Answer

During Ekāsanā / Ekāshan, one eats only once in the day, seated in one place, with discipline, awareness, and restraint.

The basic points are:

• Sit calmly in one fixed place before starting the meal.
• Do not get up in between the meal.
• Keep all required food and water ready before beginning.
• Use clean vessels reserved for eating, if possible.
• Do not refill again and again after starting, according to the discipline followed in your family or sampradāy.
• After finishing, clean the vessels carefully and respectfully.

How to Sit During Ekāsanā

• Sit on a clean seat or mat.
• Sit in one place throughout the meal.
• Traditionally, many people sit cross-legged on the floor, but if health does not allow, sitting on a chair may be acceptable with proper bhāv.
• Keep the body steady and the mind peaceful.
• Before eating, remember Arihant Bhagwan, Siddha Bhagwan, Guru, Dharma, and the purpose of doing tapasya.
• Eat silently or with minimum talking.
• Avoid anger, hurry, complaints, or attachment to taste.

How to Use Vessels in Ekāsanā

• Use clean and dry vessels.
• Place all food items in the vessels before beginning, according to the rule you follow.
• Keep drinking water ready before starting.
• Once you begin Ekāsanā, avoid getting up to bring more items.
• Do not mix careless or wasteful behavior with tapasya.
• Take only as much as needed, so food is not wasted.

In many Jain households, Ekāsanā is done with the idea that the meal is taken in one sitting with limited movement and limited possessions. The exact vessel rules may differ slightly by tradition, gaccha, family practice, or guidance of Guru Bhagwant.

How to Clean the Vessel

• After completing the meal, remove any leftover food properly without wasting.
• Wash the vessel with clean water.
• Clean it thoroughly so no food particles remain.
• Dry it and keep it in a clean place.
• If your family follows separate vessels for tapasya or religious use, keep them separate.
• Do not clean vessels carelessly, because remaining food particles may attract small living beings.

Important Discipline

• Ekāsanā is not only about eating once; it is about reducing desire.
• The meal should be simple and taken with humility.
• Avoid overeating just because it is the only meal.
• Maintain inner purity along with outer cleanliness.
• If you are unsure about exact rules, follow the guidance of your Guru Bhagwant, sādhviji, elder, or your family’s accepted tradition.

Spiritual Understanding

Ekāsanā helps in:

• controlling the senses,
• reducing attachment to food,
• practicing discipline,
• developing awareness while eating,
• supporting tapasya and self-restraint.

Takeaway

Sit in one clean place, keep food and water ready before starting, eat with restraint and peaceful bhāv, do not get up during the meal, and clean the vessels carefully afterward. The outer rule is important, but the inner feeling of self-control and devotion is the heart of Ekāsanā.