Fast Times One

Fast Times Diary; Day One

By John Taylor; 2007 Mar 02

On Wednesday we had our usual introductory chess course, taught by Stu. I act as a sort of teacher's aid, setting up the boards, arranging chairs and matchmaking partners. Stu concentrated on the beginners and I on the more advanced students. This time I gave them a crash course in opening theory that I often give to newer players. I repeated the usual basics, working from white's perspective:

"The way to win is summed up in the old saying, divide and conquer. You want to dominate the four central squares; then move beyond them up the middle into the heart of his position. If you control the center black cannot coordinate his pieces; you have his back against the wall. You can then turn and assail his king side. If he manages to stave off that attack, just switch over to the queen side. As long as he is divided you will effectively have twice as much power in your attack as he does in defending himself. Your ideal position in the opening is this: your two king and queen pawns two squares advanced in the middle, bishops beside them, knights developed, your king castled safely behind this wall of pawns, your rooks looking up the king and queen files, backing up a pincer action. Send your minor pieces into the fray first, then the queen and rooks."

I spoke quickly, including several other rules of thumb that I learned from the pile of chess books that I wasted my adolescence reading. I repeated my spiel to about three groups of advanced beginners (all were boys of about ten years old, and there were two men). Later one of the boys came up to me and told me what I guess every teacher loves to hear: "I tried what you suggested and I won my game."

Turning to the spiritual chess game, I have been getting sick of frantic mornings excluding the rightful first place of the Word of God. Our devotions degraded to a Remover of Difficulties and "This earth is but one country" said quickly in unison at the last minute, just before the kids rush out the door to the sound of imprecations in Czech, Marie in her usual tizzy. Such perfunctory devotions are not enough spiritual food to sustain the soul. So, since I wake early in the morning anyway -- probably because of my father's shouting and screaming in his sleep peaks between 3 and 5 AM -- I have taken to reciting the Tablet of Ahmad by their bunk bed at around 7:30 AM. Silvie is often awake but Thomas sleeps deeper than ever and I must drag him out of bed afterwards. Maybe there will be subliminal spiritual nourishment for him, a sort of IV trickle effect to the soul.

This morning, the first fast day, I recited the TofA in the chair by the bunk and then said the fast prayer (PM CLXXVII). Then Silvie, awake by then, read the prayer of Mirza Mihdi. (PM XXX) My favorite from my prayer was, "I beseech Thee ... to make known unto me what lay hid in the treasuries of Thy knowledge and concealed within the treasuries of Thy wisdom." (PM 291-292) In other words, among the purposes of fasting is to undergo a learning experience. I will try to remember that as the mental fog drifts in this afternoon. As for the Mirza Mihdi prayer, it ends with a supplication that those who loved him will get "what will quiet their hearts, and bless their works." (PM 35) Something to remember as we read of the lives of the saints and martyrs: when the effect is edifying, well and good. Beyond that, if mourning their suffering is disquieting, let us put down our books and turn to more blessed works. Remember that Baha'u'llah and family watched Mirza Mihdi fall through that skylight and die before their very eyes, and the results were: inspiration and happiness, the writing of that prayer, and a huge impulse to unity, to meeting with Him, and to good works.

Yesterday, the day before the fast, Thursday, I had my regular appointment with my nutritionist. I mentioned the upcoming fast and she gave the following advice, which applies to all of us: In the mornings of the fast eat slow-digesting foods, like oatmeal, etc. That will sustain you several hours. When you break the fast in the evening, eat quick digesting foods, like fruits, which will go to your head and quickly relieve the swirling mental confusion (my phrasing).

I mentioned my big lesson from the nutritional news lately that one should never fill the gut, and she said yes, that is how they think on the island with the best traditional diet and the longest useful lifespan in the world, Okinawa. There they believe that the stomach should only be filled to three quarters full, even at a feast, and what they actually eat is much better too, lots of fish and veggies.

She was pleased to hear Baha'u'llah's advice to get up from every meal still feeling a little hunger. For me there was good news on the progress of the indicators of health, my LDLs, cholesterol and other numbers that I do not understand. They are steadily getting better with each visit. I have been working on it hard, exercising and staying active most of the day, and of course eating my gazpacho soup and curry drenched bean salad. She was shocked, though, to hear how much water I am drinking, 36 liters a week. Cut the intake in half, was her first thought. But I protested that am dealing with the danger of grand mal migraine attacks. So we compromised with a blood test that I am about to take this morning to check my electrolytes. If they are seriously down, she will call me and reduce my water intake or recommend supplements or medication for the migraine.