Baba
Outdoor Sadhana
Namaskar,
All know Baba places great emphasis on spiritual life and doing sadhana. And in numerous discourses Baba guides us about strictness and vigilance in sadhana because often people fail to move ahead in their spiritual life due to their own deficiencies like procrastination etc.
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Nidra' tandra' bhayam' krodha a'lasyam' diirghasu'trata';
S'ad'ados'a'h purus'en'eha ha'ntavya'h bhu'timicchata'.
Baba says, "Those who want to prosper in life must destroy these six defects in themselves: nidra' [sleep], tandra' [drowsiness], a'lasya [lethargy], bhaya [fear], krodha [anger], and diirghasu'trata' [procrastination]." (1)
Thereafter Baba describes that those who want to become great must shun these negative habits. In particular one must not succumb to spiritual procrastination. This is most harmful since one neglects their spiritual practice—and they do not do sadhana. And Baba explains that everyone has the potential to become great, but often people do not tap into that inner wealth—or that potentiality does not blossom. Most of the time this occurs due to lethargy or laziness in the spiritual sphere. So those who want to become great must be conscious of all of this. And to do proper sadhana, various tips are quick helpful—one of which is doing sadhana outside. This is Baba's guideline.
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Middle of the night
Of course what Baba teaches He also does. By His example He shows the way. And doing sadhana outside was Baba's regular practice. Especially in the early days, Baba used to regularly wander up to the hills of Jamalpur and the countryside and do sadhana in remote isolated places. And then come back in the evening time or even in the middle of the night. This was the way of His usual outdoor sadhana program.
Of course there was no need for Baba to do sadhana at all but just to show us that doing sadhana outside was good, He did like this. Ananda Marga ideology states, "He needs no sadhana, but just to set an example to others, He performs sadhana." (2)
Baba says, "I used to go for a walk nearly every day in the mountains east of Jamalpur. I used to sit on the second mountain. One after another, several small and large mountains run parallel to each other. The summit of the second mountain was the highest place among them. I used to arrive there in the middle of the afternoon and stay there until about eight at night." (3)
Here Baba talks more about His experience of doing sadhana outside: Baba says, "I was sitting on the peak. It was the bright lunar fortnight...In front of me, that is to the west, on the slope of the mountain, was a dense ga'b forest...The mountain in front of me was completely bare...I was probably the only person for several miles, completely alone...the peak that I was seated on..." (4)
In His various discourses, Baba also talks about the many benefits of doing sadhana outside: Enhanced concentration, fresh air, mental sharpness, good for pratyahara, less disturbances, positive microvita, pointedness of mind. These are some of the many benefits.
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Conclusion
Baba says, "It is desirable to practise various lessons of sadhana alone, in a lonely place." (5)
We should all realise our potential and following His divine example by making it our regular practice to do sadhana outside. This will be highly beneficial for our spiritual life and progression along the path of sadhana. For this purpose we have come on this earth.
Namaskar,
In Him,
Anandajyoti
Story power of sadhana
One day Bábá asked me to sing a song. I sang one of Tagore’s songs - কোন আলোতে প্রাণের প্রদীপ জ্বালিয়ে তুমি ধরায়ে আসো. Then Bábá asked us if there was anybody who cannot concentrate in meditation. I said, “Baba, I cannot concentrate in pujá.” Bábá said, “No, no. You just sang a song so let it be someone else’s turn.”
Then Baba said to me, “Ok, you come here.” He asked me to sit in His lap and recite my Ista mantra. Then Bábá asked one avadhuta to come and sit in front of me and Baba told that avadhuta to say something in a very loud voice. The avadhuta began shouting “Bábá’, ‘Bábá.”
Then Bábá put His hand on my neck and asked me to say “Stop” to the avadhuta who was shouting. When I did that, immediately the avadhuta stopped talking out loud, though the avadhuta was trying his best to continue shouting. Bábá then explained to us, “With proper sádhaná you will the blessing of Parama Puruśa and then whatever you command will happen.”
Comment: In this above story Baba is guiding those how some are skeptical about sadhana and feel that closing the eyes is a waste of time. Such persons do not believe that meditation has any value - rather they feel it is better to work with the hand - not the mind. This demo was given in front of both bhaktas and skeptics, and afterwards everyone understood. When a margii did sadhana he gained the power to choke another’s voice. Those present saw that doing sadhana generated power. Although in same demonstration session Sadguru Baba also warned us that occult powers are like the dust by the side of the road. They have no value. As one progresses on the spiritual path, occult powers may come, but one should not long for occult powers - rather one should long only for Parama Purusa. It is a very simple equation. Why not get the Entity who controls all those occult powers. Then He will always provide you with what is needed.
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So practicing sadhana is not a waste of time. When one is mentally reciting their Ista mantra the mind becomes strong and whatever you desire will be fulfilled. After this demonstration, those skeptical about sadhana became very sincere as they took Baba’s teaching very seriously.
Best place for sadhana: in isolation
Ananda Marga philosophy says, "There is no value in remembering God in old age, when it is not possible to concentrate the mind due to the weakness and disease of the body and its preoccupation with the reactions (sam'ska'ras) of the deeds of this life. The mind then is caught up in the infirmities of the body, in the diseases of old age, impending death, and most of all, in memories of past incidents, and it is impossible to concentrate the mind. For these reasons one is incapable of intuitional practice. (6)
Baba says, "It cannot be denied that the noise of the bustling world is a hindrance to intuitional practice and makes solitude very desirable." (7)
References
1. Ananda Vacanamrtam - 31, Sleep and Inertia
2. Discourses on Tantra - 2, p.92 / 1969, Ranchi
3. Shabda Cayanika - 1, p.93
4. Shabda Cayanika - 1, p.94
5. Guide to Human Conduct, final page
6. Ananda Marga Elementary Philosophy, '92, p.135
7. Ananda Marga Elementary Philosophy, '92, p.127
== Section: Prabhat Samgiita ==
मेरे मन में बार बार प्रभु को पाने की अभिलाषा हो रही है
प्रभात संगीत 362 नूतन प्रभाते अरुण आलोते मन बारे बारे तारे चाय....
परिचय- इस गीत में भक्त सीधे ही परमपुरुष से बात कर रहा है, भक्त परमपुरुष को (उनको, उनकी,उनके, उन्हीं) शब्द से सम्बोधित करता है।
भावार्थ
आज अरुणाभ किरणों की चमक लिये नये प्रभात में, मेरे मन में बार बार उनको पाने की अभिलाषा हो रही है। यह उनकी कृपा है। परमपुरुष के मधुर प्रेम में मेरा मन, मेरे दिल की गहराई से यह गीत गा रहा है।
आज पूर्वी आकाश में अरुणाभ किरणें बिखर रही हैं। उनके दिव्यामृत में डूबकर मधुर शान्त बयारि बह रही है। उन अरूप परमपुरुष के विचार से, उनके भव्य दर्शन से सभी प्रकार का माधुर्य उत्सर्जित होने लगता है।
आज उनकी कृपा से, मैंने सब कुछ उनको समर्पित कर दिया है अब मेरे पास खोने के लिये कुछ है ही नहीं। मेरा हृदय आनन्द के ज्वार से छलक उठा है। उनकी दिव्य तान से उत्प्रेरित होकर, उस अंतहीन की तलाश में, मेरा मन उन्हीं के आनन्द में डूबकर, उन अनन्त अलौकिक सत्ता की ओर दौड़ रहा है।
हे परमपुरुष बाबा! मैं तुम्हारे सान्निध्य के लिये प्रत्येक क्षण लालायित रहता हॅूं।
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