, and therefore
they name it the green stuff of
30
00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:06,440
the universe.
Verily, they who worship the
31
00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,560
Eternal as food attain the
mastery of food to the
32
00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:13,680
uttermost.
For food all creatures are born,
33
00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,280
and being born they increase by
food.
34
00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:22,800
And thou shalt not blame food,
for that is thy commandment unto
35
00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,720
labor.
Thou shalt not reject food, for
36
00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,480
that too is the vow of thy
labor.
37
00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,400
Thou shalt increase and amass
food, for that too is thy
38
00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,920
commandment unto labor.
End Quote.
39
00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,120
Translated by Sri Aurobindo the
Upanishads.
40
00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,600
Excerpted from Brahmanandavali
and Briguvali.
41
00:02:46,920 --> 00:02:49,680
There are numerous further
references that make it clear
42
00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:54,120
that food is both the physical
substance and at various levels
43
00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:58,640
of the being, the life energy,
the other vibrational energies
44
00:02:58,920 --> 00:03:03,640
that sustain and support our
overall being in all its parts.
45
00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,760
There may be benefits to short
term fasting on occasion.
46
00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,520
Recent nutritional science shows
that refraining from eating for
47
00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:17,720
a certain number of hours in a
day can be a positive benefit to
48
00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:21,080
the body.
This is not the same as long
49
00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:25,240
term or extreme fasting, which
tends eventually to weaken the
50
00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:30,840
body, reduce its substance and
strength for most individuals.
51
00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,880
It is of course possible that
certain individuals have found a
52
00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:38,920
way to nourish the body without
intake of much food.
53
00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:42,360
Yet that does not answer the
general situation.
54
00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:48,520
Paramount's Yogananda in his
Autobiography of Yogi reports
55
00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:53,800
meeting such an individual.
Until and unless an individual
56
00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,360
can make a transition to a
method that supports and
57
00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,960
strengthens the physical body
without the need of physical
58
00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:05,280
food intake, the seeker should
work to find a suitable balance
59
00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:09,680
that avoids the extremes and
provides the body what it needs
60
00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:14,440
without awakening greed for
food, desire or craving.
61
00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:21,000
Sri or open to observes quote.
The idea of giving up food is a
62
00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,520
wrong inspiration.
You can go on with a small
63
00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:28,360
quantity of food, but not
without food altogether, except
64
00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:33,280
for a comparatively short time.
Remember what the Gita says.
65
00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,640
Quote.
Yoga is not for one who eats in
66
00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,720
excess, nor for one who abstains
from eating all together.
67
00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:45,640
End Quote Vital energy is one
thing of that one can draw a
68
00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:50,080
great amount without food, and
often it increases with fasting,
69
00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:56,640
but physical substance without
which life loses its support is
70
00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:01,600
of a different order.
End Quote Reference Sri
71
00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:09,240
Aurobindo Bases of Yoga Chapter
4 Desire food sex page 67.
00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,000
It is tempting for a spiritual
seeker to undertake some form of
2
00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:08,560
extreme fasting.
The practice of fasting has been
3
00:00:08,560 --> 00:00:13,200
used since time immemorial all
around the world to increase the
4
00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:17,920
vital force by reducing the drag
of the physical body and its
5
00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:23,160
operations around acquiring,
preparing, eating and digesting
6
00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,880
food.
Additionally, extreme fasting
7
00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:30,840
has been reported to help the
seeker achieve various altered
8
00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:35,200
states of awareness in what has
been called a vision quest.
9
00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:39,520
In certain traditions, fasting
has also been used as a
10
00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:44,240
mechanism to interfere with the
vital desire or craving for food
11
00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:48,040
or specific tastes.
And it has been used by many
12
00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:52,280
traditions as a means of fixing
the attention on the spiritual
13
00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:56,640
process and having the seeker
learn how to rely on the Divine
14
00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:01,000
for his sustenance by whatever
comes into the begging bowl that
15
00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:05,680
day during the time prescribed
by the path for seeking
16
00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:10,520
nourishment for the body.
At the same time, there are
17
00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,840
limitations to the use of
fasting and the imbalances it
18
00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:18,520
can create in the physical body,
which, after all, is
19
00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:22,320
foundational for the life on
earth and should be properly
20
00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:26,800
attended to in order to provide
a solid support for the
21
00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,920
spiritual development.
It should be noted that the
22
00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:35,640
Titiria Upanishad makes numerous
references to the role that food
23
00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:37,680
plays in the spiritual
practitioner.
24
00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:42,960
Sadhna quote.
Verily, all sorts and races of
25
00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:46,920
creatures that have their refuge
upon earth are begotten from
26
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,920
food.
Thereafter they live also by
27
00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:55,120
food, and tis to food again,
that they return at the end and
28
00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,160
last.
For food is the eldest of
29
00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,400
created things, and therefore
they name it the green stuff of
30
00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:06,440
the universe.
Verily, they who worship the
31
00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,560
Eternal as food attain the
mastery of food to the
32
00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:13,680
uttermost.
For food all creatures are born,
33
00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,280
and being born they increase by
food.
34
00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:22,800
And thou shalt not blame food,
for that is thy commandment unto
35
00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:26,720
labor.
Thou shalt not reject food, for
36
00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,480
that too is the vow of thy
labor.
37
00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,400
Thou shalt increase and amass
food, for that too is thy
38
00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,920
commandment unto labor.
End Quote.
39
00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,120
Translated by Sri Aurobindo the
Upanishads.
40
00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,600
Excerpted from Brahmanandavali
and Briguvali.
41
00:02:46,920 --> 00:02:49,680
There are numerous further
references that make it clear
42
00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:54,120
that food is both the physical
substance and at various levels
43
00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:58,640
of the being, the life energy,
the other vibrational energies
44
00:02:58,920 --> 00:03:03,640
that sustain and support our
overall being in all its parts.
45
00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:08,760
There may be benefits to short
term fasting on occasion.
46
00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,520
Recent nutritional science shows
that refraining from eating for
47
00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:17,720
a certain number of hours in a
day can be a positive benefit to
48
00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:21,080
the body.
This is not the same as long
49
00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:25,240
term or extreme fasting, which
tends eventually to weaken the
50
00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:30,840
body, reduce its substance and
strength for most individuals.
51
00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,880
It is of course possible that
certain individuals have found a
52
00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:38,920
way to nourish the body without
intake of much food.
53
00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:42,360
Yet that does not answer the
general situation.
54
00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:48,520
Paramount's Yogananda in his
Autobiography of Yogi reports
55
00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:53,800
meeting such an individual.
Until and unless an individual
56
00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,360
can make a transition to a
method that supports and
57
00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:00,960
strengthens the physical body
without the need of physical
58
00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:05,280
food intake, the seeker should
work to find a suitable balance
59
00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:09,680
that avoids the extremes and
provides the body what it needs
60
00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:14,440
without awakening greed for
food, desire or craving.
61
00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:21,000
Sri or open to observes quote.
The idea of giving up food is a
62
00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:24,520
wrong inspiration.
You can go on with a small
63
00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:28,360
quantity of food, but not
without food altogether, except
64
00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:33,280
for a comparatively short time.
Remember what the Gita says.
65
00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,640
Quote.
Yoga is not for one who eats in
66
00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:39,720
excess, nor for one who abstains
from eating all together.
67
00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:45,640
End Quote Vital energy is one
thing of that one can draw a
68
00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:50,080
great amount without food, and
often it increases with fasting,
69
00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:56,640
but physical substance without
which life loses its support is
70
00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:01,600
of a different order.
End Quote Reference Sri
71
00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:09,240
Aurobindo Bases of Yoga Chapter
4 Desire food sex page 67.
