The Inner Dimensions of Sadhana Practice

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The Inner Dimensions of Sadhana Practice

 

Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya

(Dr. Frank Morales, Ph.D.)

 

(This article is an excerpt from Sri Acharyaji's upcoming book

" Sanatana Dharma: The Eternal Natural Way " , to be released August, 2008.)

 

 

Sanatana Dharma (commonly referred to as " Hinduism " ) is a spiritual

path that has existed since the beginning of time. Rather than

reflecting the dogmatically inclined expressions of denominationalism,

sectarianism, and religious doctrines that are of more recent origin,

Sanatana Dharma is an expression of the divine intelligence that

naturally underlies the more empirical aspects of our cosmos.

Sanatana Dharma is the Eternal Natural Way. As such, this path

represents the essence of all true spirituality, philosophy, and

yearning to know the higher Reality.

 

Sanatana Dharma is expressed both philosophically and practically. As

human persons who are naturally multi-dimensional beings, we interact

with reality in a variety of ways. We both receive input from our

external environment, as well as convey output. The ways in which we

experience input from our surroundings include the physical,

emotional, mental, intellectual, and spiritual ways of perceiving.

Conversely, we act within the world in three express ways: via the

volitional output of our thoughts, our words, and our actions.

Through these three means, we affect the world around us,

communicating our inner being to our outer reality. It is in all

three of these ways of expression that we are meant to practice

spiritual life.

 

While spirituality is certainly meant to be experienced in an

intellectual way, it must ultimately be understood through direct

practical experience if it is going to be a living spirituality that

has the power to change us within and to deepen our understanding of

the Divine. Even a good spiritual idea, if not also experienced in

the most immediate of ways, is only a reflection of the surface level

of Truth without grasping the substance of Truth. Thus, in Dharma

practice, ideally the pursuit of philosophical wisdom must be actively

coupled with daily practice. In Sanskrit, such daily spiritual

practice is called " sadhana " . Sadhana consists of two integral

aspects: a) the inner dimension and b) the outer dimension.

 

The inner elements of our practice serve as the internal volitional

foundation for any fruitful practice. It is the inner approach that

we take to our personal practice that makes the external disciplines

of Yoga, meditation, puja (worship ceremonies), and study effective.

These internal elements include: sincerity, humility, openness, and

yearning for God.

 

Sincerity is reflected in the honesty, trust, and patience with which

we approach the spiritual path. If we are not honest with ourselves

about what it is we claim we are actually searching for, then we

cannot be fully honest with our guru (spiritual teacher), with others,

or with God. Having trust is not to be equated with having blind

faith, but rather having confidence in the path we are on due to our

previous positive experiences with our sadhana, coupled with the

knowledge we have gained from the study of scripture (shastra). We

trust in what we know works, and in what we know is true. Patience is

one of the hardest virtues to practice. But with the power of

patience, and a willingness to detach ourselves from the idea that we

need to achieve immediate results within our own subjective

time-frame, we can achieve success in our journey toward self-discovery.

 

The crucial virtue of humility is too rarely spoken of today by many

of our contemporary era's supposedly authentic gurus and spiritual

guides. We know, however, that historically every true saint, sage,

yogi, and guru has highly praised the incomparable importance of this

virtue in the spiritual seeker. Indeed, we can measure the legitimacy

of a spiritual teacher in direct proportion to that supposed teacher's

depth of humility, and corresponding lack of egotism and false

aloofness. Humility is one of the most important qualities that a

spiritual seeker can have. Humility is the direct abandonment of the

false ego that keeps us blocked from receiving God's grace and the

instructions of the authentic guru (spiritual teacher). Humility is

the very opposite of the delusional power of false ego (ahamkara).

Humility allows us to view ourselves and our situation from the

perspective of the Infinite, rather than from the perspective of the

limited ego and our unlimited desire.

 

With an attitude of healthy openness, we allow ourselves to be

receptive to the ever-new realizations and experiences that will

deepen our personal understanding of Truth. Progress means

elimination and new acceptance. We must be open to the fact that our

perceived realities, our attachments, and our pet ideas will be

constantly challenged and transcended on the spiritual path, and that

God often has enormous surprises in store for our limited ego and

intellect! It is only when we open ourselves to God's grace,

consciously and willingly, that we begin to experience God's presence

in our lives in a vivid and meaningful way. To experience God's

grace, however, requires that we yearn for that grace.

 

Every accomplishment begins with a desire to achieve a goal. If we

want to accomplish any large task, such as earn a Ph.D., or an M.D.,

or to lose weight, become healthy, or accomplish any other significant

undertaking, having a nonchalant attitude toward our goal will

guarantee that we won't succeed. We all know that in our every day

lives, we cannot achieve anything of importance unless we have a

yearning and a deep desire to achieve our goal. The more of ourselves

we invest in the task, the more we will strive with focus and

dedication to be successful. In the same manner in which we need to

yearn to achieve even a material goal in this world, we also need to

have a strong yearning to know Truth if we are going to have the

necessary inspiration to practice our sadhana. We must yearn to know

God with as much yearning a lost child craves to be reunited with her

mother. Only with such a desire will give us the determination we

need if we wish to know God.

 

Our outer reality is a reflection of our inner state. The outer

processes of spiritual practice, such as meditation, Yoga, puja

(ritual worship), and study, can only be effective when coupled with

those inner qualities capable of bringing our sadhana to life. Allow

sincerity, humility, openness, and yearning for God to be your vehicle

toward Truth.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Sri Dharma Pravartaka Acharya (Dr. Frank Morales, Ph.D.) is

universally acclaimed as one of the world's most respected and

qualified Dharma teachers and Hindu spiritual leaders. Dr. Deepak

Chopra has exclaimed in 2002: " You've done truly phenomenal work

teaching the pure essence of Yoga " . In a similar manner, Dr. David

Frawley has said about Sri Acharyaji, " Dr. Frank Morales represents

the Sankalpa [the will] of the Hindu people and the cause of Sanatana

Dharma. I urge all Hindus everywhere to give him your full support,

assistance, and encouragement in his crucial work. He needs and

deserves our help. "

 

Sri Acharyaji is currently the Resident Acharya (Spiritual Preceptor)

of the Hindu Temple of Nebraska, which represents the first time in

American history that a Hindu temple has ever made such an esteemed

appointment.

 

Sri Acharyaji began his personal spiritual journey over 33 years ago

at the tender age of ten when he read the Bhagavad Gita for the very

first time. He coupled his decades of intense spiritual practice and

study with advanced academic achievements, earning a B.A. in

philosophy/theology from Loyola University Chicago, as well as an M.A.

and Ph.D. in religious studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

 

Explaining to his doctoral advisor that " I don't want to just study

the history of religion…I want to make religious history " , Sri

Acharyaji eventually left academia to devote himself exclusively to

spiritual teaching and to the preservation of the great tradition of

Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism).

 

Today, Sri Acharyaji occupies his full time teaching Dharma

spirituality to diverse audiences. In addition to leading classes,

satsanghas, seminars and lecturing on Sanatana Dharma widely, Sri

Acharyaji is a renowned author, as well as a personal spiritual guide

(guru) to a rapidly increasing following of enthusiastic students from

both the Indian and the non-Indian communities.

 

Some of his books include:

 

" Radical Universalism: Does Hinduism Teach that All Religions are the

Same? "

 

" Whisperings of the Divine: How God is Known in the Vedic Tradition "

 

" The Shakti Principle: Encountering the Feminine Power of God "

 

" The Art of Wisdom: Affirmations for Boundless Living "

 

 

For more information about the life and teachings of Sri Dharma

Pravartaka Acharya, please visit his website:

http://www.dharmacentral.com

 

To join Sri Acharyaji's mailing list, please visit:

drmoraleslist/