HOW TO FOCUS IN SADHANA
Namaskar,
Everyone at some point in their life struggles in sadhana – this is a common human predicament, whether one be a Wt or family margii. Here then is something for us all to keep in mind when we approach our regular sadhana practice.
MANY LONGINGS MAKES SADHANA IMPOSSIBLE
The basic rule is that when a person has too many desires – i.e. more than one desire – then one cannot be successful in sadhana. Then sadhana is impossible. Then sadhana is just a distant dream as the mind roams from one worldly longing to the next.
The way to get Parama Purusa is to harbour only one single desire – Him. Then sadhana is easy.
Baba says, "Parama Purus’a or the Supreme Entity can only be realized...when one has a one-pointed desire to realize Him. There is no other way. Without exclusive devotion to Parama Purus’a nothing can be attained…To attain Him one must cultivate one-pointed devotion for Him." (1)
If one’s mind is full of all kinds of desires – "I want wealth"; "I want prestige"; "I want name and fame";"I want this"; "I want that"; – then when one sits for sadhana, all those ideas will flood the mind, not the idea of Parama Purusa. In that case, their sadhana will not go far – one will not get Parama Purusa.
Unfortunately, due to materialism and all the worldly allurements and attractions that come with it, many who try to practice meditation cannot get success – ever.
However, one should not lose hope nor think that sadhana is beyond their reach. Only one should be aware about this stumbling block. Once the problem has been identified then it can be removed as well. And indeed Baba has graciously given the solution so that all can get success and attain Him in sadhana.
LONGING MUST BE ONE
So here again, the main idea is that a sadhaka’s longing (a'kuti) must be singular in nature. One must think in the very core of their heart: "I want Parama Purusa and Him alone."
At times this may seem impossible, but Baba has given us many ways to achieve this devotional stance. First, one should request Him: "O Parama Purusa, please attract me towards You, please grant me the highest devotion – parabhakti (absolute devotion) – so that I may reach You."
Baba says, "You should say, "O Parama Purus’a, give me para’bhakti"." (2)
All other desires in life are subsidiary or secondary desires. The only true desire one should have in life is to serve and please Him. When that desire is cultivated, all other desires will fade away. By His grace, when that desire for Him is set in the mind – other desires wane – then one will be pointed toward Parama Purusa in sadhana. In that case when one places a sincere request before Him, i.e. when one asks for parabhakti, then surely Parama Purusa will help. Then Parama Purusa is sure to shower His grace.
As human beings, our strength and ability is limited but when we approach Him with a pure heart, then certainly He will be gracious.
Baba says, "To overcome their imperfection and establish themselves in the higher stratum, they will have to seek strength from Parama Purus’a, they will have to approach Parama Purus’a with these words: "Parama Purus’a, I want to move towards you, but I do not have sufficient strength to move. Please give me strength, I want to move on." (3)
WILL BE FOCUSED IN SADHANA
By His grace, when one goads all their desires towards Him, none else, then their mind will be focused in sadhana.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Dayananda
REFERENCES
1. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life – 10
2. Subhasita Samgraha – 24
3. Subhasita Samgraha – 18
HOW TO FOCUS IN SADHANA - 2
Namaskar, If one’s mind is full of all kinds of desires – “I want wealth”; “I want prestige”; “I want name and fame”;”I want this”; “I want that”; – then when one sits for sadhana, all those ideas will flood the mind, not the idea of Parama Purusa. In that case, their sadhana will not go far – one will not get Parama Purusa.
Baba says, “Parama Purus’a or the Supreme Entity can only be realized…when one has a one-pointed desire to realize Him. There is no other way. Without exclusive devotion to Parama Purus’a nothing can be attained…To attain Him one must cultivate one-pointed devotion for Him.” (1)
MULTI-PURPOSE VS. UNI-PURPOSE
Here is one central difference between Parama Purusa and human beings.
Human beings are multi-purpose in nature and unilateral in approach whereas Parama Purusa is uni-purpose in nature and multilateral in approach.
The question then is what does this mean?
It means that human beings have countless desires (multi-purpose) but can only do one thing at a time (unilateral), whereas Parama Purusa has one desire (uni-purpose) – i.e. universal welfare – and can do infinite works at a time (multilateral).
Because of this basic human limitation, people often dream of getting so many things – money prestige, name, fame etc – but in the end they can do nothing – neither in the worldly nor spiritual spheres. By being drowned in all those desires, they cannot apply themselves properly toward any particular goal.
To achieve anything, one’s desire must be singular in nature. If one harbours multiple desires then they will be unfocused. Those unaware about this fact cannot develop or grow properly, and they end up misusing their life and wasting their time on this earth.
Such people aimlessly run around senselessly after one desire or another.
ONE SHOULD RUN AFTER ANANDAM
The way out of this myriad is to strive for what is permanent by seeking Parama Purusa. He must become the only Goal in life.
To run after all the glitz and glamour of this mundane world – getting something only to lose something else – is no way to live on this earth. Yet most do like this. We see this everyday. A person buys a fancy item and then it gets stolen or they lose interest in it and they end of desiring something else. In this way, life spins in a multitude of directions – desiring, getting, and the losing again. Such an approach is sheer blindness. Just one is intoxicated in the spell of materialism etc.
The situation can be likened to rowing a boat toward a moving target. The position is always shifting and one will not reach anywhere. Just one will go here and there, yet end up nowhere. The goal will not be reached because the goal itself is something elusive, transitory.
Such is the case with mundane allurements as well. People run after an array of sparkly objects, yet that will lead them nowhere. In the end they will have nothing. Because those things are not permanent.
The only answer then is spirituality: To strive to attain Parama Purusa.
SKILLFULLY TRANSFORM PASSION INTO LOVE
Even then, any sadhaka may wonder, "How can I only cultivate the desire to get Parama Purusa when I have so many worldly obligations."
Here Baba gives the solution.
Baba says, "The attachment for a finite thing is an expression of extroverted energy, whereas the attraction for the Infinite is an expression of the introverted energy. That is why these two can never co-exist. Therefore the aspirant has to skillfully to transform passion into love. Do you love your son? No, no you don’t love your son. You love Brahma in the form of your son. By loving your son as a son, you cannot love the Lord. Where there is the feeling of son, there is no Lord and where there is the Lord, there is no son. Where you exist He does not and where He exists you are no more." (2)
Thus when plunged in mundane problems and worldly responsibilities and when one has many things to attend to, then the sadhaka must think this all belongs to Parama Purusa. My son is not my son; my home is not my house. Everything is a manifestation of the Supreme.
In that way, an aspirant can attend to a wide array of responsibilities and duties, yet still cultivate the sole desire of getting Him and Him alone. Then the desire is only one. That is Baba’s special recipe.
ATTACHMENTS OF WTS
The above formula applies to everyone. It relates to Wts as well as family people. Because both have worldly attachments: work, prestige, post, friends etc. Both wholetimers and family people deal with mundane work. And in the process of doing those works, the tendency is to get attached. Some workers want a high post, others want to remain in their current locale for years and years – so many attachments come.
In either case – whether one is worker or family person – the answer is the same. The sadhaka must view everyone and everything as a manifestation of Parama Purusa. Then one will do to serve, please and attain Him, and not out of any mundane desire.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Dayananda
HOW PROBLEM NO LONGER REMAINS A PROBLEM
This same practice applies to worldly events as well. When facing any worldly difficulty or mundane problem, then the bhakta must request, "O Parama Purusa, please help me so I can do Your work." In that case the desire is only one – to serve Him – and one will get His grace.
For instance, if two people are facing the same type of problem / samskara such as a disease or incarceration, then the bhakta will feel less problem because Parama Purusa will remove the pain in the mental sphere. So even though the worldly problem is still present, if one is not undergoing any suffering in the psychic realm, then there is no question of feeling any pain. Then the problem no longer remains a problem.
Again, the way out of such worldly predicaments is to request His grace in order to carry out His will.
REFERENCES
1. Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life – 10
2. Subhasita Samgraha – 1
