Remembrance sadhana

Om

I am going to make an effort to repeat the Name more frequently. The goal is to attain a state of continuous rememberance of the Divine.

The first step is to have some times during the day that are dedicated to remembrance.To associate some activities with remembrance.

My plan is a 45 day sadhana where I try to integrate remembrance of my Guru mantra into my daily life. When I did the purascharana, a certain number of mantras had to be repeated daily. This was concentrated in to a few hours, leaving the potential for forgetfulness of the Name in between meditation sessions.

Now I will try a different approach where I have a shorter sit-down mantra meditation session (7 malas) and ensure that I repeat the mantra at specific times during the day.

The mantra needs to be repeated (mentally or verbally) three times in each of the following situations:

1. On waking, and before getting out of bed
2. Before eating a meal
3. Before bathing
4. Before starting work for the day
5. Before traveling/starting any journey
6. Before cooking
7. On getting into bed, before going to sleep

Before seeing any patient, "Om" or the Guru mantra needs to be repeated mentally at least once.

I also feel like taking inspiration from the Sufis- from their five times a day prayers. Their emphasis on dhikr (God remembrance) is very inspirational. The five prayer times are:

1. Fajr (Sunrise)
2. Zuhr (Noon)
3. Asr (Afternoon)
4. Maghrib (Sunset)
5. Isha (Night)

It will not be possible for me to pause at all these times to pray because I will be in the middle of seeing patients in clinic on working days. But I can certainly include prayers at least at sunrise and night, and hopefully briefly in the afternoon. 

This routine of praying may be mechanical at times, but as Gurudev Sivananda says, even mechanical repetition of the Name has a very great purifying effect on the mind. After all, it is the Name of God.

I will keep a small notebook to record my progress in the above sadhana. Hopefully in 45 days, it will become natural to remember God at least in the above situations. I can gradually add more situations to the list and over time hopefully I will attain a state of constant remembrance.

Swami Sivananda on God remembrance:

"Remembrance of God also includes hearing stories pertaining to God at all times, talking of God, teaching to others what pertains to God, meditation on the attributes of God, etc. God is to be remembered at all times, without a break, as long as one has consciousness intact."

"Right from the time he gets up from sleep in the morning, until he is completely overpowered by sleep in the night, a person is to remember God. He has no other duty in the world but to remember God."

Householder aspiring for Realisation

Great saints in all traditions praise the Name as Supreme.

One who repeats the Name, derives the benefit of repeating the Name.

A householder who repeats the Name, derives as much benefit as a Sannyasi who repeats the Name.

Repetition of the Name, giving the mind to the Name, and not to the world, is real Sannyasa. Wearing orange robes and shaving the head is not automatically sannyasa.

As Sivananda says, mental renunciation is needed. Of course this is not an excuse to ignore external renunciation. As he said, what is needed is "plain living, and high thinking".

One can have plain living and high thinking as a householder.

My life situation is such that external sannyasa is not possible. My family, my own mind will not allow it. I feel that I am destined to live a householder life for now. I greatly admire and respect the ideals of sannyasa though, and want to live up to this to the best of my ability while in the householder stage of life.

I firmly believe that I can make serious spiritual progress while in this stage. I cannot and need not wait for external sannyasa. Life is short and time is fleeting- one cannot wait for ideal situations to arise, one has to work with what one has now.

Ultimately, everything depends on the Name.

Ramakrishna Paramhamsa, Gurudev Sivananda, Ammachi, Jesus, Mohammed, Guru Nanak- ALL of them and countless other saints, declared repeatedly that the Name is the best and most effective refuge from ignorance and suffering. What further reassurance is needed to take up this practice with great enthusiasm?

Even as a householder, one can convert one's house into an ashram for spiritual practice.

One who gives the mind to God, one who sees God alone everywhere, is the real Sannyasi. One can give the mind to God by repeating His Name even as a householder. One need not wait for external sannyasa.

Which brings me to a very inspiring message by Gurudev Sivananda for householders aspiring for Realisation.

He says:

"I will tell you a very, very easy method of Sadhana by which you can attain God-consciousness even while you live in the world amidst multifarious activities."

"You need not have a separate place or room and time of meditation. Close your eyes for a minute or two once in every two or three hours and think of God and His Divine qualities such as Mercy, Love, Peace, Joy, Knowledge, Purity, Perfection and so forth during work and repeat mentally HARI OM or SRI RAM or RAM RAM or KRISHNA KRISHNA or any Mantra according to your liking."

"Feel that the body is a moving temple of God, your office or business house is a big temple or Vrindavan and every activity such as walking, talking, writing, eating, breathing, seeing, hearing, etc., are offerings unto the Lord. Work is worship. Work is meditation."

"Give up expectation of fruits and idea of agency (I am the doer. I am the enjoyer). Feel that you are an instrument in the hands of God and He works through your organs. Feel also that this world is a manifestation of the Lord or Visva Vrindavan and your children, wife, father and mother
are the images of the same Lord. See Him in every face and in every object. Have a cool balanced mind always."

"If you develop this changed angle of vision and Divine Bhava in dally life by
protracted and constant practice, all actions will become Yogic activities."

"All actions will become worship of the Lord. This is quite sufficient. You will get God-realisation quickly. This is dynamic Yoga. This is very powerful Sadhana. I have given you a very easy Sadhana."

"May the Lord bless you all!"


http://www.dlshq.org/download/married.pdf

Hari Om Tat Sat

Completion of purascharana

Hari Om,

I completed the purascharana on Nov 3, 2013. Diwali day and the day of a total solar eclipse. As per Swami Sivananda's instruction to utilise eclipses for japa, I did the final rounds of my japa during the eclipse- this is supposed to have a severalfold greater effect than chanting at other times.

On the whole, the purascharana was a very good experience. The main benefits for me were:
1. Developing a regular habit of remembering God and His Name
2. Learning to discipline my mind
3. Having a regular daily sadhana
4. Feeling the Presence of God more than I have ever done. Feeling His Presence in nature- I find myself admiring nature more than ever before as a creation of God. I notice the sheer intelligence all around- the precise design of flowers, fruits, leaves- it reminds me of the Designer. If the design is so beautiful, how much more so must be the Designer. It has increased my desire to discover the Designer.

The downside has been that I have more migraines than ever before during this practice. While my work shifts (lack of adequate sleep and food) at times have probably contributed, I feel more sensitive than ever before to sleep/food and even computers (working at computers seems to trigger the headaches). I wonder whether the mantra practice has contributed to this- it may well  have done, though I have no regrets. I feel that the purascharana has helped purge some of my past negative karmas.

I am grateful to Durga and Hari who alone have made this sadhana possible. To my Guru Swami Sivananda, embodiment of the Divine, who made this possible. To the respected Swamiji at the Ashram in Rishikesh who guided and inspired me. I pray that the Divine may allow me to continue to do sadhana that is pleasing to it.

For now, I am taking a break from purascharana. Psychologically, I need one. My mind feels fatigued somehow. I am going to continue my mantra japa but at slightly less than the previous number of malas. I will also add in some other sadhana- such as Hare Rama mahamantra chanting, likhita japa and more asana and pranayama. I also want to study the puranas, and learn hymns such as the Narayana Suktam, Sri Suktam and others. I will focus my attention on these practices in the coming 3-6 months. And then, when I am ready, ideally in the next 6 months or so, I will start my next purascharana.

I dedicate this purascharana to the physical, mental and spiritual welfare of all beings everywhere.

Jaya Sivananda Gurudev!

Om Sarvam Sri RadhaKrishnaSivananda-arpanamastu

Constant remembrance of God

The sages say that one has to attain constant remembrance of God in order to be able to attain Him. This is not at all easy, whether or not one lives one's home-Ashram or a formal Ashram.

I have been considering how to make my mind pause in the midst of 'worldly' activities (working, cooking, cleaning, shopping, driving etc) and think of God. I am doing one hour of sitting-down japa a day, but the remainder of the time, I am busy with other things and I forget God for many hours at a time.

Swami Chidananda Saraswati (disciple of Swami Sivananda) has written a beautiful and inspiring article on constant remembrance of God.

http://www.energyenhancement.org/sivananda/Sri-Swami-Sivananda-The-Path-Beyond-Sorrow-Chapter-9-Yoga-In-The-Home-7-Dynamic-Spirituality-Remembering-God.html

He basically says that if you are immersed in worldly activities for most of the day, at least pause every hour for 2-3 minutes and contemplate God and repeat His Name. In this way he says the transformation that takes place within one is no less than a contemplative monk. Most inspiring.

Excerpt from Swami Chidananda's superb article:

"During your lunch hour, try to snatch fifteen minutes for silent interior prayer and inward meditation. Get away by yourself, and if conditions are such that you cannot do so, then try to get behind a newspaper in a corner somewhere, and while pretending to read the paper, contemplate upon God for those moments. Or pretend to take a nap, close your eyes and go into prayerfulness—but do not actually take a nap! Forget the world, forget life, work, body, everything, for that time, being wholly intent upon God. This is a dynamic process. If you dip into your innermost being now and then, say twenty times a day, or once in every half an hour, for just one minute, that is enough. It is a great life-transforming process. It is dynamic spirituality and the transformation that will come upon you will in no wise be less than the spiritual transformation in a contemplative monk, for you are doing a task which is even greater than his, for he has all the proper facilities and, therefore, it is natural and easy for him to go into God. But with everything against you—when the whole atmosphere, your whole environment, all the factors that go to make up your life are totally material, externalized, and grossly secular—if, in the midst of all that, you have this thought of interiorness once in a while, then the token of your love for God is so earnest, so deeply genuine, that the return for it is tenfold, one hundredfold. Therefore, try to have little minutes of deep and intent God-thought periodically during the course of your busy day. Somehow or the other, connect everything with God. Whatever you do, do it for His love, and try to speak to Him in and through your activities."

I am thinking of investing in a watch with an inbuilt alarm, and set it for every 1-2 hours to remind me to pause and practice this dynamic spiritual practice advised by Swami Chidanandaji. 

Om Namo Narayanaya

The Swami and the Householder

Some reflections on the Swami and the Householder

The true Swami (evolved)

Truly fearless
Does not run away from anything
Kind
Compassionate
Intent on the welfare of all
Humble
Sees God in all, loves God in all
Does not need anything from anyone
Feels God alone is sufficient
Rare as Radium
Serves all beings with delight without tiring



The Householder (evolving)

Kind
Generous
Thinks of the welfare of all, beyond his or her own home
Does voluntary work
Gives in charity
Delights in the company of the evolved Swami who is his or her own goal
Sees life as a process of evolving into such a Swami
Wants to fully express the divinity in himself or herself
Takes every opportunity to spend time with the evolved Swamis and learn from them
Consciously cultivates the good in himself or herself
Consciously attempts to transmute the less divine into the more divine in him or herself
Feels part of a world family
Has a broad and compassionate vision and outlook
Feels the need to wipe the tears of the suffering around him or her
Successfully transmutes lust, anger and greed into genuine love, forgiveness and generosity/giving
Gladly takes on some personal discomforts for the welfare of others and the larger community as a whole
Has a regular spiritual practice
Spends time in solitude from time to time- weekly, monthly, yearly in varying amounts to commune with his or her inner self via increased spiritual practice
Relatively fewer in number compared to the sensuous worldly householder


The pseudo- Swami

Superior attitude
Dry punditry
Afraid of the opposite sex
Lacks compassion
All head and little heart, dry intellectual lectures, no practical service to society
Dry pronoucements without any empathy, affection or feeling
Thinks he or she is on the royal road to Self-realisation. Feels that non-Swamis/householder are doomed, drowned in Maya
Wears multiple tilaks, malas and tries to look impressive
Conducts lectures, likes to give others advice
Wants to be a Guru
Has food and shelter, and a relatively comfortable life,  though no formal income- yet feels far more 'renounced' than the householder. Proud of his or her 'renunciation'
Has Swami friends and brahmachari 'servants' who are ordered about
Pontificates and preaches, but not much by way of practice
Has a low opinion of marriage
Shows no evidence of being evolved in any way
Has run away from biological family (whom he or she did not get on with anyway), only to develop strong attachment to the Ashram and people living in the Ashram (the new family).


The sensuous householder

Wants money first and foremost
Wants a wife or husband who looks "hot"
Not interested in the great questions of life
Preens, and takes great effort to decorate the hair and body, follows the latest fashion
Eats and drinks without restraint
Goal of life is comfort and fun
Is frightened of sacrifice, pain and giving
Does as little charity as possible
Spends the day thinking of him or herself and in fulfilment of personal desires
Despises philosophy and renunciation
Is floored by any illness or suffering
Never wonders "who am I", "where did I come from", "what is the purpose of life"
Has children because "everyone does", "it's nature, natural", "passing on the genes". Possibly partly motivated by fear "someone to look after me when I'm old", "to do the last rites".
Wants a fat pension
Money is more valuable than time. So spends his or her time slaving away at work mindlessly, not caring too much about the nature of the work
Never reflects on the uncertainty of life, his or her own mortality, the mortality of those around him or her. Has a foolish "cricket with the banjo" approach (naively optimistic) or "ostrich with head in the sand" approach (avoidance of facing the difficult issues of life)
Has no desire to do any voluntary or charitable work. Only desires to do good to himself or herself and the immediate relatives. Grudges spending any time off from paid work in doing voluntary service- it's meant to be fun time after slaving away at the office.
Spends holidays on leisure and pleasure. Never on acquiring wisdom or any spiritual practice. That would be quite boring, and not fun at all.
Likes watching movies and television as a means to switch off and escape from reality for a while
Disbelief is the watchword- i.e. doubt and disbelief in the saints and their words
Eager to believe any atheistic theory. Likes to believe there is no divine Intelligence, all is brainless mindless evolution, whirring atoms and spinning galaxies
Quick to anger, lust and greed. Thinks these are virtues rather than vices. Actively encourages lust and passion, likes sensual movies and feels deprived if cannot watch these
Spends the day in a rush of thoughts, never pausing to examine them
Never studies his or her own mind. Never wishes to cultivate or eradicate specific thoughts to improve the quality of mind
Terrified of "suppression" of any negative thought or tendency e.g. lust or any craving

.....................................................................................................................

I wrote the above list about a month ago while reflecting on the different types of Swami and householder. I have seen a few of all the above four types (and respect them all as different manifestations of the one Divine).

I have been torn between wanting to be a celibate Swami and a married householder for some time. However life has taught me that I am not yet ready to take formal renunciation, though this is a goal I would like to attain one day. I have decided to stick with householder life, and try to transform from the more sensuous householder to the evolving type!

As Swami Sivananda says, "Married life, if lived in a perfect ideal manner, is no bar to the attainment of Mukti" in his article "Advice to householders".

http://www.dlshq.org/messages/householder.htm

Not easy to live married life in the perfect ideal manner but one can certainly try! Malati Tapovan was a disciple of Swami Sivananda who successfully attained Mukti while caring for a family- quite inspiring.

http://www.ommalatitapovan.org/Aboutus.htm