THE RULES OF FASTING: AN EMPTY STOMACH versus A GOOD HEART?

Summary

In this heartfelt video, the speaker expresses gratitude for viewers' support during the pandemic and emphasizes the importance of understanding both the practical and spiritual aspects of fasting. They caution against applying fasting rules without spiritual context, likening it to sailing without knowledge. The speaker advocates for a balance between the physical act of fasting and the internal growth it should foster, including love, humility, and avoiding judgment of others. They also discuss the Nativity fast's guidelines and the importance of personalizing one's fasting practice with the guidance of a spiritual advisor.

Takeaways

• 🕒 Time-sensitive: The speaker is under time pressure to record, edit, and upload the video before 6 o'clock.
• 🙏 Acknowledgment: Expresses gratitude to the audience for their support and companionship during the pandemic.
• 🚫 Fasting Misunderstandings: Clarifies misconceptions about fasting, emphasizing that it's not just about abstaining from food but also about spiritual growth.
• 📚 Two Sets of Rules: Highlights the distinction between the practical rules of fasting and the spiritual rules that guide how to apply them for personal and spiritual benefit.
• 🛶 The Boat Analogy: Uses the metaphor of a boat to illustrate the dangers of engaging in fasting without understanding its purpose and application.
• 💔 Spiritual Danger: Warns of the spiritual risks of fasting without proper guidance, likening it to sailing without knowledge.
• 💖 Love and Fasting: Affirms that love is essential but also insists that fasting, prayer, and repentance are necessary to cultivate true Christian love.
• 🎼 Spiritual Technique: Compares the importance of technique in art and music to the necessity of fasting and spiritual practices for genuine spiritual experience.
• 🌱 Growth and Potential: Suggests that fasting and spiritual exercises help uncover and develop one's hidden spiritual potential.
• 📅 Nativity Fast Details: Provides specific guidelines for the Nativity fast, including dietary restrictions and allowances on different days of the week.
• 👴 Consideration for the Elderly and Ill: Notes that fasting rules can be adjusted for those who are elderly, ill, or pregnant, emphasizing the importance of moderation and consultation with a spiritual guide.

Q & A

What is the main message the speaker is trying to convey about fasting?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding both the practical and spiritual aspects of fasting. They argue that fasting should not be seen as merely a physical act but as a means to cultivate love, mercy, and humility, which are essential for spiritual growth.

Why does the speaker compare fasting to sailing a boat?

The analogy of sailing a boat is used to illustrate the dangers of undertaking fasting without proper understanding and guidance. Just as one cannot sail without knowledge, fasting should not be done without understanding its spiritual implications and rules.

What are the practical rules of fasting according to the speaker?

The practical rules of fasting, as described by the speaker, involve abstaining from certain foods like meat, fish, eggs, butter, cheese, and milk during specific fasting periods. For the Nativity fast, one becomes vegan from Monday to Friday and may include fish on Saturdays and Sundays.

How does the speaker address the spiritual aspect of fasting?

The spiritual aspect of fasting, according to the speaker, involves using the practice to cultivate self-awareness, humility, and love for others. It's about applying the practical rules in a way that benefits one's soul and spiritual life rather than focusing solely on the physical act of abstaining from food.

What is the significance of tears in the context of the speaker's discussion on fasting?

The speaker contrasts the value of tears shed in sentimental situations with those shed during repentance. While the chemistry of the tears may be the same, the spiritual significance is vastly different, with repentant tears being filled with grace and contributing to spiritual growth.

Why does the speaker mention the importance of having a spiritual guide when it comes to fasting?

The speaker stresses the importance of a spiritual guide to help individuals find their personal measure of fasting. This guidance ensures that the practice does not lead to physical or spiritual harm but rather supports growth in humility, love, and mercy.

How does the speaker view the relationship between fasting and the commandments of Christ?

The speaker sees fasting as a way to apply the commandments of Christ, which include love, mercy, and non-judgment. Fasting, when done correctly, should lead to an increase in these virtues and a deeper spiritual connection with God.

What is the speaker's stance on the idea that 'fasting is not important, what is important is who you are inside'?

While the speaker agrees that one's inner self is crucial, they disagree with the context in which this statement is often made. They argue that fasting, when combined with spiritual practices, is essential for nurturing the inner self and should not be dismissed.

How does the speaker explain the connection between fasting and spiritual experience?

The speaker likens the connection between fasting and spiritual experience to the relationship between music and technique. Just as technique in music allows for the expression of deeper emotions, fasting, when combined with spiritual understanding, can lead to profound spiritual experiences.

What advice does the speaker give to those who struggle with the spiritual aspect of fasting?

The speaker encourages individuals to continue fasting even if they struggle, to take note of their failures, and to strive to improve. They emphasize the importance of learning from mistakes and using fasting as a tool for self-improvement and spiritual growth.

How does the speaker describe the balance between the practical and spiritual rules of fasting?

The speaker describes the balance as needing both 'wings' to 'fly spiritually.' The practical rules provide the structure, while the spiritual rules guide how these rules are applied to nurture virtues like love, mercy, and humility.

Outlines

00:00

🕒 Urgency of Time and Importance of Fasting

The speaker begins by emphasizing the time constraints they are under to prepare and upload the video, highlighting the effort involved. They express gratitude for the viewers' support during the pandemic and the importance of donations. The speaker then discusses the topic of fasting, cautioning against the dangers of applying fasting rules without understanding their spiritual context. They differentiate between the practical and spiritual rules of fasting, stressing the need to master both for a meaningful fast that is pleasing to God.

05:07

🚢 The Paradox of Fasting and Spiritual Growth

This paragraph delves into the paradox of fasting, using the metaphor of a boat and sailing to illustrate the need for both practical and spiritual understanding. The speaker criticizes those who either focus solely on the rules of fasting or dismiss them entirely, arguing that true spiritual growth requires a balance between the two. They emphasize that fasting is not an end in itself but a means to cultivate love, humility, and repentance, which are essential for spiritual development.

10:09

🎼 The Role of Technique in Spiritual Practices

The speaker compares the practice of fasting to the development of technical skills in music and literature, arguing that technique is essential for spiritual growth. They refute the notion that a good heart arises without spiritual struggle, likening it to imagining a sailing trip without ever boarding the boat. The speaker asserts that fasting, along with other ascetic practices, is a necessary technique for uncovering one's spiritual potential and aligning one's present self with their eternal self as intended by God.

15:10

📅 The Practical Rules of Fasting During the Nativity Fast

In this paragraph, the speaker outlines the practical rules of fasting for the Nativity fast, which includes a 40-day period of abstaining from animal products and varying dietary restrictions on different days of the week. They note exceptions for the elderly, the ill, and those with specific health conditions, emphasizing the importance of individualized guidance from a spiritual advisor to balance physical health and spiritual growth.

20:23

💖 The Spiritual Rules of Fasting and the Path to Love and Humility

The speaker discusses the spiritual rules of fasting, which focus on cultivating love, mercy, and humility. They stress that fasting should lead to a greater sense of self-awareness and a recognition of one's own sinfulness, while also fostering compassion for others. The speaker encourages viewers to continue fasting even if they stumble, using each failure as an opportunity for growth and self-improvement, and to seek guidance from a spiritual father to find the right balance of fasting practices.

🙏 Gratitude and Closing Remarks

In the closing paragraph, the speaker expresses deep gratitude for the viewers' support during the pandemic, which has been crucial for their survival. They offer a heartfelt blessing and reflect on the journey they have shared over the past several months, reinforcing the bond and community that has been built through their shared experiences.

Keywords

💡Fasting

Fasting is the practice of abstaining from food and drink, often for religious or spiritual reasons. In the context of the video, fasting is discussed as a means to achieve spiritual growth and self-reflection. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding both the practical and spiritual aspects of fasting to ensure it contributes positively to one's soul and salvation. For example, the speaker mentions the Nativity fast, where for 40 days, participants become vegan, abstaining from animal products, with variations on oil consumption throughout the week.

💡Repentance

Repentance refers to the act of feeling regret or remorse for one's wrongdoings and seeking to make amends. In the video, repentance is linked to the practice of fasting, suggesting that true fasting should lead to an increase in love, mercy, and humility. The speaker uses the metaphor of tears to illustrate the difference between sentimental tears and those shed in the depth of repentance, which are filled with grace and contribute to spiritual transformation.

💡Spiritual Growth

Spiritual growth is the process of developing one's spiritual and moral character. The video discusses how fasting, when combined with prayer and self-reflection, can facilitate spiritual growth. The speaker argues that fasting is not an end in itself but a means to attune one's present self to their eternal self, as intended by God. The script mentions that fasting reveals one's true self and helps in accessing the hidden potential within.

💡Love and Mercy

Love and mercy are central themes in the video, presented as outcomes of proper fasting. The speaker asserts that fasting should lead to an 'excess of love and mercy' for others and a sense of humility that regards oneself as the 'worst among sinners.' These concepts are used to illustrate the spiritual benefits of fasting and the importance of maintaining a compassionate and humble attitude towards others.

💡Pride

Pride is discussed in the video as a potential pitfall of fasting if not approached correctly. The speaker warns against the danger of becoming prideful by strictly adhering to the practical rules of fasting without the accompanying spiritual growth. Pride is contrasted with humility, with the latter being a desired outcome of fasting, as it helps to cultivate a deeper sense of self-awareness and compassion.

💡Salvation

Salvation, in a religious context, refers to the deliverance from sin and its consequences. The video script discusses how the practice of fasting, when combined with spiritual discipline, can lead to salvation. The speaker emphasizes the importance of mastering both the practical and spiritual rules of fasting to ensure that it is pleasing to God and contributes to one's salvation.

💡Technique

Technique, in the video, is used metaphorically to describe the necessary skills or methods required for spiritual practices like fasting. The speaker compares the development of spiritual techniques to the mastery of skills in music or literature, arguing that without the discipline of fasting and other ascetic practices, one cannot fully develop their spiritual vocabulary or realize their spiritual potential.

💡Sin

Sin is mentioned in the context of the video as something that fasting can help individuals confront and overcome. The speaker discusses the importance of recognizing one's sinfulness and using fasting as a means to repent and seek spiritual growth. The concept of sin is integral to the discussion of humility and self-awareness in the practice of fasting.

💡Self-Condemnation

Self-condemnation refers to the act of harshly judging oneself, which the speaker suggests should be fostered through fasting. However, it is not self-loathing but rather a recognition of one's imperfections and a drive towards repentance and spiritual improvement. The speaker contrasts self-condemnation with the condemnation of others, which is seen as a misuse of fasting.

💡Spiritual Guide

A spiritual guide is a mentor or advisor who provides spiritual direction and support. In the video, the speaker recommends consulting a spiritual guide to determine the appropriate level of fasting, especially for the elderly, ill, or those with physical limitations. The spiritual guide helps individuals find a balance between physical health and spiritual discipline.

💡Nativity Fast

The Nativity Fast is a specific period of fasting leading up to the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus in the Orthodox Christian tradition. The video script describes the rules of the Nativity Fast, which include abstaining from animal products and varying the consumption of oil throughout the week, as a practical example of how fasting is observed.

Highlights

The speaker emphasizes the urgency of recording and uploading the video due to time constraints.

Expresses gratitude for viewers' support and donations during the pandemic.

Discusses the importance of understanding the rules of fasting, comparing it to the dangers of sailing without knowledge.

Contrasts the superficial view of fasting with the deeper spiritual significance.

Differentiates between the practical and spiritual aspects of fasting, highlighting the necessity of mastering both.

Warns against the pitfalls of focusing solely on the practical rules of fasting while neglecting the spiritual.

Criticizes those who dismiss fasting as unimportant, advocating for a balance between inner love and outward practices.

Explains the transformative power of fasting, vigil, and prayer in developing a genuine love as commanded by Christ.

Draws a parallel between the necessity of technique in art and the necessity of discipline in spiritual practices like fasting.

Argues that fasting is a means to access the hidden potential and treasure within oneself.

Describes the process of aligning one's present self with their eternal self through fasting and spiritual practices.

Provides specific guidelines for the Nativity fast, including dietary restrictions and allowances.

Acknowledges exceptions to fasting rules for the elderly, ill, or pregnant, emphasizing the importance of individual guidance.

Stresses the importance of the spiritual rules of fasting, such as humility and avoiding judgment of others.

Encourages persistence in fasting even when faced with failure, using it as an opportunity for growth and self-awareness.

Concludes with a heartfelt expression of love and gratitude for the viewers' companionship and support during the pandemic.

Transcripts

Hello, my dear ones! It is almost one o'clock, and  by six o'clock when this video should be available  

to you I need to record it, I need to edit it, I  need to drive for about 30 minutes if not a bit  

more to a place on the Island with good internet  reception so I can also upload it, so I don't have  

much time to mince my words and I don't have much  time for an introduction, so let's just begin:  

One, thank you for being with us, for watching us  and travelling with us through this pandemic. Two,  

thank you for supporting us every time you click  on that link in the description of the video,  

and every time you send us a donation---regardless  of the size of it---you are offering us a breath  

of air and the chance to keep on going for one  more day; may God bless you for that chance. For  

the last, what, two videos now we've been talking  about fasting and I kept postponing the moment  

when I would address the actual rules of fasting  and there is a reason why I kept postponing,  

I think in the previous video I gave you the  example of a teenager or a child who sees a boat  

and all of a sudden they want that boat  because the idea of sailing the ocean is  

so exciting---many of us relate to these  rules of fasting the same way and I kept  

delaying the moment of talking to you about the  rules because it's very dangerous, it's just as  

dangerous to apply the rules of fasting without  understanding how to apply them as it would be to  

just jump on a boat and start sailing the ocean  with absolutely zero knowledge about sailing.

I keep getting, and I'm sure  you've heard this message yourself:  

It doesn't really matter, fasting is  not important, what is important is  

who you are inside, what you eat is not important,  what is important is the love you feel inside,  

and I completely agree with that sentence  while at the same time completely disagreeing  

with the context from which this comment  comes, because you see there are two sets  

of rules when it comes to fasting, not one:  there is the obvious practical set of rules,  

what we can eat, what we cannot eat, where we  should eat, how frequently we should eat, and  

so on and so forth---that is the practical side,  the practical set of rules concerning fasting;  

but then you also have the spiritual rules that  allow you to apply the practical rules in a  

way that is beneficial to your soul and to your  salvation and not detrimental, because and we've  

addressed this in a previous video, the same rules  of fasting the same act of fasting can lead to  

your salvation or can lead you to pride and more  temptations and more fights spiritually speaking  

and we need to know both sets of rules and we  need to be able to master both sets of rules  

before we can even hope that our fasting is  pleasing to God. Yes, there are very many people  

who get things wrong because they focus primarily  and sometimes exclusively on the practicalities  

of fasting while ignoring the spiritual rules of  fasting, there will be and I have seen them and  

I am sure you've met them as well people who  will keep all the rules and lead an outwardly  

perfect kind of fasting but they are  just unkind people, unloving people,  

people who are willing to judge their neighbour  and condemn their neighbour in a heartbeat,  

these are the people who know all the practical  rules but have no idea how to apply them, these  

are the people who have seen the boat, have jumped  in the boat immediately and started sailing:  

very, very soon after they started their  sailing they will fall into the water and only  

by the grace of God and only if they have a good  spiritual guide they will not drown and will not  

die spiritually speaking; but on the other hand  you have the people who condemn those people,  

you have the people who say, 'Oh, I've seen so  many people who fast and who are just awful human  

beings, therefore fasting is not important, I'm  not going to fast, I'm just going to hold on to my  

wonderful loving heart', these are  the people who look at the boat  

and read about the boat, they imagine the beauty  of a sailing trip onto the ocean, they imagine  

the beauty of the wildlife, they imagine the  silence and just that peacefulness of the waves  

hitting the sailing boat and so on and so forth,  these are the people who imagine their trip and  

think that they are actually on a trip  without ever setting foot on the boat,  

and both kinds, both categories get it wrong---in  order to fly spiritually speaking, in order to fly  

by using the proper way of fasting, you  need both wings: you need the practical  

side of applying the rules of fasting onto your  life and you need the spiritual side the rules of  

how to apply these rules in order for them to  serve your soul, to serve your salvation and  

not to just throw you in the water. Fasting is  not necessary, all that is necessary is to love.  

As I said, yes, I agree to that statement, but  without fasting, without vigil, without prayer,  

without these bodily, outwardly visible gestures  of repentance, our love is not the love that  

Christ commanded us to have; don't forget that  we shed plenty of tears when we watch a silly  

sentimental romantic movie and we shed the same  tears when we are in the depths of our repentance,  

the chemistry of those tears is the same but  what is behind them is what makes them dust  

or grace, the tears that we shed because we  are sentimentally weeping seeing a nice video  

about kittens or something silly like that  are dust feeding dust, they are not worth  

anything, it's just sentimentality; the tears  that one sheds in the depth of repentance,  

where you get by fasting, by keeping vigil,  by not judging and condemning your brother,  

by fighting to forgive the ones who hate you and  so on and so forth, so basically by just applying  

the commandments of Christ---those tears are no  longer dust feeding the dust in us, those are  

tears filled with grace feeding  with grace the divine image in us:  

they look the same from the outside but what's in  them, what's hidden behind them could not be more  

different. But how can a spiritual reality be  dependent on a practical reality? How can grace  

receiving grace be dependent upon an  empty stomach? How can not eating certain  

foods or not eating enough lead one to a spiritual  experience? Well, don't ask me, ask Christ, the  

One Whom we all call our God and our Teacher, the  Son of God because He fasted, He told us to fast,  

He told us that we can only defeat our passions by  fasting and prayer; ask Christ, ask His disciples,  

ask all the holy men and women from the  first centuries to us today who have never  

ever stopped fasting, ask them and then ask  yourself how comfortable your heart is to go  

against the words of 2,000 years of tradition, the  words of those who wrote the Gospel, and the words  

of God Himself. How can a spiritual reality be  dependent on something as cold and outwardly as  

not eating? That's just as asking how come music  is dependent on technique. Music has nothing to  

do with technique . I have actually heard that,  or Literature has nothing to do with technique;  

music and literature, art is just pure emotion,  it has nothing to do with years and decades  

of practising and developing technical abilities  ; well, that does make sense if you live up here  

all your life, but if you live in the real world  you will know that music depends on technique,  

you will know that literature  depends on tens of thousands of  

wasted hours trying to put something  together and the same applies to fasting:  

if you think that that good heart of  yours just happens by itself without  

you going through the cross of repentance,  which implies fasting, which implies vigil,  

which implies bodily ascetical struggle, then you  are just lying to yourself and you are living a  

spiritual lie that is called a delusion and  it is well known and well documented as a  

spiritual disease in the tradition of the Church.  Technique, be it in order to play the piano or to  

write a novel or to keep the fasting, technique  allows you to develop your spiritual vocabulary;  

it's as if words, feelings, experiences that were  not available to you before all of a sudden become  

available to you, they are now within your grasp,  you can apply them, you can use them---technique,  

these bodily exercises like bows and  prostrations and keeping the fasts and  

doing obedience to the Church and so on and so  forth, these technical bodily ascetical struggles  

allow you to see what lies hidden within  yourself, what lies dormant within yourself,  

otherwise we go through life with this  huge treasure hidden within ourselves,  

with this huge potential hidden within  ourselves and we are never able to access it,  

we just imagine that we have a spiritual  life, we just imagine that we are on that boat  

sailing the ocean and enjoying the beauty  and the peacefulness of God's creation,  

but in fact we are still on our couch  simply growing fat and doing nothing.

Spiritually speaking, just thinking that somehow  we get a good heart without any sort of spiritual  

struggle is as much an exercise of imagination,  of thinking that you are sailing the ocean  

when you are in front of your TV on a  couch. We need these practical exercises,  

we need the practical fasting, the practical  fasting and everything it comes with, the pain,  

the temptation, everything that it reveals about  our true selves, we need this exercise in order to  

attune who we are at this moment to who we can  become eternally, in order to attune our present  

self to that eternal self whom God created in  us; when God created us, He had someone in mind,  

someone whom we have to become or at least  start to grow into by the time of our death;  

fasting and vigil and all of that  allows us to do that if we hold on  

to both the practical rules of fasting  and the spiritual rules of fasting:  

the practical rules of fasting are very simple---we  are now going through the fast for Christmas, for  

the---we are in the Nativity fast. For 40 days,  we become vegan: we eat no meat, we eat no fish,  

we eat no animal products such as eggs or butter,  cheese, milk, stuff like that. It's not difficult  

in any way: Monday to Friday we are vegan. Monday, Wednesday, Fridays, we eat  

vegan food with no oil; Tuesdays and Thursday we  are allowed to have oil as well. Saturdays and  

Sundays we are vegan plus fish. That's it. That's  pretty much the rule of fasting for the Nativity  

fast. Yes, there will be exceptions depending  on the feast days and so on and so forth,  

but if you just have an Orthodox calendar, all  of these rules will be written in that calendar,  

but even if you ignore those rules because you  don't have a calendar and you just stick to  

the simple rules of just being vegan Monday to  Friday and then eating fish if you like it and  

if you have it Saturdays and Sundays that should  be enough. Of course if you are elderly you are  

not to follow, you are not expected to follow  the rules of fasting, you are expected to try  

your best, you know your best and with  your spiritual guide you have to discuss  

what is this best of yours so you don't exaggerate  and weaken the health of your body and you  

do not exaggerate on the other side and weaken  yourself spiritually by just being plain lazy;  

the same applies if you have some sort of  physical illness. Of course, from the very  

beginning from the first centuries no one expects  someone who is ill or weak or pregnant or still  

giving milk---breastfeeding, that's the word,  a baby to follow the full rules of fasting:  

all of these things are to be discussed with your  spiritual guide and it is between you and him  

to establish the rule that  allows you to walk this path  

that neither pushes you into weakness of body  nor pushes you into just spiritual laziness.  

These are the practical rules; the spiritual  rules are that if you do anything practically  

that does not feed your repentance and your  love and your mercy for your neighbour,  

that does not feed your self-condemnation,  that does not feed your humility and almost  

an allergy to judge and condemn your brothers and  your sisters, then you're not fasting properly:  

fasting should lead you to an excess of love  and of mercy for your brothers and your sisters,  

fasting should make you feel about yourself as  if you were the last, the worst among sinners  

and always think of all your brothers all your  sisters as being better than you are---if these  

two do not go hand in hand, then you are  still growing spiritually; but do not  

abandon fasting just because you do not yet  know how to use it: keep fasting, take note of  

where you fail, how you fail, and try better next  time. If you've fasted and fell into pride today,  

try better tomorrow. If you fasted today and  you've judged your brother or your sister  

and condemned them for their sin, completely  forgetting about your own sinfulness, then of  

course you're doing it wrong but that's not to  say that tomorrow you should stop your fasting,  

it simply means that tomorrow you have to try  better; you already are better than you were today  

because you are aware now that you fell into that  temptation: this new knowledge, this new awareness  

of where you fall, where you fail, is already  something, a gift that fasting has given you;  

do not interrupt your fasting because you see  yourself or others failing to apply it properly;  

remember Christ who told us 'Oh, you've abandoned  repentance and love and mercy and instead of that  

you are just offering tithe of dill and cumin  and all sorts of other herbs'; He does not say,  

'Abandon the tithe and go back to love and mercy', because He knows that the two are connected  

and that the two feed each other; He says we  should do both: we should offer love and mercy  

without letting go of the tithe of dill and cumin  and all the herbs: the same applies to fasting:  

find your measure, and that measure you'll find  by seeking the advice of your spiritual father,  

not by yourself, and once you've identified  your measure of fasting, apply those rules,  

trying to apply them in a way that feeds your  self-condemnation, not the condemnation of  

your brother and your sister, that feeds love and  mercy and compassion for every single human being.

I love you in Christ more than I can express  and I am so grateful that we have gone through,  

what, six--seven--eight months now of this  pandemic together. You have made things so  

much easier for us and you have also kept us alive  through your support. May God bless you for that  

more, more than you can hope, more than you  expect. Amen, my dear ones, amen, amen.