Spiritual Platform Based on Ekadasi

Thos who observe the vow of Ekadasi are divided into three categories.

1. The majority of the people of this world consider their gross and subtle bodies as their self. They think that the rules and regulations of the scriptures and the prescription of the sages are meant for protecting the self-interest of their gross bodies. They are doubtful about the existence of the soul and thus give more importance to self-interest of the body. Their conception is that if the soul exists at all it is simply for the sake of the gross body.

2. Although these people believe that the constitutional position of a living entity is that he is a spirit soul, not the body, and that the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna is the cause of the living entities and it is the duty of living entity to worship the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna, nevertheless they consider both the deliverance of the soul and happiness of the body to be the goal of life. Therefore they think that the scriptural prescriptions such as observing Ekadasi are meant for both deliverance of the soul and protection of the body’s self interest.

3. However, some people in the minority say that a living entity is constitutionally part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, eternal, full of knowledge, and blissful. The two coverings in the form of gross and subtle bodies are attributed to the living entities by the external energy of the Lord, hence unwanted. Since the gross and subtle bodies are born from the external energy of the Lord, the Supreme Lord is naturally the enjoyer and proprietor of those bodies. In other words, the soul, the mind and the body of living entity all belong to krsna. Therefore it is the only duty of the soul, mind and body to fully engage in the service of the Lord. By worshiping Lord Hari one’s own and others’ benefit is accomplished. Execution of pure devotional service is the only means of attaining eternal peace. In order to please Supreme Lord only they cultivate the limbs of pure devotional service such as observing the vow of Ekadasi. They know that the principle purpose of all these practices is to achieve love of God. They also know that these limbs of devotional service are not prescribed for material sense gratification or protecting the self-interest of the gross and subtle bodies. The pure devotees who follow in the footsteps of Sri Caitanaya mahaprabhu respect this consideration, which is based on pure devotional service.