Why is daily sadhana important?

[Viraja]

Namaste HDF members,

I have been browsing around and I noticed that many devotees of Sanathana Dharma feel a certain 'distance' with god/their ishta-devata. Afterall, it is said that more than someone 'choosing' their ishta-devata, it is the 'ishta-devata' that chooses them and that is why, the blessed ones feel the 'pull'. Given that, why would one feel the said 'distance' with such an ishta-devata? I thought that not doing daily sadhana would be the main reason. Without daily sadhana, one would not have the feeling of 'emotional investment' and 'bondage' with their ishta to the point that over time, they feel they have no connection whatsoever with their ishta.

So thinking along above lines, I started wondering why does it become important other than the above stated factor, to do 'daily sadhana'? Why is it not sufficient to, for example, do sadhana on a weekly basis, such as Christians attending 'mass'?

What benefits and what necessities mandate a daily sadhana? Your thoughts...

EDIT:

Some other relevant questions:

1. Are there any guidelines on the length of daily sadhana? Any prescribed minimal duration?

2. Is attending a temple a substitute for daily sadhana or not? And vice versa, can daily sadhana at home suffice for not attending a temple on a daily basis?

[Ram11]

Namaste HDF members,

I have been browsing around and I noticed that many devotees of Sanathana Dharma feel a certain 'distance' with god/their ishta-devata. Afterall, it is said that more than someone 'choosing' their ishta-devata, it is the 'ishta-devata' that chooses them and that is why, the blessed ones feel the 'pull'. Given that, why would one feel the said 'distance' with such an ishta-devata? I thought that not doing daily sadhana would be the main reason. Without daily sadhana, one would not have the feeling of 'emotional investment' and 'bondage' with their ishta to the point that over time, they feel they have no connection whatsoever with their ishta.

So thinking along above lines, I started wondering why does it become important other than the above stated factor, to do 'daily sadhana'? Why is it not sufficient to, for example, do sadhana on a weekly basis, such as Christians attending 'mass'?

What benefits and what necessities mandate a daily sadhana? Your thoughts...

EDIT:

Some other relevant questions:

1. Are there any guidelines on the length of daily sadhana? Any prescribed minimal duration?

2. Is attending a temple a substitute for daily sadhana or not? And vice versa, can daily sadhana at home suffice for not attending a temple on a daily basis?

Namaste Ji,

What you said is true,Sri Sharada Devi said that one must give up laziness and do the daily Sadhana.It helps to remove the negative thoughts,purify the mind and prepare it for meditation on God.

Visiting temples and daily Sadhana are different things.Both are important and good but one cannot be substituted for another.Sri Sharada Devi also said that sometimes it may be difficult to visit holy places,so the devotee can worship the Lord at home itself and whenever possible he/she must try to visit temples.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Viraja: We bathe daily, brush teeth daily, eat daily, chat with our loved ones daily. All this replenishes our physical and emotional bodies and spirits.

The spiritual body needs replenishing too. It's soul maintenance. Many can probably feel the difference, especially if they become habitual, and then for some reason miss it. (illness, travel, other unforeseen circumstance).

My personal take is that you have to experience it personally in order for the idea to truly register. Words of advice from a Guru or a book won't convince you. You have to be regular for maybe 6 months or longer, have it well established, and then miss it. Then you know. It's something like hunger ... or missing a close relative who's off at college. You just get this need to do sadhana. Not really a rational feeling, more intuitive.

This happened to me again recently, and further demonstrated it. I've been regular for maybe 8 years now, and I had a medical situation (mild heart attack) where the hospital was home for 3 nights. Boy, did I miss sitting in front of Ganesha.

Aum Namasivaya

[Believer]

Namaste EM,

I had a medical situation (mild heart attack) where the hospital was home for 3 nights.

Hope the situation is under control and you are feeling better.

Pranam.

[Viraja]

Vannakkam Viraja: We bathe daily, brush teeth daily, eat daily, chat with our loved ones daily. All this replenishes our physical and emotional bodies and spirits.

The spiritual body needs replenishing too. It's soul maintenance. Many can probably feel the difference, especially if they become habitual, and then for some reason miss it. (illness, travel, other unforeseen circumstance).

My personal take is that you have to experience it personally in order for the idea to truly register. Words of advice from a Guru or a book won't convince you. You have to be regular for maybe 6 months or longer, have it well established, and then miss it. Then you know. It's something like hunger ... or missing a close relative who's off at college. You just get this need to do sadhana. Not really a rational feeling, more intuitive.

This happened to me again recently, and further demonstrated it. I've been regular for maybe 8 years now, and I had a medical situation (mild heart attack) where the hospital was home for 3 nights. Boy, did I miss sitting in front of Ganesha.

Aum Namasivaya

Conveying my regards to you, just as Believer ji said, on hearing about your mild heart attack. Hope you feel better now, EM ji.

Speaking of daily sadhana, I agree with the feeling of 'missing' one's ishta. Besides, daily sadhana is the only means of cultivating closeness with one's ishta. If not, I will be swayed between this devata and that indecisively -- whereas taking to regular worship creates the feeling of 'ownership' as in 'MY devata' and makes you stand up for your cause if someone denigrates your deity. It makes you feel so close to your ishta that you feel without him you won't eat, without him, you cannot take decision and so forth. These are verily the steps that lead one towards a full-fledged form of bhakti. So these are my feelings towards worship every day. If only all of us let go of that little lazyness, we can uncover the true potential of our own bhakti!

Thanks for your views.

@Ram ji - Thanks for your views too, and for the quote from Ma Sharada Devi.

[Eastern Mind]

Namaste EM,

Hope the situation is under control and you are feeling better.

Pranam.

Vannakkam: Thanks. It's all good. 3-4 weeks of little work, then I'm good to go. The technology on this stuff has improved dramatically.

@Viraja ... thanks as well. But regarding ishta, I'm a Saiva, so don't have an ishta in quite the same way as other philosophies would. I should have just said I missed my shrine room.

Aum Namasivaya

[Believer]

Namaste Viraja,

......taking to regular worship creates the feeling of 'ownership' as in 'MY devata' and makes you stand up for your cause if someone denigrates your deity......

Please don't start thinking that 'any deity' needs 'your' protection. So, if someone does denigrate your deity, try to walk away from it, instead of creating an unpleasant situation in the forum. That will require more character than blowing off steam. Just a thought. And as you can see, every word you write in your posts is read and dissected. You are that important.

Be well.

Pranam.

[Viraja]

Namaste Believer ji,

You have misunderstood what I said. I am talking about society at large -- the way our beloved Acharyas have stood against deity denigration against Muslim onslaught for instance. In recent times, I noticed that Hindu Jagruti committee does a good job of standing up against deity denigrations.

Regards,

Viraja

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté

For the window shopper weekly sādhana is fine.... just like going to the mall. Sometimes you buy , other times you are just looking in the windows.

As one develops over time, even daily sādhana will not serve ones purpose ; now the practice takes on greater import and attraction, so continuous practice becomes the means.

Then there comes a time when no practice is needed... this is the final destination.

iti śivaṁ

[saswathy]

Dear friend ,
mind is wildest thing and it has to be controlled constantly , or else it goes astray .If Sadhana on various Gods is done expecting different boons or blessings from all of them the concentration gets diluted .If sadhana of one God is done also taking him or her as ishta devatha , mind very easily gets distracted if not done continuously. In fact a sadhaka has to do it nonstop in the mental sphere . It has to be like breathing .Like Prahalada said , while eating ,talking , drinking , and doing all the mundane things it has to go on . Then only one would get the protection of ishtadevatha. Single minded devotion , concentration , trust, surrender assures all support in all things , here and here after .Jnana yoga , hatha yoga , Raja yoga are rather difficult and allpeople can't do them easily . Bhakthi yoga is the easiest and very simple .That requires constant and uninterrupted nama parayana or manthra japa .