Ekadashi fasting

 I am a student and due to family pressure not able to observe fast for whole day, so can I observe fast upto 12pm ? Is it okay until I convince my parents for it as this fast is not observed in our family ?

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  • Volunteer

    In Vrindavan, everyone of Krishna's devotees practices Nirjala fasting.

    We dont ask you to fast, beyond 12 pm anyways except on one Ekadasi, ie Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi.

    Ideally just eat fruits. However, we dont even have that austere fasting on fruit.

    You can eat any food except grains, dal and beans.

    No rice, wheat, corn, and other grains.

    No dal, channa, peagion peas, peas etc

    No beans, soy, red beans, or other beans.

    No store bought mithai because it may contain atta/wheat flour.

    You can eat everything else.with the exception of onion and garlic of course.

    Nuts are fine to eat. Tapioca/Sabudana is eaten but watch out for white flour contamination, if purchased at an Indian store.

    You can eat all roots, like carrots, beets. Potatoes not advisible to eat because human waste is used in growing them.

    Remember next time you relish potatoes. One should not consume any food grown with human waste. Even in the USA, they use sewage to grow potatoes.

    You can eat all vegetables.

    Eat yogurt. and milk products.

    Ok to eat quinoa, however, the skin of Quinoa contains toxic lectins, just like do beans.

     

    How To Cook Quinoa,

    Soak in water for 2 hours and throw away water. Repeat 3 times.

    Now add filtered water and let it sit for two days and let it ferment. 

    You can also add a spoon of yogurt to give the fermentation a head start.

    Fermentation bacteria eats up the toxic skin, of quinoa that contains lectins (which can cause leaky gut, which is source of 80-90% of the health problems)

    Now throw away the water and cook the quinoa in a pressure cooker to get rid of any remaining lectins in the skin of the quinoa.

    Humble request to the temple devotees: Please follow this procedure to cook quinoa, just the way followed by the Incas. Quinoa native to central America

  • Volunteer

    Hare Krsna Avish prabhuji,

    The way I see it, depending on your situation, time and place, Yes, you can fast upto 12pm. But make sure that you do this for every ekadashi though for the time being. Also pray to the Lord to help you observe a full day fast in the future and have that sincere desire.

    @ramachandra prabhu, there is nothing wrong in your questions but like Bharat prabhu and Radha DD mentioned, Krsna only sees the positive side in a devotee, Lord is happy even if you fast for an hour as long as it is done to PLEASE the lord. Observing Ekadashi is not just to project ourself as a great devotee or sadhaka and boasting about our achievement in completing the fast. If that is the mentality of a person who observes the fast, then that is a useless act (even though Lord is merciful to accept that) as it is not done to please the Lord. All activities (both spiritual and material) should be carried out to ONLY please the supreme Lord.

    More often, rules and restrictions are given prominence over our main goal and ability to please the Lord.

    If you fast for the sake of fasting without developing love for Krsna, what use there is in that activity?

    https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/2/6/

    Translation

    The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.

    https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/2/13/

    Translation

    O best among the twice-born, it is therefore concluded that the highest perfection one can achieve by discharging the duties prescribed for one’s own occupation according to caste divisions and orders of life is to please the Personality of Godhead.

    All glories to Srila Prabhupad, Guru and Gauranga!!!

    Hare krsna.

    ŚB 1.2.6
  • Sevak

    Hare Krsna

    So can I observe fast upto 12pm ?

    Krsna is not a fault finding God. He sees how much we are trying and endeavouring to move closer to him and please him. We try our best and leave the rest.

    Hare Krsna

  • E-Counselor

    Hare Krsna Prabhuji,

    PAMHO.

    Obstacles in our path to devotion are merely to make our resolve stronger. So struggle on the path to Krsna, it is pleasing to Him. 

    Regarding fasting till 12 noon - try that and see. Keep the sincere desire in your heart that you would like to fast on ekadasi, lord will show the way.

    Pray to Nrisimhadev to remove the obstacles from your path of devotion.

    Haribol,

    Your servant,

    Radha Rasamayi DD

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      • Sevak

        Hare Krsna

         Keep wondering. While devotees try their best to please lord Sri Krsna and provress in Krsna consciousness.

        If anyone is here to discourage practice of Krsna consciousness then it is not welcome. Please wonder of consequences of that also. 

        Hare Krsna

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          • Sevak

            Hare Krsna

            It's a genuine question

            No it is not. A genuine question would be - What would be the consequences of doing fasting on ekadashi ?

            Practice Krsna consciousness is not so mechanical like karma kanda. You do A then you get B.  If that is all what you are expecting then you will be disappointed . In Krsna consciousness what matters the most is consciousness. 

            Hare Krsna

            • This reply was deleted.
              • Well, there is no consequences an animal is also living without doing any vrats or upavas. 

                We all can live like animals. Eating, sleeping, mating, defending are the 4 activities that animals do and we are also doing.

                There is a difference between animals and humans. We are more regulated. We dont hunt anymore. More civilized rigtht?

                KC person is more highly civilized then a normal human being.  Thats all. 

                KC person can control his senses and keep the 11 senses under control 

                ( that is why the name ekadashi = learning to control 11 senses)

                5 senses ( touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing)  5 working senses( speech, hands, legs, anus and genitals) + Mind.

                One who learned to control all these are said to be perfected in KC and better then animals and  most of the uncultured men who are indeed animals only  just ...walking with two legs.

                You can practise KC and do vrat and gain control over ur senses or let the senses go astray and become more like animal. Well, no one bothers.

                Krishna wont torture you if you don't do the vrat neither He will complain. He will just give  time for you to mend your ways.

                You may take your sweet time ( many many lifetimes to get back to Krishna) or you can start it right now.

                Do whatever floats your boat.  

                If you say there is no rebirths.... there is no consequences .. there is no soul.. there is no God .. Then well you and animal are at the same level of understanding. 

                All that an animal does you are also doing. Nothing much extra ..why then human birth is needed for you.. you can as well be placed in their species.

                If there is no rebirth and you are going to die .. as per ur logic ( as you are saying there is no soul at all) ...then why we have to abide by court of law.

                why can we become like animals eat others like cannibals and there is no need to feel bad if anyone rapes any woman .. Well.. animals don't have any humanity and they dont' feel bad  when they rave and rage and prowl on some other animals and kill others just for satifying their taste buds. Are they punished as per court of law? They don't follow any law.

                There is no need to fear of any God if there is no rebirth. You can be fearless and kill like animals. There need not be justice and law enforcement punishments also. All can roam naked like animals.

                as per your logic rave, rage and repeat and die someday ...why do we have this much memory and emotions what is they use of this all.

                Is there no higher purpose of living????? simply eating, sleeping, mating and defending for this do we need this much sophisticated lives and this much knowledge and memory needed?

                memory, intellect and all this what you are having is it just for making you lives better then an animal's life. Animal eats plunging on the another animal. we eat the same thing in sophistication in a plate and on a dinning table and maybe music for appreciation for eating the same thing? Is it for this sake you need memory and intellect and emotions?

                comfortable life is that what all we need??? 

                Well who is comfortable with his or her life .. even the richest guys always feel they are still having some deficiency and need something more into their life. Is there any end to it.  How much more comfortable life do we need?

                We used to live in caves now made some home we needed light and electricity we made it ..whatever our endeavors for making our life more and more confortable is finally ending in unsatisfaction and one is not finding any happiness in it.

                So as per your logic we are are going to die someday we don't have a memory of the past or future births and why do we have to fear of any God? God doesn't exist right????? this is your understanding. 

                So you are contradicting the statement of existence of soul so that you can disprove the presence of God.

                Well scientist are doing all this researches inventing and discovering new new things just to make our lives more and more confortable ( better then animal life) is it that what you wants to say? Some day animal dies you also die. If by chance you discovered or invented something the comming generations will use that technology make their lives more comfortable. 

                Aha..so this all discoveries and inventions are just for making our lives comfortable and we may or may not use them.  Hey Krishna,..!!! 

                Nice to know that we are still animals just animals walking on two legs and more sophiticated animals.

                There is no higher purpose of this living. All this studies and all are only for making our stay on this earth comfortable and die someday like a dog. 

                I don't understand why are we needing this extra memory, emotions and intellect, knowledge and cognizance.. at all.. so many hours of school and college studies oh man!!! such a complex mind is it needed? We can be dogs or tigers why do we need this much sophisticated brain for just living like animals.

                All these motivational speakers are saying live in the present momment be happy with whatever you have enjoy live and let live.

                A Krishna conscious person would say. Praise Lord as He the one who can remove us from the clutches of miseries of life.

                To be frank even if we become Trump/ Ambani or bill gates also we would be craving to conquer next planet also and become kings and would never feel satisfied. 

                That is how is how we evolved from animals into humans just because we desired more and more better life ...Life after life but remained always unsatisfied and keep on searching for some permanant solution to this craving for something bigger something higher position.

                We want to go back to God now becoz there is no end to this desires and miseries. 

                Its perfectly alright you may take ur sweet time to go back this life time itself or may be some more life times later.

                Only consequence is you are losing time. But its ur life and its upto ur choices completely. You are given free will by Krishna itself who are we to interfere in ur choices.

                We can show the path but to take the path or not to take depends entirely on one's choice.

                But one thing is if you are choicing to be just like an animal living and dying someday then you don't need this much complex brain. Krishna might reconsider this fact next time and maybe put you into animal species. 

                Well as per ur logic you wont remember your past births so why to feel bad about it. If He( God) is giving us animal birth next time who know what we were last birth. 

                Enjoy ur time then. rave rage and repeat who is caring? you can become dog or pig or deer or animal.

                If you are a vegetarian and don't believe in God and are having performing good karma ( not hurting others) maybe you can become a herbivorous animal like hippo or elephant.

                But one big downside in this is this yoni you cannot take the name of Lord once also. basically ....you are losing all consciousness of Krishna and going back and more further back down into low grade animal life then to finally become a rock or tree. With Zero consciouness.

                Think you want to ascend up or go down to the lower grade consciousness.

                 

                 

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                  • If I tell you the consequences and give you sciptural evidence will you accept it and do it?

                    There is story behind why we shouldn't eat grains on ekadashi and there scientific evidence also. 

                    As I see you don't believen in Scriptural evidences. Its a just waste of time to provide so much content for a non believer.

                    If the same question was asked by the person who really is inquisitive and want to geniunely find out why we should not eat grains on ekadashi and what is the katha behind. I would be really glad to tell that katha.

                    Just keep out of this bhakti movement. You can keep arguing .. but you cannot change a devotee. But I wish being with us some day you will change to become a devotee.

                    One good thing is you are atleast reading " Hare Krishna" words so many times for this also you will get some credits from Lord.

                     

                    Hare Krishna.

                    • Hmm. . Okay. Let us see.

                    • Rama Chandra Prabhu ,

                      Look at ur arguements in the next question in the forum.

                      https://iskcondesiretree.com/forum/topics/what-happened-to-jay-and-...

                      doesn't that imply u are a non believer. You are having doubts on gita and you were arguing about soul and its size. You were explained nicely by Bharat prabhu and you argued about soul.

                      If you are believer then It is fine I wont argue anymore on this topic. Chant and be happy.

                      Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!!

                      What happened to Jay and Vijaya after their third birth as Sisupala and Dantavakra?
                      I'm inquiring this to clear some confusion I have concerning the fate of Jay and Vijaya after their third birth as Sisupala and Dantavakra. Before th…
This reply was deleted.