NOTES ON EKADASI

Standard for Ekadasi break fasts.

If you have observed a complete fast ( without even water ) you do not need to break it with grains, you can break it with caranamrita or fruits. But if you have observed Ekadasi by eating fruits and vegetables etc. then it should be broken the following day by taking grains at the right times.

Mahadvadasi is observed like Ekadasi.

Ekadasi.

The essence is to eat simply, once or twice, so one can spend as much times as possible hearing, chanting, and remembering Sri Sri Radha-krsna. Never eat onions, garlic, carrots and red dhal, meat, fish or eggs, or products thereof.

Foods that is restricted during Ekadasi.

· Tomatoes, eggplants, cauliflower, broccoli, bellpepper.

· Peas, chickpeas and all types of beans, including products made from beans.

· Indian vegetable like kerala (bitter lemon), loki, parmal, toroi, kunli, drumsticks, okra ( lady fingers ), banana flower.

· All leafy vegetables like spinach, salads, cabbages and leafy herbs like parsley, curry leaves, neem leaves, etc.

· Grains like millet, barley, farina, dalia, pasta, rice, corn, all types of dahl and all types of flour made from grains and beans ( like rice flour, chickpea flour, urad dahl flour, ect. )

· Starch from corn or grains and products made from and mixed with these starches like : baking soda, baking powder, certain soft drinks, custard, certain yogurts, puddings, cream cheese, sweets, Honey, candies and tapioca-balls.

· Oils made from grains like corn oil, mustard oil, sesame oil, etc. and products fried in these oils like nuts, potato chips certain snack foods.

· Do not use any cooking ingredients that might be mixed with grains, such as ghee that has been used to fry puris, or spices touched by hands dusted with capati flour.

Spices that are used on Ekadasi are :

Turmeric, black pepper, ginger, and salt (rock salt) taken from a new or clean package.




Foods that can be taken in Ekadasi.

· All fruits ( fresh and dried ), all nuts and oils made from nuts.

· Potatoes, pumpkin, cucumber, radish, squash ( but not loki ), green papaya, lemon, jackfruit, avocado, olives, coconut, buckwheat, and all sugars. All milk products.


Maha-prasada on Ekadasi.

On Ekadasi, strick followers of Vaisnava regulations avoid eating any maha-prasada from an offering that includes grains. Sastras explains that the papa-purusa ( sin personified) takes shelter in grains on Ekadasi, and therefore we avoid grains at all cost on that day, not even risking taking non-grain preparations of maha-prasada from an offering plate containing grains. Ekadasi maha-prasada should be stored until the next day; if that is not possible it can be distributed to persons not strictly following Vaisnava regulations or to animals. In fact, maha-prasada maintains it purity on Ekadasi despite the presence of the papa-purusa, and therefore it will purify anyone who eats it. Nevertheless, the followers of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, being strict followers of Vaisnava regulations, avoid maha-prasada on that day because their strict sadhana will be hampered by the presence of the papa-purusa ( sin personified ).