“What the eyes are for the outer world, fasts are for the inner.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma, vol. 2, 218

Not having myself much experience with fasting (aka virtually none) and not having the context of this remark in front of me, I will take it that what he means is that fasts can cause or help us to withdraw our attention from the senses, from the outside world, and become more aware of the spiritual forces at work within us. At least, that was certainly true of someone like Gandhi. Fasting is a kind of radical simplification that brings us back in touch with fundamental realities. When properly executed, at the right place and time, it can even open the eyes of others, who are reminded of those realities, those basics of human existence and community. This year (2016) a woman in Manipur, India, ended a 16-year fast against the Armed Forces Special Powers Acts of 1958 that brought untold suffering on the people of the whole region. Irom Sharmila did not succeed in getting the hated act repealed, but we cannot but believe it had some effect, on many people, that will help to open their outer as well as inner eyes.

Thanks for sharing a comment below.

About Daily Metta

Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as a way to share Gandhi’s spiritual wisdom and experiments with nonviolence.

Our 2016 Daily Metta continues with Gandhi on weekdays. On weekends, we share videos that complement Michael Nagler’s award-winning book, The Search for a Nonviolent Future: A Promise of Peace for Ourselves, Our Families, and Our World. To help readers engage with the book more deeply, the Metta Center offers a free PDF study guide.

Enjoy more Daily Metta: See the  archives

Get Daily Metta by email: Subscribe