Baha'is use fasting to meditate, reflect


Thursday, March 5, 1998	Baha'is use fasting to meditate, reflect By CJ ENGEL Collegian Staff Writer No water. No food. Not while the sun shines. For the next three weeks, Taraneh Partovi just might know the timing of the sunset better than any local weather forecaster. As a member of the Baha'i faith, she and millions of its adherents around the world will abstain from food and drink during daylight hours. But Partovi (junior-microbiology and premedicine) said her work will keep her busy. "You do get hungry," she said. "But to be a college student, it really helps because you're on your feet moving from class to class, thinking about your studies."
*"You do get hungry. But to be a college student, it really helps because you're on your feet moving from class to class, thinking about your studies."* - Taraneh Partovi (junior-microbiology and premedicine)	The Baha'i fast began Monday and will end with the arrival of the spring equinox. For Baha'is, this is a time of self-reflection and meditation, said Mike Webb, who became Baha'i last year. This is the first fast for Webb (senior-French and business). So far, it has not been difficult, he said. "It's actually a privilege," he said. "It's a privilege to give up something for the cause of God. It shows your devotion." Webb and Partovi are two of the few Baha'is in State College. A larger Baha'i community can be found in Altoona, while large numbers of Baha'is can be found in major urban areas, State College resident Michael Stokes said. Both Stokes and his wife are followers of the faith, and the couple hold weekly Baha'i discussions at their home. Baha'i publications estimate there are six million believers worldwide, spread to all corners of the globe. The religion has no clergy, yet it has temples throughout the world. All this for a religion that didn't even exist two centuries ago.
*"It's a privilege to give up something for the cause of God. It shows your devotion."* - Mike Webb (senior-French and business)	The faith was founded in the 19th Century by the Persian Baha'u'llah, whose name means "glory of God." Followers believe Baha'u'llah is the latest in a line of divine messengers that include Moses, Christ and Muhammad, among others. Baha'u'llah left thousands of manuscripts and his teachings were meant to guide humanity in the modern age, Stokes said. "Many of the principles Baha'u'llah brought forth are now considered hallmarks of modern society," he said. Some of those teachings include the equality of men and women, the elimination of prejudice and the unity of all religions, he added. In addition, prayer and the current fast are key principles of the faith, Partovi said. "Fasting is very symbolic," she said. "It means from sunrise to sundown, you're detaching yourself from selfish desires. It draws you closer to God."