Sadhana Experiences

After some deep thinking, and procrastination, and wondering about privacy, i've now decided to blog my sadhana experiences. When i was struggling with questions on what really goes on when we pursue spiritual practices relentlessly, there were some blogs that lent answers and helped clarify a lot of dilemmas that i had.
So i've decided to help others in this pursuit and blog about what really goes on when one signs up for and pursues a spiritual process relentlessly. It's a much needed personal challenge for me too.

So here goes, i am going to start a 30 day challenge that starts with March 3rd and ends on April 1st, to do Shyambhavi Mahamudra everyday. I've allowed myself the flexibility to do the sadhana either times of the day. I did do the manahshivaratri sadhana, albeit for just 7 days but even that broke something in me. It's the commitment and will power that is tested and reaffirms itself and you end up feeling accomplished. So let's do this! 30 day challenge! Here i come!

Chalk & Cheese and other Alliterations!

Picking your bags and setting off to lands unknown, there is always a spring to your step no? that palpable sense of independence? So in the five days ear-marked for solitude, 3 were at a secluded sanctuary cut off from civilization and 2 in the outside world. The stark contrast jolted me out of routine and was truly fodder for thought! Makes me wonder, how our circumstances totally influence expectations, impressions, likes, dislikes, yearnings, resistance, all of it! The first day usually ends up being most eventful and every moment is utilized to the hilt and that’s exactly how my first day at this spiritual sanctuary was! An obvious transition from a bustling city to a narrow path dotted with tiny sloped-roof houses, slight drizzle, open skies, and several green hillocks later, here I was! Working as a volunteer in such a vibrant place where everyone seemed to be charged with a purpose and a sense of sincerity proved truly transforming. Would I be just as motivated day after day to do this knowing that’s what I’d do all my life?? Definitely not! And that’s why maybe they say, to find a purpose beyond you is of utmost importance! Jolted out of slumber by a torrent of cold water, Walking barefoot to feel the grass blade caress, eating an absolutely vegan meal, being lulled into sleep by this mild afternoon breeze next to a Pillar with the sounds of birds chirping & water flowing, watching the sky change colors during the sun set and finally a content night’s sleep on a mat have painted super colorful hues on the canvas of what should be an ideal 2 day detox ! I also ended up watching an amateur play put up by kids, where Krishna who delivers pep talk to Arjuna before war ends up forgetting his mike and apologizes for it, totally had the audience in splits. Left with a heavy heart and vowed to embed every moment!

Opening an even heavier work Inbox made my head spin, acclimatizing slowly, got thru the work day and literally showed tremendous resistance to check-into an uber luxurious hotel room ! Left with no choice, I reluctantly walked into this glass-mirror-exuberant-wood-fluffed-up-mattress room! Felt this shock when my feet touched the super soft carpeted floors, a look in the roof to floor mirror made me realize I hadn’t looked at my reflection in 3 days ! TV was such a revelation! Suddenly made me wonder if 3 days made such a huge impact, what would it be like to live a lifetime in such a sanctuary and be pushed into luxury immediately. Does the mind go into a guilt trip thinking luxury is to be abhorred? Or does it over-indulge due to deprivation? Or is it more conscious of experiences and their impact when a stark contrast happens? Does the mind automatically put all things comfortable into the “Like” Box? Do we inherently incline towards the easy in Life ? *Thought Clouds*

Siddhartha - Hermann Hesse

Deeply influential, thought provoking book that makes one pause and retrospect on life itself. Hard to reckon that author, Hermann Hesse spent time as a patient in a sanatorium and spent his last years living in seclusion. Book sketches the journey of Siddhartha, a young seeker who dares to follow his heart only to refute the Buddha’s doctrine proving the need to scrutinize before acquiescence of tenets. He divides his life well, playing roles of the Brahmin student, the Hedonist and the Mystic to perfection, only to imbibe lessons learnt at each stage. The book makes a very deep impact at various parts where connotations are masked for the readers to delve and figure their interpretation of events in Siddhartha’s meandering path of life.

For all those who read for the soul, siddhartha is a must-read. For all those who have read siddhartha, i would suggest reading it again, as each time it reveals a totally distinctive dimension !