Sadhana

“What exactly is sadhana, and how should one do it?" is a question that troubles a lot of people who are anxious to progress on their spiritual path. Hopefully, this blog can clear a few of their doubts. First of all, let us find out the meaning of “sadhana”.

Any type of activity that can enable the materialistic-minded person to evolve towards the divine can be called sadhana. This is very similar to yoga, which again is any activity that allows you to contact or join with the divine. Yoga is a far more fluid thing and can apply to all types of activities, but sadhana refers to certain specific activities that are practiced on a daily basis, keeping regular times. It entails a lot of discipline but is something that has to be done by anyone who wants to make the change in their lifestyle from material to divine.

Our Puranas describe three types of sadhanas. The first type is called “markata sadhana”. “Markata” means “monkey”. If a monkey finds anything edible, he will stuff it into his mouth and will not eat it then and there. He jumps about here and there, keeping on filling his mouth and sometimes loses the food he has stuffed in this fashion. This is the type of sadhana that is done by those who want quick results. They lack discipline and want only results. One day, they will practice one type of sadhana and the next day, another type, with the result that they are unsuccessful in both!

Next is known as “vihanga sadhana” and is connected with the eating habits of birds. A bird swoops on a fruit and pecks hard so that the fruit drops to the ground and is lost to the bird. Similarly, this type of sadhak (one who practices sadhana) lacks the determination to go to the end of anything that he has started. He or she drops the practice soon.

The third type is known as “pippalika sadhana”, and this is similar to the lifestyle of ants. When the ant finds something it likes, it will break it up into small pieces that can be held in its mouth and taken back to its own home and eaten at leisure. Similarly, the most important point in sadhana is to keep our objective firmly fixed in our mind and never swerve from the path for any reason. We have to plod away at the path we have decided upon or which our guru has told us and keep at it, day after day, month after month, year after year. In this way, we will reach our goal. But remember that as we keep practicing, our natures will change. Anger and fear will lessen. Kindness and compassion will increase, and we will start to feel a sort of well-being and the feeling that we are being protected at all times. This is the greatest gift that sadhana can give.

Many, many types of sadhanas have been prescribed by those practicing various types of paths, but here we’re giving certain basic ones that are a must for all those who want to enhance their lives and bring it up to a higher plane of consciousness.

I will describe some types of sadhanas that have stood me in good stead and which I normally advise. These are 1. Yogasanas (Yoga postures), 2. Pranayama (methods of breath control), 3. Mantra japa (chanting of mantras), Dhyana (meditation). Of course, I do give some hints about diet and lifestyle. Diet has already been discussed in a previous blog (maybe add a link here for the previous blogs), so I will not talk about it today.

We should first of all understand the nature of our own selves. We are a combination of the body, mind, and intellect. All these three have definite characteristics, and each one will demand that its needs must be met with. Of these, the grossest is the body. It is a great mistake to disregard it, as most sadhaks do in their zeal to reach the higher realms of life. In a burst of enthusiasm, most sadhaks go on a rigorous program of fasting in order to control the body. A reasonable amount of fasting is most necessary for our sadhana, but by fasting alone, we will not be able to control the body. The body is a receptacle for the divinity within and has to be kept in a very good state of health so as to allow the light to shine through. It should not be tortured in any way.

The best way to keep the body under control is to practice yoga asanas. No amount of exercise or walking or gym can replace yoga asanas in keeping control of the body. We all know that meditation is most necessary to keep the mind in control, but unless we have good mastery over the body, the mind can never be brought under our command. When we start practicing yoga asanas, we will find that we are able to sit in one position for meditation for as long as it takes, without continuously squirming and fidgeting. The body slowly comes into control with the daily practice of yoga asanas and can happily remain in any meditative posture for some time. Daily practice will enable your body to remain supple till you are old. In youth, we may not understand the importance of this, but as you start getting older, you will realize how important it is to have a body that obeys your orders!! The twelve postures of Surya Namaskara are the best, and everyone should practice this to keep supple and increase brainpower. Nowadays, most towns have some yoga center. Please do contact them and start practicing yoga straight away. This is an age-old practice – well-tried and found to be most effective. Yoga asanas not only give agility to the body but they work on the mind as well, keeping it bright and sharp. It is not an exercise, so should not be done fast. Every pose should be followed by a rest posture. This is how the body keeps fit and agile. Please do approach a yoga teacher and ask them to teach you some asanas that will be good for you. Once you have mastered them, you can practice at home, but remember, they have to be done regularly without a break.

After having gained some control of the body, we will be able to sit for some time in some type of asana like sukhasana, vajrasana, ardha padmasana, or padmasana. These are the classical postures for meditation, and you have to sit on the floor. If you can’t sit on the floor, you can sit on a chair without slouching. The head, neck, and spine should always be kept in one straight line. This is very important since vital energy flows up the spine and should not be subverted. Now, that the posture is firm, the next step is to control the mind. The breath is closely connected with the mind. Whenever we are angry or frightened, our breath is fast and short. Therefore, if we can manage to control our breath, we will be able to control our emotions! This sadhana is called “pranayama” or control of breath. This again has to be learned from a guru. If you can’t find a guru, then it’s better to practice long breaths. Inhale and exhale, retaining the breath for as long as possible. But remember that every

day, one has to keep the same number of counts at every inhalation and the same number of counts in every exhalation. This will reduce the thought waves in the mind and give us extra strength.

The next is mantra chanting. If you have already got a mantra from a guru, you can use that. If not, you can use the pranava mantra “AUM” or the taraka mantra, “Rama.” The Surya Gayatri mantra is very famous and very good for increasing memory power as well as keeping the brain bright. BUT the pronunciation has to be perfect to get the best results. So, it has to be learned from an accomplished guru or by listening to a good recitation on the web. We will be giving this mantra along with this blog. You can chant by using a mala (rosary) of either tulasi or rudraksha, containing 108 beads. According to the availability of time, you can do one or two or three malas. You can also keep the count by using your fingers, but a mala helps you to concentrate better. Before starting these three practices, you should ensure that you are sitting on a comfortable cushion or mat in a comfortable asana or posture. The same cushion should be used for sadhanas. It will retain certain vibrations that will help you concentrate. It can be kept on a chair if you are using a chair.

The next step is dhyana or meditation. After having practiced pranayama and mantra chanting, the mind will be in a quiescent stage and will be happy to settle down to meditate. In fact, after a few days of practice, you will find that the mind automatically slips into a meditative mood. Keep your upturned palms on your knees with the tips of the forefinger and thumb touching each other. Close your eyes gently and keep chanting the mantra you have been using mentally. Let it become slower and slower and softer and softer, sometimes stopping altogether. Enjoy that state of calmness and peace for as long as you can. If you practice these steps faithfully for at least a month, you can be assured that there will be a dramatic change in your general well-being, both of the body and mind. Negative emotions will lessen and be replaced by positive ones.

As far as possible, you should also fix a time for sadhana. We are told that mornings and evenings are most conducive. In the morning, when the night meets the day and, in the evening, when day meets night. These are known as “sandhyas” and are very conducive for sadhana and meditation since the whole of creation is in a state of rest. If these timings are not comfortable, you can choose your timings. But the thing we have to remember is that the timing must be faithfully adhered to. This is because the mind is a creature of habit and when the correct time comes, it will automatically start to wind down and get prepared for meditation. This will make it easier for us.

There is, of course, one important point that has to be followed before starting any type of sadhana. This is your lifestyle. We cannot live a life of dissipation and expect to have perfect results from our sadhanas. Patanjali Maharishi insisted that any type of sadhana has to be approached only after observing the “yamas” and “niyamas”. These are universal rules of ethical conduct that are a must for every human being.

Yamas: Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (control of vital energy), Aparigraha (non-possessiveness)

Niyamas: Shoucha (internal and external cleanliness), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (self-control; discipline), Swadhyaya (study of the scriptures), Ishvarapranidhana (total surrender to the Supreme Being)

These are the ten as given by Patanjali Maharishi, the father of Yoga. To these, our scriptures have added a few more yamas. 1. Kshama – Patience. 2. Dhriti – Determination and steadfastness 3. Daya – Compassion 4. Arjava – Straightforwardness 5. Mitahara – Moderate eating habits

As you can see, the yamas are the ethical guidelines given for our behavior in the external world and the niyamas are the guidelines for controlling our inner passions. These guidelines are not limited to any class, country, time, or situation. They can be called the universal vows that every human being has to observe if we want a good and peaceful world.

If you are a serious sadhak, you can add another practice to your daily routine. Each night before you sleep, take a moment to reflect on any of your actions that have gone against any of these commandments. If you feel that you have slipped up in any one of them, make up your mind to improve the next day. Only by this type of self-analysis will we be able to control ourselves and derive maximum benefit from our daily sadhanas.

Hari aum tat sat