Dedicated to Sri Sarada Devi

A Place where devotees gather to share inspiration.


"Holy Mother" painted by Swami Tadatmananda

Used courtesy of the Vedanta Society of Southern California

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Dedicated to Sri Sarada Devi
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Re: fasting

Namaste Anon,

Sri Swami Vivekananda had this to say about fasting:

"Sometimes people fast for days. ... When the worst man has fasted for twenty days, he becomes quite gentle. Fasting and torturing themselves have been practiced by people all over the world. Krishna's idea is that this is all nonsense. He says that the senses will for the moment recede from the man who tortures himself, but will emerge again with twenty times more [power]. ... What should you do? The idea is to be natural — no asceticism. Go on, work, only mind that you are not attached. The will can never be fixed strongly in the man who has not learnt and practiced the secret of non-attachment."

FROM: THE GITA II (Delivered in San Francisco, on May 28, 1900)
The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

Re: Re: fasting

Jai Ma !
Yet in our own experience, when we don't give the body food for a day, we find the mind becoming sharper, the digestive system is given rest and we wake up the next morning brighter and less tamasic.
Since learning of the ekadasi dates this has taken just milk and whey diet on those days and found it a good discipline.
It's not excessive, and is certainly not even an 'austerity', but undoubtedly beneficial!

Location: UK

Re: Re: Re: fasting

Glad to view this website after a long time. It is truly a place of rest. Similarly, fasting for a day, say Ekadasi is really beneficial and restful though as the Web adminis had replied to the first message in this particular series, the senses become strong again. But Krishna is disassuading extremes only. Fasting on Ekadashi or on a chosen day as I am doing (on Thursday as adviced by my Motherly teacher Sri Fhanindra) is helpful in many ways. Sri Fhanindra adviced me to fast as my Guru graha position is very bad or to put it simply Jupiter is taking an inimical interest in me due to my past karma. i take a glass of milk and fruits, two or three, and one or two sweets generally during the day. At night, I take hawisanna, or rice with Ghee and unvarnished dal or lentils. The overburdened mind gets some rest with the thoughts gaining a little clarity.
Excuse the long entry.
Regards,
Ankur

Location: Guwahati, Assam, India

Re: Re: Re: Re: fasting

RE: Ekadasi

The Master gave the following instruction to Mahendranath Gupta ("M"), the author of the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:

Sri Ramakrishna - "Just practice a little and someone will come to tell you the right way. You must observe the fast of ekadashi."

The Master also said:

"How long does one have to perform evening worship and other rituals? As long as one does not develop bhakti for His lotus feet, as long as the eyes do not fill with tears while repeating His name, and as long as the hair of one’s body does not stand on end."

"The blossom falls off as soon as the fruit appears. When one develops bhakti, when one attains the Lord, sandhya and other rituals fall off.

"When the daughter-in-law of the house is pregnant, the mother-in-law gradually frees her from work. When she has been pregnant for nine months, her mother-in-law does not allow her to work at all. When the infant is born, the mother only attends to it, taking it in her lap. She doesn’t have to attend to any other work. Similarly, when one has attained the Lord, one gives up rituals like sandhya."

Om Shanthi Om

Nahabat Web Admin

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: fasting

Thanks Sir/madam(web admin). The quotations are beautiful and I have observed their truth in my teacher Sri Fhanindra. How beautifully Ramakrishna illustrates such truths. Hope we too reach that stage one day. Today visited Sri Fhanindra. Told him of Sister Rosemary's post of an earlier date where she regretted not having a shrine to visit and your apt reply. He said Prema bhava (escatic love) is a great thing. It is not important where you keep your chosen diety, what is more important is how you keep Him. Just for the sake of keeping or out of love. You can keep even in a nook and corner with love.These two things (somebody gives the Lord/Mother place in his heart with care; somebody keeps Him/Her on a table with care) are great things. From these bhakti arises.
Regards.

Location: Guwahati, Assam, India