UNNECESSARY FASTING- NONSENSE! YOU GOT SERVICE!
[1973, Bhaktivedanta Manor, England]
I had been a brahmacari for two and some half years and was feeling restless. Many times, Srila Prabhupada explained how one must reduce one's sleeping and eating to make spiritual advancement, so I decided to utilize the two upcoming fast days to reduce my eating.
While breaking fast at midnight on Janmastami, I ate very little. I again ate sparingly the next afternoon after Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa puja celebration as I did the following day. I didn't feel hungry, so I assumed my stomach had shrunk.
The next day Srila Prabhupada called me into his room.
"Your face is looking thin," Srila Prabhupada stated. "You are not feeling well?" "No, Srila Prabhupada, I feel fine," I explained. "I was trying to cut down on my eating."
"What is this?" Srila Prabhupada said. "You have service to perform. You should not cut down on your eating. This is nonsense. You have to give massage and do so many things. Do not cut down. You should eat whatever you can digest. That is what you should eat."
Amazingly, in our first 16 months together, this was Srila Prabhupada's second conversation with me regarding my prasadam intake. Finally, I decided not to worry about how much prasadam I ate.
His Divine Grace had keen powers of observation and was always looking out for our welfare. Sometimes, we were busy concocting our own means to spiritual advancement, but Srila Prabhupada guided us and cared for us on every level.
Jaya Srila Prabhupada!
[Ref. Book: 'Srila Prabhupada Uvaca' by SP's Personal servant- H.G. Srutakirti Das
Chapter 10: Fasting]
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