Yogi Bhajan Answers 18 Questions About Sadhana (from the KRI Training Manual)

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam,

I wanted to add to a conversation that we haven't yet had as a

group. That conversation being about the purity of the teachings.

I've heard (and forgive me if I don't remember exactly when and from

whom) that it is impossible to practice and teach Kundalini Yoga without

a love and trust of one's teacher. Sounds pretty authentic to me,

especially when Kundalini Yoga is often referred to as "yoga of

transmission". It's a lineage "connected by the Golden Chain. You tune

into a teacher, he connects with his teacher, who connects with his, and

so until you are linked directly with Infinity. Guru Yoga allows you to

ascend the Golden chain. It is an action done with humility." --YB

 

In the below piece Yogiji answers pretty much all of those questions

that some/most of us have wondered about. Obviously the editors of the

KRI Training Manual have through their years of Sadhana and Dharmic life

been taking some notes and know what's up.

Thank goodness, also, that there was always someone there (Siri Ved

Singh) to record Yogiji's words. Please take the time to read this.

Wahe Guru,

Dharam Singh

 

Question: What is the greatest reward of doing sadhana?

 

Answer: The greatest reward of doing sadhana is that the person becomes

incapable of being defeated. Sadhana is a self-victory, and it is a

victory over time and space. Getting up is a victory over time, and

doing it is a victory over space. That is what sad­hana is. And when you

do a sadhana in the sangat, you enrich yourself in multiple ways. First,

the isolation which can hit any­body and make them go totally crazy is

defeated. Secondly, when all of you meditate on God, the total effect of

your sadhana becomes multiplied by the number of people participating.

Sadhana is not a matter of advantages and disadvantages. It is simply a

means through which you can defeat all your miseries, misfortunes, and

handicaps. It is a very personal thing which does not relate to anybody

except yourself.

 

You are supposed to go through self-evaluation every day. That is what

sadhana is. On one side is God, the superiority of you; on one side is

you; and on one side is the devil or the infe­riority of you. Between

the three you have to assess yourself.

 

A sadhu is a being who has disciplined himself. Sadhana is the technique

to discipline yourself. It is a scientific way to live.

 

 

Question: I have been having a problem with sadhana. I fall asleep in

the same posture every morning.

 

Answer: Whenever you have a problem with sadhana, you are very

fortunate, because it indicates you are working on some­thing. That is

the time to conquer it, and get it out of your sys­tem.

 

 

Question: How can I find out what it is?

 

Answer: There is nothing to find out. Just go through it. Whenever you

have a problem with sadhana, luck is smiling on you. That is what you

have been waiting for. There is a chal­lenge-you can challenge it, and

go through it.

 

 

Question: How do you challenge it?

 

Answer: Challenge it by doing it. Sadhana gives fearlessness and a sense

of self, as well as projection, polarity combination, equi­librium,

respectability, totality, internal and external self-knowl­edge, purity,

dignity, divinity, and grace. In addition, it gives you radiance, pranic

and auric shakti. Finally, it gives you the quality of metal which is

ever shining. You become a shining, living grace. This quality is

embodied in loh-iron-which can absorb all the heat. Sarab loh means that

which absorbs the entire heat and cold of all the universe, and still

remains neutral. That is what sadhana gives you. When you want to be

bountiful, do sadhana.

 

 

Question: Is leading the yoga exercises in sadhana the same as teaching

a yoga class?

 

Answer: No. There are differences. One difference is the amount of

talking that should be done. In an outside class, there is more need for

inspiring, coaxing, and explaining. Sadhana occurs in the quiet

ambrosial hours. At this time, mostly we should listen to the Infinite.

 

 

Question: Should I change the exercises and kriyas every day?

 

Answer: One part of the sadhana should stay constant long enough for you

to master, or at least experience, the changes evoked by a single

technique. Each kriya and mantra has its indi­vidual effects, although

they all elevate you toward a cosmic con­sciousness. Learn to value the

pricelessness of one kriya, and all others will be understood in a

clearer light.

 

There is a natural 40-day rhythm to habits in the body and mind. It

takes about 40 days of consistent practice to break a habit. It takes

about 90 days to establish a new habit in action and in the

subconscious. It is good to take these biorhythms into account when

designing your practice.

 

 

Question: If I have to leave sadhana, what is the best way?

 

Answer: The same way you entered. Be aware of the presence of the

teacher by bowing in your consciousness. Be quiet so nothing is

disturbed. Choose a time to leave that is between kriyas and

meditations. A sharp noise during a deep meditation is a shock to the

total system. Do not come and go as you please, but to please the

highest teacher.

 

 

 

Question: Should I wake someone up who is sleeping in sadhana?

 

Answer: No. God should wake him. The experience of sadhana is between

the individual and God. Do not interfere. You can inspire beforehand. If

sleeping is a chronic habit, discuss it with the person at a convenient

time, but do not abruptly wake some­one. He may be at a different level

of experience than you think.

 

It is our intention, of course, to stay alert and awake during sadhana.

If you are leading the sadhana, you can lead exercises which can

stimulate the brain and supply blood to the brain to help people to stay

awake.

 

Sadhana is to bring physical and mental awareness. Some people pretend

to be tired. They are not fortunate enough to catch up with that gap.

But it is very unfortunate on the spiritu­al path when, instead of

inspiring people, we start criticizing them. That is projecting your hatred.

 

I feel that in the morning when you go for sadhana, you are going to be

sadhus. What does it matter if somebody just gets up to say, "hmmmmmm?"

That person is still doing something. At least he is not sleeping. It is

far better than a person who is snoring at home in bed. Do you

understand? Sadhana is a will­ful effort to prove you are not lazy about

your own Infinity. When the sun rises early in the day, even idiots

rise. But blessed are those who rise before the sun and prove that they

are the chil­dren of the Almighty. Does it sound clear to you? Those who

have guts will open the gates of the heart at 3:30 am.

 

 

Question: As the leader of sadhana, should I participate in all the

exercises?

 

Answer: As a leader, your responsibility is to set a good example and to

give clear instructions for each step of the sadhana. You should do as

many exercises as you can without becoming unaware of the group. You

must check to make sure that every­one understands the exercise before

beginning yourself. Sometimes it will be better not to participate at

all. Always join in during chanting, though. When teaching a class

outside of sad­hana, you should participate as little as possible in the

physical exercise. Concentrate only on inspiring and serving the students.

 

 

Question: Is it mandatory for the same person to lead sad­hana every

morning?

 

Answer: In all Kundalini Yoga sadhanas, the same teacher teach­es every

sadhana - Guru Ram Das. Anyone who is qualified to teach can lead a good

sadhana. It can be very beneficial for the group to experience the

effects of slightly different styles of lead­ership.

 

 

Question: When chanting in the morning, the pitch often gets low. What,

if anything, should be done to change the pitch?

 

Answer: Chant at a constant, mid-range pitch as much as possi­ble. If

your breath rhythm is not correct, your spine is not kept straight, or

you do not take complete breaths in the Adi Shakti Mantra, the chant

will lose energy and drop in pitch. If you proj­ect the sound of the

mantra from the back of the mouth in a full and roundish way, the power

of the chant will increase as you continue, and the pitch will stay

constant.

 

If you are constant and listen to the sound of your chant, you will hear

different pitches. These are actually overtones of the basic sound you

are creating. The overtones will be high-pitched, subtle, and seem to

float around the room. You cannot identify that tone with one person

since it is formed by the combination of group sounds. The overtone is a

good sign that the sadhana group is tuned in to each other and beyond

each other. As you listen to the first overtone and become very calm,

you may begin to hear higher and more subtle overtones. This awareness

aids meditation on the etheric echo of your chanting, as you sit

silent­ly after chanting aloud.

 

 

Question: Is it alright to harmonize with the main tone?

 

Answer: Chanting is not singing. It is vibrating all the cells of the -

body, all the thoughts of the mind, and the core crystal of the soul to

the same shabd. Chanting in meditation is beyond personality. Chanting

like a choir with many harmonies turns the group consciousness, which is

striving for universality, into individual consciousness responding to

social consciousness. Leave vocal harmonizing for kirtan and group

songfests. Learn to harmonize the body, mind, and soul while chanting.

 

 

 

Question: When I am sick, should I attend sadhana?

 

Answer: If you are going to be in bed all day with an extreme sickness,

then no. If it is not extreme (this includes most men­strual periods),

then attend sadhana and do what you can. If you cannot exercise or

meditate well, then at least attempt to medi­tate. Afterwards, lie down

and rest in sadhana while mentally lis­tening to the shabd. This way you

will get well faster, and main­tain the rhythm of a regular sadhana. It

also eliminates the ten­dency to have minor morning illnesses to escape

the self-disci­pline of a constant sadhana. In other words,

participation in a group effort and regularity of discipline are

paramount. But do not be a fanatic to the point of aggravating a serious

illness.

 

 

 

Question: I am a beginner and can only spare one hour on sadhana. Will

one hour have any effect?

 

Answer: Always do some sadhana no matter how short, because every effort

of the individual mind to meet the Universal Self is reciprocated a

thousand-fold. The ideal is a perfect two-and-a-half hour sadhana. But

if we are to run, we must first learn to walk. An hour is excellent. As

you grow into sadhana, you will find time to extend it if you really

want to do so. It is good for some people to start slowly. If you try to

climb Mt. Everest without climbing even a foothill beforehand, failure

could discourage you from all other attempts. Build slowly and

constantly at a pace you can maintain, but definitely do something.

 

 

 

Question: Do we need a special place for sadhana?

 

Answer: A special place or altar is ideal. The care you give the

external environment is a sign and symbol to the mind of your intention.

The outer reflects the inner. If the place of meditation is sloppy, it

usually means you do not value relating to that Infinite Self, or you

value it, but do not believe in it or yourself. When traveling, you do

your best to bring a sense of specialness with you to wherever you meditate.

 

 

 

Question: Should I bring my children to sadhana?

 

Answer: Your children are the future. The future will only be as secure

as the foundation that is built into the young generation. It is very

inspirational to see the radiance from young children who attend

sadhana. There is no restriction. These hours of soothing sleep for them

are the best, but they are in good vibrations, and subconsciously they

have experienced the sadhana. So you can just bring them with you so

they can live in those vibrations. Whether or not your particular child

should attend is an individual determination. If he has been raised in

the yogic tradition where chanting and exercise are a natural part of

his environment, then bring him. If he is disruptive during sadhana,

then his attendance should be discussed with the rest of the group.

 

 

 

Question: Is it important to wear a head covering during sadhana?

 

Answer: During sadhana, be sure to cover your head with a nonstatic,

natural cloth like cotton, and keep the hair up. The hair regulates the

inflow of sun energy into the body system. To let the solar energy flow

without obstruction, let the hair grow to its full natural length, and

take good care of it. If this is done, the amount of energy that goes

downward from the Seventh Chakra increases tremendously. The kundalini

energy is activated by the radiant force of the solar plexus and moves

upward in response to the solar energy coming down. This balances the

body energy and maintains the total equilibrium. If the hair is down,

unkept, or uncovered so that it is electrically imbalanced, this natural

process of raising the Kundalini energy will be impeded.

 

 

 

Question: Is right after sadhana a good time to take a nap?

 

Answer: Right after sadhana is a time to do anything-even to eat ice

cream. Right after sadhana do whatever you want. What is God's, give to

God through sadhana. Take what you take during the rest of the day-it is

your day.

 

Sat Nam!

 

 

Also, http://www.sahej.com/Code_of_Ethics.html

 

<http://www.sahej.com/Code_of_Ethics.html>