All World
Gayatri Pariwar

Know the Essentials before Expecting
Great Results of Sadhana -II

(Translation of excerpts of some discourses given by Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya as part of constructive programs of mass-awakening/social upliftment - continued from previous issue)

Friends,
I hope now you understand that siddhi (extraordinary attainments, supernormal potentials) through sadhana is a gradual process which begins with sincere practice of selfrestraint and upasana1. For practical training and experience of these you are most welcome to participate in the sadhana-shiviras here (at Shantikunj, Haridwar, India).

Today, I will give you some guidelines to help you begin in proper direction. Practice of upasana essentially incorporates the following five steps. Make these an integral part of your routine. The principles behind these ‘spiritual exercises’ are universal. They are found in every school of faith (though under different terminologies) as they lay the foundational support along every path to spiritual ascent.

Japa – A universal mode of devotional prayer:
Japa means repeated rhythmic chanting of mantras (Hymns) or prayers that were initially realized or uttered by great saints. It is integral to religious practices and devotional support in almost every religion. You can find the devout Hindus, Muslims, Christians holding the rosary and doing japa as preached in their scriptures. The Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Jews, Zoroastrians (Parsees), Arya Samajis, etc also practice japa in one form or the other. Thus japa is a universal mode of upasana. As recommended by our rishis, for spiritual enlightenment, you should sincerely do the japa of the great Gayatri Mantra.

Only thing you must remember is that it should not be a mechanical action of moving the tongue and lips. Your prana (life-force, vital spiritual energy) should flow with its rhythm. This will happen if you do the japa with mental and emotional engrossment, and with the spirit of intrinsic joy and unperturbed faith. The other four modes of upasana-sadhana 2, which I am going to discuss now, will lend the necessary support in your spiritual ascent and thus augment your worthiness for higher-level sadhanas. Similar to japa, these methods do not emanate from any particular doctrine and therefore do not belong only to a particular cult, religion, or school of faith.

Dhyana is also universal
Your mind should be deeply focused in the thoughts of divinity by way of dhyana (meditation). Meditation is indeed a powerful and universally acclaimed method of soothing the mind and enhancing mental concentration. Most people need an object for imagination on which to focus the mind. As part of upasana, the devotees meditate upon an image of their prime deity – such as manifestations of goddess Durga, Saraswati, gods Shiva, Krishna, etc. ‘Brilliance of natural light’ is regarded as a universal symbol of divine glow and spiritual eminence. This is referred as “Khuda Ka Nura” in Islam, as “Light of God” in Christianity, as “Atma Jyoti” in Hindu Philosophy. All religions, all schools of philosophy affirm its importance.

Meditation on the rising sun and its inspiring glow is recommended with the japa of Gayatri Mantra. Glow of the rising sun is regarded as a universal symbol of Gayatri – the Eternal, Omnipotent Origin and Ultimate Fulfilment of all knowledge, preeminent divine virtues and powers. Those, who think that “Gayatri”, because of being referred by a Sanskrit name, or because of being worshiped in the deity form of divine mother in Vedic Culture, belongs to Hindu Dharma, are ignorant. The Gayatri Mantra is universal; it is not confined to any religion or cult or any specific manifestation of God. It is universal in its essence and so is the meditation upon rising sun. As also taught in the yoga practice of trataka, you should focus upon its soothing glow at the location of manifestation of the agya chakra3.

Swara Yoga – Soham Pranayama
Another practice that you should link with the daily upasana is soham sadhana. As you all know, pranayama is a wonderful yoga exercise. Soham sadhana is a special kind of pranayama in which, along with deep and consistent breathing, you also do an emotional meditation of selflessness. It is a part of pratyahara —a deeper level sadhana in yoga— that accelerates spiritual progress. As part of this practice, you should concentrate upon the inhalation sound (“so…”) and exhalation sound (“ham…”) respectively with a feeling that the Omniscient, universal self is entering deep within, and the “I” (egotism, selfishness), is being expelled out forever.

This being a sadhana of swaras (the breathing currents) is independent of any faith or religion. It can be practiced by anybody at any time.

Devotional practice in sandhikala
You should also practice some form of devotional ritual (sandhya vandan) and prayer, as it gives you an opportunity to remember God, to have proximity with divinity by sitting near a symbol of His manifestation. Different religions preach this practice in different forms but the purpose remains the same. For example the Muslims offer “namaaz” five times a day. Our system mentions of trikala sandhya (doing sandhya thrice a day). As the name “sandhya" suggests it should be practiced in sandhikala — the period of transition of the day into different phases – from night to morning, morning to afternoon, etc.

Vedic texts prescribe upasana by sandhya vandan thrice a day — ideal timings would be early morning before and around dawn; around noon; and around sunset time. However, many of you may have time-constraints, so try to do it twice a day, for a few minutes at least — once in the morning and once in the evening. The practice of japa, meditation and pranayama should also be clubbed with the morning/evening sandhya. However, depending upon your duties and unavoidable constraints, you fix up some time-slot for every-day practice when you may concentrate with a calm mind and practice regularly.

Once again let me emphasize that these practices of upasana should not become mere rituals. Rather, even if done for a short period of 10-20 minutes every day, these should be performed through the heart, with your full attention, interest, faith, enthusiasm and emotional linkage. This is what amounts to making your upasana lively (pranayana) and spiritually correct.

I know you all are very busy. It is also likely that the materialistic trends of the world may create problems and compulsions that often divert your mind. Don’t worry. Where there is will, there is a way! Adopt the following simple practices. These will be of great help in orienting your mind, your thoughts and feelings in the desired direction. I have practiced and benefited a lot from these. You may regard these also as sacred sandhyas to be practiced twice a day. In fact these two ‘special’ sandhyas are more important in today’s life-style than those pertaining to worship.

Contemplate before sleep and after getting up These are two special sandhyas of worshiping the deity of life, which are to be done lying on the bed — once when you get up and second time when you go to the bed to sleep. There are no restrictions of timings. Suppose you are working late in the night, you may get up late next day; even then it won’t matter. Whatever time you get-up, consider that as the onset of your new day ahead. Similarly, whatever time you sleep, that would virtually be the end of the day’s life for you.

You may sometimes (e.g. while travelling, or under some unavoidable circumstance) skip the worship-based sandhya-vandan activities, but you must do these special sandhyas without any break. The practice of these special sandhyas is short and simple as described below.

What to Do?
Soon after getting up in the morning (or at whatever time you may get up!), take a deep breath to feel your existence. Think of the new day ahead as the beginning of a new life. Contemplate upon the eternal origin and nature of life and its purpose. Give a thought to your existence as a living being; ponder over the fact that you are a manifestation of the Soul. Make a small, practicable resolution for the day ahead which will make you a better person, will help waning out some of your shortcomings to some extent. Leave the bed with a feeling of being filled with new joy and energy.

After going to bed at the end of your day, think as though you are in the last phase of your life. Sleep will end the one-day’s life span you had got since you got up. So it is time to ponder over the good and the bad you did during the day. Do thorough and impartial introspection. Try to find out where you could have avoided the mistakes or where you could have done better with respect to the circumstances at that time. Plan to diminish the evil, the wrong and to augment the good, the positive, the correct approach/ activity/thought, for the next phase of life after sleep. Keep aside all your tensions and worries and sleep well, as though you were ‘no more’. As you might have experienced, the thought of death allays your ego and the complexities and problems associated with it.

These simple exercises render great support in alleviating your stresses and your hidden infirmities, and rejuvenating you with new strength and hope. Regular practice of these will elevate your enthusiasm, interest and determination in self-improvement. Gradually all your sincere efforts, including your upasana-sadhana will become more lively and deep.

Recognize the Value of Life
Life is indeed the most precious gift the Almighty has bestowed upon you. But most of you waste it in living for bodily requirements and sensory pleasures; but this is what every creature, even a tiny insect or micro-organism, does in its own way. Many of you ruin the precious gift of life in sinful activities. Had you recognized and paid attention to this invaluable treasure? Today you would have been truly the ‘wealthiest’ (in the truest sense of the word) and the ‘happiest’ person on this earth having immense peace of mind.

If you had torn off the leaf of ignorance from the chapter of your learning, you would have comprehended the meaning and purpose of life. This means, you would have acquired the ultimate knowledge — “atmagyana” (self-knowledge). Lord Buddha had attained this knowledge while sitting in trance beneath a poplar leaved fig tree (now known as “Bodhi” Tree) and he became a god. So you see how important atmagyana is? Do you know what it means? “Yeah!” some of you may respond. You might have heard the couplet from the holy “Ram Charit Manas” which says –“Iswara Ansa Jiva Avinasi” meaning: the “jiva” being a reflection of God is immortal. “Oh!” So you mean Mr. so and so (or Ms. so and so) is part of God? No, my dear, it is the jiva – the soul which is manifested in a (living) being, is a reflection of God. This jiva has forgotten its identity and has begun to regard itself by the name and form of the physical body.

You, the bewildered jiva, is living in dormancy. Just pause, and think! What for have you got the human body and mind — full of marvelous capabilities which no other creature has got? Nature has already bestowed on you so many faculties and facilities! Was it all given only for sensory pleasures? Was it meant only for possessing material resources, for ‘producing’ children and collecting more and more comforts for them? Was it to be wasted in idleness or haphazard activities? Was it given for being misused in all kinds of bluffs, for being corrupted and maligned by misconduct and unethical activities? Certainly not! Friends, you have got this rarest-of-rare opportunity after thousands of lives, suffering through the adverse phases and odd conditions of enormous life-forms (chaurasi lakha yonis).

Up till now, “getting up after sleep” has been only a natural biological activity for you, like that for any other mortal being; but please note that this biological process (of waking up after sleep) is confined to action of the physical body, of the extrovert conscious mind. The special sandhya of contemplation, as I have told you just now, is to awaken the jiva, to remind it of its true identity. This is what the Upanishads teach – "Uttisha, Jagrata, Prapya Varannibodhayeta” (meaning: awake, arise, and accomplish the high, illumined, and virtuous goals).

Thus, with the awakening of the body, you also try to awaken your inner self. Peep inside and think of the dignity of your original self, its impersonal reality; realize the enormous power hidden within you. Ponder over the reality of life beyond its worldly expression and contemplate upon the real purpose of your being; see what you are doing to fulfill its noble purpose. (Let me remind that if you do swadhyaya and satsang you will have the necessary background and light of thoughts, which will facilitate this contemplation).

These simple practices of contemplation before and after sleep will help you realize the importance, purpose and prudent use of life and thus gradually lead to atmabodha-tatvabodh4. If you make the righteous use of what God has endowed you with, I am sure you will accomplish awakening of the self as well as of all those in your contact. Don’t worry about what you have lost so far because of your ignorance. Cast out the dormancy now and make a new beginning. If you determine and make the right beginning, one day you will surely reach the high realms to receive divine light and love.

Expand the horizons of harmony and love
Learn to live in harmony with Nature and with others around you. Let the spring of love rooted in your innerself flow without any barrier. Please remember, there is one and only one condition to receive the love of the Almighty and this condition is – to love all beings. And, this condition is mandatory. So if you desire divine bliss and grace, learn to love His creation. Work to beautify His creation, to make, at your level best, this world a happy abode for all. You may gain worldly success and joys but will not get even a drop of the elixir of His love, if you remain confined to the narrow boundaries of your selfish interests. If you are selfcentered and insensitive to others around you, you are no better than a cruel miser. Get rid of this sinner’s tendency. Broaden your horizons of ‘selfishness’ to encompass the feeling of oneness with every being. This is a prerequisite for sadhana. Attempt to adopt an altruistic outlook. Look at the broad horizons of your interests with new perspectives. This is the only way to
attain fulfilment in life with unalloyed bliss.

|| OM SHANTI ||

Notes:
1. Upasana: A devotional practice of sitting near God, i.e., having an emotional proximity with divinity (that induces awakening of the divine qualities hidden in the devotee).
2. Sadhana: A process of selftranscendence. It begins with dedicated effort of self-restraint and self– refinement through control over mind and other senses.
3. Agya Chakra: An extrasensory energy nucleus, which if activated by suitable meditative yoga- sadhana will serve as the third eye (supernatural sense), the center associated with subtle source of the pituitary gland. The location of manifestation of this extrasensory energy centre lies in the region midway between the two eyebrows. This is where one is supposed to meditate upon.
4. Atmabodha-Tatvabodh: Realization of the real self - the soul and beatifying experience of its omnipresent, eternal expansion.