Fasting

Mae Chee Kaew experimented with fasting, going entirely without food for several days at a time.

But she discovered that lack of food left her feeling mentally dull and sluggish, and vulnerable to changing moods and wayward thoughts, as if the flow of her spiritual energy was somehow constricted. That subtle hindrance seemed to lessen her motivation to intensify in meditation.

She knew that many of the monks in Ajaan Mun’s tutelage found fasting to be a valuable tool for advancing their spiritual development. They regularly endured hunger and discomfort because fasting increased their mental vigilance, making the mind bold, and its focus sharp. But Mae Chee Kaew’s mind failed to respond positively.

So in the end, she concluded that going without food did not suit her temperament.

This reflection by Mae Chee Kaew is from the book, Mae Chee Kaew, (pdf) pp. 84-85, translated into English by Bhikkhu Dick Sīlaratano.