Hi Ron,

Thanks for sharing - you are welcome here

Fasting can indeed be a very powerful way of cleansing toxins from the body and directing attention deeper inside.

I do have to question however the purpose of a 40 day fast? Where did that come from exactly? You say a 'splinter in your mind' which for me causes quite a degree of concern. Had you said a 'deep upwelling from my heart' that might be different.

Although fasting might cause you to confront SOME PARTICULAR ASPECT of karma, it certainly won't cause you to confront ALL your karma - not at all. We have to walk the spiritual path day-to-day and raise our vibration step-by-step in order to do that.

It's all about confronting our conditioned behaviours in everyday life, relationships, work etc etc.

It's all about making a constant consciousness choice in EVERY MOMENT. As you say yourself...

"I enjoyed the ride and journey, moment by moment, and see step by step what will happened!"

That's why for me, if we truly are walking the spiritual path, it becomes nigh on impossible to say "I will do so and so for 40 days". You may begin with a feeling to fast, but exactly how long that lasts must come from a direct connection to each and every moment.

Best wishes

Chris

Hi Chris,

And thanks for your answer! It is indeed coming from the deepest of my heart! The journey is important, not the destination! I’ll try to listen very careful to my body and heart, and not so much to the mind. That’s one of the reasons to go for a longer fast. After 7 or 8 day’s the mind becomes very still! So from that moment you can start listening to the voice of your higher self! It is also a very good method to overcome addictions, like wrong food, candy, coffee etc. Long term fasting is not a short way to get rid of all your karma, I know that, it’s the same with long term meditating! But why my focus on 40 day’s you ask! Because I know that the road to spiritual enlightenment is beset by enemies ( Like written in de Dao)! I prefer to call that one Maya ( goddess of illusion) so if you set yourself a goal, temptation comes mostly from the mind ( ego). ( or the people around you) Some examples from the mind’s voice…it’s enough, take a cookie, a beer, what are you doing, who do you think you are J.C?! Or…forget about it, quit as soon as possible, you can die you know!
Yes! The body can die! So what! It’s only a vehicle for the Soul! You must leave it anyway when your time comes. Let me be clear about it! I’m not trying to put an end on my body or life! Only get rid of the body’s and mind temptations!

But I think you’ll recognize these inner voices Chris, haha! It’s the same with long term meditating! Over and over again you here this voice say…quit, time to quit! Stop!
I think and feel that you must break thru that kind of rubbish!
And start to listen to the lovely voice of my Soul, who try’s to help me on jour journey, and also get started to realigning to the synchronicity of the Universe! And that I suppose, is only possible with a clear vision.

I hope that I wrote it in just a little bit understanding English. And that the deeper intensions of me, maybe will be recognized by some people.

Love,

Ron

Ron, it is only ego that tries to get rid of ego.

Hi Chris,

But what is the right definition of the Ego? Are we not playing all by the rules of a world that’s only based on a illusion? What is the case that we will be a good father, husband, mother, teacher, employee, sage or whatever. We all have to deal with the world and the people around us. So we do need a little bit of ego isn’t it? Or otherwise…we play a role that feels best for us, and gives us the most satisfaction! Has the Sage who is travel alone a Ego?

I don’t know Chris, it’s all a little bit confusing now for me!
What is eventually real?

"What is eventually real?" I'd say that's exactly the question that needs to be asked right now.

To me, ego is attachment to identity - whatever identity that might be, including and especially a spiritual one (I must do this because it is spiritual and it will get me to so-and-so).

You say...

"I’ll try to listen very careful to my body and heart, and not so much to the mind. That’s one of the reasons to go for a longer fast."

Your real 'heart' will be tuned into exactly what is happening in the moment. It may look ahead to a degree and feel parts of the future jigsaw landing, but it only truly knows what step to take in this moment. If one knows more than the next step, I'd say one is walking a false path.

You say...

"After 7 or 8 day’s the mind becomes very still! So from that moment you can start listening to the voice of your higher self!"

The higher self is speaking all the time. In my observation, it speaks through seven key aspects of the soul (see... The Seven Rays of Divine Impulse).

One of these characteristics is interpreting what is going on in this moment right now. And yes, it speaks through lower mind. So although stilling the inner processes can help connect with the higher self, the higher self is always speaking to us anyway. How do you know that you are not inadvertently dissolving the communications from the higher self by stilling the mind?

You say the 40 day fast is...

"It is also a very good method to overcome addictions, like wrong food, candy, coffee etc."

It may have a temporary effect - you may well clear the energy associated with the addictions so you may feel temporarily clearer and lighter. But the addictions are caused by attachments within the soul which then form fixed neural pathways in the brain. The only way I've come across for breaking these fixed neural pathways is IN THE MOMENT THEY ARE HAPPENING.

So that means they are best dealt with actually as you are feeling them, to bring greater presence into the moment the distorted behaviours/addictions kick in, and then when you are ready, make instead the higher choice: the one that comes spontaneously from the higher self. So that might mean exploring your addictions fully - if it's sugar or alcohol, go deep into the experience as you're taking it. You're sure to discover a 'blind spot' where mind kicks in and denies the experience which then closes down the soul.

You say...

"I’m not trying to put an end on my body or life! Only get rid of the body’s and mind temptations!"

If you truly want to get rid of temptation in order to become enlightened, it will not work to avoid your temptations. That simply creates an identity called 'denial'. The only effective way I have come across is to go right into the heart of your temptations and be totally present with them. Surrender into them, take your fill, until you discover their illusionary nature upon which they simply burst like a bubble.

It brings me back to your original question: "what is eventually real?" This is something we discover step by step whilst exploring our inner most motivations for action - watching carefully in the mirror for the distortions that are causing us to act in some kind of karmic pre-programmed way.

That's why we felt to develop our "Spiritual Compass" for dissecting the moment and realising the various conflicting impulses that we are continually subjected to. You can read about it here... Openhand Approach

Best wishes

Chris

Thanks Chris, Now it becomes more and more clear to me, and can see the things in a different light!

Is it right to say …Try to live consciousness and fully awake in the Now moment! And surrender and go true whatever it brings to you? Be the moment! Right?
It reminds me on a movie “Peaceful Warrior”…when Nick Nolte say…There is never nothing going on! It takes a lifetime on practice to be out of your mind!

So the best thing to do for me right now… is asking myself, why am I fasting, and for what reason truly?
Gee…what a wonderful journey life is! Wow!

Thanks again!

Sincerely,
Ron

Indeed Ron. You are what arises in this moment...

Chris

Wow! Thank you Chris, this feels real good inside! This is what I needed the most in this moment! To be In the present Moment …..right Now!
I’ve seen this movie many times, and this movie always brings tears to my eyes! Don’t know why exactly. Maybe the message I whas looking for a long time and deep inside, was all the time right before my eyes!

Time to celebrate and enjoying life!

Clear,

Ron

I, personally, never really know anything untill it is happening

Even when thinking, oh! I got it! I then discover I didn't get it back then, but only after I really do, i.e. during me experiencing 'it'.

And for me, this is the thing about just being in the moment, it is allowing this moment to arise freely without me having any opinion, idea, narration about what is going on, only feel, experience, just be here with this experience as it is, feelings, thoughts and feel my way out through this...

... by 'asking': "What do I feel? Why? Is this real? What is real now?" - these are not questions, but the feeling, the attention and the alertness, being aware of what's going on, what Chris calls "exploring motivations".

Then for me it was and is important to get this paradox - how to be free in total constriction of my ego; how to be still in total unquietness; how to flow when everything is stuck and just not flowing; how to feel connection and wholeness in total separation; how to feel complete with my neediness; how to perfectly 'know' what to do in total not-knowing etc etc

-------------

Summary

I can generalise how it is happening with me in this way:

*allowing this moment to happen as it is,

*being aware of what's going on and 'asking' what it is about

*'feeling'the paradox, the duality of experience,

*letting go of attachment, sometimes I experience it as a local redemption

*allowing the authentic expression/feeling arise - to me it feels like liberation, many times accompanied by the feeling of joy and expansion, peace, or just clear presence

and after that ... I just do something I feel to do in the moment

chris you say that avoiding your temptation creates 'denial' and that the only way to grow is to take our fill of whatever it is we seem to want until we discover something as to why we keep going back to it. I recently watched the movie Home had a deep inner pull to move to a vegan diet, yet i still have an addiction to certain foods and have denied them until reading this post. I was wondering about this situation I seem to have where im still feeling addicted to certain foods and have been watching myself when the addiction kickes in for a few years but i still don't seem to see why I'm still chasing the feeling. do i just carry on going into the feelings for aslong as it takes?
and also while writing just at the end this i feel like i have stumbled onto the feeling of needing to keep expanding... may be what i need to explore more

Dale

I'm definitely not Chris!!
But if you don't mind, I felt like sharing what happened to me with food. People who know me in person here will probably laugh when reading this Because food- is my specialty when it comes to addictions hahaha

Ok

What happened to me is that one shiny day I woke up and .... iuuu, no meat anymore.... and then a couple of years later I woke up and said: iuuuuu no dairy... Then ooooo :S Feels like going organic.... like going raw...

It just happened.
No agenda, no imposing, no ideas, no forcing just dzin! happened.. Many build some image, then right/wrong is created, followed by guilt, regret, forcing and beating up.
It's a trap, this is how I experienced it.

This transformation was not linear for me, but coming in waves, untill it's stabilized. No mind can help here, I found that it is better relax and see what's happening.

And addictions - untill the 'root' of it is not processed, it keeps coming back, periodically, and it's ok, it was important to 'get used to' not beating myself up, be ok with it. So what?

It is really not so important what I do, but rather why. This is my realisation from this addiction experience.

You can eat meat coming from totally authentic and spontaneous being and you can be vegan living in an ego-built prison of ideals, agendas and dogmas...

Thanks Yulia i realy appreciate your experiances on this
what you said at the end aswell
"You can eat meat coming from totally authentic and spontaneous being and you can be vegan living in an ego-built prison of ideals, agendas and dogmas..."
really struck a cord

Dale

Hi Chris and others,

I have a good and clear meditate, and came to the conclusion that I will going on with my water fasting ( it feels really good deep inside)! I almost want to quit….., but it is clear to me now that I will go on! At least for as long as needed! No spiritual intentions ( fighting the ego) anymore, but pure for clarify the body from a lot of toxins. After my last fast (20 days) there was a lot of change…more healthy foods, raw vegetables, nuts, and fresh fruits! But I feel that there is a lot more of toxins in my body. And that’s keeping me away from a healthy and joyful life! I’m now in my fifth day and have no cravings for food anymore, and my energy is bit by bit rising. So…ill take it now moment by moment, and as the moment there is to quit….I will now it, and than it’s ok!

Big smile,

Ron