Ingabe Ukuzila Ukudla Kuphelelwe Isikhathi?
“BENGILOKHU ngizila ukudla njalo ngoMsombuluko kusukela ngisemusha,” kusho uMrudulaben, owesifazane oyiNdiya ochumayo oneminyaka engu-78. Bekulokhu kuyingxenye yokukhulekela kwakhe, indlela yokuqiniseka ukuthi uba nomshado omuhle nezingane ezinempilo, kanye nokuvikeleka komyeni wakhe. Manje njengoba engumfelokazi, uyaqhubeka ezila ukudla njalo ngoMsombuluko ukuze abe nempilo enhle futhi izingane zakhe zichume. Njengaye, iningi labesifazane abangamaHindu lenza ukuzila ukudla zikhathi zonke kube ingxenye yokuphila kwalo.
UPrakash, usomabhizinisi oneminyaka ephakathi kuka-40 no-60 ohlala edolobheni laseMumbai (eBombay), eNdiya uthi uzila ukudla minyaka yonke njalo ngoMsombuluko kaSawan (Shravan). Lena inyanga enokubaluleka okukhethekile okungokwenkolo ekhalendeni lamaHindu. UPrakash uyachaza: “Ngaqala ngezizathu zenkolo, kodwa manje ngithola isikhuthazo esengeziwe sokuqhubeka ngenxa yezizathu zempilo. Njengoba uSawan efika ngasekupheleni kwenkathi yemvula, kunikeza umzimba wami ithuba lokuzihlanza wona ezifweni ezihlobene nenkathi yemvula.”
Abanye banomuzwa wokuthi ukuzila ukudla kusiza umuntu ngokomzimba, ngokwengqondo, nangokomoya. Ngokwesibonelo, i-Grolier International Encyclopedia ithi: “Ukucwaninga kwamuva kwesayensi kusikisela ukuthi ukuzila ukudla kungase kube nempilo, futhi lapho kwenziwa ngokucophelela, kungase kukwenze uphaphame nakakhulu futhi usabele kahle ezintweni.” Kuthiwa isazi sefilosofi esingumGreki uPlato sasizila ukudla izinsuku eziyishumi noma ngaphezulu nokuthi isazi sezibalo uPythagoras sasithi abafundi baso abazile ukudla ngaphambi kokuba sibafundise.
Kwabanye, ukuzila ukudla kusho ukungakuthinti nhlobo ukudla namanzi isikhathi esithile, kanti abanye baphuza iziphuzo lapho bezilile. Abaningi babheka ukuzila njengokuwukweqa ezinye izikhathi zokudla noma ukungakudli nhlobo ukudla okuthile. Kodwa ukuzila ukudla okudonsa isikhathi eside okungalawuliwe kungaba ingozi. Intatheli uParul Sheth ithi ngemva kokuba umzimba ususebenzise ama-carbohydrate awo abelondoloziwe, ube usushintsha amaprotheni asemisipheni abe ushukela bese usebenzisa amafutha omzimba. Ukushintsha amafutha abe ushukela kukhipha izinto eziyingozi ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-ketone body. Njengoba enqwabelana, aya ebuchosheni, alimaze isimiso semizwa. “Yilapho-ke lapho ukuzila ukudla kuba yingozi khona,” kusho uSheth. “Ungase udideke, udiyazele, futhi kwenzeke nokunye okubi nakakhulu. . . . [Kungase kubangele] ukuquleka nokufa ekugcineni.”
Ithuluzi Nesiko
Ukuzila ukudla bekusetshenziswa njengethuluzi elinamandla lokufeza izinjongo zezombangazwe noma zenhlalo. Umsebenzisi ovelele walesi sikhali kwakunguMohandas K. Gandhi eNdiya. Njengoba ayehlonishwa amakhulu ezigidi zabantu, wasebenzisa ukuzila ukudla ukuze abe nethonya elinamandla kubantu baseNdiya abangamaHindu. Echaza umphumela wokuzila kwakhe ukudla ukuze axazulule inkinga yasembonini phakathi kwezisebenzi zayo nabanikazi, uGandhi wathi: “Umphumela wokugcina wako waba ukwakheka komoya woxolo. Izinhliziyo zabanikazi bemboni zathinteka . . . Isiteleka saqedwa ngemva kokuba ngizile ukudla izinsuku ezintathu kuphela.” Umongameli waseNingizimu Afrika, uNelson Mandela, wangenela isiteleka sokungadli izinsuku ezinhlanu phakathi neminyaka yakhe eyisiboshwa sezombangazwe.
Nokho, iningi lalabo abakwenza umkhuba ukuzila ukudla bakwenzela izizathu zenkolo. Ukuzila ukudla kuyisiko elivelele enkolweni yobuHindu. Ngezinsuku ezithile, kusho incwadi ethi Fast and Festivals of India, “kuzilwa yonke into . . . ngisho namanzi awathintwa nhlobo. Abesilisa nabesifazane bazila ngokwethembeka . . . ukuze baqiniseke ukuthi bathola injabulo, ukuchuma nokuthethelelwa kweziphambeko nezono.”
Ukuzila ukudla kuyenziwa enkolweni yamaJain. I-Sunday Times of India Review iyabika: “I-muni [umuntu omdala ovuthiwe] yamaJain eBombay [eMumbai] yayiphuza izingilazi ezimbili nje kuphela ngosuku zamanzi abilisiwe—izinsuku ezingu-201. Yehla ngamakhilogremu angu-33.” Abanye bazila ukudla baze bacishe bafe, bekholelwa ukuthi lokhu kuzobalethela insindiso.
Ngokuvamile abesilisa abadala abangamaSulumane baphoqelekile ukuba bazile ukudla ngenyanga kaRamadan. Akudliwa kudla noma kuphuzwe amanzi kusukela ekuphumeni kwelanga lize lishone inyanga yonke. Noma ubani ogulayo noma osohambweni phakathi nalesi sikhathi kumelwe azile ukudla ngesinye isikhathi esilingana nalesi. ILent, inkathi yezinsuku ezingu-40 eyandulela ama-Ista, iyisikhathi sokuzila ukudla kwabanye abakweLobukholwa, futhi imiphakathi eminingi ebuswa inkolo izila ukudla ngezinsuku ezithile.
Ngokuqinisekile ukuzila ukudla akukapheli. Futhi njengoba kuyingxenye yezinkolo eziningi kangaka, singase sibuze, Ingabe uNkulunkulu uyafuna kuzilwe ukudla? Zikhona yini izikhathi amaKristu angase anqume ukuzila ukudla ngazo? Ingabe lokhu kungaba yinzuzo? Isihloko esilandelayo sizoxoxa ngalemibuzo.
[Isithombe ekhasini 3]
Inkolo yamaJain ibheka ukuzila ukudla njengendlela yokuthola ukusindiswa komphefumulo
[Isithombe ekhasini 4]
UMohandas K. Gandhi wasebenzisa ukuzila ukudla njengethuluzi elinamandla lokufinyelela imigomo yezombangazwe noma yezenhlalo
[Isithombe ekhasini 4]
Enkolweni yamaSulumane, ukuzila ukudla kuphoqelekile phakathi nenyanga kaRamadan
[Umthombo]
Garo Nalbandian