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SELF DISCIPLINE : THE SOURCE OF SPIRITUAL TREASURE - 2 (Sädhanä Se Siddhi - 2)

Brief Introduction of Vangamaya Vol. 6

If Sädhanä—- determined endeavor of spiritual refinement, and Upäsanä—- devotional practice aimed at excelling inner faith in divinity, are performed sincerely while systematically following the associated disciplines, there is no reason why any one should not attain remarkable success. Often people get attracted towards upäsanä in order to get rid of the adversities or scarcities of life or to get instant peace of mind…. Many people want to perform sädhanäs to attain supernormal talents and potentials, some also choose this path because of internal urge. However, no one can become a true sädhaka (devotee) in a matter of some days, months or even years, unless he has dedication, deep faith and perseverance and has conditioned his body and mind for the specific Sädhanäs.

The class of Sädhanäs of personality development and illumination of talents my be divided into two categories : ( i ) Tapa Sädhanäs—- pertaining to observance of penance, expiation, arduous ascetic practices of internal and external purification of personality; ( ii ) Yoga Sädhanäs—- intensive training and strengthening of body, mind and inner self by specific practices of _äsanas_ , pränäyämas, japa, dhyän, dhärana, etc. under prescribed disciplines. Both are mutually complementary and equally important. Gradually higher level Sädhanäs of either type may lead to ultimate success (siddhi) if performed with unperturbed devotion, faith, sincerity and disciplines.

“Tapa ” literally means heating; as gold is purified in fire at extremely high temperatures, the body and mind of a tapaswi too are purified by the ‘heat’ of self-restrain and self-imposed hardships…. A tapaswi, because of his excellent control of the activities of the body and mind might develop egotistic attitude unless he is a dedicated yogi too. A yogi has to always maintain a learner’s attitude in order to master stepwise procedures of yoga sädhanäs. In this context, Lord Krishna states in the holy Gita—- “Tapaswibhyoadhiko Yogï” (meaning: a yogï is greater than a tapaswi). But he, the greatest yogi of all times, has also emphasized that no yogi can be successful without tapa.

Literally, yoga means coupling, linkage. Its true meaning in the context of sädhanäs is—- conjugation of the inner self with the supreme divine consciousness. As Lord Krishna has described : Bhakti (pure devotion, sacrifice of ego), Karma (actions, creative deeds) and Gyäna (prudent knowledge), all combined make a complete Yoga ….

The details of different sytems of Tapa and Yoga Sädhanäs , their prerequisites, principles, disciplines, positive effects, etc are eloquently presented by Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya in three volumes of the Vangamaya series. The volume no. 5 sets the background highlighting the misconceptions and illusive propaganda spread in the Indian society since the medieval era in the name of Tapa and Yoga Sädhanäs. Rational interpretations of the scriptures are also presented here to elucidate the true meanings and importance of these Sädhanäs. The volume no. 7 presents some higher level Sädhanäs of Tapa and Yoga which are harder and of greater importance—- in terms of spiritual elevation, than the Sädhanäs described in the present volume.

In the present volume, many scientifically viable Sädhanä procedures for refinement of talents are described along with those aimed at increasing the vitality and resistance of the body and enhancing mental concentration and inner strength. Some important pränäyäms and mudräs are introduced with specific details on their need and impact on improvement of mind – body health.

How the devotional practices of bhajana – kïrtan and the dedicated practice of self-analysis and self-realization coupled with focused thinking and contemplation could be easily performed by every one in an otherwise busy schedule of daily chores—- is excellently illustrated by the author leaving no possibility for any confusion or excuse from the reader’s end. Several methods of auto-suggestion have been discussed with practical guidance. It is also highlighted how these simple practices could lead to the realization by the soul of “Soahä” or “Aymätmä Brahm”—- the eternal unity with the super consciousness—- which is normally attributed to the “siddhis” of the highest level spiritual endeavors.

The ‘most popular but least understood’ yoga practices of mesmerism, hypnotism, transmigration, etc, are also described here in scientific light. Questions regarding—- “What is the truth behind such practices?”, “Can any body hypnotize any body else at any time….?”, “How to go about learning these methods….?”, …..etc, are answered in a lucid style with scientific justifications so that the ‘laymen’ as well as those having substantial knowledge and experience in the related fields could benefit from it.

Awakening of the ‘ Agyä Chakra ’ or the ‘sixth sense’ by trätaka and bindu yoga sädhanä is also discussed in this volume. The interpretation of the allegorical representations in the Puranas—- concerning the third eye of lord Shiva , is deciphered here to show how the arousal of prudence enables one control the downward flow and loss of vital force and refinement of sex-element. (The latter aspect is discussed at length in the context of Kundalinï Sädhanä in other volumes of this series.)

The different types of trätakas and the modes of practicing them are discussed in the present volume in detail. Every body can practice these…. Gradual improvement of eyesight, mental concentration and memory indicate proper progress of these yoga sädhanäs. Ultimate success endows the sädhaka with intellectual sagacity, discreet prudence and exceptional capabilities such as—- clairvoyance, premonition, supernormal memory, etc.

The last Chapter is devoted to some special sädhanäs of dhyäna – dhäranä which include samarpana yoga, japa with payapäna, prän sanskära sädhanä, savitä—sädhanä, etc. This volume also introduces the Anushthäna based Sädhanäs for elimination of adversities and the Sädhanäs for activation of extra – sensory power centers in the human body and refinement of the Pancha Mahäkoshas (subtle layers of successive evolution of the consciousness). Details of these higher level sädhanäs are given in the context of Gäyatrï and Sävitrï in volume nos. 9 to 15 of the Vangamaya series.

It is hoped that the present volume would remove the smog of doubts and misconceptions and guide the illuminated path of Sädhanäs leading to glorious success and divine attainments (Siddhi).