Re: New

[ak90]

Im sorry for spaming the topic. Im new here so I dont know where etc. Please if someone know, Im not some devotee, but I used to before few years do some meditation a little a bit and chanting but quited and started eating meat again etc. I was thinking can I observe Nirjala Ekadashi full fast without water and food, or it would be offence to God(that said some vaishnavas)?? If I can, can you please explain me how to break fast, and can I eat meat again 1 week after fasting? I was thinkging to eat veg. 1 week before Nirjala Ekadashi.. I know that fasting is ok for our bodies..but some say that dry 1 day fasting is better for body but only those who can do it, and know clevery break a fast.. I will say once again, Im not even hindu,Im from europe, Im not devotee, but I like that view about god, universe etc. I found that Nirjala ekadashi is most powerfull, so if one cannot fasting all other ekadashis one can fast nirjala ekadashi fully..They say that is good for removing sins, cleansing and going toward god, to inner self, to be calm whole 25 hour and only chanting mantras, or be silently in meditation.. Please if you know about it, can you tell me. Im sorry again for spaming, I know that this isnt that topic..god bless

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam ak90: I have no comments on your question, but i wanted to welcome you to HDF.

Aum Namasivaya

[Believer]

Namaste,

Welcome to the forum.
As far as I can tell, eat what you want, when you want to, observe whatever holy days you want to observe and live your life the way you see fit. However, if you want to climb the spiritual ladder, there will be a set regimen and you will have to abide by the rules. So, it is your call.

Pranam.

[devotee]

Namaste ak,


I was thinking can I observe Nirjala Ekadashi full fast without water and food, or it would be offence to God(that said some vaishnavas)?? If I can, can you please explain me how to break fast, and can I eat meat again 1 week after fasting?

Are you a Vaishnava ? If yes, then eating meat is forbidden for you. Majority of non-sectarian Hindus eat meat and also observe fast on days they consider holy. Once the fast is over they again go back to their usual eating habits.


I was thinkging to eat veg. 1 week before Nirjala Ekadashi.. I know that fasting is ok for our bodies..but some say that dry 1 day fasting is better for body but only those who can do it, and know clevery break a fast.. I will say once again, Im not even hindu,Im from europe, Im not devotee, but I like that view about god, universe etc. I found that Nirjala ekadashi is most powerfull, so if one cannot fasting all other ekadashis one can fast nirjala ekadashi fully..They say that is good for removing sins, cleansing and going toward god, to inner self, to be calm whole 25 hour and only chanting mantras, or be silently in meditation.. Please if you know about it, can you tell me. Im sorry again for spaming, I know that this isnt that topic..god bless

See, Nirjala EkAdasi may appeal to you for simple reason that it is a difficult vrat. However, you should be clear about your basics on Hindu Dharma beliefs. You are not a sinner, basically. You are pure AtmA i.e. the Self. Your aim is to realise what you really are. For that, you have to connect to God / the Reality. How do you do that ? Through your love towards God, meditation, Kriya etc. if you follow the Jnana Yoga and through worshipping God in form, chanting his name, mantras etc. if you follow the path of Bhakti / devotion. Vrats like Nirjala EkAdasi etc. are for purifying your body, mind and soul. This is actually PratyAhAr i.e. denying the sense organs their sense subjects. When you are able to control your sense organs' cravings then you ascend higher on the ladder of spirituality and you are nearer to God. When you serve mankind, when you alleviate the pains of beings who are suffering, you ascend the ladder of spirituality ... so these are tools to progress on the path of spirituality. Even keeping silent is also a type of PratyAhAr because you are denying your vocal sense organs the speech which is its subject and cajole it to be calm instead of reacting over the stimuli.

OM

[ak90]

Thank you on your replies and advices.Im sorry for my bad english.. Im not belonging to any secterian path, Im not even hindu, Im from Croatia, europe. Here are religions like catholism and islam.. I didnt chant many years, nor anything.. I did a little bit of spiritual practises before because I have been in contact with some vaishnavas..But I love equally both Vishnu and Shiva. I would like to do that nirjala ekadashi, to come closer to god.. I have many respect for all gods, but all gods are part of one formless all prevaiding being(god).. I was just thinking to give once a year a little sacrifice like full fasting once a year so by that way I can thank god for everything and get closer to him/her again.. I know that there is some spiritual and material benefits of fasting, but that is secondary, primary is for me to get closer to god, so god can wash away negativity from my heart and mind.. So you are saying that I could fast and then after eat meat regulary.. Thank you very much, but do you know when person is observing a full fast without water and food, what to eat day before and after.. Some say that is smart to go in fast with only 1 meal on day before and after full fasting.?? god bless

[devotee]

Namaste ak,


So you are saying that I could fast and then after eat meat regulary.\

Yes, if you want to eat meat it is ok. However, as you progress on the path of spirituality your craving for such things will come down. Killing any being for our own survival when we have other alternatives available, is certainly not good.


Thank you very much, but do you know when person is observing a full fast without water and food, what to eat day before and after.. Some say that is smart to go in fast with only 1 meal on day before and after full fasting.?? god bless

I would not advise you go for Nirjala vrat straightway. Our body and mind are accustomed to certain habits and it is advisable to go slow when you want to change the habit otherwise it would be too taxing on your body and mind. If you are on fast and you get sick and can't concentrate on love for God, what is the use of such a fast ? Yes, any penance /sacrifice will require us to endure some pain but that should not be more than what you can tolerate easily. So, why not try some easy fasting first ?

a) In the beginning, you can choose some particular day, say Monday or Tuesday in a week when you will be focused on God and would control your craving for food. Don't take meat on this day. No cereals i.e. rice, wheat etc. and try to live only on fruits. Keep taking water/tea if you so desire for the whole day. In the evening/night, you can do a full-fledged pooja of God (any form that you have chosen or you can even worship many together). After pooja, break the fast. This is fasting on fruits.

b) Once you can do the above easily, you can try fast only on water once in a month or on special occasions like Janmashtami (birthday of Lord Krishna), Shivratri (marriage day of Lord Shiva) etc. and see if you can do it easily. You can break fast after pooja at night or next day early in the morning.

c) When you are trying to do Nirjala Ekadsi Vrat, you should better prepare a little. Your body should be accustomed to occasional fasting as I described above. The day before fasting, you should better take light diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables. This will cleanse your body from toxins so that you will start the fasting with very little toxin in the morning otherwise if your body is full of toxins due to bad eating habits then the body will start cleansing toxins from your body on fasting day and that might result in headache, nausea and fever. Constipation is a major problem in fasting and if you are not taking water during fasting, it can be severe (because your body is unable to take out poisons through urine). So, it is better to rise up early in the morning on the day of fasting (say at 3:00 am) and take some liquid or semi-solid diet which is easily digestible. During this particular fasting, it is better if you take bath at least three times in the day. This will keep you cool and fresh. The next day, be careful not to stuff yourself too much either with water or food which can create trouble, You should take light food, better non-spicy, semi-liquid easily digestible food. Better to take food with good amount if fibre so that toxins accumulated but not taken out during fasting are flushed out. Don't take meat until the next day so that it doesn't overload your body with toxins just after fasting.

OM

[ak90]

Thank you on reply and answer.. I actually fasted before 4 - 5 years, once nirjala ekadahi and few times ekadashi with only water. I didnt know that I should stay awake through night that time.. So its ok to 2-3 days before fast eat only veg food, and 1 day before and after eat only watermellon and melons, its fruits and veg. only.. If I endure whole day and night without water and food, I would break fast day at parana time with bath,shower and 1. cup of water(room temp.) and cup of 1/2 cup of warm boiled milk and 1/2 water(room. temp) for digestion and cleansing toxins.. or 2. 1/2 - 1 lemon and water (room temp.) or lemonade.. and then after 30 min eat 1/2 watermelon and 1/2 melon or something like that for easy starting.. and then I would go to sleep..because of staying awake throught night of fasting and then after again some fruits and veg. and would go to sleep. Mainly I would eat only veg. food 3 days before and after nirjala ekadashi. I would take 3 times shower throught nirjala ekadashi day and after few days start eating again meat. milk and eggs.. I have fast metabolism so I think that I would not have problems with constipation... Its all about your spiritual and mental strength, your will power.. Through that day I would listen Vishnu bhajans, ekadashi stories reading, reading bhagavad gita, chanting om namo narayanaya.. Meditating on and listening mantras, stotras, vishnu sahasranam from youtube.. Then only meditation, not talking, mainly to occupy whole early morning, noon and after noon, night, and then again early morning and breaking fast.. It is difficult, I know, but I know that if you want it that you can do it, but its all about your little sacrifice to god, because I have to eat a lot, because I have a good metabolism, so is not very easy for me to get weight. When I would fast once a week, I would loose weight.. Im now 80 kg, and 1,87 cm height.. Im planing to get 10 kg more of muscle, so once a year for fasting is easier then to fast every week or month.. I tried fasting on water, and without eater and food also but as I said I would not stay awake that night on ekadashi, I didnt know that I should stay awake throught night.. But there are also material and spiritual benefits, and reward for who observe properly ekadashi nirjala full fasting day. Nirjala means "not even water", it is one of the toughest vrat which gives multifold (equals to 24 ekadashi vrat) auspicious results, if followed with all rules. Im also interested in learning sri rudram, but that would be another theme. Thank you very much.. God bless