On 'puasa' and fasting<\/p>\n
My sincere thanks to Pujo Broto and Sanjoto W. for their
\nreinforcement of my contention that the words puasa and `fasting'
\nare not suitable to translate their meanings, one for the other.<\/p>\n
One might fast (in the English vernacular) until death and
\nnever achieve the multitude of spiritual improvements and
\nrighteous satisfaction, much less an early marriage, a pilgrimage
\nand, release from the single persons incompleteness (among
\nothers), what those who practice puasa, are able to achieve. We
\nsee here that the religious rite of puasa entails much more than
\nthe shifting of mealtimes from daylight to darkness.<\/p>\n
It is clearly incomplete, if not downright demeaning, to refer
\nto the ritual of puasa using the English word \"fasting,\" (a word
\nwhich dwells on the absence of the intake of food or drink and is
\ncompletely negative in all outlook): when it is the sacrifice,
\nthrough suppression of ones appetite, during daylight hours,
\nwhich will lead us to personal peace and compassion for our
\nfellow man. Wherein lays happiness, we know.<\/p>\n
You seem to take a defensive position toward my statement that
\nthe effects of puasa are neutral in all aspects. Actually, it is
\nnot my statement. It is paraphrased from an earlier Post article
\nentitled Health by Dian Utami Soekanto, in which the author's
\nresearch with doctors concludes there is no negative \"health\"
\nimpact from puasa, in any way. The words \"on health\" are missing
\nfrom my statement and, when reinserted they will bring the
\nstatement to a better meaning of the point of the article.<\/p>\n
Regarding the line, \"...clearly a positive effect of the
\nfasting month...,\" where it is suggested that I \"try it
\nsometime,\" there is this to say: I have undergone hundreds of
\nfasts, (the English meaning) both voluntary and forced upon but;
\nI have never experienced puasa, nor enjoyed the benefits of which
\nyou speak.<\/p>\n
Can anyone out there explain the annual government reports of
\n20 percent to 25 percent increase in food supplies used to feed
\nthe city, during the \"fasting\" month of Ramadhan?<\/p>\n
LINK LUCKETT<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/on-puasa-and-fasting-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }