# Lower The Minimum 2

After I tried the dormition fast, I think I've got a better
understanding of the Orthodox Church. Though there is still the
hard limit. Since I'm not an Orthodox Christian myself, I can't
get the bread and wine. So I might not be able to understand them
fully.



One thing I have learned is "Lower the minimum".

I don't think that doing the strict fasting 24/7 for the entire
life is healthy at all. But occasional fasting is irreplaceable.

Obviously the church doesn't think that too. You can eat oil and
alcohol on weekends. There was the feast of the transfiguration on
08/06 too. A fasting ends in the end. The purpose is not really
about the concrete rules themselves.

While following the rules, what I noticed was that I've been changing
the baseline to meet the strict rules. Sauces, spices and the basic
staple foods that I stack in the pantry went to meet the strict
rules.

So although I can eat oil on weekends, what I did on the weekends
was using oil as an extra ingredient in addition to oil-free
ingredients. I could celebrate the feasts because of this. This is
highly irreplaceable.



This will continue. Because there is the strict fasting on EVERY
Wednesday and Friday. The days when the betrayal by Judas and the
crucifixion happened. I felt the wisdom from this. The habit will
not go away.