Acharya Mahaprajna
According to the Jam tradition, among the 12 types of penances, the first four anashan (fast), unodari (eating less than necessary to satisfy hunger), vrittisankshep (Limiting the items to be eaten) and rasa-parityaga (avoidance of tastes) these are penances as well as formulae of good health. Fasting does not mean merely abandoning food. The work on the fasting therapy by Dr. Selton of America is the principle of health. He has said, "Food intakes lead to accumulation of toxicant in the body. Health would suffer badly without the ejectment of those toxicant from the body."
Fasting is the body way of ejecting the foreign substances from the body. Fasting provides rest to the digestive system. Without that rest, the digestive system cannot function to the fullest extent. This affects the whole body. The digestive system is the basis of life. Usually, the respiratory system is given great importance. But no attention has been paid to the cause of the good condition of the respiratory system. The disturbed digestive system results in breathing problems. It is only the digestive system, which influences the breathing. If the digestive system, stomach, pancreas, spleen etc. function properly, it is possible to maintain health. But if these organs of the body do not function well, it is futile to expect good health. Pancreas do not section properly, there is no health. A man said that his younger brother had passed away, mentioning very naturally that he had just the sugar problem. But he had not realised that sugar is the root cause of all diseases. It is an invitation to all kinds of diseases. It weakens the kidneys, and the whole body becomes hollow.
