Essential points in Sadhana -
There are several key points to consider in your devotional practice. There are three components:
- Sādhak - the aspiring devotee. All of you who are practicing devotion are sādhaks.
- Sādhya - the goal of sadhana. Your worshipable deity are Radha-Krishna. You must bring Them into your mind, not merely chant Their names with your tongue. In other words, visualize Them standing before you - either Radha-Krishna, or all three (Radha-Krishna and Guru), or you may focus solely on the Guru. Although the presence of the Guru is essential in every case, it is also acceptable to visualize Shri Krishna while feeling the presence of the Guru within Him. Likewise, you may meditate on Shri Krishna while perceiving the presence of Radharani and Guru within Him. You may also meditate solely on your Guru while feeling the presence of Radha-Krishna within him. But meditating on sādhya, your spiritual goal, is compulsory. Along with that, it is mandatory to include the Guru - yasya deve parābhaktiḥ yathā deve tathā Guru. You must hold the same devotional sentiments toward your Guru as you do toward God. The Guru must always be present in your visualization.
- Sādhanā - the means, Bhakti (devotion). That which unites the sādhak with sādhya, the goal, is true sādhanā, devotional practice in the real sense.
A sādhak should pay special attention to the following aspects of sādhanā:
- Roopdhyān - the loving remembrance of the divine form of your sādhya. It is not difficult to meditate on the form of the Guru since you see him regularly. But you have never seen Radha-Krishna, so how can you visualize Their form? But the fact is that visualizing Their form is even easier than that of the Guru because God has made a rule - 'Whatever form of Mine you visualize, I will accept it to be divine.' Without this grace of God, no living being can attain Him, because initially, you cannot meet God - without that, how can you visualize His divine form?
Therefore, visualize His eyes, nose, and other features based on what you are attracted to in this world. Imagine Him to be of any age of your choice. Ideally, you should visualize His form up to the age of sixteen. But everything depends on your preference. Tvam jīrṇo daṇḍena vañchasi - God becomes so old that He walks with the help of a cane. He assumes all forms. Adorn Him in any jewelry you like, and dress Him in any attire of any color you prefer. It is not necessary to dress Shri Krishna only in yellow garments. Devotees clothe God in all colors. You may address Him by any name and keep changing the names. Meditate on any of His pastimes or qualities. The primary aim is to keep the mind absorbed in God and your Guru. Do not let the mind wander into the world, or it will become further impure. So, the first main principle to attain the goal of sādhanā is Roopdhyān.
- Ananya bhakti (exclusive devotion) - The mind should not be attached to anything except God. God pervades His names, forms, pastimes, qualities, abodes, and devotees. All of them are God; they are beyond the influence of Maya. They are ananya - exclusive. If your mind remains within these, then you are truly practicing exclusive devotion.
Anything within the realm of Maya is anya - the 'other.' It cannot be ananya, because it is under Maya’s control.
Ananyachetaah satataṁ yo māṁ smarati nityaśaḥ
In the Gita, two things are emphasized: being ananya and practicing remembrance (dhyān).
If your mind is drawn towards anything material, let it go - but place Shri Krishna in it. If you like the Taj Mahal, then visualize Shyamsundar seated in it. Gaze at it all night if you wish - you are performing upāsanā, regardless of what others may think of you. That becomes your sādhanā.
The three qualities of maya - sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic - are 'anya'. If your mind becomes attached to any of them, you will lose your connection with God and cease to be exclusively devoted.:
- If your mind gets attached to sattvic persons (celestial beings) or objects, you will go to the heavenly abode.
- If it gets attached to rajasic persons (worldly relations) or objects, you will remain bound to this world.
- If it gets attached to tamasic persons or objects, you will descend to hell or be born among species like dogs, cats, donkeys, etc.
Whether your attachment is to celestial beings, humans, or demons, it will cause you to wander through the 8.4 million species of life. You may say you love someone, but you do not understand what love truly is. Love is something divine. If your attachment is rooted in selfishness, it is not love - it is merely attachment.
Similarly, the term devī-devatā is used both in the worldly and divine contexts. Today, people even worship imaginary goddesses not mentioned in the Vedas, scriptures, or puranas. Even worse, some even go to graveyards and bow before the dead.
Attachment of the mind to the celestial Gods is forbidden because they are under the control of Maya. But by attaching your mind to the divine powers of God or God Himself, who controls Maya, you can transcend Maya.
Therefore, in sharanagati, the condition is that there must not be even the slightest attachment of the mind to anything that is 'anya.'
3) Nitya - continuity, Nityaśaḥ - Doing sādhanā for two to four hours without attaching the mind to the world, shedding tears for God - that is good. But after sādhanā, when you return to worldly duties, you tend to forget God altogether. You must take God with you when you re-enter the world. While performing any task, inwardly realize that He is with you. Just as you are always aware of your own self at all times, similarly, cultivate the habit of feeling the presence of God at all times. This awareness will take away your sense of privacy and protect you from unfavorable thoughts, because you will always remember that "He is observing all my thoughts." If the mind strays even for a moment, you lose your ananya bhakti - the exclusiveness of devotion. The mind becomes impure again.
Therefore, be extremely cautious after sādhanā. Always keep your worshipable deity with you while engaging in worldly activities. Strengthen the belief that "He is seated within me." You must practice this - it will not happen automatically. After some consistent practice, you will experience immense peace, as though you own countless universes. You will feel immensely rich. No matter what happens in the world - whether your mother dies, your father dies, your son dies, or your wealth is lost - you will not feel disturbed. You will always remain in bliss because you constantly feel His presence within you. The great sages - Sanakadik - say to God: "It is acceptable if You send us to hell, as long as the constant awareness of Your presence remains. But if we go to Golok and forget You - then that Golok is of no value to us."
So, do not let the mind wander elsewhere. Wherever it goes, place Shri Krishna there.
These are some essential aspects of sadhana.
Recommended books by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj related to this topic:
The Sacred Rules - English
Essential points in Sadhana -
There are several key points to consider in your devotional practice. There are three components:
A sādhak should pay special attention to the following aspects of sādhanā:
Therefore, visualize His eyes, nose, and other features based on what you are attracted to in this world. Imagine Him to be of any age of your choice. Ideally, you should visualize His form up to the age of sixteen. But everything depends on your preference. Tvam jīrṇo daṇḍena vañchasi - God becomes so old that He walks with the help of a cane. He assumes all forms. Adorn Him in any jewelry you like, and dress Him in any attire of any color you prefer. It is not necessary to dress Shri Krishna only in yellow garments. Devotees clothe God in all colors. You may address Him by any name and keep changing the names. Meditate on any of His pastimes or qualities. The primary aim is to keep the mind absorbed in God and your Guru. Do not let the mind wander into the world, or it will become further impure. So, the first main principle to attain the goal of sādhanā is Roopdhyān.
Anything within the realm of Maya is anya - the 'other.' It cannot be ananya, because it is under Maya’s control.
Ananyachetaah satataṁ yo māṁ smarati nityaśaḥ
In the Gita, two things are emphasized: being ananya and practicing remembrance (dhyān).
If your mind is drawn towards anything material, let it go - but place Shri Krishna in it. If you like the Taj Mahal, then visualize Shyamsundar seated in it. Gaze at it all night if you wish - you are performing upāsanā, regardless of what others may think of you. That becomes your sādhanā.
The three qualities of maya - sattvic, rajasic, and tamasic - are 'anya'. If your mind becomes attached to any of them, you will lose your connection with God and cease to be exclusively devoted.:
Whether your attachment is to celestial beings, humans, or demons, it will cause you to wander through the 8.4 million species of life. You may say you love someone, but you do not understand what love truly is. Love is something divine. If your attachment is rooted in selfishness, it is not love - it is merely attachment.
Similarly, the term devī-devatā is used both in the worldly and divine contexts. Today, people even worship imaginary goddesses not mentioned in the Vedas, scriptures, or puranas. Even worse, some even go to graveyards and bow before the dead.
Attachment of the mind to the celestial Gods is forbidden because they are under the control of Maya. But by attaching your mind to the divine powers of God or God Himself, who controls Maya, you can transcend Maya.
Therefore, in sharanagati, the condition is that there must not be even the slightest attachment of the mind to anything that is 'anya.'
3) Nitya - continuity, Nityaśaḥ - Doing sādhanā for two to four hours without attaching the mind to the world, shedding tears for God - that is good. But after sādhanā, when you return to worldly duties, you tend to forget God altogether. You must take God with you when you re-enter the world. While performing any task, inwardly realize that He is with you. Just as you are always aware of your own self at all times, similarly, cultivate the habit of feeling the presence of God at all times. This awareness will take away your sense of privacy and protect you from unfavorable thoughts, because you will always remember that "He is observing all my thoughts." If the mind strays even for a moment, you lose your ananya bhakti - the exclusiveness of devotion. The mind becomes impure again.
Therefore, be extremely cautious after sādhanā. Always keep your worshipable deity with you while engaging in worldly activities. Strengthen the belief that "He is seated within me." You must practice this - it will not happen automatically. After some consistent practice, you will experience immense peace, as though you own countless universes. You will feel immensely rich. No matter what happens in the world - whether your mother dies, your father dies, your son dies, or your wealth is lost - you will not feel disturbed. You will always remain in bliss because you constantly feel His presence within you. The great sages - Sanakadik - say to God: "It is acceptable if You send us to hell, as long as the constant awareness of Your presence remains. But if we go to Golok and forget You - then that Golok is of no value to us."
So, do not let the mind wander elsewhere. Wherever it goes, place Shri Krishna there.
These are some essential aspects of sadhana.
Recommended books by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj related to this topic:
The Sacred Rules - English
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