Religion and Philosophy: March 2008 Archives

The Baha'i New Year, Naw Ruz, falls on the 21st of March every year, roughly at the time of the spring equinox. (In fact, I learned a few days ago that Baha'is in the middle east and Iran don't celebrate on a fixed annual date, but rather on whatever day the Spring Equinox falls. But that's needless digression into comparative calenderology (there must be a word for that) which I don't really feel like doing today. This year I was lucky enough to be able to attend not one, but two celebrations - one in Edinburgh, and one in St Andrews. While both the celebrations differed greatly in scale, organisation, activities, and attendees, they were both characterised by an amazing spirit of joy, friendliness, and love.

Please read Wendi Momen's thoughts and observations on this time of year (via Alice's Adventures in China).

The period from March the 2nd until March the 20th (inclusive) is the Baha'i month of fasting. (Remember I mentioned that the Baha'i month is 19 days long.) During this time, Baha'is abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise until sunset.

I have to say, the fast is probably one of my favourite times of year. It usually involves getting up before dawn for breakfast and prayers, and having a large meal in the evening just after sunset with friends. The community spirit the fast brings is something I really enjoy - last year's fast I ate breakfast and prayed with other Baha'is almost every morning, which was a fantastic way to begin the day. And then getting together in the evening to break the fast is usually greatly fun too.

That's not the main reason I like the fast though. In the Baha'i writings, it says that physical fasting (abstaining from food and drink) is actually just a symbol, and isn't really that important. What is important, and what the physical fasting symbolises, is the spiritual fasting. The fast is a time of self-renewal and prayer; of reflection and contemplation; of discipline and selflessness.

This material fast is an outer token of the spiritual fast; it is a symbol of self-restraint, the withholding of oneself from all appetites of the self, taking on the characteristics of the spirit, being carried away by the breathings of heaven and catching fire from the love of God.
Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Bahá, p70

As well as being an ongoing reminder of the spiritual fast and our duty to strive to improve ourselves, I also find the fast a reminder of our frailty as humans. Our physical bodies can not survive long without nourishment, and fasting reminds us of this - it also reminds us of the analagous situation, that our spiritual selves cannot survive long without spiritual nourishment.

O my Lord! Make Thy beauty to be my food, and Thy presence my drink
Bahá'u'lláh, p261

Living in the wealthy Western world, it's easy to take food and other commodities for granted. The fast leads me to appreciate my food and be thankful for it. I fast out of personal choice. Some fast as they have no other option. While we're on the subject of choice, I've always considered the fast to be the ultimate expression of free will - a complete denial of our natural instincts. Not that our natural instincts are bad or wicked, but being able to deny them is a display of who is really in charge: me, not my hormones.

As a supremely spiritual act, the fast is between an individual and God. Shoghi Effendi, the guardian of the Baha'i Faith, while calling the fast a "universal obligation", also notes that:

the observance of the nineteen day fast has been made by Bahá'u'lláh the sole responsibility of the individual believer. No Assembly has the right to enforce it on the friends, or to hold anybody responsible for not observing it. The believer is free, however, to ask the advice of his Assembly as to the circumstances that would justify him to conscientiously break such a fast. But he is by no means required to do so.
From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, March 9, 1937

There are numerous exceptions to fasting in the Baha'i Writings. And rightly so - as mentioned above, physical fasting is but a mere symbol of a spiritual process. For example, if you are ill, pregnant, breast-feeding, menstruating, doing heavy manual labour, or travelling for a long time, you are exempted from the fast.

A man is not fit to do service for God with brain or body if he is weakened by lack of food.
Abdu'l-Bahá, quoted in J. E. Esslemont, Baha'u'llah and the New Era, p184

The physical fast being merely a symbol means that if you simply just don't eat, fasting doesn't really work - "mere abstention from food has no effect on the spirit" (ibid). I remember the first time I fasted I loved it, it was really great and I learned a lot about myself. The second time the month of fasting rolled around, I thought "great! I'll just stop eating, sit back, and let the spiritual bounties come over me." Except they didn't. I've found that what you get out of fasting is directly proportional to what you put into it.

Getting up before dawn every day, not eating lunch, and not snacking throughout the day all leave you with a bit of extra time in your schedule. I try to use this time to reflect on my behaviour and how I treat others. If I can manage, I'll meditate or pray for longer than usual. I'll go out of my way to make those around me comfortable and at ease. Other Baha'is will do similar things - although the fast is a very personal time of reflection so I can only speculate. Speaking of meditation, I heard from a nutritionist that a period of fasting is often the best time to meditate - as no blood is being directed toward the gut, more blood and oxygen are available for the mind, giving you a keener and sharper awareness of yourself and the world around you.

The fast ends on the 20th of March. The 21st of March is Naw Rúz, the Baha'i new year. This coincides with the spring equinox. As well as the spring equinox having symbolic value of renewal and rebirth, the equinox is also when there is maximal balance between the length of daytime and nighttime - a perfect time to fast from sunrise to sunset!