Practical Guidelines for Sadhana

The moment yet get up in the morning is the most auspicious time to begin your Sadhana. Before leaving the bed, relax and devote few minutes to ponder as though it is your new birth for one day-think about the original power and piety of your soul; accordingly focus on the aims and enlightened mode of achieving them in a better way today. Plan the day's schedule and the major activities and the topics or direction for contemplation. The plan should systematically incorporate practice of - (a) Indriya Sanyam (self-restrain over the sense-organs, continence; (b) Samaya Sanyam (constructive and efficient use of time); (c) Vichar Sanyam (positive and focused thinking); (d) Artha Sanyam (optimal use of wealth and other resources).
Self-restrain over the passions of the tongue and the genitals - is most essential to sustain physical and mental health and vigor. The greed of the tongue if left unchecked disturbs the eating habits and diet, which result in stomach-upset, hampering the digestive system, overweight and varieties of associated health problems. The uncontrolled concupiscence and sensuous excitement are more detrimental as they drain out the vital energy and gradually squeeze out the physical and mental strength. The 'pleasure' of few minutes burns out a lot of physical and mental energy by this invisible loss of vital power and prana. Complicated psychosomatic, bodily and psychological disorders and diseases follow consequently. Due care id therefore necessary to observe balanced austerity and chastity in one's routine.
Disciplining what and how we speak is also a part of controlling the tongue. As we all know, it is the quality of words spoken that plays a crucial role in the familial, social, and professional relationships. Every aspirant of improvement in personality and soothing progress life should therefore give utmost importance to observing modesty, authenticity and wisdom in vocal communications. "Speaking Less and Thought….." is the key to success her. Mental enlightenment via Swadhyaya and satsanga lends excellent support in adopting Sanyam.
Samaya Sanyam: It requires a well managed constructively busy schedule of the day, which leaves no room for lethargy, dullness or wastage of time in haphazard activities, empty headedness, or daydreaming. Time is life. One can gain enormous boons by making prudent use of every moment of time. Efficient time-management is therefore expected from wise man and woman. While chalking out a schedule for the next day or week, care should be taken to avoid over-estimating own potentials and overlooking the likely obstacles. The schedule should not be heavy and hectic. A balanced distribution of time for necessary duties, essential rest, mental and physical fitness and constructive projects - manageable in the current circumstances should be planned initially. Revision may be incorporated based on critical review of how the planned schedule has been implemented in practice.
Artha Sanyam: It could be maintained by observing the principle of "simple living High Thinking". Nepalese culture advocated austerity in every walk of life. Artha Sanyam could be easily implemented by adopting the standard (materialistically) of average Nepalese life-style. Planned budget and cautions shopping helps reduce excessive possession, extravaganza and wastage of money. Optimal economic planning also enables savings for more important purposes and necessary use.
Vichar Sanyam: It means to restrain and protect your thoughts from arbitrary, perverted, or cruel imaginations and impulses. And thoroughly canalized the thought process in focused, constructive and sagacious directions. The agility of mind, the assimilated instincts and habits and the influence of the ambience make this task rather difficult. Narrow minded, selfish, mean, erotic, abject, furious, repulsive, depressing and varieties of other declining emotional impulses and vague thoughts keep bubbling up in the mind from time to time. An army of trenchant counter-thoughts and inspiring memories needs to be kept ready to instantly annual this untoward invasion in the mental domain. This should be intensely cultivated as a habit with due awareness and training of the mind.
Swadhaya: Study of enlightening thoughts, stories, religious preaching and lives and works of great personalities, should be made an integral part of the daily routine. Swadhyaya is an excellent psychological remedy against the declining pressures of passions and ignorance of mind and it is also an unfailing measure for cleansing out the insidious and evil instincts and thoughts rooted in the mind and floating in the subtle atmosphere.
As far as possible, some time should also be spent in the ennobling and inspiring company of saintly scholars, sagacious thinkers and other great personalities. However, one need not worry even if such a "Satsang" is not possible, as one could listen to the recordings of their discourses and teachings. Moreover, after a regular practice with keen interest, Swadhyaya becomes vivid and 'interacting' and begins to serve the purpose of Satsang too….. Whatever is learnt in Swadhyaya (or Satsang) should be deeply contemplated (Cintan-Manan) and analyzed whenever the mind is not engaged in any constructive work or serene intellectual or creative activity.
This apparently simple practice of practice (of Swadhyaya-Satsang), if observed sincerely for at least thirty minutes a day, every day, soon induces marvelous effects. The vices and weaknesses hidden in the dark corners of the mind begin to appear on the surface and are swept out with greater force of elevated mental strength. The purpose and goals of life become clearer and the mind gets timely inspirations and guidance to march ahead with greater confidence and sagacity. The Sadhana of Atma-Bodha could be practiced before sleeping and before leaving the bed. This involves engrossed pondering and analysis for - (a) Atma Cintana, (b) Atma Sudhar, (c) Atma Nirman and (d) Atma Vikash.
Atma Cintana means self-analysis. For this, his activities of the particular day, line of thinking and behavior are reviewed critically by the Sadhak like a faire judge. Atma Sudhar deals with identifying the possibilities of improvement in near future. The untoward habits, deficiencies and tendencies are scrutinized with respect to the self-analysis and effective ways of attempting to rectify some of them from the next morning are sought for. Atma Nirman incorporated recognition of the modes of righteous development. The virtues or talents that would be suitable for this purpose and are feasible to be adopted soon are chosen. The Sadhak determines rigorous attempts to bring them in his conduct.
Atma Vikash is the higher phase in which the Sadhak ponders over or regards his "self" as a tiny reflection, a fraction of the omnipresent, omniscient thee and experiences the whole world as the expansion of his own self. This generates the saintly feeling of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbaka". Care should be taken that this practice does not remain a mere imagination or philosophical concept alone. True Atma Vikash -divine evolution of the self, begins only after the aforesaid feeling gradually becomes a reality in the Sadhak's life. Inculcation of this may begin with adoption of greater tolerance, respect for all, modesty, understanding, generosity and selfless service by the Sadhak in his interactions with the family and friends and successively expand his altruist attitude and love for all to social, national and global domains.
One may devote about fifteen minutes before sleeping and about the same time before leaving the bed the next morning for the purpose of Atma-Bodha and Tatva Bodha and mental preparation and planning for the next day. The Sadhak should sleep after paying reverence and gratitude to the God and Guru for the divine grace and inspirations bestowed upon him that day. Before engaging himself into to planned activities of the day the next morning, he should pray them for blessing courage and guidance to enable him strive for this Tapa-Sadhana. Sincere attempt to adopt Atma Bodha and Tatva Bodha in practice is indeed a Tapa Sadhana -devout, ascetic spiritual endeavor.
Adept and sincere observance of the Sadhana - of Indriya Sanyam, Samaya Sanyam, Artha Sanyam and Vichar Sanyam and by Atma-Bodha, Tatva Bodha with Gayatri Upasana is the key to glorious success and divine transmutation of human life…..