With the point of view of a beginner who has multiple guides, here, I will throw light on what Sadhana is.
What is Sadhana?
If I have to describe Sadhana in the most layman’s terms, Sadhana refers to a specific set of rituals that have been in practice in the Sanatana Dharma since the Vedic period in which earthly materials are often used. Sadhana is done with mindfulness and devotion using mantras, yantras etc. which have an immense power to take a seeker closer to the Divine and, through devoted, sincere sadhana, one can reach the pinnacle of enlightenment/ nirvana/moksha. Furthermore, one should not undermine the value of small attempts for sadhana, nitya-puja (daily prayer) or regular rituals which ultimately ball up to give a massive result to the seeker over time.
Who can do Sadhana?
Each individual on this planet has the right to do Sadhana or offer prayer in accordance with one’s own capacity. The Divine is not a trademark of any specific religion, caste, race, color, gender, sexuality, ability, skill, knowledge etc.; Like the rays of the Sun, the Divine showers grace on everyone, so, anyone can embark on the path of realizing divine through the Vedic way!
Tolerance: The Bedrock of Spirituality
Every path towards the Holy Divine is respected in the arena of spirituality and anyone who spreads distinction and hatred towards any path is merely a follower of a dry theory. A spiritual person sticks to one’s own path of loving the Divine Universe and at the same time, respects the pathways that other people follow. So, spirituality is what makes us grow, it does not limit us, and Sanatana Dharma deeply focusses on one’s own journey towards the Divine. That’s why one will notice different people experiencing the Divine in different ways be it normal people like you and me or the enlightened souls ever been born on this planet.
I will like to quote three beautiful people who inspire me:
“Listen with ears of tolerance! See through the eyes of compassion! Speak in the language of love!”- Rumi
“You should not feel that your path is the only right path and that other paths are wrong. You mustn’t bear malice toward others”- Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa
“Love is the strongest medicine.”- Baba Neeb Karori
If your soul is guiding you to follow the Vedic way of reaching the Divine, Sadhana: Mantra and Yajna app is surely a beautiful way to start off. Through this app, one can learn about the rituals of Sanatana Dharma and performing them through maansik puja or offering prayers through mental faculties. Doing a puja, havan, abhishekam, sadhana, japa etc physically without any iota of devotion or sentiment will barely lead to any result, thus, our sentiments play a huge role while performing any ritual for the Divine. Performing puja through this app makes a space for maansik-kriya and also keeps one in touch with Divine. In this busy lifestyle of the modern day world, this app comes as a guide for mental puja and also connects us with the roots and culture of Sanatana Dharma as well.
The Virtual Siddhashrama
Once we log into the app, there appears a beautiful setting of a group of temples which resembles the Siddhashrama. According to the Vedic lore, Siddhashrama is a divine place where Gods, Goddesses, powerful rishis, ascetics, saints and Divine beings reside. For a sincere seeker, the Sadhana app provides a powerful visual content through which Vedic practices can be done mentally through the app as it gives both audio-visual arena to the seeker. This app provides an alternate way to follow Vedic rituals in case one is not able to do it physically for innumerable reasons. This YouTube channel talks more about the Siddhashrama and the Sadhana app. And yes, you too are a child of Divine, you too can become Divine!
A Divine world through a divine mental space
As much as our outer world is real, so is our inner world. Our thoughts, mental faculties, sentiments and emotions make us and we each contribute to the making of the society. Thus, Sadhana App and the virtual space of Siddhashrama provides us with an alternate reality through which we are constantly reminded of our Vedic roots. Sanatana Dharma is not a frozen religion or a way of life. It has forever evolved. A world where many civilizations have been uprooted, Sanatana Dharma survived the brunt of time despite massacre of various universities, temples and sacred texts like always in any civilization’s history. Sanatana Dharma survived because it kept evolving, it never limited the pathway of an individual. It has given freedom to a seeker to follow one’s own truth and has always respected differences. Thus, the space of Siddhashrama provided by the Sadhana App is one more step in this digital era for people to let them know about their foremost roots, the Sanatana Dharma and also provides a conducive space for sincere seekers to perform mental puja.
To know more about Sadhana, read this post written by A (pseudonym), here.
Why to perform Vedic way of puja and Sadhana?
The fast-paced modern world enriched with information and material has undoubtedly made our lives comfortable but not necessarily fulfilling. Apart from the outer world, we also have an inner world in us which shapes and molds us into persons we become. No amount of material pleasure and ease will ever make us feel 100% fulfilled if we keep ignoring our inner voice to be united with the Divine! Gautama Buddha gave time to his practices to attain Nirvana, Sri Ramakrishna gave time to his practices to become one with the Divine Maa and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu reached Vaikuntha with his own practices! They followed the Divine according to their heart’s calling and if you feel that Vedic way or Sanatana Dharma is your pathway, do not hesitate to listen to your heart! When you knock at the door, the way shows up. 🙂
I will end by quoting Om Swami, a renowned monk from India- DISCOVER YOUR OWN TRUTH.
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Other parts in this series:
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