No Sleeping on Stomach?

[Guest guest]

According to this website: http://www.iskcon.com/basics/etiquette.html

 

a devotee should not sleep on their srtomach.

 

Now, I know a devotee should understand WHY they are doing things and not just follow blindly - and everythign else on that page makes total sense to me - but there is no explanation given for this

 

(i know about resting on your side after eating etc but this i have never heard before)

 

can someone please give me an explanation?

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna!

 

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!I offer my humble obeisance unto Him!

 

Sleepig straight on your back is the right way to sleep. Sleeping on your stomach is the wrong way. Though I do not have a reference to authorized text, I have heard the same statement mentioned by a senior devotee of ISKCON. He gave an explanantion as to why. But I dont remember the exact words. However, I think it is because, if you sleep on your stomach, one's genitals touch the ground and is a cause for agitation, so when you wake up, you are agitated and may lead you to do something you dont want to if you had not been agitated.

Spiritual life as we know is an austere way of life. What does that exactly mean? It means, in order to serve God, we should have a regulated life so in other words, we avoid/decrease all that makes us more agitated with materialism. Practically, we should change the way we live, eat and sleep, 'cos we dont see that many people like that walking around.

 

Haribol!

 

anand

[Guest guest]

chant hare krishna and sleep as you prefere

[Guest guest]

I think it is because, if you sleep on your stomach, one's genitals touch the ground and is a cause for agitation

-no it is for bad digestion

 

Spiritual life as we know is an austere way of life

-austere? chanting hare krishna is joyful

 

in order to serve God, we should have a regulated life

-no we have simply to remember god chanting hare krishna mahamantra

 

we avoid/decrease all that makes us more agitated with materialism.

-that's impossible... only krsna can help us in taking off our agitation

 

do not preach an austere krsna consciousness.. krsna consciousness is "chant and be happy"

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Haribol,

I fully agree with this point of view which is the true reason for such a way of sleeping. And I heard this from a senior devotee of the movement when a similar doubt was expressed. This has been part of the spiritual life one must practice in order to achieve the desire goal for progress in KC.

 

Hare Krishna.

Shekhar

[Guest guest]

what is that !? you post the same question on 2 major forums !!

 

don't worry about it too much or you'll go crazy... there are so many rules... it is Kali yuga, chant, that's all, and do what you can do as long as it is not too much for you... or eventually you'll fall down

[Max_ 0]

It's so hard when you don't live in temple to not be making offenses so often even not realizing it. Chanting is the best way for us to get out of this frustration in this age.

[Guest guest]

Yes I know I posted it 2 forums - because i posted it here first but got no reply before bed time and i had trouble sleeping thinking I was being offensive, so I woke up and asked on other forum where I got reply faster.

 

Thankyou to all who reply /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Guest guest]

don't make you sick because of all this !! take the essence and do what you can do gradually.... i still sleep on stomack sometimes though i took the 2 initiations, still eat at karmi restaurants sometimes, still don't take a shower systematically after "popo"....

 

i would never had continue if i did take too much attention about theses rules....

[Guest guest]

we are to practice sadhana bhakti that means performing regulated devotional service, not anything goes devotional service. simply chanting and being happy is the neophyte stage. to truly advance we must be regulated and follow the rules and regulations and the orders of the spiritual master and acaryas.

 

i know that not sleeping on your stomach, not eating at karmi restaurants, and showering after evacuationg are relatively small rules (which should actually make them relatively simple to follow), but they are still an essential part of sadhana bhakti and what prabhupada wanted us to do.

 

if we do not follow the small rules we may soon neglect the more important ones.

 

 

[silvere 0]

yes but if rules becomes an impediment as it is the case here better save them for later.

 

following rules for the sake of following rules is not good.

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Prabhu,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

In my years of reading Srila Prabhupada's books I have never come across a quote where he says that devotees should not sleep on their stomach.

 

Maybe someone with a Vedabase can find such a quote.

 

Hare Krsna.