Self-compassion during sadhana

 Hari Aum.

We're nearly a quarter of the way into the new year. How is everyone's sadhana going? Hope it's going well.

The spiritual path, as we all know, can feel long and arduous at times. Conquering one's own mind and lower nature is not an easy process. During the course of sadhana, it is almost inevitable that obstacles will crop up-- from within and outside. 

One can feel frustrated with oneself during the spiritual path. Even judgemental and angry. There is a tug of war between the two aspects of the mind-- the spiritual and the worldly. 

It is important to remind oneself that being spiritual involves being compassionate, even towards the lower mind. As the yogis say, the mind creates all sorts of problems-- they liken it to a drunken monkey that has been bitten by a scorpion. One can imagine how such a monkey would be-- not at all well-behaved! The yogis tell us about the six main types of thoughts that trouble the spiritual seeker-- desire/lust, anger, greed, pride, jealousy and delusion. These will keep coming up from within ourselves during the course of sadhana-- even after many years. 

If we have been doing sadhana for a while, we may feel hugely frustrated with our mind and feel helpless-- after all, controlling a drunken money that's been bitten by a scorpion cannot be said to be an easy task! One can be forgiven for feeling fed-up at times. It is useful to remember that even the greatest yogis (both in the ancient books and in recent times), have had to deal with the same obstacles and have felt the same frustration that we experience.

Well, this is where the higher emotion of compassion comes in. We may find it easier to be compassionate towards other people than ourselves. This is a common issue. However, in order to progress spiritually, we also need to be able to direct some compassion towards our own mind. And along with this, some patience and forgiveness. This helps us to keep going on the spiritual path, to avoid giving-up. Giving up means certain failure. As we know, persistence on the path is the key to success. Come hell or high water, one just has to keep going, keep moving forward. Sometimes the progress may be at a snail's pace, while at other times, one may feel like one is moving forward with the speed of a cheetah!

Let us also remember that God is not judgemental or harsh, but rather, an embodiment of kindness and compassion. We can go to Him/Her no matter what the state of our mind-- whether good, bad or ugly. As the yogis say, He is ever present within us, accepts us as we are, and the very thought of Him transforms us nature from undivine to divine.

Let us therefore practice some self-compassion as we trudge along on the spiritual path. It will allow us to keep going even when we hit our lowest points and this persistence is what will lead to our ultimate success on the path.

Purascharana 5 update: My purascharana is currently progressing slowly but steadily. If all goes well, I hope to complete it sometime in the middle of next year.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat