Wednesday, February 17, 2021

What's Ash Wednesday for Christians, Hindus?


What is Ash Wednesday, Lent Fasting?
(Bible Munch, lol, GotQuestions.org, 1/2/17) What is Ash Wednesday? Should Catholics/Christians observe lent fasting? Pastor Nelson looks at the meaning and unpacks why fasting is significant to some, even though it's not directly found anywhere in the Bible.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Be not proud.
Book about St. Issa: The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary R. Habermas, Michael R. Licona. Curious about Bible Munch? See, you're already thinking about food! It's time to fast, which should be one day weekly for best health results and more as a Lent observance (like not eating at night, or not eating by day Muslim-style during Ramadan), or giving something up to get a taste of liberation by renunciation.


Why do we apply Holy Ash (bhasma)?
(Rajshri Soul, 6/3/18) Interesting facts about holy ash: Do you know why we apply holy ash? Different people across Hinduism apply bhasma or vibhuti on the forehead. Hindus differ, but it's a popular practice. It's important to get it on the forehead and other parts of the body.

Pyre ashes on forehead and all over Hindu sadhu.
Buddhist monks and nuns fast everyday, never eating after noon or before sun up. But laypersons only follow this by choice, particularly when observing the Eight Precepts on observance or Buddhist fasting days (Uposatha).

It seems nearly everything in Christianity, particularly the "universal" variety called Catholicism, the largest religion in the world, is that it appropriated things from everywhere. So much of Catholic tradition comes straight out of Hinduism, only no one seems to notice. But Mithraism (the religion of England before Christianity) contributed much, as did Ancient Roman and Greek Paganism, as did all of the Near East traditions like Judaism and Yazidism. Look into it. Ashes are a big deal in Hinduism, past and present. It has long been a sign of renunciation of transient worldly attachments.

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