Hari Om.
Sadhana is both an art and a science in my view.
I feel the science of sadhana involves:
-following certain rules and regulations for example relating to food, sleep, breath-control/pranayama, mastery of posture/asana, maintaining personal cleanliness, avoiding crossing the Meru bead when using a japa mala, sitting for meditation facing north or east, wearing sattvic colours during meditation, keeping the altar room clean etc. In other words, it is all about rules. Good rules of course. These rules are definitely important (especially for beginners on the path) and primarily involve the body rather than the mind (they indirectly exert a positive influence on the the mind).
On the other hand, I feel the art of sadhana involves:
-direct development of the mind, intellect and emotions, one's higher faculties and involving all these in contemplation of God. It involves developing a feeling towards the Divine, having some regular contemplation of the Divine, feeling that God is one's friend/brother/sister/mother/father/husband/wife- someone beloved.
One develops a desire, a longing for God. This longing motivates one to do sadhana. This is the real work of sadhana. Cultivation of that inner bhav or feeling for God.
Chidananda says "refer to God in whatever you do." If you crack a joke, he says, privately share it with God." May say something like "Did You find that funny too? Well, I hope so, since my sense of humour comes from You!"....if one is fed up after a long day at work one might say "Thank You for helping me survive this day. You know this is all about You. All this toil and trouble I go through at work is ultimately for the highest prize- You. Money is ok, it is needed to keep this instrument alive. But the instrument will fail me one day. But You never will." It is saying to God "Can't belive we're stuck in this traffic again." Or alternatively singing a little kirtan while stuck in traffic.
Real sadhana involves silently dying inside, dying of frustration of being trapped in this cage of mind and senses, that frustration that is made worse by the fact that few seem to understand or share it...."when can I be fit enough to get Your darshan"...."when can I have a taste of nirvikalpa samadhi....I am so bored of the games of this world and the senses...."It is that heroic attitude of saying "Ok, may be another million lifetimes remain for purification, but I will do a bit more intense sadhana TODAY". It is giving importance to Today, the only day we really have.
The art of sadhana ultimately involving God in that endless stream of consiousness, of thoughts in our mind. Which way does the stream flow? When the stream revolves around God, one is developing the art of sadhana.
Too many people focus merely on the science of sadhana/religion (I can do the scorpion asana, I eat only strict vegetarian food, I wear this particular dress etc)- all these may be important but are not enough.
One needs to keep God in mind. As spiritual beginners we may not be able to do it 24/7 but this is still our aim. Therefore we dip into His/Her remembrance time and time again during the day. When brushing our teeth, when at our work desk, when cooking, when ill, when happy, when going to sleep. The day needs to be periodically filled with thoughts of Him in order to be able to attain Him. What a painfully long journey it seems. Yet we must keep going. There is no other way.
One practical piece of advice for people who work in a mundane environment based on Chidananda's recommendation to remember God. Before every new task at work, say your Guru mantra a few times. And keep a record of it to see how you are progressing in God remembrance.
For example, I repeat my Guru mantra five times before calling each patient into my room. I make a small circle on a piece of paper on my desk to indicate I have done so. At the end of the clinic, I count how many circles I drew- this gives me an idea as to how many times I could remember God during my mundane worldly activity. Initially I used to forget to recite the mantra before calling in the patient. Now I am getting better at it. Until one's mind spontaneously attaches to Him and calls Him continuously, one has to practice in this precise manner. One has to observe, measure and practice to the best of one's ability. Sivananda used to say, be absolutely precise in recording the amount of japa done- bhav will come with repetition.
P.S. Second purasharana update:
I have entered the last three months of the second purascharana this month. I want to crank up the sadhana a little in this last phase. An auspicious time in the year is coming with Janmashtami, Navaratri and the month of Kartik all on their way.
I recently started a new job four months ago and have been busy getting used to this lately. I have been thinking a lot about work recently. Now that I am comfortably established in my work for the most part, I want to place a greater emphasis on thoughts relating to sadhana.
I want to think less about worldly things once I get home from work (like what today's patients were like, what's in the news today etc).
I want to think more about God instead. During the final phase of this purascharana, I want to significantly increase the quality and quantity of sadhana.
Quality for me in the next three months means:
-more svadhyaya, a cleaner diet (less rajasic foods like biscuits and chocolate and more sattvic foods like fruit, kitchri etc), better sleep-wake cycle (have to break the terrible habit of sleeping late acquired from working late in the past), get up earlier in the morning for sadhana, seriously limit internet (stop reading the news online daily- a recently acquired bad habit that leaves my mind agitated at the sheer self-destructive behaviour of humankind), more kirtan (always feel I should do more), more satsang, more asana (got to aim for at least 4 times a week), daily pranayama (doing abt 3-4 times a week currently).
Quantity means more frequent remembrance of God (not increasing the number of japa malas which will stay at 11 per day).
One has to look at it this way. One day one will be close to God Realisation....one will be within three months of this experience. One day it has to become that close. It cannot be forever millions of lifetimes away! What if these three months are it for me? I have to commit to sadhana as if it is. Because I will never get these three months of sadhana time back again. And even I don't attain God after the next three months, with this attitude I should at least be able to make great strides in my sadhana. Sometime one just has to be optimistic (while being realistic too). Nothing is ever lost as Krishna says in the Gita. On that upbeat and hopeful note, I am off to bathe and settle down for some evening sadhana.
Hari Aum Tat Sat
Sadhana is both an art and a science in my view.
I feel the science of sadhana involves:
-following certain rules and regulations for example relating to food, sleep, breath-control/pranayama, mastery of posture/asana, maintaining personal cleanliness, avoiding crossing the Meru bead when using a japa mala, sitting for meditation facing north or east, wearing sattvic colours during meditation, keeping the altar room clean etc. In other words, it is all about rules. Good rules of course. These rules are definitely important (especially for beginners on the path) and primarily involve the body rather than the mind (they indirectly exert a positive influence on the the mind).
On the other hand, I feel the art of sadhana involves:
-direct development of the mind, intellect and emotions, one's higher faculties and involving all these in contemplation of God. It involves developing a feeling towards the Divine, having some regular contemplation of the Divine, feeling that God is one's friend/brother/sister/mother/father/husband/wife- someone beloved.
One develops a desire, a longing for God. This longing motivates one to do sadhana. This is the real work of sadhana. Cultivation of that inner bhav or feeling for God.
Chidananda says "refer to God in whatever you do." If you crack a joke, he says, privately share it with God." May say something like "Did You find that funny too? Well, I hope so, since my sense of humour comes from You!"....if one is fed up after a long day at work one might say "Thank You for helping me survive this day. You know this is all about You. All this toil and trouble I go through at work is ultimately for the highest prize- You. Money is ok, it is needed to keep this instrument alive. But the instrument will fail me one day. But You never will." It is saying to God "Can't belive we're stuck in this traffic again." Or alternatively singing a little kirtan while stuck in traffic.
Real sadhana involves silently dying inside, dying of frustration of being trapped in this cage of mind and senses, that frustration that is made worse by the fact that few seem to understand or share it...."when can I be fit enough to get Your darshan"...."when can I have a taste of nirvikalpa samadhi....I am so bored of the games of this world and the senses...."It is that heroic attitude of saying "Ok, may be another million lifetimes remain for purification, but I will do a bit more intense sadhana TODAY". It is giving importance to Today, the only day we really have.
The art of sadhana ultimately involving God in that endless stream of consiousness, of thoughts in our mind. Which way does the stream flow? When the stream revolves around God, one is developing the art of sadhana.
Too many people focus merely on the science of sadhana/religion (I can do the scorpion asana, I eat only strict vegetarian food, I wear this particular dress etc)- all these may be important but are not enough.
One needs to keep God in mind. As spiritual beginners we may not be able to do it 24/7 but this is still our aim. Therefore we dip into His/Her remembrance time and time again during the day. When brushing our teeth, when at our work desk, when cooking, when ill, when happy, when going to sleep. The day needs to be periodically filled with thoughts of Him in order to be able to attain Him. What a painfully long journey it seems. Yet we must keep going. There is no other way.
One practical piece of advice for people who work in a mundane environment based on Chidananda's recommendation to remember God. Before every new task at work, say your Guru mantra a few times. And keep a record of it to see how you are progressing in God remembrance.
For example, I repeat my Guru mantra five times before calling each patient into my room. I make a small circle on a piece of paper on my desk to indicate I have done so. At the end of the clinic, I count how many circles I drew- this gives me an idea as to how many times I could remember God during my mundane worldly activity. Initially I used to forget to recite the mantra before calling in the patient. Now I am getting better at it. Until one's mind spontaneously attaches to Him and calls Him continuously, one has to practice in this precise manner. One has to observe, measure and practice to the best of one's ability. Sivananda used to say, be absolutely precise in recording the amount of japa done- bhav will come with repetition.
P.S. Second purasharana update:
I have entered the last three months of the second purascharana this month. I want to crank up the sadhana a little in this last phase. An auspicious time in the year is coming with Janmashtami, Navaratri and the month of Kartik all on their way.
I recently started a new job four months ago and have been busy getting used to this lately. I have been thinking a lot about work recently. Now that I am comfortably established in my work for the most part, I want to place a greater emphasis on thoughts relating to sadhana.
I want to think less about worldly things once I get home from work (like what today's patients were like, what's in the news today etc).
I want to think more about God instead. During the final phase of this purascharana, I want to significantly increase the quality and quantity of sadhana.
Quality for me in the next three months means:
-more svadhyaya, a cleaner diet (less rajasic foods like biscuits and chocolate and more sattvic foods like fruit, kitchri etc), better sleep-wake cycle (have to break the terrible habit of sleeping late acquired from working late in the past), get up earlier in the morning for sadhana, seriously limit internet (stop reading the news online daily- a recently acquired bad habit that leaves my mind agitated at the sheer self-destructive behaviour of humankind), more kirtan (always feel I should do more), more satsang, more asana (got to aim for at least 4 times a week), daily pranayama (doing abt 3-4 times a week currently).
Quantity means more frequent remembrance of God (not increasing the number of japa malas which will stay at 11 per day).
One has to look at it this way. One day one will be close to God Realisation....one will be within three months of this experience. One day it has to become that close. It cannot be forever millions of lifetimes away! What if these three months are it for me? I have to commit to sadhana as if it is. Because I will never get these three months of sadhana time back again. And even I don't attain God after the next three months, with this attitude I should at least be able to make great strides in my sadhana. Sometime one just has to be optimistic (while being realistic too). Nothing is ever lost as Krishna says in the Gita. On that upbeat and hopeful note, I am off to bathe and settle down for some evening sadhana.
Hari Aum Tat Sat
