Why Problems continue even after Ekadasi fasting for years?
Actual Question from a male devotee (Requested anonymity):
“Hare Krishna my dearest prabhu…I have one question…i am a student my exams are next month and syllabus is vast….so i i left chanting… but regarding karma u mentioned that… once u get spiritually advance in bhakti dat means ur bad karma’s are over….yes i am a very bad person.. but i take ekadashi fast… in ekadashi varath katha it is mentioned dat all ur karma’s not only of dis life but last life also will be vanished if u take fast on ekadashi…but in spite of taking fast m still not spiritually advance in bhakti (my bad karma’s are not over)… i am very alternative in chanting also….Please advise.. Your humble servant.”
REPLY:
In the previous yugas, the people performed penances by sitting at a solitary place for many days or months or even years. But in kaliyuga, the lifetime of the people is less. So, penances lso have been simplified.
Thus, The actual purpose of fasting on ekadasi is that we are observing a penance for Krishna by sacrificing our regular choices, likes and comforts. Such sacrifices will give us material detachment stage by stage.
By sacrificing the food for two days a month and also spending the whole day of ekadasi thinking of Krishna & chanting His names, we can learn to live so on other days also that may gradually reduce attachments further.
Reduced material attachment definitely increases our attachment to Krishna gradually.
This will take us towards perfection and purity in our Krishna Consciousness.
Then why do the Ekadasi stories speak aabout mterial benefits?
Yes, observing Ekadasi fast give better material life also for us. Observing ekadasi fast sincerely will offer material benefits also, but the devotees should continuously & sincerely observe ekadasi fast for more period because they will have tons of pending karma from previous births. If we don’t observe ekadasi fasts, we will have still more problems.
The stories of ekadasis highlight material benefits to encourage the people to observe fasting atleast expecting some benefits. It may be useful for the beginners in devotion who may expect some benefits from God. Therefore these stories may encourage them to fast.
Stage by stage, they will come to the position of Nishkam bhakti, ie, not expecting any benefits from Krishna.
(Is violating the karma possible? READ HERE!)
Therefore, if you have any prayers to Krishna, you can observe the ekadasi fast. Such prayers are natural during the initial stage of following devotion because the devotees depend on Krishna only.
But, when you advance in your devotion to Krishna, you will understand that you need not pray anything to Krishna because He knows all your needs.
We are trying for a permanent relief from the pains of births and deaths by getting an eternal life with Krishna. Therefore, we have no demands to Krishna.
(FIVE IMPORTANT DOUBTS ABOUT EKADASI FASTING! MUST BE READ! READ HERE!)
Then, should not we read these stories?
Not so. They are real stories and these stories are useful for making the devotees to start fasting and continue the same with a hope.
Because, there are problems in the families of devotees also. Since the devotees have no other ‘care takers’ except Krishna, they will have to surrender to Krishna alone for all their needs.
These stories will make them to START EKADASI FASTS ATLEAST TO GET RELIEF FROM THEIR DISTRESS. Then, the fasting will become their regular practice.
Similarly, ‘Gita Mahathmiya’ says that even if you read a single chapter of Bhagavad Gita, you become relieved from births and deaths.
What this means? Can we stop births just by reading a single chapter of Gita only once?
(What sin we acquire if we do not follow 4 regulative principles and Ekadasi fasts? READ HERE!)
No. The actual meaning is: When we read atleast a single chapter of Bhagavad Gita, we will develop an interest to read all the chapters. Then, after reading entire Gita, we will get an attachment with Krishna. Then, we will look for the association of devotees. Then, we will grow in devotion and finally we will get Krishna Himself. That is why, it was advised to read atleast a single chapter of Bhagavad Gita.
Even a big tree comes from a very small seed. Similarly, reading just a single chapter of Bhagavad Gita will give Krishna Himself stage by stage.
However, you should not expect any miracles after fasting. The real miracle is that the fasting purifies you from material attachments stage by stage.
We should not take the meanings of certain stories and their contents as it is.
For example, we have heard: “If you need to go to Goloka, worship Krishna and have Krishna Prasadam. If you need material comforts, worship Durga devi.”
How will you understand this?
You will understand: “I will go to Krishna temple daily and get the Prasadam. I will get life in Goloka soon.”
(HOW KRISHNA CLEARS OUR KARMA? READ HERE!)
It is true only. But, you may not review HOW IT HAPPENS.
When a person likes to run fast, his legs must be free from any bondages. If someone has tied a rope around his leg and is pulling him back, how can that person run forward? Similarly, if we need to go to Goloka, we need to cut all our material attachments that are pulling us back from our forward movement towards Krishna. So, evaluate your devotion based on your level of detachment from material affairs. Fast on ekadasis only as a penance for Krishna, but without any expectations. Krishna has said that every ekadasi offers certain benefits. It is for those who feel that they are distressed.
He has said that such distressed people are also His devotees. But, those who worship Him without any expectations are very dear to Him. So, Fast to show your love for Krishna.
But, be aware that Krishna offers anything to us ONLY AFTER allowing us to clear my karma fast. So, if we fast regularly, Krishna will clear our karma fast and help us to go back to His kingdom fast.
Have no demands from Krishna. He has right to decide whether to give anything to us or not AND also when to give. Leave that choice to Krishna Himself. So, Just fast sincerely. Krishna knows what, how and when to give anything.
Thus, we should try to have this maturity while fasting. If an Ekadasi story says that you will get a child if you fast for this ekadasi, that means, Krishna will clear the bunch of karma you have that is preventing your getting a child, and then gives you a child after clearing your karma fast. You have to wait till that and continue your devotional practices including fasting non-stop though it is delayed.
After fasting for just one or a few ekadasis, you should not ask your wife whether she has become pregnant or not. Who knows how much of karma you have from your past births? Krishna alone knows that. So, He has to clear them by giving the reactions through some incidences to you fast.
(EKADASI RECEIPS – THE FOODS TO BE PREPARED ON EKADASI! READ HERE!)
You may ask: Why can’t Krishna clear my karma instantly showing special interest in me?
Similarly, you may have plenty of past karma. So, Krishna may be clearing them as fast as possible now. After fasting once or for a few times, you should not tell: “Why I have not yet become pure even after 10 ekadasi fasts?”
Since you have tons of karma, it will take some time/ even births to purify you. So, you have to wait for more period.
When I was a school student, our family was struggling even for one time food. Only after my school studies, our family situation became comfortable even for eating 3 times food.
However, Krishna has been protecting me till date and has given opportunities and knowledge to serve all of you.
Had He deserted me, I would have died even in my school period. Krishna gave me patience and knowledge to wait till He clears part of my bundle of past karma to get sufficient food. I too was waiting, and now, I feel improvement in my living. So, Krishna did not make me fall. He will never allow His devotees fall.
If Krishna clears all the karma of all the persons instantly, every person will commit serious offences and clear them by fasting only once. Therefore, the people will lose interest in devotional practices. They will stop the devotional practices once their needs are achieved and they become happy.
Only in rare cases of very sincere devotees, Krishna allows the karma of a person cleared instantly. For others, He follows the regular process of clearing karma by allowing them to face the reactions fast. However, Krishna ensures that all his devotees who did penances like ekadasi fasting get FINAL SUCCESS. Atheists do not have this guarantee of final success. The process may be slow or fast depending on the storage of karma.
However, if the need is really urgent, Krishna does not hesitate to solve it immediately.
If you clean the house daily, the cleaning will be faster within a few minutes every day. But, if you clean the house once a week, the cleaning will take more time because there will be more dusts. When we clean more dusts, the removed dusts will come again and get deposited on the floor again. So, we have to clean the floor twice or thrice to get full cleanliness.
(My parents object my ekadasi fasting. What to do? READ HERE!)
(A-Z Tips on Ekadasi Fasting with practical considerations! READ HERE!)
Krishna knows what your genuine needs are. If a devotee will perform better in devotion if his financial issues are cleared, Krishna will give money. If the money is the barrier for a devotee’s devotional growth, Krishna will take money from him. This is His formula.
(Is it compulsory to donate (Giving dhaan) on Ekadasi? READ HERE!)
Since Krishna saved my business and also my image decades back, now, I sacrificed that “good earning” business itself just for doing this preaching service full time till the end of my life, as I want to show my loyalty & gratitude to Krishna! I sacrificed my earning business; But, Krishna gave thousands of good hearts that is not easily achievable for all!
So, you too start to show devotion to Lord and fast for ekadasi WITHOUT EXPECTING ANYTHING FROM KRISHNA IN RETURN. Krishna will take care of your needs whenever He feels He must interfere.
One thing is Guaranteed: KRISHNA’S DEVOTEES NEITHER FAILS NOR FALLS. This is Sure.
All you need to have is: YOU SHOULD HAVE PATIENCE and ACCEPT THAT THE HAPPENINGS IN YOUR LIFE ARE GOOD FOR YOU if you face Problems even after Ekadasi fasting.
Everything will be alright.
(My family cooks meat on ekadasi and I am unable to fast . What to do? READ HERE!)