Fasting Buddha

In Buddhism, there are a variety of attitudes towards different forms of fasting. The Buddha is known to have practiced extreme forms of fasting which led to his emaciation and to have famously abandoned it before his great awakening. Nevertheless, different forms of fasting are practiced in various Buddhist traditions.

Buddhist monastics have traditionally followed the prtimoka rules outlined in the various Vinayas, all of which state that one must not eat after the noon meal. Instead, Buddhist texts state that this time should be used for meditation or sutra chanting. Infringing on this rule is considered a pcittika offense that must be confessed. This is not considered fasting, but rather a simple and moderate way of eating that is said to improve one's meditation and health. During special religious observance days, devout lay people will also follow this rule.

The Buddha's Middle Path refers to avoiding extremes of indulgence and self-mortification on the one hand. Prior to attaining nirvana, Shakyamuni followed a strict austerity and fasting regime that was common among the sramana religions of the time, according to early Buddhist texts. These austerities, which he shared with five other ascetics, did not result in spiritual advancement but did cause him to become so emaciated that he could barely stand.

He attained awakening only after abandoning the practice of harsh asceticism, including extreme fasting, and instead focusing on the practice of meditation and jhana. As a result of this experience, the Buddha criticized the fasting practiced by Indian ascetics of his time, such as Jains, who believed that fasting burned off bad karma.