Won't power

There is a convention in some Indian rituals where we have to promise to forgo some edible thing for a period of time, if not forever. Some of us mention some weird food we never eat anyway, so that this promise is not an inconvenience.

Why is this convention there at all? Like many rituals, this particular action is also linked to betterment of life and character - in this case, development of willpower. There are two types of actions where willpower can be exercised and developed. One is the I WILL type, where we become determined to do something, whatever the odds; and the other is the I WON'T type, where we decide to forgo some favourite action. In both, an exertion of will is required, but in the first one, the universe also has to co-operate to a certain degree, which makes execution more complicated. If I say, I WILL go to Bangalore, it can become possible only if trains and flights are running, if I have money, if my wife allows and so on. However, if I say I WON'T go to Bangalore, it is only my own attraction for Bangalore that I have to fight.

That is why, in rituals, the easier option is given, to forgo some favourite thing, and to develop will power in the process. This is the practice of tapah.

Suppose I have mentioned some weird fruit that I will forgo, knowing full well that I will not undergo any hardship at all. The universe being the clever and kind being that it is, will make sure that an occasion pops up where that fruit comes in front of me with almost no option of refusing, maybe mixed with another favourite food, or without any other option in a situation of hunger, so that I am forced to honour my tapah.

Deliberate tapah is a habit breaker, a will-strengthener and leads to a freer mind.