Why is it that without suffering you can never taste reward?

So that’s why

Grandma Jo once brought her teenage grandson Jimmy a slice of his favorite pie. But Jimmy was so involved in his phone that he hardly even noticed and when he was told to eat it, he quickly finished it like he was swallowing and left. Grandma Jo saw that and conjured a scheme in her grey hair. From that moment on, Grandma Jo stopped calling for Jimmy whenever its time to eat. But Jimmy was so much into his phone that he hardly noticed the whole day. But then came the next day. In the morning after his moment in the bathroom, his stomach made a weird sound like never before and Jimmy quickly ran to his Grandma. “Grandma, Grandma, I am hungry” he said. But Grandma Jo wouldn’t go down so easily “But it is past breakfast and I have already eaten. There’s no food left. At least, nothing that you would like.” “How could you eat without me Grandma? Please make something for me too” he exclaimed. Grandma Jo smiled and made him a curry with some bread. And as soon as Jimmy got it, he finished the whole darn thing in less than a ad commercial and said “I think, that was the best curry I have ever had.” To this Grandma jo giggled and said “It was broccoli”. “What!” Jimmy exclaimed.

So yes, why is it that without suffering you can never taste reward?

The word I want you to emphasize here is “taste” not “get”. You can get reward without breaking a single sweat. It can be your parents, your partner or your employee who does the hard-work for you, but that kind of pleasure will only feel meaningless if you can be honest with yourself. Or as I was saying, may taste bland.

In Bible,

To prepare for ministry. Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness fasting and praying before He began God’s work on this earth. He needed time alone to prepare for what His Father had called Him to do (Matthew 4:1–17; Mark 1:12–13; Luke 4:1–14).

In Islam,

The Prophet Mohammed had reportedly said, “When the month of Ramadan starts, the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of hell are closed and the devils are chained.” The Night of Power or Laylat al-Qadr as it is called, was the night when the word of Allah is said to have been revealed to Prophet Muhammad. So they fast during Ramadan as they feel the unity of the Ummah (community). Because fasting brings out the good in people, as they gather to do good deeds, be kind to the poor and meet their family members.

In Hinduism

Fasting involves abstaining from one meal in the day. Though they did not said that the body has to go without or suffer. Sometimes, to eliminate a certain types of food like Meat and replace them with vegetarian dishes will suffice. Then what about Vegetarians? Well, vegetarians often eliminate rice, wheat, barley and lentils and replace them with potatoes. It is even possible to snack on fruits throughout the day, to keep the body energetic and also start the purification process. What is more, these restrictions can also be a way of varying the daily diet and trying new food. A day of fasting can even be a promise of treats. They made the process of fasting more versatile. For example, sweet dumplings made from coconut and covered with rice flour, are prepared for certain days of fasting which involve worshiping the god Ganesha. In Ekadashi, on the eleventh day of each ascending and descending moon, at the beginning of the year, in honor of Shiva and during the months of July and August, many Hindus adopt a vegetarian diet and fast on Mondays and Saturdays until the evening. Many Hindu women fast on Mondays in order to have a good husband as dedicated to lord Shiva.

In Buddhism,

There is a statue of the fasting Buddha. You thought that is just a work of art? No my friend, The Buddha’s spiritual awakening is greatly related to fasting. The young prince Siddhartha left his palace in search of enlightenment and practiced for six years under severe austerities and intense mental concentration that his beautiful body withered away to skin and bones. Towards the end of this period, he was surviving only on a single grain of rice a day. Buddha wanted to cut the attachment to the senses starting with excess indulgence in food and so on. This stage of Buddha’s practice is known as Fasting Buddha and the depictions in images or statues are usually called Emaciated or Fasting Buddha. You know what happened next? He became a God.

Surprisingly enough the Sikhs had no value in fasting.

So what did we learn? Well for one thing, and this thing is backed by science that fasting gives the body and the mind time to purify itself. In Science terms, it detoxify the cells and regenerate with the excess energy that we are storing in our body everyday with little to no use. You can make fasting a part of your life like the Hindus by following simple instructions on a particular day. Or you can do it extensively for a whole month like the Muslims and be done with it. Or you can go to the extreme and achieve the knowledge of a lifetime in just a few weeks like the Buddha. But it all comes down to only the intention for the betterment of one’s self. So why shouldn’t you fast? Not for because some priest told you to, but for yourself.

But that raises another question,

When I walk on the street, I see two kinds of people. One who couldn’t help but starve themselves and the other kind. Those who have the means to end their needs, yet occasionally they starve themselves because of their believe system… their religion. So for me what Fasting means is that choosing to starve yourself. Which brings me to my next question “Is religion ceremonies not for those who sleep on the street?” And i can tell you that you will see this question pretty often in here. Because I still haven’t found a concrete reason for the injustice of those children of God.