Some basic facts about Sadhana Camp.

[Guest guest]

Jai Gurudev.

 

Let us counter the false assumptions first. Many people assume that

sadhana camp is like a religious discourse camp where "someone" comes

and gives discourse or lecture for some time. Others think that it is

like a religious service wherein "someone" performs some prayers, and

then the rest of people sing hymns or bhajans. Both of the above

assumptions are absolutely incorrect.

 

Revered Gurudev wanted to impart true knowledge about ancient indian

religious sciences to the society. Knowledge increases with sharing,

and not by being confined to a lucky, selected few.

He realised that most of the people are absolutely tied down in their

family or job or other worldly responsibilities, and it is not

possible for the majority to spend some months in Gurudham to learn

Sadhanas or learn astrology or palmistry or numerology or alchemy etc.

So, He decided to organise Sadhana Camps in various cities and towns.

That way, one may perform Sadhanas while living with one's family and

engaged in worldly responsibilities, and obtain periodic guidance

from Sadhana Camps.

 

A Sadhana Camp is unique experience in itself. In fact, initially

many "pundits" and brahmins placed lots of obstacles in Sadhana Camps

because it threatened their deceitful occupation. If ordinary people

get the capability to invoke Lord Shiva, and get Lord Shiva's help to

solve their problems , then nobody will come to these "brahmins". If

everyone learns astrology, then brahmins wont be able to fool people

by making false predictions.

Such obstales are mere pebbles, and Sadhana Camps are organised every

month.

 

What actually is a Sadhana Camp? It is an extension of Gurukul or

Ashram. You meet Revered Trimurthi Gurudevs during the Sadhana Camp

and discuss your problems etc. with Gurudev. You learn the practical

aspects of Sadhanas and Yogic practices during the Sadhana Camp. You

get a unique opportunity to live the pure life of ascetic for some

days.

 

The Sadhana Camp is typically organised in a big ground, and

temporary tents are erected. It is a self contained unit, and you are

forbidden to move out of the Campus during the Sadhana Camp. A

special spiritual energy is always present in the Sadhana Campus,

which keeps energising the body. Leaving the premises cause your body

to lose this precious energy. It has a residential section within it.

Temporary Facilities like (bathrooms, toilets etc.) are provided

within the residential section. However, you should bring your own

bedsheets, pillows (if u need one) and woollen blankets.

 

Food is served at dinner time during the Sadhana Camp. Food is

prepared within the premises, and of course, it is pure, vegetarian,

satvik food. However, having said that, one doesnt feel hungry

throughtout the day. Moroever, one cannot perform Sadhana on a full

stomach, as that causes laziness and sleepiness. There are snack

stalls though, where you may take light snacks , tea, coffee etc.

(Some people dont seem to survive without tea!).

Most of the outstation people start arriving a day before the Sadhana

Camp, and reidential & food arrangements are made for the penultimate

day too.

 

Typically, a day at Sadhana Camp starts in the brahma-muhurath

(around 3-4 am). People start getting up , taking bath etc. Then,

everyone sits for their daily Sadhana, which typically continues

until 6-7 am. Around 6-7 am, some Yoga exercises (like prannayam,

neti etc.) are held in which everyone is encouraged to take part.

Then, Revered Gurudev arrives. Pujan is done. Normally, Revered

Gurudev gives a small discourse about the introduction and details of

Sadhanas. Then, everyone performs the actual Sadhana under personal

guidance of pujya Gurudev. Some hymns (bhajans) are sung to create

the ambient environment and mindset. After that Dikshas are granted.

The whole process continues the entire day until late in night.

Everyone is encouraged to take part in all the Sadhanas. Some rare

Dikshas are granted within a Sadhana Camp, which aren't granted

otherwise.

After every couple of hours, Revered Gurudev gives a break (recess)

to the Sadhaks. During this "recess", anyone can go and meet Revered

Gurudev and discuss about his/her issues. Dinner is served after

aarti in night.

Depending on Sadhana Camp, sometimes havans and Yagnas are organised

at the appropriate time or on the final day.

 

You are supposed to wear only yellow dhoti and pitambar during the

entire sadhana camp. Ladies wear yellow saree or suit along with the

pitambar. U are supposed to take basic Sadhana articles like

Gurudev's photo , yantra, prayer-water-tumbler (panchpatra) etc. to

the Sadhana camp. Otherwise, u may purchase all these at the stall in

the camp itself. u can purchase most of the sadhana articles , books,

old & new magazines, cassettes, photos, etc. in the sadhana camp. u

sud take all (at least most) of your personal sadhana articles (like

rosaries, yantras etc.) to the Sadhana camp so that they get more

energised in the presence of pujya Gurudev. In fact you sud wear all

your rosaries in pujya Gurudev's presence for their energisation.

 

u can get answers to all your queries about sadhanas, dikshas etc. in

the Sadhana Camp. Sometimes special stalls for ayurvedic medicines,

astrology, palmistry are also organised in the sadhana camp.

 

It is a proven fact that it always rains during the Sadhana Camp.

Revered Gurudev invokes all the Gods, and Varun, the rain God & Indra

(the thunder God) always come with rain and storm. It is very rare to

attend a Sadhana Camp without rain. Even in a desert terrain like

Jodhpur, in the hot summer sun, at least some rain drops or a heavy

downpour falls during the Sadhana Camp. Sometimes, one hears stories

about a large storm during the Sadhana Camp which uprooted nearby

trees, but didn't impact anything in the camp premises.

 

what else? yeah. All this organisation involved money! There is

typically a small entrance fee, around Rs. 400-500. However, some

sadhana or Diksha is normally covered within this amount. So,

basically, entrance is free!!

In some Sadhana camps, there is no entrance fee, rather, u r

supposed to make 5/11 new members of magazine to gain entry.

 

In fact taking part in a Sadhana Camp is a unique experience in

itself. One gets many hurdles on the way, in the form of family

problems or job problems or something else. After all, one's karmas

and nature have charted a problem-full life, and attending a Sadhana

camp will surely destroy these problems. So, one's karmas express

themselves in the form of hurdles either from family or something

else to attend the camp. Each step becomes a mini test of resolve. It

is only the really fortunate ones, who succeed in their resolve and

manage to attend the Camp and enjoy its benefits.

 

Everyone has had committed some sin or the other in previous lives.

Hence everyone is sure to get some problems or the other. I feel

that one sud attend the Sadhana Camp and do Sadhanas even if one

doesnt have any visible problems, because the planetary influence

changes in seconds, and it takes only a day to turn a king into a

puuper. Performing Sadhana beforehand will destroy even the

likelyhood of future appearance of that problem. "Sukh mein Yaad

Karen , To Dukh Kahey ko Hoye". MAke hay while the sun shines. Still,

it is left to individual wheather he wants to nip these problems in

the bud, or want to attack them when they already have caused

destruction.

 

Jay Gurudev