How to block the effect of the moon

Ekādaśī (the 11th day of each half of the month in the Vedic lunar calendar) is considered to be the favourite day of Kṛṣṇa, when devotees refrain from material activities. Ekādaśī is aprākṛta. Aprākṛta means which is like prākṛta but is supramundane. We are warned that Ekādaśī is not mundane, though it seems to be. Because it is influenced by the moon Ekādaśī seems to be mundane. The heat of the world, and the watery portion in the body increases due to the influence of the moon just as the high tide and low tide of the ocean are also effected by the moon. As we approach the full moon and the new moon, the watery portion of our bodies is enhanced by the movement of the earth, the moon and the sun, and thereby the enjoying spirit is also developed.
So, fasting is necessary to meet with that external movement of nature. Fasting can save us from that peculiar reaction. Fasting has been recommended, and especially, if one can’t fast at all, then one may take some process of diet that will give less cause for excitement, therefore one may take anukalpa (non-grains or a little fruit and milk). We fast to check the senses, because the senses by the natural flow become more intense at that time. The result is, that one will be excited and want to enjoy – to encroach on the environment. So this unfair encroachment of one’s own self is to be controlled, therefore this fasting has been recommended – this is one way.
We take some types of food, and not others, because they are considered to be less injurious, and less exciting to the body. Also it is mentioned in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, that some particular sins are fond of taking shelter in those foods that we reject. Pāpa means a type of sin that is very fond of taking shelter in grains and those places which we surely want to avoid. First-class fasting means without even taking water (nirjala). Those who cannot do without food, may take fruit, roots, and milk.

—Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhar Mahārāja

Do you know the reason why waves come and go, and why on special days – from Ekādaśī to Pūrṇimā (Full Moon) and Ekādaśī to Amāvasyā (New Moon) – waves are very high? Even if there is no wind, still, from Ekādaśī to the full moon and dark moon, the water increases and there are so many high waves. Why is this? It is due to the moon. Water and waves increase due to the moon. The moon comes nearer on those days, and extracts the water.
Similarly there is some water in our stomachs and bodies. Therefore, if we are not very careful in these five days in every fifteen, the moon will increase all your diseases. You can see in hospitals that most people die within these five days.
We have rasa, or water, within us, and wherever there is liquid, the moon attracts it. Thus, all kinds of diseases increase. However, if we are very careful by following the ancient Indian (or Vedic) process of Ekādaśī, this can be controlled very easily. How do we do this? By not drinking water and taking grains. If you are weak, and you are taking water or juice but not grains, then you can save yourself. If you are taking any preparation made from grains, it will absorb the water and become saturated with that water. If you put a stone or wood in water, this will not absorb water, whereas if you give any blotting paper or cotton, it will absorb so much that it will remain fully saturated for the entire day. It will not dry, even in the sun. If you drink water but do not take grains, then like a stone, you will not be affected. However if you take grains, the moon will attract the water, those grains will become saturated with the water, and so many kinds of sickness will come. You may even die; so be careful about this.
Here is another analogy to help us understand. The government allows that within each week there is a one- or two-day holiday. Why have they made one or two holidays? Why not work for all seven days of each week? If you work every day of the seven days, you will be tired and you won’t be able to continue the next day. Similarly, the stomach contains so many worms, which digest what we eat. If you do not give them rest, they are not able to continue digesting and they will become diseased. The whole world is suffering due to not giving the stomach any rest.
There are two gains in this: external and internal. On this very day, until the full moon or new moon day, if you go to the ocean you will see very high waves. Why? The moon has some concern with water. We have water in our bodies. If you do not control what you eat and drink on the Ekādaśī day (the eleventh day of the full and new moon), then whatever disease you have may increase from Ekādaśī up to the full moon or new moon. If you fully fast, the moon will have no bad effect, but if you are taking grains, chapatis, bread, and too much water, then it will have an effect. You can take the accounts in big hospitals and see that so many more patients die from Ekādaśī to the full moon or new moon day, and after that it is ‘normal’ again.
If you are not eating anything you are not supposed to eat, then all things will be controlled and a good effect will come. Your body will be very strong, healthy, and light, and your digestion will be okay. On the other hand, if you are eating bread, for example, it acts like blotting paper. If you drink water, it will pass out of the body as urine or sweat, just as if you pour water on a stone, cloth, or oil – it will go away; but if you put a heap of cotton in water, that cotton will take days to dry. Even if you squeeze that ball of cotton, it will still contain some water.

Not following Ekādaśī will be harmful to us. On Ekādaśī the moon comes closer to the Earth, and therefore it attracts water from everywhere – from the sea, from the river, from our bodies, and so on. If one takes any grains on this day, the grains become like blotting paper. If you drink water, the water will very soon pass out from the body. However, if you take grains and water together, the grains become like blotting paper or cotton and hold the water. Even if you squeeze the cotton, some water will remain.
Similarly, if you eat any grain, that grain becomes like a sponge; it will hold a lot of water. The moon will attract that water and all your diseases will increase. You can see this in the sea or ocean. At this time there are high tides and the waves also become very high.
Our ṛṣis (sages) were realized in these topics –both materially and spiritually. It has been told that we should not take any grain on Ekādaśī. If by not taking grains you become hungry and if you are a male or female of Kali-yuga, then no harm, you can take water or juice; but not at every minute: first grape juice, then rābaḍī, then malai, then mango juice, then apple juice, and after that very, very good chapatis with potato flour – eating, eating, and eating. This will have a bad effect on that Ekādaśī day.
You can take water twice a day on Ekādaśī. Or, if you can’t just do that, you can also take fruits and vegetables once in the evening. If you are feeling weak, then you can take water and a little food two times. But don’t take much, otherwise you will not get the fruit of Ekādaśī. Externally, for worldly reasons, this fasting is good for your health. Also, for poor persons, if one drinks water and take nothing else on that Ekādaśī day, they don’t have to spend money. If one takes so many things, like juice and dried fruits, it will cost so much.

More concessions have been given for Western devotees because they are weaker in body. Otherwise, they are very strong. I have seen so many Western devotees, especially lady devotees, who fast the entire day and night and not sleeping.
There are so many benefits from observing Ekādaśī. In colleges, hospitals and all work places, we see that leave is given for students and workers once a week so they can take rest, and the next day they can work with full energy. Otherwise, they would not be able to continue their activities over the years. They must take some rest.
This is also true regarding our stomach. In our stomach there are some bacteria that are helpful for our health. These bacteria are always working for our digestion, so if they become sick or tired, then you will become sick. We should try and give them rest for one day at least, so that the next day they will work again with great energy.
Secondly, you see that in the ocean, especially from Ekādaśī to Pūrṇimā, there are very large waves. This is because the moon attracts all the waters of this planet. Wherever there is water, the moon attracts it. In our body there is much water, and especially on Ekādaśī day the moon will attract it; if there is any disease, that disease will increase so much. It is best that we check these things, especially grains, corn, wheat, and things made by them.
It has been said that sometimes you can take water, and there is no harm in that. If you put water on a stone, the stone will at once become dry again; all the water will disappear. On the other hand, if you pour water on some cotton or blotting paper, they will soak up the water and take hours to dry.
Preparations made from grains, wheat, rice, corn, and dāl are like cotton in our stomach. The moon attracts that water in them and diseases increase. So many people die in hospitals from Ekādaśī to the full moon and Ekādaśī to the new moon. To check our diseases, it is very essential to follow Ekādaśī.

On Ekādaśī, the moon comes closer to the Earth, and therefore it attracts water from everywhere – from the sea, from the river, from our bodies, and so on. If one takes any grains on this day, the grains become like blotting paper. If you drink water, the water will very soon pass out from the body. However, if you take grains and water together, the grains become like blotting paper or cotton – grains hold the water.
Even if you squeeze the cotton, some water will remain. Similarly, if you eat any grain, it becomes like a sponge. It will hold a lot of water. The moon will attract that water, and all your diseases will increase. You can see this in the sea or ocean. At this time there are high tides and the waves become very high.
These are external reasons, for the body. I have told this for those who are attached to their bodies.
Even persons who do not believe in God should observe Ekādaśī. In India, all kinds of devotees follow Ekādaśī – Māyāvādīs (impersonalists), Śaivites (worshippers of Lord Śiva), Śāktas (worshippers of Durgā-Devī), and Gaṇeśa worshippers. Both ladies and males, and children follow, but nowadays everything is finishing. Almost everyone is avoiding Ekādaśī, as a very big storm from Western countries went to India and affected everywhere.

—Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja

Śyāmarāṇī dāsī: Gurudeva, we always hear that we should not take grains on Ekādaśī because sins are stored in them on that day, but why can we not take certain vegetables, like tomato and loki?

Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja: It is not like with grains. They do not have the qualities of grain, corn, wheat, and dāl [that they don’t act like blotting paper or a ball of cotton]. Especially it has been told, by a special story, that on the very day of Ekādaśī, all sins, including brahma-hatyā (the killing of a brāhmaṇa), mātri- hatyā (the killing of one’s mother), go-hatyā (the killing of a cow) take shelter in grains and the things prepared by grains. And in addition śastra prohibits taking certain vegetables and other foodstuffs*.
A concession has been made for the Western devotees and in India for weak persons. If you are not observing the rules and prohibitions, then all kinds of sin will come to you; and if you have some bhakti, it will be destroyed.
Weak persons can take something, as they like, but it must be within the foodstuffs allowed for Ekādaśī. Children can also take as they like, but their mother and father should take care that they only take fruits and other foods allotted for Ekādaśī.

Not following Ekādaśī will be harmful to us. On Ekādaśī the moon comes closer to the Earth, and therefore it attracts water from everywhere – from the sea, from the river, from our bodies, and so on. If one takes any grains on this day, the grains become like blotting paper. If you drink water, the water will very soon pass out from the body. However, if you take grains and water together, the grains become like blotting paper or cotton – grains hold the water.
Even if you squeeze the cotton, some water will remain. Similarly, if you eat any grain, it becomes like a sponge. It will hold a lot of water. The moon will attract that water, and all your diseases will increase. You can see this in the sea or ocean. At this time there are high tides and the waves become very high.
Similarly, it is like this in our bodies. If a person already has some disease, his disease increases from Ekādaśī to Pūrṇimā and Ekādaśī to Āmāvāsya. We have tested this in hospitals, and we see that of those who die in hospitals, most of them die on these days.
Control your eating on Ekādaśī, and do not take grains. It is better to perform nirjala, complete fasting, with no water. Today in India, so many people observe nirjala-Ekādaśī – even young boys, and even when the temperature outside is 48 degrees Celsius. Still these people observe nirjala. No harm at all comes to such persons by this; rather, this fasting removes all diseases.

—Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja

*Ekādaśī

The essence is to eat simply, once or twice, so that one can spend as much time as possible hearing, chanting and remembering Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Never eat meat, fish, eggs, onions, garlic, carrots, red lentils (masūr-dāl), green flat lentils, mushrooms or products thereof.

Restricted foods on Ekādaśī:
Tomatoes, eggplants, cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, beets, bitter melon (karela), loki, parmal, toroi, kunli, drumsticks, bindī (ladies’ fingers) and banana flowers
Peas, chickpeas and all types of beans, including products made from beans (e.g., papadams, tofu, tempeh)
All leafy vegetables (e.g., spinach, salads, cabbages) and leafy herbs like parsley, coriander leaves, celery and curry leaves
Grains (e.g., millet, barley, farina, pasta, rice, corn) and all types of flour made from grains and beans (e.g., rice flour, chickpea flour, urad dāl flour)
Starches from corn or grains, and products made from or mixed with these starches like baking soda, baking powder, certain soft drinks with corn syrup, custard, certain yoghurts and puddings, certain varieties of cream and cottage cheese, certain sweets and candies, and tapioca balls
Oils made from grains (e.g., corn oil, mustard oil, sesame oil) and products fried in these oils (e.g., fried nuts, potato chips and other fried snack foods)
Honey, and sweets made with starches
Spices used on Ekādaśī: black pepper, fresh ginger, pure salt and fresh turmeric, all taken from a new and clean package
Spices not used on Ekādaśī: hing (asofetida), sesame seeds, cumin, fenugreek, mustard, tamarind, fennel, cardamom and nutmeg
Foods that can be taken all days of the year, including Ekādaśī and Cāturmāsya:
All fruits (fresh and dried), all nuts and all oils made from nuts
Potatoes, pumpkin, cucumber, radish, squash, lemon, avocado, olives, coconut, buckwheat, all sugars
All pure milk products (except yoghurt during the 2^nd month of Cāturmāsya and milk during the 3^rd month)
For sannyāsīs, brahmacārīs and vānaprasthas: shaving head and cutting nails is to be done on full moon days

Cāturmāsya

Restricted foods during the entire four months of Cāturmāsya:
Eggplants, tomatoes, loki, parmal, urad dāl and honey
Particular foods that are restricted during each of the four months:
First month: No leafy vegetables, such as spinach, salads of all types, cabbages of all types, kale, leafy herbs like coriander, mint, parsley, curry and powdered leafy herbs and teas
Second month: No yoghurt (if one requires it for health, it can be mixed with water)
Third month: No milk (if required, it can be mixed with a drop of lemon juice)
Fourth month: No mustard oil or sesame seeds