Sadhana and Illness

**Eastern Mind** · 14 March 2010, 01:01 PM

Vannakkam all:

This is just a general question for everyone. How ill (flu, cold, hospitalised?) do you have to be before it interferes with sadhana, daily worship. I've had a flu for about 6 days now and am lethargic and unmotivated. Just wondering for example if ISKCON has a policy on the matter.

Aum Namasivaya

**Krsna Das** · 15 March 2010, 02:42 AM

Hari Hari Bol...

I am not aware if any such policy exists.

I think this is very much personal and it depends on the (1) severity of your illness and (2) your determination to do sadhana.

I am aware of god brothers of mine, who were hospitalized and had an operation, but continued to follow there daily 16 rounds of chanting mahamantra and to eat only Krsna prasadam.

One such vaishnavi is Ujjavala Manjari Devi Dasi. She was once hostitalized and remained in hospital for 4 days. Now that hospital does not allow the outside cooked-food for the patients, but she refused to eat the hospital-food since it contained onions and garlic, and later on doctors had to provide special approval for her to eat the food cooked in her home - ksrna prasadam.

I have personally seen people having high temperature and still doing the seva of book-distribution in the summers of June on streets.

Currently, when I went to nabadwipa parikrama, I saw a young gentleman whose right foot was wounded (most of the people do parikrama bare-feet), but he still decided to do parikrama on foot and did not take a rikshaw, though I requested him to do so.

But that does not mean everybody should do this. As I have said it depends on the severity of your illness and common sense should prevail in all the cases.

**Eastern Mind** · 15 March 2010, 08:10 AM

Namaste Krishna:

Those are my thoughts exactly, but thanks for the response. The sheer will of bhaktars is uplifting.

Aum Namasivaya

**devisarada** · 20 March 2010, 12:07 AM

Sorry you're a bit under the weather, Eastern. I hope you get well soon.

**atanu** · 20 March 2010, 03:46 AM

Originally Posted by Eastern Mind

Vannakkam all:

This is just a general question for everyone. How ill (flu, cold, hospitalised?) do you have to be before it interferes with sadhana, daily worship. I've had a flu for about 6 days now and am lethargic and unmotivated. Just wondering for example if ISKCON has a policy on the matter.

Aum Namasivaya

Namaste EM

Yoga Sutra says that disease is one of the obstacles to overcome distraction to the mind stuff, which are dullness, doubt, carelesssness, laziness, sensuality, false perception, failure to reach concentration, and slipping from concentration.

I have read Chandrasekhara Saraswati swami who recommends rest and if possible, the puja etc., to be done by another. He also says the illness itself is excellent medicine. So, i do not know whether I should say "Get well soon"?

Om Namah Shivaya

**devotee** · 20 March 2010, 10:35 AM

Namaste EM,

Originally Posted by Eastern Mind

This is just a general question for everyone. How ill (flu, cold, hospitalised?) do you have to be before it interferes with sadhana, daily worship. I've had a flu for about 6 days now and am lethargic and unmotivated. Just wondering for example if ISKCON has a policy on the matter.

I am also sick these days ... complications due to some bacterial infection. My Guru ji says that if you are not able to do it physically, do it mentally.

OM

**Eastern Mind** · 20 March 2010, 10:41 AM

Devotee: I hope you get better.

I am pretty much over it, although I have observed that recovery time is related to age, as with physical injury.

Aum Namasivaya

**NayaSurya** · 01 April 2010, 02:07 PM

I was reading through this the other day and wondered if it was okay if you are bleeding from a wound or in severe pain to continue with sadhana? I feel great during morning prayers..but during other sadhana related tasks...it's not so good. This week I did stop my fast because of this ongoing issue, but wondered if it were necessary to stop other activities?

What I mean to say is, will it hurt you to continue with those things if you are having a long term situation?

**atanu** · 02 April 2010, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by NayaSurya

I was reading through this the other day and wondered if it was okay if you are bleeding from a wound or in severe pain to continue with sadhana? I feel great during morning prayers..but during other sadhana related tasks...it's not so good. This week I did stop my fast because of this ongoing issue, but wondered if it were necessary to stop other activities?

What I mean to say is, will it hurt you to continue with those things if you are having a long term situation?

Namaste narasurya

There are strict injunctions for Vedic rituals or pujas. There are no injunctions on doing japa on some bija mantras, or on meditating in any comfortable asana, or on reading Purana etc., or just doing shava asana.

Om Namah Shivaya

**NayaSurya** · 02 April 2010, 07:18 PM

Thank you so much for the reply.<3

My tooth became punctured with a very small hole and it has been unknowingly bleeding for about a month. I have no infection or swelling so it was unforseen that it was as bad as this...with the exception that my root is completely exposed and very painful.

I am having it removed and a new porcelain tooth implant put in it's place (it's my second to last back tooth). But with my heart condition and having to wait for an oral surgeon to pull it, it's taking a very long time.