Sadhana In Our Daily Life - An Approach For Beginners-I

By Staff

Wednesday, February 25, 2009, 14:41

The scriptures tell us that our essential nature is divine and assert that the divinity in us is the same in everybody. But in our self centred approach to life we cannot conceive this divinity, neither in us nor in the people around us. We kept ourselves busy to build a thick compound wall around us and can now neither look ahead nor let anybody peep in. But we are not at all happy with this small world we have created. We feel rather as a prisoner than a master of ourselves.

Is there any way out? The scripture cry out: "Yes, you can. Throw away your self-created bondage, don't remain a creature, a jantu, conditioned by external forces. BE FREE".

What is meant by "Be Free"? Surely not an undisciplined life - that is a negation of freedom and is the mark of a slave. The mark of a free person is Self-discipline. The turning point in our life will be when we start to practise consciously self-discipline. Once we have understood that freedom does not mean "to do as we feel like to do" but to be independent from the external happenings and "to act as we have to act", in full respect to our fellow-being and duties towards the world around. in a harmonious and peaceful way but true to our principles - we can start a new life.

The first step for every undertaking is the most difficult step. How to start? We are so busy from morning till evening. We have to be engrossed in activities. Where to take time to think about principles, higher values in life, ethics, and above all to practise some spiritual disciplines? Here we should pause and think: "Are we really so busy without any free moment or are we just driven away by activities without any control about our thoughts and actions?". To check that let us start in the early morning: The alarm clock rings, I should get up. But I am too lazy to get up.

I turn over and sleep a little more. This is already the beginning of a disturbed day; I shall be late for everything. What has actually happened? Yesterday evening I fixed the alarm for a certain time to get up, let us say 5.30 a.m. That was a decision. This morning the alarm clock does it's duty but my mind tells me : I don't feel like getting up now, let me sleep a little longer. I have counteracted a decision and became a prey to my "feel-like-attitude". The mind has succeeded once and it will be prompted to repeat it after some repetitions. I find it impossible to get up when the alarm clock rings. I have made myself a slave to a habit.

But I have decided to lead a disciplined life and I am determined to stick to a decision. In our case. I shall get up when the alarm rings.
No excuse.

We can be sure that after a week's time I cannot but get up as soon as the alarm rings. Actually I hardly need any more the alarm clock as my mind is awake at that given time. It has become an obedient servant. Under a controlled mind our body will follow suit.

We are getting up and our first thought will be directed towards the Lord. By His grace we had a refreshing sleep and we are able to start a new day. With all our equipments functioning as before. Is it not something to be grateful for?

There are many mechanical actions in the early morning which do not require our full attention. We can think of the Lord. chant His name and say a prayer known to us or pray in our own words. Chant by taking bath or whatever we do. There is no bondage of language to the Lord. He will receive our utterances and our thoughts directed to him. We can do all this silently and must not disturb our surrounding. Don't allow any other thought to enter your mind. Don't worry. All your problems, anxieties and worries will get enough opportunities during the day to trouble you. Why to allow them to disturb this beautiful early morning period?

About the author

Ammini Padiyath

Ammini Padiyath is a follower of Swami Chinmayananda