About steady practice of Ekadasi Vratam & continuous improvements

[Guest guest]

Respected Bhaagavata's,I wanted to know how does one observe Ekadasi. I basically wanted the devotees to share their their practices and how they came to observe these practices.I wanted to start observing fasting on Ekadasi. But the elders in my family come with the arguments - 'Whatever you are doing now is enough.'!! :-), 'Earlier it was easier to observe, therefore they observed. Now it is difficult. We have to live according to the times.', 'We are not supposed to starve the antaryami within us.'. I am usually speechless.The elder's intention are ofcourse based on health concerns only.But at the same time I do not want to dive into Ekadasi fasting. I think, I would fail spectacularly. I want my spiritual practices to be steady, repeatable and continuously progressive. I

want to know how other devotees started their practice & steadily improved in it.What are the prescibed food materials to be consumed on this day?Some say broken-rice is acceptable:http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/nov2000/0189.htmlSome do not mention rice at all(may be it is disallowed):http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/may97/0088.htmlSome say NO to rice:http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/feb2000/0059.htmlSome say upma is acceptable:http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/feb2000/0060.htmlSome say no *grains* are to be consumed (Grains means rice, wheat, oats, corn, etc):http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/rituals/aug2002/0004.htmlWhat about legumes (Toor dal, Urad Dal, Chana dal) or (Tuvaram parrupu, Ullundu, kadalai parrupu,etc)?I am sure the discussion about Ekadasi has been discussed so many times. But I hope I am not getting into anybody's nerves. The last thing I want to do is land up on an internet resource that misleads me more.I thank you all for your time & association.namO nArAyanAya!Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan,Sriram

[Guest guest]

Dear Shri Sriram,

 

As you wanted to know some personal experiences, Adiyen would like to share mine

though I am no way qualified to guide you on this.

 

It all started when adiyen bacame a friend of an ISKCON devotee some 17 years

ago (at Bahrain - famously known as RV) who was oberving Ekadesi fasting.. The

inspiration also came from another close family who were guiding all youngsters

by their continuous practices (Gita, sahasranama chanting, prabandham recitals,

Ekadesi etc..). In addition ISKCON has an elaborate narration on glories of each

Ekadesi fasting as detailed by none other than Lord Krishna to Yudhishtra. Also

even from scientific point, once in a way it is better to give rest to the

digestive system.

 

So I also decided to start atleast....initially with consuming food one time. I

think it was lunch I had. Slowly I could skip that too. But I was having couple

of bananas and applam during late noon time. Once during the holidays my

mother-in law (who was a staunch observer) said having  salt would actually

nullify the whole efforts. She told me sweets are okay but not salt. So I

stopped the applam too. So for many years on ekadesi adiyen has been having -

two coffees, one fruit juice and one moong dal payasam in the night - i.e no

solid foods (four times evenly spread during that day). In the last few months

however I have relaxed a bit and started having fruits in the noon in addition

to those drinks. (ofcourse no salt).

 

I am not sure if the above helps. It is certainly doable. So long as one

does not suffer from any illness (like diabetes etc..) one should try towards

Ekadesi practice.

 

dasan

Varadan 

 

Adiyen was thrilled and wanted to follow his practice. It started with fasting

just one time of the day - I think it was dinner I skipped.

 

--- On Sun, 22/3/09, sriram aravamuthan <vidusri2 wrote:

 

 

sriram aravamuthan <vidusri2

[sri ramanuja] About steady practice of Ekadasi Vratam & continuous

improvements

ramanuja

Sunday, 22 March, 2009, 3:09 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Respected Bhaagavata's,

 

I wanted to know how does one observe Ekadasi. I basically wanted the devotees

to share their their practices and how they came to observe these practices.

 

I wanted to start observing fasting on Ekadasi. But the elders in my family come

with the arguments - 'Whatever you are doing now is enough.'!! :-), 'Earlier it

was easier to observe, therefore they observed. Now it is difficult. We have to

live according to the times.', 'We are not supposed to starve the antaryami

within us.'. I am usually speechless.

The elder's intention are ofcourse based on health concerns only.

 

But at the same time I do not want to dive into Ekadasi fasting. I think, I

would fail spectacularly. I want my spiritual practices to be steady, repeatable

and continuously progressive. I want to know how other devotees started their

practice & steadily improved in it.

 

What are the prescibed food materials to be consumed on

this day?

Some say broken-rice is acceptable:

http://www.ramanuja .org/sv/bhakti/ archives/ nov2000/0189. html

Some do not mention rice at all(may be it is disallowed):

http://www.ramanuja .org/sv/bhakti/ archives/ may97/0088. html

Some say NO to rice:

http://www.ramanuja .org/sv/bhakti/ archives/ feb2000/0059. html

Some say upma is acceptable:

http://www.ramanuja .org/sv/bhakti/ archives/ feb2000/0060. html

Some say no *grains* are to be consumed (Grains means rice, wheat,

oats, corn, etc):

http://www.ramanuja .org/sv/bhakti/ archives/ rituals/aug2002/ 0004.html

 

What about legumes (Toor dal, Urad Dal, Chana dal) or (Tuvaram parrupu, Ullundu,

kadalai parrupu,etc) ?

 

I am sure the discussion about Ekadasi has been discussed so many times. But I

hope I am not getting into anybody's nerves. The last thing I want to do is land

up on an internet resource that misleads me more.

 

I thank you all for your time & association.

 

namO nArAyanAya!

 

Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan,

Sriram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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