Sadhana

Rituals, spells, prayer, meditation and magical acts.
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obnoxion
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Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 7:59 pm

Sadhana

Post by obnoxion »

Many of us often speak of our spiritual practice as sadhana. But what is a sadhana and how does one do it?
I have recently found a marvellous description by Paul E. Muller-Ortega, that I'd like to share:

"Sadhana tepresents the tantric crucible of transformation. It is conceived as the involving arc of return, the mechanism by means of which Shiva recuperates himself from his self-shadowing play of cosmic existence."

The choices of words bring to mind many concepts of Western esotericism, for example, the crucible of transformation of alchemy, the involving arc of return of the Gnostic Sophia, and the recuperation of Shiva as the apotheosis.

I would add that sadhana is constancy of uninstrumental mode of being. How do you see your sadhana - your fundamental spiritual practice?
One day of Brahma has 14 Indras; his life has 54 000 Indras. One day of Vishnu is the lifetime of Brahma. The lifetime of Vishnu is one day of Shiva.
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Smaragd
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Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:27 am

Re: Sadhana

Post by Smaragd »

My approach to it is about being a fervent spectator or a tracker. Memories from my childhood; the wonder, and the magical way the world opened while crawling under vegetation lead by the neighbourhood girls to secret places. Moments carried their meaning more immediately. Sometimes similar places are achieved on solitary forest walks following intuition rather than certain pathways.

Applying this sort of pursuit in to all areas of life is still under works, and maybe the adjective 'fervent' needs some adjusting according to the situation, as sometimes more careful ways are appropriate. A lot of this spectating has been only an introduction to the processes without consciously and actively trying to replicate them in practice, while the intuitive tracking of a path, which is not separeate of the spectating, is more about practice and always with me while doing magical workings. I actually see this tracking mode to be really close to magic itself, and feel I should transform the idea of magical working towards broader area of every day life. A sense of doubt starts nagging about bringing the sacred and the profane together just like that, but maybe this intuitive way isn't anymore a 'just like that' kind of thing.
"Would to God that all the Lord's people were Prophets”, Numbers 11:29 as echoed by William Blake
Yinlong
Posts: 121
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2016 5:12 pm

Re: Sadhana

Post by Yinlong »

I like very much how you both think, thank you for sharing. I think my processes strongly relate to what you have written above. I guess my poem in Finnish: "Tuli tuulee Ultima Thuleen - Tulen aina, palaan aina" tries to capture similar - or perhaps - the very same (in larger context) essence or element in transformative processes / spiritual returning / allowing - or inviting - the outer and inner nature to come in holistically etc.

I don't know how to best translate this poem to English speakers (since it plays with the words Thule / Tule (to come, to become) / Tuulla (wind blow) / Tuuli (wind / mood) / Tuli (fire / has returned) etc. , but here's my try:

Tuli tuulee Ultima Thuleen
The fire blows (like a wind) to the Ultimate North (to the last / ultimate call of North / Fire / Wind / to the imperative and cause of coming and becoming)

Tulen aina, palaan aina
I will always burn (or become or come to you), I will always return (I - or my soul - will always burn (in the process) / blow like a wind, blow and inhale fire while living here in the North...)

I hope somebody can get something out of it. :D Also, as a side note, I connect/bind Aino and Aina (the feminine side of soul, perhaps also the "other" soul and the kind of other part of collective Fennism (or being from North) etc. and oneness, and being soulful together). This all kind of returns to Rusko (when the morning sun connects to evening sun and vice versa). Both the black sun and white sun being / burning / returning etc. together, which is the kind of outcome and income at the same time... Well, there are also elements that I cannot translate to words, but maybe because of this it is very personal and collective poem at the same time.
Quaerendo Invenietis - Na dìomhcuimhnich a-chaoidh - Feuer frei!
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