Jainism - Importance of fasting for body and soul

Jainism - Importance of fasting for body and soul:

जो तप धर्म का विरोध करते है वे कृपया अवश्य पढ़े

This year's Nobel prize for medicine has gone to a Japanese scientist Dr. Yoshinori Ohsumi for his research on autophagy. Autophagy means to "self eat". In other words, the process by which the human body eats it own damaged cells and unused proteins.

 Autophagy is a natural process and also one which occurs in cases of starvation. The failure of autophagy is one of the main reasons for accumulation of damaged cells which eventually leads to various diseases in the body. Autophagy is important to prevent/fight cancer and also plays a vital role in degrading and 'consuming' cells infected by bacteria and viruses.

It is to be observed here that Jainism recommends a practice of fasting. Many of us religiously follow this practice to this day as a penance for spiritual progress without any idea of the biological and therapeutic benefits of this practice.

 Through this process of fasting induced autophagy, our body repaired its damaged and degenerated cells or used up the proteins of the damaged cells for its survival.

Whenever modern science conquers a frontier in any field, it somehow relates back to a quaint spiritual practice followed in Jainism for generations.

A day in a week/fortnight/month spent in prayer and divine contemplation was a tonic for the mind and soul while the practice of fasting ensured that the body would heal and rejuvenate itself.

Clearly, Jainism believes in a process of holistic healing of both the body and the mind. Jainism has also been able to, quite remarkably, connect the yearning for spiritual progress in a human being with the biological necessity of the human body.

One cannot but marvel, and bow our heads with admiration and reverence, at our Tirthankars' wisdom and deep scientific understanding of the body and the mind.

Long Live Jainism!