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Thread: Sadhana Completion

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    Sadhana Completion

    Vannakam,

    Today marks the completion of a 40 day sadhana, but I'm not sure what that really means. Can anyone help?

    What are you supposed to do upon completion of a sadhana? I'm confused on this point and help would be greatly appreciated

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    Re: Sadhana Completion

    Vannakkam Eric:

    You just return to the way it was, knowing ot trusting that the dutiful performance of that sadhana was effective in raising awareness to a new level. Its like a pilgrimage ... you go, you focus on God a lot more than normal, then you return, a slightly altered soul.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Sadhana Completion

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté


    sādhana साधन - is defined as furthering, leading straight to a goal , guiding well. sadhana ( without the long ā ) is possessing riches, wealth.

    sādhana can be viewed as sa+adha+na
    • sa are names for viṣṇu or śiva ; in the feminine gender, lakṣmi or gaurī
    • adha - now , then , therefore
    • na - in the 3rd derivative is defined as 'identical'.
    So, one can say with sādhana one therefore (adha) becomes identical (na) with viṣṇu or śiva (sa).
    It is with sādhana one furthers or is guided well to the goal ( sa) viṣṇu or śiva. One possesses the riches ( sadhana) of the Supreme.

    praṇām
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: Sadhana Completion

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~
    namasté
    Quote Originally Posted by yajvan View Post




    sādhana साधन - is defined as furthering, leading straight to a goal , guiding well. sadhana ( without the long ā ) is possessing riches, wealth.

    sādhana can be viewed as sa+adha+na
    • sa are names for viṣṇu or śiva ; in the feminine gender, lakṣmi or gaurī
    • adha - now , then , therefore
    • na - in the 3rd derivative is defined as 'identical'.
    Lets offer one alternative... lets change na to ( long ā added). This is defined as 'knowledge'. Then sa+adha+could mean:
    Now (adha) one is guided well ( sādhana) to viṣṇu or śiva (sa) through knowledge ().


    This could not be the knowledge of 2+4, or knowing the earth's geography. It is the direct knowledge of the Self or turyasvastha ( some spell turīyasvastha) . It means/defined as Self-abiding , being in one's Self or really 'in the Self' , one's natural Being.

    praṇām
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: Sadhana Completion

    hariḥ oṁ
    ~~~~~~

    namasté

    We can take note that it is the sādhu that practices sādhana. This word sādhu means straightened , not entangled. But not entangled in what?
    One can say not entangled in the bonds of ignorance - of relative existence.

    We sometimes use this word to mean holy man, holy person. This is based upon the extended definition of the word meaning good, virtuous , honourable , righteous - a person of dharma.

    We can also say the sādhu exhibits sādaka. This word means destroying , also exhausting. The sādhu destroys the bonds of ignorance and
    exhausts birth and re-birth via his/her successful practice. So that said, I now wish to offer a POV to Eric's question:
    Today marks the completion of a 40 day sadhana, but I'm not sure what that really means. Can anyone help?
    If after the 40 days one should feel some upliftment, some movement. It is from the standpoint of another defintion of sādhu - it is defined
    as a jeweler. The jeweler takes various stones and polishes them - makes them bright. He/she is skilful at this - making a stone turn into a gem.

    Like that, there sould be some feeling after the 40 days that some polishing has gone on.

    praṇām
    यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
    yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
    because you are identical with śiva

    _

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    Re: Sadhana Completion

    I don't want to start a new thread for this, but I need serious help.


    The last few days have been really rough, but I have a question, is it possible to overdo it? I'm fairly sure it is.

    I did more than I intended today in terms of meditation and now my mood is completely down the proverbial toilet. I feel god-awful and nothing is helping.

    I have fallen back into my ego and my detachment is completely absent, I'm fairly sure this is to test me in some capacity, but words of encouragement or advice would be appreciated.

    And thank you for the previous advice in this thread

  7. #7

    Re: Sadhana Completion

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric11235 View Post
    I don't want to start a new thread for this, but I need serious help.


    The last few days have been really rough, but I have a question, is it possible to overdo it? I'm fairly sure it is.

    I did more than I intended today in terms of meditation and now my mood is completely down the proverbial toilet. I feel god-awful and nothing is helping.

    I have fallen back into my ego and my detachment is completely absent, I'm fairly sure this is to test me in some capacity, but words of encouragement or advice would be appreciated.

    And thank you for the previous advice in this thread
    It is for this reason experimentation and self-help is never recommended in sadhana. The fact that you went in with this on the belief that you would achieve something like overcoming your ego (since you are saying that you are falling back to ego), makes it tremendously egotistical.

    Many people regularly knock on the doors of insanity in order to achive super-humaness, when admitting their humanity would have been so much better for themselves and their sorroundings.

    Sadhana is to be undertaken with humility, only on the advice of one's teachers and with one's humanity and sanity intact, and most importantly with joy. The very pressumption that you are about to undertake something extraordinary which will make you overcome ego (or any other similar absurdity) makes it counter-productive. You end up worse than you were to start with.

    People will be lot better and less psychotic if they are humble enough to admit their present position and do justice to their ordinary occupations.
    What is Here, is Elsewhere. What is not Here, is Nowhere.

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    Re: Sadhana Completion

    Quote Originally Posted by Eric11235 View Post
    I don't want to start a new thread for this, but I need serious help.


    The last few days have been really rough, but I have a question, is it possible to overdo it? I'm fairly sure it is.

    I did more than I intended today in terms of meditation and now my mood is completely down the proverbial toilet. I feel god-awful and nothing is helping.

    I have fallen back into my ego and my detachment is completely absent, I'm fairly sure this is to test me in some capacity, but words of encouragement or advice would be appreciated.

    And thank you for the previous advice in this thread
    Vannakkam Eric: I think this is pretty normal when we first encounter mystic Hinduism. Change is slow. In my experience, born Hindus are more patient. In the grand scheme of things, you have 100 lifetimes. There is no hurry. I also think that one reason we do this (I've done it as well) is a retention of the belief in one lifetime only from an Abrahamic subconscious. So from my view, it is an extremely valuable lesson.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Sadhana Completion

    Vannakam,

    SM,

    I would like to say this, I had no intention of gaining any superhumanness, I wanted to re-enter the world of meditation and find that sadhana's generally help me with discipline of going through them (I'm generally busy enough that meditation is hard to fit in if I don't have a legitimate reason).

    Also, you should be aware that I am severely mentally ill in terms of mood and psychosis, I had no intentions of removing the ego, just bringing about humility and the fact that you misread and attack my intentions so thoroughly offends me a great deal. I know self disclosure can be dangerous, but I feel it is necessary, I have been diagnosed and treated for Schizoaffective bipolar type, which if you don't know is a mixture of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. So the next time you mention psychosis in my presence, please have the courtesy of being medically accurate

    This sadhana has been very fruitful for my well being, VERY fruitful, the seas of my mind have stopped raging for a long enough time to enjoy life, I have experienced the pleasant inner peace associated with detachment, I have become closer with god, but most of all, I have become comfortable in my own skin. This is a temporary (but severe) dip in my mood. And you should know it is not polite to attack someone when they are down.

    Next time I'll be sure to rephrase myself so I don't sound like a tool.

    I apologize if I have offended you, but you took the first swipe.

    EM: Thank you, I believe that this is a necessary experience (albeit not a very pleasant one) During my sadhana I have come to terms with the fact that sometimes my emotional states will be bad and I have to be able to control it despite the difficulty. As I said in a previous post, I had done more than intended to do and I think it was part of an emotional purgation. And I believe it's a little more than 100.

    if I have offended anyone I apologize.

    Namaste

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    Re: Sadhana Completion

    Eric, I think SM meant that it's just like any other thing in life.

    We can act with our best intentions but the fruits are not really in our control.

    Don't identify yourself so much with your mind or even worse the disease it is suffering. The mind comes and goes, it's really fluid.

    Are you in some kind of therapy? Since you're a spiritual minded person, try some Junguian (analytical psychology) psychotherapy.

    I'm a student of it right now, and the mere study is helping me identify and deal with great problems within.

    Om Tat Sat

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