Rajeev Verma
Across civilizations, cultures, and religions, fasting has long been regarded as a sacred practice. From ancient sages to modern believers, people abstain from food believing it brings them closer to God. Yet a profound philosophical truth challenges this assumption: God is never pleased by fasting alone. If fasting were enough, then hunger itself would be holiness. But philosophy teaches us that spirituality is not found in empty stomachs, but in enlightened minds and compassionate hearts.
The Illusion of External Sacrifice
Human beings often confuse external actions with inner transformation. Fasting, rituals, prayers, pilgrimages—these are visible and measurable acts. They offer a sense of achievement: “I have endured hunger; therefore, I am spiritual.” But philosophy asks a deeper question: What changed within you?
If a person fasts all day but lies, cheats, hates, humiliates others, or nurtures ego, then fasting becomes mere physical discipline—not spiritual growth. God, if understood as the ultimate truth, consciousness, or moral ideal, cannot be pleased by suffering that produces no wisdom.
God as Consciousness, Not a Consumer of Hunger
Philosophically, God is not a being who eats food or enjoys seeing humans starve themselves. God represents truth, justice, compassion, balance, and awareness. To believe that God becomes happy because someone skipped meals is to reduce the divine to a transactional entity.
If God required hunger to be pleased, then poverty would be the highest form of devotion. But history shows the opposite: ignorance, violence, and exploitation often thrive where hunger dominates. Thus, fasting without understanding can become meaningless—or worse, harmful.
Fasting Without Ethics Is Empty
Many philosophers argue that ethics precede rituals. Compassion is superior to abstinence. Truthfulness outweighs tradition. A person who eats regularly but helps the needy, speaks truth, forgives enemies, and controls ego may be far closer to God than one who fasts but harbors hatred.
True spirituality is measured by:
1. How we treat others
2. How we respond to suffering
3. How honestly we live
4. How humbly we accept our limitations
If fasting does not soften the heart, sharpen moral clarity, or dissolve ego, then it fails its purpose.
The Ego Trap of Religious Practices
Ironically, fasting often strengthens the ego instead of dissolving it. Statements like “I fast more than others” or “My devotion is greater” turn spirituality into competition. Philosophy warns us that ego is the greatest barrier to truth.
God-consciousness cannot coexist with arrogance. A hungry body with a proud mind is still far from wisdom. When fasting becomes a badge of superiority, it distances the practitioner from the divine rather than bringing them closer.
The True Meaning of Renunciation
Philosophy does not reject fasting entirely—it redefines it. The highest form of fasting is not from food, but from:
(i) Lies
(ii) Violence
(iii) Greed
(iv) Lust
(v) Hatred
(vi) Ego
Renunciation of harmful thoughts and actions is far more difficult than skipping meals. Anyone can avoid food for a day, but avoiding cruelty, jealousy, and dishonesty requires deep awareness and discipline.
If fasting helps a person control desires, cultivate empathy for the hungry, and practice self-restraint, then it becomes meaningful. Otherwise, it remains a hollow ritual.
God as Justice and Compassion
Most philosophical traditions agree on one point: God is aligned with justice and compassion. Feeding the hungry pleases God more than staying hungry oneself. Protecting dignity pleases God more than performing rituals. Standing against injustice pleases God more than silent suffering.
If fasting makes a person indifferent to others’ pain or proud of personal sacrifice, it contradicts the very values God represents.
Spirituality Is a Way of Living
True devotion is not confined to specific days, months, or rituals. It is reflected in everyday conduct—how we speak, work, love, forgive, and serve. God is not encountered in hunger, but in humanity.
A person who eats food with gratitude, shares with others, works honestly, and lives ethically is practicing a continuous form of devotion. Such a life requires awareness, not abstinence.
The Philosophical Conclusion
God is not pleased by fasting alone because God does not seek physical deprivation—God seeks inner awakening. Hunger of the stomach means nothing if the soul remains ignorant. Rituals are tools, not goals. When tools replace purpose, spirituality becomes empty performance.
The highest worship is not fasting, but understanding. The highest sacrifice is not food, but ego. The highest prayer is not words, but actions.
When fasting leads to humility, compassion, and clarity, it becomes meaningful. Otherwise, God remains untouched—not because He is distant, but because true devotion was never present.
RAJEEV VERMA 