Is it possible to eat beets on Ekadashi? Ekadashi: to eat or not to eat, plan of observance. What is the benefit of observing Ekadashi

24.11.2020 Complications

Ekadashi - the eleventh lunar day after the full moon and new moon (Skt. "Eka" - one, "dashi" - ten), occur twice a month. This is a special day of the lunar calendar, the best time for spiritual practice: prayer, fasting (at least for cereals and legumes), austerities and donations these days acquire unprecedented strength. Ekadashi is worshiped in its own way by all followers of the Vedas. In this article, we will explain how to observe Ekadashi and fasting properly.

The moon moves huge masses of water with ease during the ebb and flow of the ocean. It also strongly affects the human body and psyche, the life of plants and animals. therefore ekadashi - not a fantasy of the ancient Brahmans, but an accurate fixation of the real processes taking place in the universe. If we observe correctly ekadashi, after leaving, we will be able to feel all their wholesomeness: a clear mind, enthusiasm, concentration, spiritual uplift, a surge of strength, purification of the body. You can experiment and see that ekadashi work. And the more a person is spiritually advanced, the more clearly the result is felt.

What is the benefit of observing Ekadashi

Physical (body)

In Ashtanga-hridaya-samhita 1.8, a treatise on ayurveda, it is said that “during the fast, unbalanced doshas come into balance, the digestive fire flares up, the state of the body and mind is normalized. In addition, physical lightness, healthy appetite and thirst, good mood and digestion are achieved, as well as strength and energy. " That is, fasting allows you to burn the toxins accumulated in our body.

“Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you bring gifts, whatever you give and whatever tapasu Do it, O son of Kunti, as an offering to Me. "
Bhagavad-gita 9.27

“Once Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, falling at the feet of His mother, asked her to give Him a gift. The mother replied: "My son, I will give you everything you want." Then the Lord said, 'Dear mother, please do not eat grain food on the days of Ekadashi.'
Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 15.8-9

“The Vaishnavas have great respect for the Ekadashi day, Sri Hari-vasara. By properly following Ekadashi, bhaktas observe all the supplementary principles of devotional service. Giving up certain physical pleasures and turning to devotional service regularly every two weeks makes the practice of service continuous and systematic. "
Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Bhaktya-loka

"On Ekadasi and the days of the Lord's appearance, one should forget about eating and enjoyment and chant the holy name in the company of devotees around the clock."
Sri Harinama Chintamani

Ekadashi names

We don't know how this will help you, but each ekadashi has its own name.

Trisprisha
Papavimochani

Damanakaropani

Varuthini
Pandava-nirjala
Devasayani
Pavitraropani
Papankusha

Devotthani

Vishuddha

Sources

Ekadashi is the day of Lord Hari. Translation of individual parts from the Puranas

ISKCON's Guide to Deity Worship. Pancaratra Pradepa. Volume 2.

Srimad-Bhagavatam. Song 3

The phenomenon of Sri Ekadashi (1956). Sri Navina Chandra Chakravarti

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

Hari-bhakti-vilasa

Caitanya-caritamrta. Adi-lila

Bhakti Vigyan Goswami, replies from the forum

Ekadashi and other aspects of the practice of Gaudiya Vaishnavas / Comp. Varadeshwara d.

The Vaishnava path. Daily Practice of Krishna Consciousness / Comp. Varadeshwara d.

Krishna Consciousness: A Beginner's Guide. Bhakti Vikasha Swami

It is translated from Sanskrit as the eleventh. This is the 11th and 26th lunar day according to the Vedic calendar. These days are especially auspicious for austerities and spiritual enlightenment.

It is said that just as there is no water cleaner than the water of the Ganges River, there is no Lord higher than Lord Vishnu, and there is no more sacred fast than the Ekadashi fast.

“Of all plants, Tulasi is dearer to Me, of all months - kartika,
of all places of pilgrimage - My beloved Dvaraka
and of all the days of Ekadashi, the most dear to Me. "
Padma Purana, Utgara Khanda

The meaning of fasting on Ekadashi

Ekadashi promotes purification on the physical, mental and spiritual planes, attaining the grace of God and liberation from the illusion of material existence.

Why is it recommended to fast on Ekadashi specifically? Everyone knows that the moon has a strong influence on the human psyche. And on the eleventh lunar day, we are especially strongly dependent on our senses, the desire to enjoy and exploit our environment for our own purposes reaches its maximum. Grains and legumes are the main source of energy, so it is recommended to give them up in the first place - so as not to energize your selfish desires.

Ekadashi is called the mother of devotion - if we think of Krsna or serve Him on that day, we get more benefit than usual. Accordingly, when we sin on this day, we suffer great sinful reactions.

Lord Krishna Himself in the Bhagavad Gita told Arjuna about the meaning of Ekadashi:

"O Arjuna, the best of the Kuru, even the demigods cannot appreciate the potency of this boon, and half of it is achieved by those who eat only nakta on Ekadashi."

Types of fasting. Rules for fasting on Ekadashi days

Fasting takes place on two levels - on the spiritual and on the physical.

On a spiritual level Ekadashi is the day of Vishnu. On this day, it is better to pray, recite mantras, do puja and just live for the Lord, remember him constantly. The day should be filled with calmness and service.

If possible, you should give up worldly affairs and unnecessary troubles on this day as much as possible, freeing up time for spiritual communication and improvement.

At the physical level – it is abstinence from food. Fasting can be done in two ways:

Full post - this is a very high standard for advanced devotees - it implies complete abstinence from food and water, the so-called "dry fast". If you want to fully observe this type of fasting, then you cannot even brush your teeth, and also you cannot take acaman (cleansing before / after the japa / puja rituals). One must stay awake all night chanting the holy names.

* According to some Vedic sources, women are prohibited from keeping a full fast: only with the permission of her husband, a woman can observe half of the strict fast.

* Also, do not fall into strong austerities and keep them at any cost (this is the mode of passion), because if you experience any discomfort on this day due to well-being, then your thoughts will be very far from serving.

Minimum post – it is abstaining from eating legumes such as rice, corn, peas, soybeans, etc. It is said that if someone consumes grain on that day, it is the same as eating beef.

You should try to drink and eat no more than once, in the afternoon. This food is called nakta (dinner).

When consuming food, in addition to grains and legumes, you should also avoid: spinach, honey, eggplant, asafoetida and sea salt (other types of salt such as table salt are acceptable), as well as eating in other people's homes.

You should be careful with spices these days - many spices (especially Indian ones) contain flour additives, such as asafoetida. And there may also be soy inclusions in dairy products, although this is not even indicated on the label. Some sources claim that it is necessary to refrain from oils (any - animal and non-animal) and honey.

With regard to sugar, it is generally recommended to avoid sweets. The reason is that sweet nourishes sensuality. Since on Ekadashi the desire for enjoyment reaches its peak anyway, and it will be clearly superfluous to heat up lust.

In fact, on this day, you must limit yourself from any food and gastronomic addictions. The food should be very simple, with a minimum of spices, and in no case should you overeat.

There is quite controversial information about the foods that are allowed for Ekadashi or, conversely, prohibited. Therefore, it is better to check how this information is presented by authoritative sources.

7 types of foods that do not interrupt fasting (according to "Hari-Bhakti-Vilasa":
- fruits and vegetables;
- sesame;
- milk;
- water;
- ghee;
- pancha-gavya (5 types of cow products);
- air.

According to "Mahabharata" fasting is not interrupted :
- water;
- roots;
- fruits;
- milk;
- ghee;
- the desire of a brahmana;
- the order of the spiritual teacher;
- medicine.

Foods that should not be eaten on Ekadashi:

Legumes: peas, chickpeas (chickpeas), beans, beans, and any foods made from beans or grains (tofu, coffee drinks)
Grain and products from it: oats, pasta, semolina, rice, corn, rice, corn, as well as flour from grain and legumes (rice, chickpea, lentil);
Eggplant, beets, tomatoes, onions, garlic, cauliflower and white cabbage, broccoli, corn, coconut, sunflower seeds;
it is not recommended to use the following spices on Ekadashi:sesame, cumin, asafoetida, shambhala, mustard, curry, tamarind, fennel, kalindzhi, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg etc.
Oils: corn, mustard, sesame and sunflower.

What else cannot be done on Ekadashi, and what must / should be done

You can't:

To shave;
- to eat unclean food;
- have sex;
- engage in other activities that help to increase the energies of the guna of rajas (passion) and tamas (ignorance) - for example, watching movies with elements of violence, or reading tabloid literature; quarrel, sort things out.

Spend as much time as possible in prayer, reading or discussing spiritual literature, meditation;
- stay awake all night;
- dance for the Lord;
- to give alms - the benefit of what is given on Ekadashi as charity increases thousands of times compared to other days (naturally, it is necessary to give from a pure heart and not for the sake of obtaining benefit for oneself).

It is important to follow the calendar, and not try to independently calculate the 11th day after the new moon or full moon. The time of leaving the post is also indicated there.

After observing Ekadashi, one must break the fast within 2.5 hours after sunrise the next day, on Dvadashi. To get out of Ekadashi, you must accept what you have fasted on. If you have been fasting on pulses, then, accordingly, eat something of these foods. If you have been fasting full of water, then you should eat something light, such as fruit. If you have kept a dry fast, then you can get out of the fast with water, juice, or also fruits.

According to the scriptures, Ekadashi must be observed from the age of 5. Anyone who is unable to fast due to a serious illness or old age must find a particularly spiritual person and donate something to him. He can also simply hear or read about the meaning of each Ekadashi. This practice is recommended as one of the methods to achieve the full result of fasting.

If Ekadashi was not accidentally observed, one can perform it on the next day, Dvadashi, and break the fast on the third day, Trayodashi.

But the most important thing isthe meaning of Ekadashi is not to starve and not to get out of fasting in a strictly defined period of time. The most important thing is the mood in which you spend this day. Ekadashi is primarily a spiritual phenomenon. So the most important thing is not that you were able to survive all day without food (or could not) or did not sleep all night (and then the question is how you will fulfill your duties the next day), but how much you have improved spiritually ...

Translated from Sanskrit, the word "Ekadashi" (stress is placed on both the last and the penultimate syllables) means "eleven". In the Hindu calendar, this is the eleventh day of the waxing and waning moon of each month. These are the best days for making vows, for worshiping Vishnu and Krishna, for abstinence and beneficence. Observance of Ekadashi is especially important because on these days food is filled with bad karma, and by abstaining from it, a person reduces his karmic burden.

History of origin

According to legend, the goddess appeared in the form of a girl clothed with light in the midst of a thousand-year war between Lord Sri Hari and the demon king Mura. Sri Hari was completely exhausted and took refuge in the Badarikashram cave to recuperate. An angry Ekadashi appeared from his body like lightning, challenged the monster, destroyed his weapon, the chariot, and finally blew off the head of the monster itself. It happened on the 11th day of the waning moon. In gratitude to her, the gods were given the power to deliver from the most serious sins all who fast on this day.

Ekadashi what is it and why

The hour of entry and exit into fasting is constantly changing, since the lunar month is shorter than the solar one.

There are seven stages in Ekadashi, according to the number of chakras in the human body.

Refusal of meat, fish, mushrooms, alcoholic beverages and tobacco.

Abolish legumes and grains.

Cancellation of tamasic products that affect the perception of reality.

One meal - dinner (nakta) from 4 pm to sunset for those who find it difficult to abstain completely from food and water.

Complete refusal to eat, only water once a day.

Complete dry fasting from dawn to dawn.

Spiritual practices instead of sleeping at night.

There is no need to start right away with a full post, it is better to take small steps - for example, to refuse only prohibited foods.

It is not advisable for children under 8 years of age to perform Ekadashi.

You cannot perform Ekadashi if you are diagnosed with:

underweight;

tuberculosis;

malignant formations;

cardiovascular disorders.

Fasting requires a fasting person to abstain not only from food and certain actions, but the spiritual aspect is much more important. The main purpose of fasting is purification of thoughts, spiritual development.

From a physiological point of view, the benefits of spending the day of Ekadashi are as follows: under the influence of hunger, a vacuum forms in the digestive tract, which counteracts the lunar attraction, and when you leave the fast the next day, a powerful removal of toxins from the body occurs.

Under the influence of the moon, it is on this day that cells experience overload. Refusal from food and water allows the organs, primarily the digestive tract, to rest and get rid of unnecessary and harmful.

How to observe Ekadashi fasting correctly

It is ideal to enter the fast smoothly, after reading prayers. The day before the start of the fast, it is better to refrain from sex and gambling.

It is important that 11 lunar days begin at least 96 minutes before sunrise, otherwise the fast is postponed to the next day.

Not allowed:

eat in other people's homes - at a party, cafes, restaurants;

touching a woman who has critical days;

sleep during the day;

rub the body with oil, apply oil to the hair;

communicate with people of gross materialistic consciousness, drinking.

Encouraged:

solitude, abstinence from external contacts and active social life;

reading sacred books;

offerings to the gods: flowers, fruits, jewelry.

What you can eat: list of foods

When Ekadashi is fully observed, it is prohibited to eat:

leguminous crops;

eggplant;

tomatoes and tomato sauces;
asafoetida;

sea \u200b\u200bsalt;

vegetable oil (except olive oil);

What can be eaten on Ekadashi:

dried fruits;

vegetables and root vegetables (except beets);

dairy;

nuts (except betel nut);

Taking homeopathic medicines is not considered a violation of the fast.

You can take food and water once after 16 hours and before sunset.

Exit from Ekadashi: at the proper time, fasting should be interrupted - for example, by eating something cereal, drinking a glass of water with lemon juice, a pinch of salt, then a light breakfast is allowed.

“I wrote that vegetarianism is the first very small step towards spirituality and personal growth. In any undertaking, the first step is very difficult, but if you are reading these lines, then we have already started moving along this path and it is time to move on, take the next steps ...

Today I will tell you about Ekadashi. Observance of Ekadashi is one of the established Vedic scriptures of purification ceremonies designed for a person to be spiritually elevated. In short, Ekadashi is fasting, but special attention on this day should be given primarily to spiritual practices! Ekadashi is held on the 11 lunar day from the full moon and on the 11 lunar day from the new moon, i.e. 2 Ekadashi per month.

I think everyone will be interested in hearing the story of the emergence of Ekadashi:

So, according to ancient scriptures, the Supreme God created the goddess of the lunar day, Ekadashi. He endowed living entities with the opportunity to free themselves from sins and material existence, to attain the spiritual world by worshiping the goddess Ekadashi. Sin personified or the so-called man of sin had nowhere to live and he turned to God with a request to shelter him. God gave him the opportunity to hide in pulses on the days of Ekadashi. Since then, it is believed that those who fast on Ekadashi are freed from all sins, and those who consume pulses on Ekadashi take sin.

So why exactly 11 lunar days were chosen as the day of austerity ?! It turns out that everything is not just like that: Ekadashi is also called dry fasting, i.e. on this day you can not only eat, but also drink water. This is explained as follows, on the 11th and 26th lunar days, the effect of the moon on a person is maximal, because it is closest to the Earth, therefore, acting on the internal fluids of the human body, it creates excess pressure in the head and chest of a person, Ekadashi is aimed at limiting the amount of fluid in the body (recall that in addition to water in its original form, all food contains water, and some, such as vegetables and fruits, practically consists of water) and thereby minimize excess pressure.

You can read how and why Ekadashi is observed in our family in the article ““. I also hold the following opinion that for some (if you do not know your constitution, you can determine it with the help, or write to us by mail [email protected] and we will help you determine it) observing strict Ekadashi can be very difficult, so I recommend starting the Ekadashi in a form that is more tolerant to food and liquids.

Now I will tell you how to eat on Ekadashi properly. The rules are as follows:

1. Naturally, only vegetarian food!

2. Complete rejection of grains and legumes, including any of their derivatives.

3. Any oils are prohibited, the ban does not apply only to Ghee oil.

5. Do not use any leaves.

6. Sweets are strictly prohibited.

7. Also, do not eat eggplant, beets, tomato, onion, garlic, any cabbage, mushrooms, sesame seeds, seeds, coconut.

In addition to these limitations, there are a few more rules for the gentle Ekadashi variant (it is relevant especially for beginners!):

First rule of how to eat correctly on Ekadashi - it is still to consume some amount of pure water, say 2 glasses a day, you can replace one glass of water with a glass of fresh juice - apple, orange, grapefruit, but only freshly squeezed!

The second rule is how to eat correctly on Ekadashi - meals should be reduced to two or one, based on your capabilities.

With the basic prohibitions and rules on how to eat on Ekadashi, that's all, it's time to support the theory with practice :), so in the end I will share with you a couple of my favorite and very simple dishes for Ekadashi:

1. Green buckwheat with avocado hummus:

I recommend not even boiling green buckwheat, but simply soaking it in advance. Fry the ready-to-eat buckwheat a little with the addition of ghee and turmeric. Personally, I really love ghee, so I add it almost everywhere and quite generously :) Now we prepare hummus: take a ripe, but not overripe avocado, peel it and cut it in random order. Grind a little walnuts in a blender until mushy, then add the avocado there and punch again. That's it, hummus is ready. It is very important to prepare it immediately before use and not to store it in reserve.

2. Potatoes with apples, baked in the oven:

A somewhat spicy combination, but personally I like it. So, cut the potatoes and apples into thin slices, put the potatoes on a baking sheet, pour with Ghee oil, mix and send them to the oven for 15 minutes, during this time the potatoes are slightly fried, then we take the potatoes out of the oven, add the apples and mix with sour cream, send them back to oven for 15 minutes at a lower temperature. Sprinkle with grated cheese 5 minutes before the end of cooking.

According to the Vedas, there are two types of human beings in the world. The consciousness of the former is spiritual, they live according to the Vedic scriptures, while other materialistic people are full of ignorance and do not follow the scriptures. Despite this, God has instituted such purifying processes as Ekadashi, which are the same for everyone and enable everyone to become spiritually elevated.