Ekadasi

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna.

 

·>He kept repeating that she had cooked grains on Ekadasi and

·>described her mistake as very serious; her one mistake seemed to indicate

·>a whole wrong mentality. Govinda dasi finally felt it was as bad as if she

·>had actually eaten grains, so she fasted entirely for the rest of the day.

 

 

·>> Now I wonder if it's ok to give *karmis* grains on Ekadasi.

·>> Any comments?

 

Hmmm.

 

I certainly don't think that this instance can be interpreted as a universal

instruction. It seems to me to be more like a specific instruction that

Prabhupada had for one of his disciples. There are other instructions that

Srila Prabhupada gave which are diametrically opposed to this. What about

the story of how Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvata told his bramhacaries who

weren't going out to preach on Ekadasi that they should "cook kitri and go

out an preach?

 

To me, this is a simple common sense issue:

 

1.) Deity departments around the globe prepare normal offerings of grains

for the Vishnu-tattva deities on ekadasi, so we know that Krsna doesn't fast

from grains on Ekadasi.

 

2.) Such preparations are prasadam, Krsna's mercy, and taking them will

bring spiritual advancement.

 

3.) Is it better for these karmis that Bhaktin Olivia is asking about to get

the mercy, or not?

 

The obvious answer is yes. If it's a choice between them getting prasadam,

or not, then of course they should take the grain prasadam. If, on the other

hand, preparations can be offered which are equally nice which do not

contain grains, then probably that is the best thing to do.

 

I think this is a balanced response to her question.

 

Hare Krishna --

 

your servant, Balarama Dasa