FASTING

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FASTING

 

68-03-12. Letter: Balai SO FAR THE ADVENT DAY OF LORD CAITANYA IS CONCERNED,

I HAVE WRITTEN A FULL SUGGESTION TO MONTREAL, IN WHICH THE MAIN POINTS ARE THAT

WE SHOULD ALL OBSERVE STRICT FASTING UP TILL MOONRISE, AND AT THAT TIME, AN

OFFERING IS MADE TO LORD CAITANYA OF EKADASI FOODS, FRUITS, PEANUTS, MILK, AND

SO FORTH. THEN, ON THE NEXT DAY, FRIDAY THE 15TH, A FULL-SCALE FEAST IS HELD TO

CELEBRATE HIS ADVENT DAY. On the 14th, chanting, reading of Srila Bhaktivinode's

book, Life and Precepts and Caitanya Caritamrta, Introduction to Bhagavatam, may

be held all the day in the Temple.

 

69-02-20. Letter: Satsvarupa Lord Caitanya's advent day is on the 4th of

March 1969. ON THAT DAY YOU SHOULD KEEP FASTING UP TO THE MOONRISE IN THE

EVENING, AND THE WHOLE DAY MAY BE UTILIZED IN PERFORMANCES IN KIRTANA AND

READING OF LORD CAITANYA'S TEACHINGS. IN THE EVENING AFTER CEREMONY OF KIRTANA

IS OBSERVED, LIGHT REFRESHMENTS LIKE FRUIT AND MILK, BOILED POTATOES MAY BE

TAKEN AND THE NEXT DAY GENERAL FEASTING AND DISTRIBUTION OF PRASADAM TO PUBLIC

MAY BE OBSERVED.

 

 

760211mw.may ConversationsPrabhupada: So today, ekadasi as usual,

the Varaha-dvadasi will be also observed and tomorrow breakfast.Tamala Krsna:

Breakfast. Fast? No.Prabhupada: Hm?Tamala Krsna: Fasting tomorrow

or...Prabhupada: No.Tamala Krsna: Regular...Prabhupada: Simply worshiping

Varahadeva. Kesava dhrta-sukara-rupa, jaya jagadisa hare. That take.Jayapataka:

Between 8:50 and 10:00 we should break the fast.Prabhupada: Yes.Tamala Krsna: Is

that called parayana?Prabhupada: Eh? Parayana.Hrdayananda: There's a very famous

lecture you gave, Srila Prabhupada, one day on a Varaha-dvadasi, where you sang

Jaya Jagadisa and then you explained it. A very wonderful lecture.Jayapataka:

AND THE DAY AFTER IS NITYANANDA'S AVIRBHAVA.Prabhupada: OH, THEN HALF-DAY

FASTING.Tamala Krsna: Wow.Hrdayananda: Auspicious alignment.Tamala Krsna:

(break) ...on your appearance day and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's and

Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Gaura Kisora's we should observe half-day fast. I have

a question that on all the other auspicious days, just like Narottama dasa

Thakura and others, should we also observe half-day fast?Prabhupada: IT IS...

BUT IF YOU CANNOT, THAT IS ANOTHER...Tamala Krsna: Sometimes because of the

sankirtana...Prabhupada: No, no. If you cannot, you can take.Tamala Krsna: And

just sing some songs and praise.Prabhupada: YES. YES. KIRTANA IS MAIN

THING.Tamala Krsna: And if possible, then the fasting.Prabhupada: Yes.Tamala

Krsna: I see. (break) ...is up till sun...Prabhupada: UP TILL SUNSET. LORD

RAMACANDRA.Tamala Krsna: Also. And Srimati Radharani?Prabhupada: Half.Tamala

Krsna: Half day. (break)Prabhupada: Oh, yes.Tamala Krsna: What kind of fast is

that?Prabhupada: BALARAMA? HALF DAY. It is fifteen days before

Janmastami.Tamala Krsna: We should always chant twenty-five rounds on ekadasi

if initiated.Prabhupada: Initiated? Everyone. Why initiated?Tamala Krsna: So

that should be standard for our movement on ekadasi day?Prabhupada: Standard is

sixteen, but if one can chant more, then he is welcome.Tamala Krsna: It's not

mandatory for ekadasi.Jayapataka: Recommended.Prabhupada: NO. EKADASI MEANS

THAT, FASTING AND CHANTING.Tamala Krsna: Sometimes I'm wondering, because our

men have to go out on book distribution.Prabhupada: NO, NO. THAT IS ALSO

PREACHING WORK. FOR THAT PURPOSE YOU CAN STOP THIS, BUT GENERALLY, ONE WHO HAS

NO PREACHING WORK, HE CAN CHANT.Tamala Krsna: Extra.Prabhupada: Extra.Tamala

Krsna: I see. (end)

 

710407LE.BOM LecturesSo this process should be adopted, how to

become sukrtina. Sukrti means yajna-dana-tapa-kriya. One must perform

sacrifices as prescribed in the sastras, and they must give in charity their

hard-earned money for Krsna's cause. That is called dana. Yajna, dana, and

tapasya. Tapasya. JUST LIKE TOMORROW IS SRI RAMA-NAVAMI. THE TAPASYA WILL BE

THAT ALL THE DEVOTEES WILL OBSERVE FASTING FROM MORNING TILL EVENING. THIS IS

CALLED TAPASYA. JUST LIKE EKADASI DAY--THERE IS NO EATING SUMPTUOUSLY. SIMPLY

YOU TAKE LITTLE FRUITS AND FLOWERS. TRY TO AVOID THAT ALSO. YOU DON'T TAKE EVEN

WATER. THAT IS REALLY EKADASI. But because we cannot do it--in the Kali-yuga the

time is different--therefore we are allowed to take little fruit and milk, which

is called anukalpa. These are different methods of tapasya. And yajna. This

yajna, sankirtanaih prayair yajnaih, yajanti hi su-medhasah. In this age you

cannot perform that big asvamedha yajna, gomedha yajna, rajasuya yajna, so many

other yajnas. It is not possible. First of all, you have no means to perform

such yajnas, hundreds and hundreds of tons ghee required for putting into the

sacrificial fire. You have not even a drop of your ghee. So forget all those

yajnas. In this age, yajnaih sankirtanaih prayaih. That is recommended in the

sastra:

 

krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam

sangopangastra-parsadam yajnaih sankirtanaih prayair

yajanti hi su-medhasah

 

So these are pious activities, to perform yajna and to give in charity, yajna,

dana and tapasya, accepting voluntarily austerity. That will make you sukrtina.

And if you actually become sukrtina, then you'll be inclined. Because the dirty

things will be cleansed by these pious activities, then you will understand.

Just like when the sky is cleared of all clouds you can see the sunshine very

brilliantly, similarly, you can see Krsna and God very brilliantly as soon as

the cloud accumulated in your heart of all dirty things is cleansed. The

process of cleansing in this age is this sankirtana yajna. This sankirtana

movement is not unauthorized. It is authorized by the sastras. And because they

are being properly performed, it is taking effect all over the world.