Guest guest Posted December 2, 2003 Report Share Posted December 2, 2003 The use of the terms "sankalpa", "sadhana", and "tapasya" often confuses me. I would very much like information on how to differeniate between them. I wonder exactly what each means in relation to the others and it would be helpful to have examples of each. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 3, 2003 Report Share Posted December 3, 2003 Jai Maa! "Sadhana" as I understand it means any spiritual practice. This can be Puja, Path, Homa, Singing, Dancing or any action that you perform in a disciplined way with the intention of bringing you closer to the Supreme Divinity. A "Sankalpa" is a vow to perform any Sadhana for a definite purpose. For example most Sadhus make a "Sankalpa" to perform a specific Sadhana for 9 days, 30 days, 108 day, 1008 days or as long as they feel necessary, usually beginning on an auspicious day in the lunar calendar. Taking a Sankalpa is a great way to create a strong discipline and is a way to direct a Sadhus life energy. Latha has been keeping a diary of her 6 month Chandi Path Sankalpa and posting it every week here in the group(see her latest edition in post#1397). Tapasya means "To create heat" and for our purpose means an expanded intensified Sadhana. , "kbbookbag" <kbbookbag> wrote: > The use of the terms "sankalpa", "sadhana", and "tapasya" often > confuses me. I would very much like information on how to > differeniate between them. I wonder exactly what each means in > relation to the others and it would be helpful to have examples of > each. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 3, 2003 Report Share Posted December 3, 2003 I'm new too, but I believe: Sankalpa is a making a promise to practice a certain spiritual ritual. My wife and I have made a sankalpa to do the beginner Durga and beginner Shiva Pujas to each other once a week for the rest of our lives. Sadhana according to my Guru (and expanded by Swami Satyananda) comes in two varieties: 1) Inner sadhana, that is to say meditation where one tries to fine the space between the thoughts, and 2) External sadhana where one tries to perform every function of one's outer life as an expression of love for god and as a dedication to god. Tapasya is a blessing. I think generally associated with the blessing given by a master to a student, but I'm not sure of that. All I know is Shree Maa's Tapasya is very nice. hehe. *hugs* Brian At 06:41 PM 12/2/2003, you wrote: >The use of the terms "sankalpa", "sadhana", and "tapasya" often >confuses me. I would very much like information on how to >differeniate between them. I wonder exactly what each means in >relation to the others and it would be helpful to have examples of >each. TIA > > > > > > > > > >Your use of is subject to > > > > >--- >Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >Version: 6.0.545 / Virus Database: 339 - Release 11/27/2003 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.545 / Virus Database: 339 - Release 11/27/2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 3, 2003 Report Share Posted December 3, 2003 Namaste, KB, Well, I am no expert, by any means, but this may be a start: a "sankalpa" is a vow you take--for example, every time you offer a puja, you take a sankalpa, in recitation, in the beginning, that you are going to do this puja, on this day, in this place, for what or whom, and so on. If you look in any of the puja books by Swamiji, you will find the sankalpa, shortly after sanctifying the asana. --you can take a sankalpa for anything. E.g., you may take a sankalpa to yourself that you will chant the Chandi every day! (see Latha's diary) for so many days. Really, any sacred vow is a sankalpa. "Sadhana" is an overall term for spiritual discipline. This includes all spiritual disciplines--meditation, chanting, kirtan/singing, dancing, prayer, puja. "Tapasya" is a way of naming certain spiritual disciplines undertaken as sacrifice to God. In the Chandi Pathah, for example, the king and the businessman, after listening about the Goddess from the rishi, make a "sankalpa" to do a three year form of "sadhana" as "tapasya" for the Divine Mother, and She finally appears to them and grants them each a boon. Tapasya implies discipline; one form of tapasya is the "five fires", or panchagni--that is, chanting at a homa, surrounded by three fires with the hot sun overhead-- 5 fires. Tapasya may be a subjective term, I am not sure. (one person's tapasya is another person's walk in the park?)--it is the experience and intention, I believe. It would be great to hear Swamiji's definitions. Love, Nitya , "kbbookbag" <kbbookbag> wrote: > The use of the terms "sankalpa", "sadhana", and "tapasya" often > confuses me. I would very much like information on how to > differeniate between them. I wonder exactly what each means in > relation to the others and it would be helpful to have examples of > each. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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