Sadhana

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In touch with Life: In a novel sculpture, man shakes hands with nature§

FASTING AND SECLUSION

Sri Jayendra Puri Swami, Spiritual Head of Sri Kailash Ashram, Bengaluru, India, Speaks on Sadhana§

Interview by Choodie Shivaram, Bengaluru§

IN OUR ANCIENT SCRIPTURES, THE RISHIS POINT OUT THAT ACTIVITY is a basic tendency of the human being. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says that activity is born out of nature, inherited from nature, and this tendency continuously prompts us towards activity. The result of activity, which is karma, according to the Gita, has three types of fruits: the desired fruit, the undesired fruit and a mixture of both.§

When the fruit of a certain action is conducive to joy and happiness, I naturally continue that action. If it is averse to me, then I desist from that action. This process goes on right from the birth of every human being. Thus, desire and non-desire drive our actions. That is how development takes place. Our great rishis referred to this as heya and upadeya. Upadeya is the force of inclination toward what we want. Heya is the force of aversion from what we do not want.§

We aspire continuously for a sense of bliss, for uninterrupted joy. But achieving that bliss is not so easy. Nature is constantly changing, the external reality is changing, and the mind of the individual is also changing. What we like today we may not like tomorrow. We are prone to continuous change. In between this swirl of change is sadhana. It is sadhana that brings us the eternal, undiminishing bliss that the rishis have experienced and called by various names: Shivam, Satyam, Sundaram, Parabrahma, Swarupam, Devi, Narayana, Satchidananda.§

Adi Shankara wrote: “That benefit which is superseded by no other benefit, that joy which is superseded by no other joy, that knowledge which is superseded by no other knowledge—the attainment of that bliss comes through sadhana.” Sadhana means to achieve by effort. People who have reached that attainment are called siddhas. Our activities are continuously bringing us a combination of sukha and dukha, joy and sorrow. Sadhana directs us towards parama-sukha, the ultimate bliss that transcends the joys and sorrows of this world.§

The various types of sadhana and when and how they are to be done is discussed in our Vedas, Agamas, Puranas and the auxiliary texts. Specific sadhanas, or spiritual practices, are mentioned for people who want faster advancement. These are referred to as yajnas. Dravya yajna is continuous performance of homas. Tapo yajna is severe penance, dwelling in solitude, engaged in meditation and japa while abstaining from the pleasures of life. Hatha yoga yajna is perfecting the yoga asanas, or postures. Svadhyaya yajna is studying scripture. Jnana yajna is the continuous questioning of oneself, inquiring “Who am I?” as exemplified by Ramana Maharshi, or asserting “I am That.”§

In our Puranas, the rishis have indicated the importance of vrata, or vow. The vrata of King Harischandra was satya, truthfulness. The vrata of Mahatma Gandhi was also truth. Abstinence is another common type of vow, such as refraining from eating a type of food that one likes immensely. Restraint itself is a form of sadhana. A person can do abstract sadhana in daily life without anybody knowing that he is doing it.§

There are various forms of sadhana: meditation, bhajans, japa, pujas, etc., but at some time you will find the necessity of isolation. That is the purpose of the sadhana caves we built here at Kailash Ashram. They are for one type of sadhana: solitary confinement. Isolation is a must for a higher level of achievement. These seven caves are not for daily use in just any manner. We have had many people request permission to stay in a cave, but we have been very selective. The caves are not for the curious or uncommitted. Complete medical tests are required, and each candidate must first spend 15 days living at the ashram in a communal room in preparation for his time of solitude. The scriptures say that out of ten million people, only one will be a serious sadhaka. The caves are here for the serious sadhakas who come to use them.§

The ideal time alone in a cave is one month. We have prepared a special discipline for this, a regimen of fasting called chandrayana vrata. This fast consists of simple food—served in clay pots, one designed for each day—that diminishes in portion to the size of a thumb on the new-moon day. Then the size of the pots gradually increases until the full-moon day, at which time the person comes out of the cave. Throughout the fast, only one type of food is given—kichari, a balanced porridge of rice, dal and vegetables. This monotonous diet prevents desire from being directed toward eating.§

The urge to perform sadhana arises with the thought that there must be something beyond the fluctuating joys and sorrows of this material world. When you want to achieve something greater, you naturally begin performing sadhana. A person who has been scorched by the heat of this world seeks solace in the ultimate.§

A scientist achieves his goals because he questions continuously. Similarly, we must question continuously: “Where have I come from?” “Who am I?” “What is the purpose of my life?” This will lead us to bliss. Sadhana is absolute experimentation upon oneself to find the answer to something that is continuously troubling or intriguing us from within. It is the meticulous pursuit of a discipline that will lead you to higher goals. A guru is supremely important in this pursuit, because he removes ignorance.§

The more difficulties you have and overcome while performing sadhana, the faster you progress. Successfully performing a certain vrata amidst difficulties and day-to-day affairs gives you wonderful self-confidence. Self-confidence is the key to sadhana. In traditional households, fasting and mauna (silence) was a form of vrata, or sadhana. Such vratas are still valid today and offer excellent means for advancement. In modern parlance “retreat” is a period of sadhana. Retreat is a must for everybody. It should include satsang, self-study, japa and a controlled diet. The retreat should be planned with the guidance of a master.§