Guest guest Posted April 5, 2004 Report Share Posted April 5, 2004 hello online sangha, here i am monday morning again, baby-sitting the school library ... i am going on about my practice not to blab about yours truly, but to share if there are any observations or solutions that people have regarding integrating practice into the home. this organic development of sadhana is really great. i wonder if anyone has a similar situation as me. i have to integrate practice into a household that is not practicing, or they have different things going on. first, our earlier sankalpa did something really good, it put regular practice in everyone's mind here at my home, in other words, at 6:00 am they are not surprised if steve is doing japa [that was my time slot for durga.] so ... what does a clever sadhu do? now i always do some japa at 6:00 am, ah ha, fooled the world one more time!!! practice during the day is not so difficult on the hours i am not teaching, i am able to pull 2 hours in a row some mornings. evenings are really great. some of you know, my daughter is very disabled, but very spiritual. she also gets tired early in the evening ... so i go to the bedroom and start a puja, study of sanskrit, whatever is in my sequence left undone from the day. the thing is, she loves to hang out when i do it, and is usually very positive. eventually she falls asleep, not a bad way for her to go to sleep, when someone is chanting quietly. bottom line is, i can often get some decent time in here, as others are either asleep or going to bed. every break at school i do japa, if it is not too crazy and i can get out for a walk. on the commutes i do japa, that is, if i am not mentally planning a lesson. the bottom line is, the more positive signs of growth i show, the more my family sees the practice as connected, and there is more allowance for it, in terms of tolerance. also the efficient home- sadhu idea here is essential ... if the chores are done, the bills are paid, and the house is clean, and you are being one nice guy, then sure, japa away! says the wife. it all works out ... patience and tolerance are the keys ... one thing i notice is NEVER get aggravated if someone interrupts your sadhana. that makes instant karma that you then have to overcome, your own shanti is disturbed, as well as the family's. basically, you have to be a saint. jai maa! steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 5, 2004 Report Share Posted April 5, 2004 Hi Steve, I really loved this post. I do the same types of things to integrate what I call "formal" or "sitting" saddhana with the ongoing kind I find while doing laundry, cooking, etc. I, too, run into some resistance from the family members--especially if it is on "their" time. So I just don't do formal saddhana when anyone else is awake or otherwise needing me. After the early morning practice i try to get to the altar one other time. As long as I hold "the connection" everybody is pretty tolerant. My kids have enjoyed making their own altars and my older son sits in front of his and breathes. The difficult part for me is not feeling bad when my family members don't "buy in" to my practices--although they all support me. When they don't believe in what I'm doing it gets discouraging. Everybody has their own way of learning and unfolding spiritually. Mantra Japa all the time and this type of sangha is how I'm making it through. Good luck, keep the faith, Namaste, Lynne - bingo_ridley Monday, April 05, 2004 2:57 PM hello sangha; integrating practice into home life hello online sangha,here i am monday morning again, baby-sitting the school library ... i am going on about my practice not to blab about yours truly, but to share if there are any observations or solutions that people have regarding integrating practice into the home.this organic development of sadhana is really great. i wonder if anyone has a similar situation as me. i have to integrate practice into a household that is not practicing, or they have different things going on.first, our earlier sankalpa did something really good, it put regular practice in everyone's mind here at my home, in other words, at 6:00 am they are not surprised if steve is doing japa [that was my time slot for durga.] so ... what does a clever sadhu do? now i always do some japa at 6:00 am, ah ha, fooled the world one more time!!!practice during the day is not so difficult on the hours i am not teaching, i am able to pull 2 hours in a row some mornings.evenings are really great. some of you know, my daughter is very disabled, but very spiritual. she also gets tired early in the evening ... so i go to the bedroom and start a puja, study of sanskrit, whatever is in my sequence left undone from the day.the thing is, she loves to hang out when i do it, and is usually very positive. eventually she falls asleep, not a bad way for her to go to sleep, when someone is chanting quietly. bottom line is, i can often get some decent time in here, as others are either asleep or going to bed.every break at school i do japa, if it is not too crazy and i can get out for a walk. on the commutes i do japa, that is, if i am not mentally planning a lesson.the bottom line is, the more positive signs of growth i show, the more my family sees the practice as connected, and there is more allowance for it, in terms of tolerance. also the efficient home-sadhu idea here is essential ... if the chores are done, the bills are paid, and the house is clean, and you are being one nice guy, then sure, japa away! says the wife.it all works out ... patience and tolerance are the keys ...one thing i notice is NEVER get aggravated if someone interrupts your sadhana. that makes instant karma that you then have to overcome, your own shanti is disturbed, as well as the family's. basically, you have to be a saint.jai maa!steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 6, 2004 Report Share Posted April 6, 2004 hi lynne! it is really interesting. we cannot compare ourselves with young lights like maa and ramana, how they left home. in this life we made karma and dharma and have to stick with it. that is why it is so great how maa supports family, so we have the opportunity to not feel conflicted about practice and grow organically. it is a great opportunity for people like you and me, as well as people who are done with this sort of daily commitment and take on sadhu/sadhvi practice. i think of sai baba of shirdi and others, who were also profoundly realized and also involved in the day to day life of their followers. very good. we don't break ourselves fighting our context, we somehow befriend it and make it work for us. we can even take on the body of hanuman, who was a great servant to all, and consider your family as the retinue of shiva. it helps to have an active imagination, i find. :-) s , "Lynne McKinnon" <omgirl@p...> wrote: > Hi Steve, > I really loved this post. I do the same types of things to integrate what I call "formal" or "sitting" saddhana with the ongoing kind I find while doing laundry, cooking, etc. I, too, run into some resistance from the family members--especially if it is on "their" time. So I just don't do formal saddhana when anyone else is awake or otherwise needing me. After the early morning practice i try to get to the altar one other time. As long as I hold "the connection" everybody is pretty tolerant. My kids have enjoyed making their own altars and my older son sits in front of his and breathes. The difficult part for me is not feeling bad when my family members don't "buy in" to my practices--although they all support me. When they don't believe in what I'm doing it gets discouraging. Everybody has their own way of learning and unfolding spiritually. > > Mantra Japa all the time and this type of sangha is how I'm making it through. > > Good luck, keep the faith, > Namaste, > Lynne > - > bingo_ridley > > Monday, April 05, 2004 2:57 PM > hello sangha; integrating practice into home life > > > hello online sangha, > > here i am monday morning again, baby-sitting the school library ... i > am going on about my practice not to blab about yours truly, but to > share if there are any observations or solutions that people have > regarding integrating practice into the home. > > this organic development of sadhana is really great. i wonder if > anyone has a similar situation as me. i have to integrate practice > into a household that is not practicing, or they have different > things going on. > > first, our earlier sankalpa did something really good, it put regular > practice in everyone's mind here at my home, in other words, at 6:00 > am they are not surprised if steve is doing japa [that was my time > slot for durga.] so ... what does a clever sadhu do? now i always do > some japa at 6:00 am, ah ha, fooled the world one more time!!! > > practice during the day is not so difficult on the hours i am not > teaching, i am able to pull 2 hours in a row some mornings. > > evenings are really great. some of you know, my daughter is very > disabled, but very spiritual. she also gets tired early in the > evening ... so i go to the bedroom and start a puja, study of > sanskrit, whatever is in my sequence left undone from the day. > > the thing is, she loves to hang out when i do it, and is usually very > positive. eventually she falls asleep, not a bad way for her to go to > sleep, when someone is chanting quietly. bottom line is, i can often > get some decent time in here, as others are either asleep or going to > bed. > > every break at school i do japa, if it is not too crazy and i can get > out for a walk. on the commutes i do japa, that is, if i am not > mentally planning a lesson. > > the bottom line is, the more positive signs of growth i show, the > more my family sees the practice as connected, and there is more > allowance for it, in terms of tolerance. also the efficient home- > sadhu idea here is essential ... if the chores are done, the bills > are paid, and the house is clean, and you are being one nice guy, > then sure, japa away! says the wife. > > it all works out ... patience and tolerance are the keys ... > > one thing i notice is NEVER get aggravated if someone interrupts your > sadhana. that makes instant karma that you then have to overcome, > your own shanti is disturbed, as well as the family's. basically, you > have to be a saint. > > jai maa! > > steve > > > > > > - ----------- > Links > > > / > > b.. > > > c.. Terms of Service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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