Answer

Ayambil fasting in Jain Dharma is a very disciplined form of tapasya. The main rule is that the meal should be simple, without taste-inducing items, and taken only once in the prescribed manner.

Explanation

The commonly followed rules of Ayambil are:

• Eat only one meal in a day
• The food should be plain and tasteless
• Use only:

- grains or flour - salt - water

• The food should be cooked without oil, ghee, sugar, jaggery, spices, milk products, and all taste-enhancing items
• Usually no second serving is taken
• No snacks, fruits, sweets, or drinks with taste
• Many followers also avoid:

- tea - coffee - green vegetables - curd, buttermilk, and other dairy items, depending on local tradition and the specific vow

In many traditions, ayambil is taken as a single simple meal, often before sunset or at a fixed time, according to the vrata being observed.

Spiritual Understanding

Ayambil is not just fasting from food. It is a practice of:

• reducing attachment to taste
• increasing self-control
• calming the senses
• supporting inner purity
• deepening devotion and tapasya

It helps a Jain sadhak move from enjoyment of food toward detachment and spiritual discipline.

Takeaway

The essence of Ayambil is simple, tasteless, one-time food with strong restraint. Exact details can vary slightly by tradition, but the spirit remains the same: non-attachment and purification through discipline.