My First Sadhana Experience

A wish

This year in April when I saw Swamiji perform the glorious Navdurga yagna on the live page on os.me; I certainly had a deep desire to do a small yagna at my home. The blissful visuals of Swamiji doing the yagna were magically drawing me into the mystical world of Sadhana.  Although I was still not ready for the real physical Sadhana; the desire kept on mounting and failing to restrain it any longer I decided to do my first sadhana on the sadhana app.

 The preparations

I began to prepare for the recommended Ganesh Sadhana on the app. I wanted to do it with utmost sincerity and so ardently arranged for all the requirements like yellow clothing, woolen asana, fresh flowers, lamp etc. The book ‘The Ancient Science Of Mantras’ by Om Swamiji which I had long back forgotten in the closet, believing that I will never ever need it in this life; I almost gulped down every word from the book as though I was preparing for some school test.

Finding a temple

After I was all set with the arrangements, I had an earnest wish of visiting a Ganapati temple during the Sadhana period. The thought of finding a Ganapati temple in close proximity to my home was all the time lingering in my mind. Just then, while riding on my scooter, I noticed a beautiful temple. I remembered going there once and knew that it was a Ganesha temple, but what delighted me was its name which I never knew about. In bold letters, it was written outside ‘Shri Siddhivinayak Mandir’. The same one mentioned in the viniyoga of the Ganesh Sadhana on the Sadhana app. Also the idol in the temple surprisingly resembled the idol in the app. I was now more excited about my sadhana

A thought

When I started with the Sadhana, I visited the temple as well. I was lucky enough to reach there early morning when the pujari would do the abhisheka. I would then start with my japa. One day, as I finished my japa and was sitting there soaking myself in the blissful ambiance of the sacred place, a thought crossed my mind. Such a magnificent and elegant temple there must be a lot of expenses involved in here. Who must be looking after the temple? The pujari so devotionally performing his duties who must be paying him the salary. The helpers, the office people, how are they getting paid?

I looked around the temple. It was a big place with all the amenities a modern place of worship should have. The maintenance looked huge. Who must be spending for all this? Even if there is a trustee looking after the affairs, is the money correctly managed?

I observed the people visiting the temple. Some offered donations in the daan-peti and some didn’t.

The reformed mindset

Then another thought then crept my mind. It was my need to visit the temple. A wish came to my mind and it got fulfilled because someone someday must have planned to build this structure. It was readymade stuff I was getting. I had not contributed in any way to the construction of the temple, but here I was taking the fruits of someone’s hard work. It was because of some kind souls that I was getting a chance of free sevas available at this place, so was it not my duty to offer back something to the temple for the sevas I was getting from it? Should I not contribute towards the temple as I am using it for my needs?

And someday, someone like me might come in search of this divine place and feel fortunate that someone had built it and taken care of it. Was it not my duty to preserve this gift for the next generation? Don’t I owe something to them, as someone had done it for me?

And why should I worry, whether the finances will be handled properly and that some corrupt people would exploit it for their benefit? I was concerned since there were many instances where temple attendants tempered with the finances. since then I never donated with a free mind. I think I should not bother about it and focus only on my dharma and not pay attention to other peoples karma.

So after my japa with my heart overflowing with gratitude, I stepped towards the daan-peti and offered some coins in it with a sentiment that I never had before.

My perception of the daan-peti transformed. Now whenever I offer something, I am ever filled with feelings of thankfulness. It is not a huge amount that I give, but it is surely something from my heart. And so whenever I visit a holy place, the positive vibrations and energy I received here from the chiming bells, the camphor smell, the deity darshan, and the offerings I do definitely gives loads of peace and bliss to my soul. 

Image: Souvik Laha Unsplash