Abhyasa (Practice) : Niyama (Principles), Sadhana (Means or Instrument)
Abhyasa अभ्यास :
When I started writing this series of posts under Abhyasa, the intention was really Gita Abhyasa.
- Having studied the Gita over and over again many times,
- and talked about it a lot
- and written about it
- and having felt that I understood it each time at a better level..
..I felt that I should see if there was a single precept in it that I practiced, and if yes, to what level.
Subsequently, it grew to just Abhyasa – a reflection of whatever it was that I was practicing. A reflection on on what inner code or thought process , my behaviour actually reflected.
As I grow and learn and change, my posts hopefully gain depth and maturity.
Niyama नियम :
In the previous system of meditation that I practiced, we started directly at dhyana with firm faith that yama and niyama would follow.
So, I still have trouble with some kind of niyamas (rules, principles). For example, we get water only once in five days or once a week. So even though we store some water, it always does run out towards the end. Even a bath before my sadhana (be it yoga or chanting becomes difficult).
Not eating before my sadhana is another difficulty. As a housewife, there are numerous demands on my morning (and other) hours and after a while my blood sugar starts falling. As it is I am torn between my karma and my sadhana and now the niyamas start adding their pressure. Even if I negotiate with family for morning sadhana time, I feel guilty which translates into angry outbursts or tears depending on whether my blood sugar is high or low.
If I give my time to others they occupy not just my prime time, but all my time and at their convenience. There is not a single niyama I can practice as long as I give people more importance than my sadhana. Niyamas conflict with being nice and accommodating to people. Here are some reasons why people want to be nice to people : http://zenhabits.net/say-no/. According to that article “the fears of saying no are just in our mind.”
Sadhana साधन :
Sadhana is the means you employ to achieve a goal. For eg a bus, tempo, auto, car etc are sadhanas for you to get somewhere.
Exercise is your sadhana for good health. Education is a sadhana to prepare you for some role in society.. ad infinitum.
When I say Sadhana – I mean some practice that helps me experience divine presence. Some people might call it spiritual sadhana or adhyatmika sadhana. Then again, they might not.
Guruji says that there are many spiritual sadhanas. Guruji says that these sadhanas help us increase our atma balam.
- Vishnu Sahasranama Parayanam is one of them.
- Yoga is another.
- Adhyayana is one of them and so on.
Consequences of following or breaking niyamas :
- Diabetic Coma, Emotional Outbursts (Anger or Tears), Nutritional Deficiencies – following food related restrictions combined with bending your time to others’ convenience.
- Diabetes, Obesity, Heart Trouble – breaking food related restrictions combined with bending your time to others’ convenience.
- Water wastage/usage, inconvenience to others – following bath related restrictions.
- Uncleanliness skin health – not following bath related restrictions.
What does this tell me?
- Niyamas are good for the individual.
- Many housewives are clueless about how to claim some time for themselves since they are “on duty” at home. Everybody else is “on duty” outside the house and come home to relax. Other people and their needs are the “karma” or duty of housewives.
- If housewives do not follow reasonable niyamas, they will fall physically and mentally ill and lose their opportunities for sadhana and other forms of individual growth.
Actually other housewives tell me that they actually feel jealous of the free time I manage to make for my interests. They say that they get far far less than I do. The problem is that spiritual sadhana which is for paramartha (highest purpose) is seen by us as svaartha (self-interest). We think that service to home and family is above our paramartha and our purusharthas. Some people I know call this slave mentality, some people call it gruhini dharma and some people call it a labour of love.
Guruji says that if we have enough will power then we will find time even in the dead of the night to practice our sadhana. She says her Guruji used to wake up at midnight and start his sadhana of chanting the whole Bhagavad Gita plus several mandalas of the Vedas. He used to complete by early morning around five or 6 am. Then devote his whole day to teaching students and all the other activities of a priest-in-demand, compassionate-astrologer (to help people) and guru (to teach). She told me of a lady who worked all day to serve her family and inlaws and practiced her sadhana all night.
All this tells me that I need a stronger will. No one’s situation is comfortable or amenable to spiritual sadhana. We have to work some system out for ourselves.
Authorship and Copyright Notice : All Rights Reserved : Satya Sarada Kandula
- Abhyasa (Practice) : Niyama (Principles), Sadhana (Means or Instrument)
- Current Affairs : Anti-Corruption Movement : Gita Abhyasa :: Need of the moment : Niratamu Chintana : Tapas : Bhagavad Gita
- Abhyasa : Time with Vishnu.
- Abhyasa : Why giving the right blessings (aas’eervaadam) is important.
- Abhyasa : Between Memories and Dreams : Now!
- Abhyasa : na tvam socitum arhasi : You ought not grieve : Valmiki and Vyasa
- Abhyasa : Deha Balam (Physical Strength), Mano Balam (Mental Strength), Atma Balam (Self-Strength – spiritual strength)
