Prasadam on Ramanavami.

[Guest guest]

> Hare Krishna. PAMHO AGTSP.

>

> On Gaura Purnima and Janamashtami Ekadasi Prasadam is taken on the same

> day and grain prasadam is only taken the next day whereas on Ramanavami

> after fasting till noon regular grain prasadam is taken on the same day.

>

> Could someone please let me know the reason for this as there is no

> difference between Lord Gauranga, Lord Krishna And Lord Rama.

>

> Thanks. Haribol.

> Your servant,

> haresh.

 

the following is (with some editing) from a letter I wrote around a couple

of years back to a devotee regarding a similar issue:

--------------

 

You mentioned that SP went against sastra by allowing his followers to take

grains on visnu tattvas' appearance days.

 

I don't agree with you, especially after surfing SP Folio. If you give a

simple search command to check what SP said about the importance of fasting

on days other than ekadashi day you will find that at hundredes of places SP

promotes fasting. You yourself are a manager and must be knowing well what

it means to make a standard for the whole community. It's a better practice

to set a minimum standard and then encourage devotees for a higher standard.

This will attract them at the first stage. This is true for any field. When

you learn a computer progarm, in the beginning they don't talk to you about

intricate commands/codes but just primery stuff and later on as you advance

you face more difficult challenges.

 

Even Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu did it (CC Madhya lila, Chapter 22) when He

talked about the priciples of devotional service. None of the first 32 items

out of the total 64 speaks about fasting on Vishu Tattva's appearance days.

In item # 9 Lord Chaitayna says one must fast on Ekadashi days. Only later

on in # 32 He speaks about partaking in the ceremonies of observing Rama

navami, etc. and in # 34 He advises one to observe kartik vrata, etc. So

these things are there but gradual. Srila Prabhupada was not a person to add

soemthing new to existing spiritual principles. Not pointing at you, let me

say that unfortunately it is becoming a fashion (actually a disease) in

ISKCON now to find faults in Srila Prabhupada which is pure kaliyuga

influence and one must keep away from it.

 

IMHO, to say Srila Prabhuapd went against sastra is dangerous, especially

for us being his granddisciples. Rather we should try to understand why he

said things seemingly contradictory to sastras. In fact, this is how the

rtviks get bewildered when they think that SP changed the paramapara system,

and in the same way some of ISKCON devotees are also bewildered thinking SP

wanted to have "equal rights" for men and women, not knowing that SP has

*allowed* some adjustment based on desa, kala, and patra *witout* changing

the basic principles.

 

Here is one simple quote (I forgot to write down references) where SP

carefully stresses on fasting on days other than ekadashi. There are many

other quotes.

 

"Tapasya means to undergo voluntarily some inconveniences of this body.

Because we are accustomed to enjoy bodily senses. And tapasya means

voluntarily to give up the idea of sense gratification. That is tapasya.

Tapasya. Just like Ekadasi. Ekadasi, one day fasting, fortnight. That is

also tapasya. Or fasting in some other auspicious day. That tapasya is good,

even for health, and what to speak of advancing in Krsna consciousness.

****So we should accept this tapasya.**** The upayasa. There are many

prescribed days for fasting****. We should observe.**** And the *preliminary

tapasya*, no illicit sex, no gambling, no intoxication, no, no

meat-eating... There may be some inconvenience, those who were (not)

accustomed to this practice, but we'll have to accept. Tapo divyam putraka

yena suddhyet sattva. If we want to purify our existence.. "

 

Srila Prabhupada says "we should observe." The point is whether we can.

 

And pl read the following quote:

 

"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.*****"

 

Srila Prabhupada says one should try to avoid even fruites and water on

ekadashi days but then he adds that "But because we cannot do it--in the

Kali-yuga the time is different--therefore we are allowed to take little

fruit and milk,". Other vaisnava scriptures talk about even more austere way

of observing ekadashi and other vratas but because we can't follow it

acaryas have mercifully allowed easier ways.

 

This is called allowance, not standard, and if we can manage without such

allowance we should do what SP recommends as best.

 

Here is another quote where SP says devotional service as "very simple",

just like a company advertising its product. Srila Prabhupada recommends

fasting not only on the appearance days of Lord Visnu but also of His

devotees.

 

"Devotional service to the Lord is very simple: one should always engage in

the service of the Lord, should eat the remnants of foodstuffs offered to

the Deity, smell the flowers offered to the lotus feet of the Lord, see the

places where the Lord had His transcendental pastimes, read of the different

activities of the Lord, His reciprocation of love with His devotees, chant

always the transcendental vibration Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna,

Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and observe the

fasting days commemorating the appearances and disappearances of the Lord

***and His devotees-***. By following such a process one becomes completely

detached from all material activities."

 

In the following quote SP is advising us to be more serious for tapasya:

 

"Renunciation in Krsna consciousness is so strong that it cannot be deviated

by any attractive illusion. One has to perform devotional service in full

tapasya, austerity. One should fast on the two Ekadasi days, which fall on

the eleventh day of the waxing and waning moon, and on the birthdays of Lord

Krsna, ***Lord Rama and Caitanya Mahaprabhu***. ***There are many such

fasting days.***"

 

He adds "There are many _such_ fasting days". So although he emphasizes on

the three main days he also says one should observe such other fasting days.

 

In this way if you look at his overall teaching you will find that he has

adopted a genuine and most practical way of preaching Krishna Consciousness

*without* deviating from essential spiritual priciples.

 

IN CONCLUSION, Srila Prabhupada did NOT go against sastras when he

apparently allowed certain things because such allowances were also

according to sastras.

 

All SP quotes © 1991 by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.

-------

I hope this helps to some extent.

 

Hare Krishna.

ys, bb