Significance of Ekadasi
This article is a chapter from the book .
for another discourse on
Ekadasi by Swami Sivananda.
for the dates of Ekadasi.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EKADASI
&&& Ekadasi is a Sanskrit word, which means 'the eleventh'. It refers to
the eleventh day of a fortnight belonging to a lunar month. There are two fortnights in a
lunar month梩he bright and the dark. So, Ekadasi occurs twice in a month, in the bright
fortnight and the dark fortnight. The special feature of Ekadasi, as most people know it,
is a fast, abstinence from diet. This is how it is usually understood. 'We do not eat on
Ekadasi', is what people understand. In this country (India) it has become a routine to be
abstemious, if not observe a complete fast on this day. The significance of this
particular observance is not merely constituted of a fast, physically, though it is also
it has other deeper aspects. In fact, the fast is only a practical
expression and a symbol of something else that we are expected to do, which is of special
significance to our personality. Those who know astronomy as something which tells about
the inter-relation of the planetary system, the stellar world, would be aware that we form
a part of this planetary or solar system. By a system we mean an organism or organisation
which is methodically arranged. When we know that we belong to the system of planetary
motions, we understand thereby that we are an inseparable part of the system. We are not
unrelated bodies on the surface of the earth, like a cart on the road which has no organic
link. We belong to the solar system梐 huge family of which the sun is the head and the
planets are the members. The sun guides the activities of this family and we, being
contents of this system, cannot be out of the influence of the sun. We are involved in the
laws operating in this system. This has led to the discovery of astrology. Astronomy
studies the movements of planets and stars, and astrology the effects they produce on the
contents of the system. The Ekadasi observance is an astrological phenomenon and it is
observed due to this relation we have with some of the planets in the system. The entire
personality of ours is tremendously influenced by the movement of planets. There is no use
imagining that the planets are above our heads. They are everywhere. There is a relative
movement of planets among which the earth is one. The movement of one thing in relation to
another is a relative movement. There is no planet which is static. Even the sun is not
ultimately static. The whole solar system is moving and rushing towards some huge star,
which is eighty million times larger and brighter than the sun, whose light has not yet
reached us, as astronomers tell us. We have to understand that there is relative motion
amongst planets and we are relatively influenced by the planets., Each planet tells upon
our system and we cannot get rid of the influence of theirs as long as we are in this
planet, of which we are a part. The gravitational pull of planets has an influence on us.
&&& The sun is said to influence the centr hence
the sun is called Atmakaraka. He is the soul-influencer of the human body. In the
Rig-veda, the sun is identified with the soul of the universe as well as the soul of the
individual. The different limbs of our body and different parts of our system are supposed
to be influenced by different planets. The sun is capable of influencing the entire being.
He is, thus, the
Atmakaraka.
is doer, manipulator, director. If there is no sun, we
know what differ our digestion becomes sluggish on days when there is
no sun. So important is the sun.
&&& The moon is supposed to influence the mind. The mind is also made up
of material substance. The mind is not spiritual but material. How is mind matter? This
can be known if we know how, in Homeopathy, the medicine is manufactured. In Allopathy,
they give the crude base of a medicine, which Homeopathy calls mother tincture. In
Homeopathy, one drop of mother tincture is mixed with hundred drops of rectified spirit
and shaken with a tremendous force. That mixture is one potency of medicine. One drop of
that is mixed in hundred drops of spirit again. It becomes 2 potency medicine. Likewise,
they have larger potencies. So, you can imagine what happens to the medicine when it
reaches the higher potency. There is no medicine at all. So, Homeopathy says, they give no
medicine, but a vibration,梫ibration of the original base-material. It is a subtle
aromatic vibration, aromatic in the sense of the subtle residium of t
and what will create a circumstance in Allopathy will remove that very circumstance in
Homeopathy. Nevertheless this potency is material in the sense that it is formed of
matter. So is the mind. It is the subtle portion of the material substance of our food.
The subtle essence of the food, not only directly taken through the mouth but through all
senses, contribute to the make up of the mind or the mind-stuff. Mind is material in a
subtle sense, like a mirror which is made of earth-material only, though it shines. Only
the mirror is able to reflect light, and not the brick, though it is also made of the
earth material. Mind is material in this sense. It is very, very subtle and is made up of
everything that we take. So, matter influences matter. Planets are not spiritual bodies,
and yet they influence the mind. The mind's presiding deity is moon. Ekadasi is
particularly relevant to this relation of moon and mind. You will find that, when you go
deep into the study of astronomy, you have nothing in your body except some planetary
influences! We are made up of planetary forces and there is nothing independent to call
our own. One part belongs to one planet and another part to another planet. If each planet
claims its part, you will disintegrate. The moon influences the mind in its orbital
relative movement with reference to other planets and us.
&&& How, is Ekadasi related to the movement of moon and mind? We have
certain centres called Chakras in the body. The Chakras are nothing but
energy-centres which whirl in some direction as water whirls in a river. Chakra is a wheel
or circular motion. They move in a spiral shape. T but
psycho-physical and psychological. These Chakras are neither in the
they are in the astral body. The moon's influence physically on the body has an influence
on the Chakras, which tells upon the mind ultimately. The mind moves through these
Chakras. The passage of the mind is through these Chakras, up and down. When this
operation takes place consciously, it is called Y When done unconsciously by the mind,
it is just influence. When the moon waxes or wanes, the mind is vehemently influenced. So
people who are not normal in their minds become very bad on the full-moon and new-moon
days. You cannot see the moon's influence on the earth because it is solid, but it can be
seen on the ocean which is liquid. The moon influences the whole earth, but its influence
is visible on the large body of waters in the sea. This happens due to the twofold
pressure of the relation of the earth and moon. The sun influences the moon and the moon
influences the earth. When the influence occurs automatically, we are instruments in the
hands of Nature. When it is done consciously, we are said to practise Yoga. We can be
involuntarily dragged from place to place, or we can walk voluntarily. The difference is
obvious. The moon's movement tells upon the movement of the mind through the Chakras.
&&& Another important aspect is the seat of the mind which is also
twofold. You may be living in many houses, of which one or two are your own. Svasthana
means 'One's own place.' The mind has several abodes or centres of energy called Chakras,
of which two are its own. The seats of the mind in this personality of ours are: 1. the
subtle spot in the astral body corresponding to the centre of the two eye-brows, in
waking, and 2. the heart, in the state of deep sleep. If it is in the brain, it is active
and you, then, do not get sleep, because it refuses to go down. If the mind is midway
between the centre of the eye-brows and the heart, it is dream state. So, there is a
twofold centre of the mind,梩he Ajna-Chakra, or the centre between the eye-brows,
and the Anahata Chakra, or the heart. In both these centres, the mind feels at home
and is at ease, because it is nearer to itself. In other centres it is extrovert.
In the Ajna and the Anahata Chakras it finds itself at home. In the two fortnights, in its
movement, it finds itself at the Ajna Chakra and the Anahata Chakra on the eleventh day.
Since these two Chakras are its own abode, the mind is at home here, i.e., it gets
concentrated and collected easily. This has been the experience given out by our ancients,
and this has to be taken advantage of by Sadhakas. You are capable of concentration when
the mind is naturally in its home. The mind cannot be concentrated when it is out of tune,
but when it is in its location it is easy of contemplation. So, the Ekadasi day in both
fortnights is the occasion when the mind finds itself in its place梚n the bright fortnight
in the Ajna Chakra, and in dark fortnight in the Anahata Chakra. Seekers and Yogis take
advantage of these two days and try to practise deep meditation. Vaishnavas treat Ekadasi
as a very holy day and also observe a fast on that day.
&&& Fast and meditation! What connection have they? There is really no
intrinsic connection between fast and meditation, but there is some advantage in keeping
the body light and the stomach free from excessive metabolic function. When the stomach is
given the duty of digestion, doctors will tell you, the blood circulation is accelerated
towards the digestive organs, on account of which blood circulation to the head gets
decreased after food is taken and so you feel sleepy and the thinking faculty practically
ceases to function.& Hence, there is no advantage in giving the physical system work
on days you want to do Yogic practice.& Thus, Ekadasi has also a spiritual
significance.
& The energy of the whole system gets distributed equally if a
particular limb is not given any inordinate work.& If any part is given heavy work,
there is a dislocation of the working of the body. So, in fasting the energy is equally
distributed as the digestive function is not there.& But, there should be no
overdoing in fast.& Fast is supposed to cause buoyancy of feeling and not fatigue.
& So people who are sick and cannot observe a total fast take milk and fruits, etc.
People who are perfectly healthy and are confident, observe a complete fast. This helps in
control of mind and will.
&&& Apart from all these, there is a necessity to give the physiological
system some rest once a while. It may be over-worked due to a little over-eating or
indiscrimination in diet. These irregularities unconsciously done during the fourteen days
get rectified in one day.& Thus the observance of Ekadasi has many
advantages梡hysical, astral, spiritual梐nd because this day has connection with the
relation of the mind with its abode together with the moon, you feel mysteriously helped
in your meditation and contemplation,梞ysteriously because you cannot know this
consciously.& But you can feel this for yourself by observing it. In India everything
is interpreted spiritually.& Every river is a deity.& Every mountain is a god.
& Everything is holy, dedicated to the Divine. Everything is presided over by a
particular god, Gramadevata, Grihadevata; etc.& Everywhere is God.
& The idea behind all this is that we have to feel the presence of God in everything
and everywhere.& In space and in time, in everything, there is God. Time is God.
Directions are God. Thus the very objects become embodiments of God. This is India's
religious sidelight, which is profoundly meaningful in life.
Last Updated: Wednesday, 09-Nov-:38 EST
Mail Questions, Comments & Suggestions to :苹果/安卓/wp
积分 235, 距离下一级还需 25 积分
权限: 自定义头衔
道具: 彩虹炫, 涂鸦板, 雷达卡, 热点灯, 金钱卡, 显身卡, 匿名卡下一级可获得
权限: 签名中使用图片
购买后可立即获得
权限: 隐身
道具: 金钱卡, 彩虹炫, 雷达卡, 热点灯, 涂鸦板
我的文章用了multiple regression analysis分析数据，reviewer给的建议是：Finally, you still do not provide a test of the significance of your statistical results. As this is a social science study I urge you to go beyond general statistical methods (described e.g. by Ott) and use the specific and well accepted statistical methods for social science research studies (e.g. Statistical Methods for Psychology – David C. Howell). These social science research methods require that a regression analysis is followed by a test of the significance of the results for the target population under consideration. This significance test account for the size of your sample and can, therefore, provide a great argument why your sample is large enough for the chosen regression analysis. I urge you to strengthen your findings with such a significance test in the revised version.请问高手这个什么意思
载入中......
显著性检验。看自变量与因变量的关系是否显著。
本帖被以下文库推荐
& |主题: 10844, 订阅: 26
急，请大家帮忙看看
test of the significance是“显著性检验”
对不对啊，楼主？
应该是对的，不过不知道显著性检验如何能multiple regression analysis算出来的公式有什么意义呢
显著性检验
显著性检验。看自变量与因变量的关系是否显著。
热心帮助其他会员
总评分:&经验 + 10&
论坛币 + 10&
检查变量显著性。。。
无限扩大经管职场人脉圈！每天抽选10位免费名额，现在就扫& 论坛VIP& 贵宾会员& 可免费加入
  |
  |
  |
  |
  |
  |
如有投资本站或合作意向，请联系（010-）；
邮箱：service@pinggu.org
投诉或不良信息处理：（010-）
京ICP证090565号
论坛法律顾问：王进律师【图文】The significance of learning English_百度文库
两大类热门资源免费畅读
续费一年阅读会员，立省24元！
评价文档：
The significance of learning English
上传于||暂无简介
大小：4.68MB
登录百度文库，专享文档复制特权，财富值每天免费拿！
你可能喜欢
