2. Fasting

World Scripture

On the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement; it shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves [by fasting].
Leviticus 23.27

O believers, prescribed for you is the Fast, even as it was prescribed for those that were before you—haply you will be god-fearing— for days numbered… the month of Ramadan, wherein the Qur’an was sent down to be a guidance to the people, and as clear signs of the Guidance and the Salvation. So let those of you, who are present at the month, fast it; and if any of you be sick, or if he be on a journey, then a number of other days; God desires ease for you, and desires not hardship for you; and that you fulfill the number, and magnify God that He has guided you, and haply you will be thankful.
Qur’an 2.183-85

My son, you ought to be of some help to your fellow men, and for that reason I counsel you to fast. Our grandfather who stands in our midst sends forth all kinds of blessings. Try then and obtain one of these. Try to have one of our grandfathers, one of the War Chiefs, pity you. Then some day as you travel along the road [of life], you will know what to do and encounter no obstacles. Without any trouble you will then be able to seek the prize you desire. Then the honor will be yours to glory in, for without any exertion have you obtained it. All the war power that exists has been donated to our grandfathers who are in control of warfare, and, if, reverently, you thirst yourself to death, then they will bestow blessings upon you. Now if you do not wear out your feet, if you do not blacken your face with charcoal, it will be for naught that you inflict suffering upon yourself. These blessings are not obtainable without effort. Try to have one of all the spirits created by Earthmaker take pity upon you. Whatever he says will come about. If you do not possess a spirit to strengthen you, you will be of no consequence and the people will show you little respect.
A Winnebago Father’s Precepts (Native American Religions)

And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6.16-18

Teachings of Sun Myung Moon

What does the body desire? It likes to be comfortable; that is why we are told to walk the path of suffering. Next, the body likes to eat good food; that is why religion tells us to fast. You must do the opposite of what the body desires.
(40:24, February 1, 1986)

Going hungry for many days is among the most miserable and painful experiences. Yet we should transcend our hunger and yearn for God more than food.
Unification Church members are obliged to fast for seven days. Who among you has done a seven-day fast? There are many of you! Think back on your own experience: when the seventh day arrived were you watching the clock for the moment you could eat again? Were you counting down the minutes and the seconds? When the clock struck midnight, did you think, “Hooray! At last it is time to eat!”? Or at that moment did you lift your heart to God, longing for Him? Which did you crave more, God or food? Most of you probably craved for food. But actually, when you fast you should long for God more than for food.
During my thirties, I was hungry every single day. Do you know how much I longed to eat some food? If I even overheard someone talking about food, my mouth would involuntarily drop open and I would start to drool. Whenever that happened, I would say out loud, “G-o-d” rather than “F-o-o-d.” You should all have such experiences. Unless you fast and conquer hunger, its power will block God’s love from coming to you.
(94:293, October 9, 1977)

What is required to engraft the love of God into our lives? What I fear most is the physical body. The body is the enemy. It has three supreme truths: The first is to eat. Eating when you are hungry is a truth. The problem arises when eating takes control of your life. Therefore, you should overcome the desire for food. You should establish that you love God more than eating, more than your body craves food when it is hungry. By doing so, you tap into a higher love and gain power to control your body. This is why people fast. Even Jesus fasted for forty days. All the prophets and founders of religion fasted…
The second truth is sleep. You should win over sleep. How can you find God’s love by overcoming sleep? The test comes when you are getting sleepy; then you can show that you love God more than you like to sleep. Many prophets and saints exerted themselves to the utmost fighting against sleep. They would do all kinds of things to stay awake, even stab their legs with a knife, because they regarded sleep as the enemy. You, too, should adore God in a place where you overcome sleep. I slept less than two hours a day every day for more than seven years. God’s love can approach you when you go over the boundary line of hunger and desire to sleep… The third truth is sex…
(94:275, October 9, 1977)