The process of japa-dhyāna etc in the daily upāsanā of Gayatrī may last only for a small stretch time every day. But this alone does not suffice for the supernatural effects and spiritual blessings of Gayatri Sakti. Sādhanā is essential with Gayatri-Upāsanā. As food and water, night and day, summer and winter, man and woman are supplementary to mutual existence, so is the conjugation of upāsanā and sādhanā. Upāsanā would remain incomplete without sādhanā.
Sādhanā is an endeavor of overall self-refinement. It has to continue round-the-clock. It demands the sādhaka’s consistent alertness and discerning observation of his habits, thoughts, every reaction and action to find out if there is any blemish, vice, disorder or infirmity. The soldiers on the front have to be on constant vigil of the enemies’ movements and intentions. A sādhaka too is a warrior in the battlefield of his own life. He has to be aware and watchful on every front of life. This determined aptness inculcates sādhanā as a natural component of one’s life.
Sadhana is a pledged vow for fair and prompt self-analysis and discerning improvement. A sādhaka is supposed to strive to ameliorate his attitude, behavior and nature and cultivate more enlightened and virtuous tendencies and talents. Those who think that only the sincere performance of japa-dhyāna (upāsanā) would serve the purpose of sādhanā should wipe out such illusions from this very day. Else, they.may never experience the amazing boons and divine grace of Gayatri and would be disappointed… Upāsanā indeed gives initial inspiration and support for sādhanā but the depth of mental engrossment and the internal and external piety required for the spiritual effects cannot be aroused and sustained without sādhanā.
Practical Guidelines for Sadhana: The moment you get up in the morning is the most auspicious time to begin your sādhanā. 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; accord-
ingly 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 — (i) Indriya Sanyam (self-restrain over the sense organs, continence); (ii) Samaya Sanyam (constructive and efficient use of time); (iii) Vicāra Sanyam (positive and focussed thinking); (iv) 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 prāṇa. Complicated psychosomatic, bodily and psychological disorders and diseases follow consequently… Due care is 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 Thoughtful.…..” is the key to success here. Mental enlightenment via swādhyāya and satsanga lends excellent support in adopting indriya sanyam.
Samaya Sanyam 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 of 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 could be maintained by observing the principle of “Simple Living High Thinking”. Indian Culture advocates austerity in every walk of life. Artha Sanyam could be easily implemented by adopting the standard (materialistically) of average Indian life-style. Planned budget and cautious shopping helps reduce excessive possession, extravaganza and wastage of money… Optimal economic planning also enables savings for more important purposes and necessary use.
Vicāra Sanyam means to restrain and protect your thoughts from arbitrary, perverted, or cruel imaginations and impulses. And thoroughly channelize the thought process in focussed, 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.
Swadhyāya, – study of enlightening thoughts, stories, religious preaching and lives and works of great personalities, should be made an integral part of the daily routine. Swādhyāya 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, swādhyāya becomes vivid and ‘interacting’ and begins to serve the purpose of satsang too…. Whatever is learnt in swadhyāya (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 swadhyāya 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 sādhanā of ātma-bodha and tatva-bodha induces spiritual illumination of mind at this stage. Atma-bodha and tatva-bodha could be practised before sleeping and before leaving the bed. This involves engrossed pondering and analysis for – (i) ātma cintana, (ii) ātma sudhāra, (iii) ātma nirmāṇa and ātma-vikāsa.
Atma cintana means self-analysis. For this, his activities of the particular day, line of thinking and behavior are reviewed critically by the sādhaka like a faire judge. Atma sudhāra 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 Nirmāṇa incorporates 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 sādhaka determines rigorous attempts to bring them in his conduct….
Atma Vikasa is the higher phase in which the sādhaka 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 Vikasa – divine evolution of the self, begins only after the aforesaid feeling gradually becomes a reality in the sādhaka’s life. Inculcation of this may begin with adoption of greater tolerance, respect for all, modesty, understanding, generosity and selfless service by the sādhaka 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 sādhaka 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-sādhaṇā. Sincere attempt to adopt atma-bodha and tatva-bodha in practice is indeed a tapa-sādhanā – devout, ascetic spiritual endeavor. Adept and sincere observance of the sādhanā – of indriya sanyam, samaya sanyam, artha sanyam and vicāra sanyam and by atma-bodha, tatva-bodha with Gāyatri Upāsanā is the key to glorious success and divine transmutation of human life….
Source: Gayatri Sadhana – Why and How?
