== DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HALF & FULL SADHANA ==
Namaskar,
In our AM approach, sadhana is looked upon as the cream of all our
practices. It is the greatest endeavour of our human existence. And of
course per Baba's divine teaching we all practice our meditation lessons
twice daily, at minimum. This is His Supreme Command as well as the nectar
of our spiritual life.
In our daily lives it cannot be denied however that we have innumerable
duties to attend to and countless tasks to perform. Sometimes it can seem
as though our worldly responsibilities are endless-- or nearly so.
Fortunately, while engaging in these occupations we can keep the mind
vibrated in His thought by doing half-sadhana. That is another one of our
jewels of meditation.
So even though we may not be able to close our eyes and sit for meditation
each and every minute of each and every day, through the practice of
half-sadhana we can keep that sweet spiritual flow in tact, by His grace.
IMPORTANCE OF SADHANA
Of course all acknowledge the great value of sadhana. However still there
is a certain trend in AM where some think about doing sadhana without ever
really sitting down to do meditation. That is they read about sadhana or
talk with others about spirituality etc, but they never seem to get the
time to really sit down and immerse the mind in long, silent sadhana
sessions. For them it remains just a dream only. This happens to some in
our Marga.
Here below Baba gives the teaching that just reading and talking about
spiritual discourses will not bring one closer to the Goal, to Him. To gain
success in spiritual life one must commit themselves to the practice of
sadhana.
"Na'yama'tma' balahiinema labhyah..."
Baba says, "The A'tma'n cannot be attained by the immoralist or the
materialist.And the one who listens to learned discourses or reads the scriptures in
the hope of realizing the A'tma'n with the help of keen intellect will
surely be disappointed."
"How can one know the A'tma'? The answer is, by performing spiritual
practice (sa'dhana') with devotion and sincerity. For human beings
spiritual practice in individual life is mandatory. Without sa'dhana' one
cannot expect to make any progress. If one learns the secrets of spiritual
practice from a learned preceptor and practices regularly one will realize
intuitively the existence of the Supreme Cognitive Faculty." (TK-3)
So, according to Baba, dedicated & sustained efforts in the discipline of
meditation are needed in order to advance along the spiritual path. Without
sadhana progress is impossible.
And here again in the following passage Baba emphasizes the need to deeply
engage in sadhana if one hopes to get Him.
Baba says, "To realize Him one must direct all one's sentiments and
propensities - in fact the entire psychic flow with its integral outlook -
towards one's inner existence. Only on this path of supreme synthesis can
human beings attain the Supreme Entity and transcend the bondages of pain
and pleasure, old age, death, etc." (APH-5)
Thus in so many ways we can see that sadhana is the key aspect for
spiritual growth and development. And without doing deep sadhana, one will
never really feel His sweet grace. That is Baba's teaching.
OUR APPROACH IN FULL SADHANA
And sure enough, sadhana is the main ingredient of our spiritual lives.
Plus it has to be recognised that in our AM sadhana we follow a very
systematic approach.
In our twice daily meditation, we close the eyes, fold back the tongue, and
shut down the external senses through the practice of pratyhara-- by
performing the three shuddhis as we embark on our meditation. And
ultimately we bring the mind to one particular point, cultivate that great
devotional feeling of loving Him, and ensconce the mind in the repetition
of our mantra. When doing first lesson then the mind is immersed in the
ista cakra and when doing dhyana the mind is absorbed in Guru cakra. This
every practitioner of sahaja yoga understands. And in a nutshell this is
how we approach our regular sadhana practice.
SOME OF THE BASICS OF HALF-SADHANA
Of course, from morning till night we have so many other worldly plans and
programs to attend to. In that case the practice of half-sadhana is
invaluable. Because this can be done anytime throughout the day since in
half-sadhana the eyes remain open.
Exactly when is it that we can do half-sadhana? While walking, cooking,
driving, washing clothes, doing errands, commuting, cleaning, and
innumerable times throughout the day.
So half-meditation is quite a handy approach.
And while here we will go through the various aspects of half-meditation,
the chief difference between full sadhana and half-sadhana is that in
half-meditation we do not keep the mind fixed on a particular cakra. Reason
being that in half-meditation we are involved in various worldly works so
the eyes must remain open, not closed, in which case keeping the mind
introverted at a particular point is not really possible.
HOW HALF-SADHANA CAN BE DONE
As you probably already know, when doing half-sadhana using our ista mantra
then we skip over the shuddhis that we normally do in first lesson and go
right into the phase of cultivating that devotional longing for Baba. And
then with the eyes open we repeat our ista mantra, not necessarily
concentrating on any particular cakra. Just however one feels comfortable
one should engage in their mantra japa and generate that sweet link with
Him-- all the while keeping one's eyes open and attending to their worldly
duties.
Our approach to doing half-dhyana is similar. Here again we bypass the
shuddhis and delve right into the devotional flow, cultivating that
yearning and longing for Him. And then we start repeating our dhyana mantra
again and again, feeling His divine presence all around us. Since the eyes
are open and we are not focused on any particular cakra, then we can think
that He is watching all our movements. Or we can think that we are just
moving through the day with Him right by our side. The main point being
that He is along with us and we are repeating our dhyana mantra-- tangibly
feeling His sweet presence.
ONE OTHER DIFFERENCE
One other aspect of half-sadhana that is different from full sadhana is
that in half-sadhana the mantra need not be coordinated with the breath.
Rather one can just go on repeating the mantra at any pace they like-- fast
or slow, irregardless of one's breathing pattern. In this practice, both
fast and slow mantra repetition have their distinct benefits. On this point
everyone can experiment.
KINDLING THE PRACTICE
So this is our basic approach in half-sadhana. Since we are all sadhakas
then most if not all of these points are not new to any of us. Even then
perhaps this reminder will help enable us to do this devotional practice
more and more throughout the day. For it is the practice that makes it real
& blissful. Just knowing about intellectually but not doing it leaves the
mind dry & barren.
Thus as we engage in our practice of half-meditation then all are
encouraged to write in with any new points which they discover-- or just
describe the feeling that comes when doing half-meditation. Reflect on what
way it changes the day.
One other thing that sadhakas often find is that by doing half-sadhana
regularly throughout the day then when they sit down for their full
meditation then their mind quickly immerses in that flow-- making the
shuddhis almost effortless and the practice of mantra japa blissful. So
that is another wonderful benefit of half-meditation-- it complements our
twice daily full sadhana practice.
ONLY THE BRAVE DO SADHANA
Whether we are talking about half-meditation or full meditation, one thing
is certainly proven: That meditation is only for the brave. This is Baba's
divine guideline.
"Na'yama'tma' balahiinena labhyo..."
Baba says, "Those who are weak, i.e., who have neither spiritual nor mental
force, do not achieve intuitional knowledge. The timid and cowardly remain
remote from Brahmabha'va or cosmic ideation." (SS-2, p.46)
So it is only the courageous who immerse their minds in the practice of
sadhana and get that divine bliss; while those who are meek or wishy-washy
types just gossip about doing sadhana.
By practicing half-sadhana and by adhering to His supreme command of twice
daily meditation, we actively immerse ourselves in His thought and proceed
towards that Cosmic Nucleus thereby getting His divine touch, by His grace.
BABA'S BLESSING
In bestowing upon us the practice of dharma sadhana, Baba has truly
showered His greatest blessing on us all. May we realise Him fully.
Baba says, "When the mind transcends the barriers of intellect the
realization dawns in human beings that they cannot reach the abode of the
Supreme Entity through material science or philosophy, but through
intuition alone. Supreme blessedness lies in the unfoldment of intuition.
Those who are graced with intuition, even though they may be totally
illiterate, can reach the Supreme rank, thereby establishing themselves in
a state of perennial blessedness. The greatest pandits, however, become
lost in the labyrinth of logic, and even though they try to find a way out,
they finally attain nothing." (AMIWL-9, p.640)
Namaskar,
Jiivendra
Note 1: SADHANA NOT TALL TALKS
Here below Baba is guiding us that He can only be attained through the
practice of sadhana-- not by high-sounding talks etc.
Baba says, "You cannot get that Supreme Entity by tall talk. Na medhaya´ -
Not by your intellect. Na bahuna´ shrutena - Nor by reading or going
through so many books or lectures...Do your sa'dhana', do your sa'dha'na',
do your sa'dhana'...Get it by doing sa'dhana'." (AV-23, p.23-4)
Note 2: SYSTEMATIC SADHANA MAKES ONE UNDEFEATABLE
Baba has blessed us with a perfect system of meditation and by doing all
the lessons on a regular basis then we are sure to attain success-- never
to be defeated.
Baba says, "You have learnt a well-ordered system of meditation and other
spiritual practices based on dharma. If any individuals or groups, however
powerful they may be, try to suppress you or even succeed in suppressing
you, they are bound to be destroyed. History has witnessed many such a
downfall in the past. No one has ever been victorious or will ever be
victorious by opposing dharma. March ahead with your own strength, march
with firm steps and your head held high. Always remember that when dharma
is with you, whoever will oppose you will be razed to the ground - their
destruction is a must." (AV-4)
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