Ananda Marga
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Personal practices · Twice a day

Meditation

Sádhaná

“Whether one is healthy or sick, whether in a sitting or lying posture, or in a vehicle, full Iishvara prańidhána (meditation) will have to be performed twice a day.”Caryácarya 2, “Sádhaná (Intuitional Practice)”

Watch a short talk on meditation
A large group meditating together on a meadow, sitting cross-legged with eyes closed

Why we do it

The aim of yoga is Supreme Consciousness

  1. 1

    The aim is Supreme Consciousness. The goal of yoga is far off, like a distant star system.

  2. 2

    The instrument to reach that goal is the mind. It is the subtlest part of us, so it is the only part fine enough to reach the aim.

  3. 3

    The method is meditation. Seeing a star takes a telescope pointed at it; reaching Supreme Consciousness takes the mind pointed at it. That is meditation.

  4. 4

    The preparation and care. A telescope has to be looked after, cleaned and set right to see the stars. The mind is the same. Every practice does this for the mind, directly or through the body, because the mind is connected with the body.

    See how it leads to the goal ↓

Reaching the goal through Meditation

Meditation is the direct way to the goal. The mind becomes what it thinks of; in meditation it is given the highest idea, Parama Puruśa, and brought back to Him every time it wanders. So, little by little, the mind takes His form and grows. The bonds that kept it small snap, and it merges in Him. That is the goal of yoga.

  1. 01

    As we think, so we become

    The mind becomes what it thinks about. If we think that we are weak, useless and unsure, we will be like that. If we think that we are confident, able to do anything, strong, we will be like that.

    “It is the innate characteristic of the human mind to become as it thinks – Yádrshii bhávaná yasya siddhirbhavati tádrshii [“As you think, so you become”].”
    Ánanda Vacanámrtam 4, “Tantra Is Sádhaná, Sádhaná Is Tantra”
  2. 02

    In meditation we take the highest idea

    In meditation the same law works. We take the high idea of Supreme Consciousness and concentrate on it. What we think of, we become.

    “To associate oneself with Parama Puruśa, the Supreme Entity, is the actual sádhaná. There is no one greater than Parama Puruśa, and so, when the mind ideates on Him, it expands.”
    Ánanda Vacanámrtam 4, “Tantra Is Sádhaná, Sádhaná Is Tantra”
  3. 03

    We bring the mind back, again and again

    When our thoughts go in another direction, we bring our attention back to this idea, again and again, and keep this object in the mind. This continued practice is called abhyása.

    “Abhyása is the creation of a particular continuous psychic vibration. It is the most essential factor in the spiritual sphere.”
    Subháśita Saḿgraha 8, “Psychic Assimilation in Psycho-Spiritual Practice”
  4. 04

    By concentrating on it, we become it

    Because we keep concentrating on this object, on this idea of Supreme Consciousness, we become it. Little by little we become better, and we become this idea.

    “If all the tendencies are directed towards Brahma, they will become subtler and subtler and will ultimately merge in Brahma.”
    Subháśita Saḿgraha 1, “Spiritual Practice and the Cosmic Science”
  5. 05

    The bonds snap

    A mind that grows toward Him does not stay inside its old limits. When a body tied with a rope expands, the rope snaps; in the same way, when the mind expands, the bonds of crudity that kept it small snap.

    “Similarly, the moment your mind expands, the bondages of Prakrti, which had kept you so small, will snap, will be ripped apart.”
    Ánanda Vacanámrtam 4, “Tantra Is Sádhaná, Sádhaná Is Tantra”
  6. 06

    The direct way

    Meditation is the direct practice for reaching this, and it is the only way to reach Supreme Consciousness: we concentrate on it, and what we think of, we become.

    “Only by advancing in the direction of Brahma, and by attaining this original form, can human beings be liberated from this illusory world.”
    Subháśita Saḿgraha 1, “Spiritual Practice and the Cosmic Science”

What it is

Sádhaná means a systematic and sustained effort, through proper cultivation, to become established in a chosen field; to practice dhyána, meditation, is sádhaná. Its goal is the all-round elevation of the human being. It does not teach renunciation of the world; it teaches the proper use of one’s subtle and crude potentialities.

In the sources

“Sádhaná means a systematic and sustained endeavour through proper cultivation to be established in a particular vidyá or recognized branch of science. To practice dhyána or meditation is also a process of sádhaná.”Subháśita Saḿgraha 9, “Ideation on Brahma”

“Just as it is necessary to follow a suitable system in the social and economic spheres, in exactly the same manner it is necessary to advance scientifically with proper discipline in the physical and mental spheres.”Caryácarya 1, “Sádhaná”

“Do not have breakfast until you have finished your Iishvara prańidhána in the morning. Likewise, do not take your evening meal until you have completed your evening Iishvara prańidhána.”Caryácarya 2, “Sádhaná (Intuitional Practice)”

“Twice daily before your regular meditation, and before any other time of meditation, bath or vyápaka shaoca (thorough cleanliness, half bath) must be done.”Caryácarya 2, “The Body”

“The weekly dharmacakra must be attended when you are in good health.”Caryácarya 2, “Sádhaná (Intuitional Practice)”

More about meditation

What meditation is and what it is not, what it gives, and how to begin.

Learn meditation

When to meditate

Twice a day: in the morning before breakfast, and in the evening before the evening meal.

Before each meditation, a bath or a half bath (vyápaka shaoca).

Once a week, together with others, at dharmacakra.

How it is learned

Learned personally, from an ácárya

This practice is taught in six lessons, one at a time, by a trained teacher (an ácárya), personally and free of charge. Each lesson is given when the one before it is steady. What is given is kept private, so it is not described here.

Request personal instruction

Learning from a teacher

“Emancipation can be achieved by intuitional practice (sádhaná), and so there must be a special technique for it. This can only be taught by one who knows the technique. It is, therefore, necessary for learning intuitional practice to find a teacher who knows this technique.”Ananda Marga: Elementary Philosophy, “Intuitional Practice and Its Necessity”

“Besides this, it is not possible for anyone to learn an art all by themselves. One must have someone who can teach them or whom they can imitate. Such a person from whom one can learn an art is a preceptor. Intuitional practice (sádhaná) is also an art and has to be learned from a preceptor.”Ananda Marga: Elementary Philosophy, “Intuitional Practice and Its Necessity”

“A person of twelve or above may only be initiated by an ácárya/á, a táttvika, or a dharmamitram.”Caryácarya 1, “The Process of Initiation”

Do I Need A Teacher?Open on YouTube ↗
Do I Need A Teacher?

The restless mind

Most of the time the human mind is scattered: now and then it calms down or is taken up by something, but mostly it jumps from thought to thought. It is with such a mind that sádhaná begins.

Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti
“The restless mind which begins the process of sádhaná can be calmed down through regular practice. Ultimately a state is reached when the mind flows undisturbed in one direction. This state is called ekágra bhúmi (state of concentration).”
Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti, Subháśita Saḿgraha 8, “Cognitive Force and Psychic Practice”

What studies of the wandering mind found

  • A phone app asked 2,250 adults at random moments what they were doing and what they were thinking about. Their minds were away from what they were doing 46.9% of the time, and they were less happy while their minds wandered.

    Killingsworth MA, Gilbert DT, 2010, Science

  • Fourteen meditators, in a brain scanner, pressed a button each time they noticed that the mind had wandered from the object of their meditation, and brought it back. The scans showed a cycle of four phases, wandering, noticing, turning back and holding the attention, each carried by its own network in the brain.

    Hasenkamp W et al., 2012, NeuroImage

  • In experienced meditators, the main centres of the brain network that is active when the mind wanders were less active than in people who had never meditated, in every kind of meditation studied.

    Brewer JA et al., 2011, PNAS

Stories

  • Your sádhaná is going well

    One day, in September 1990, we were in Kolkata, and Bábá called me at around four in the evening. I went and did sastángá prańám to Bábá. He was cheerful. Looking at me, Bábá said, "Keshavánanda, do Márgiis sometimes say," Dádájii, now-a-days our sádhaná is not going well. We are afraid that we might lose complete interest and abandon the path of sádhaná altogether. Kindly tell us what to do?" I humbly replied," Yes, Bábá, the Márgiis often make such complaints." Bábá asked," What did you tell them?" I replied," I told them not to get upset, that slowly and gradually things will improve, and not to leave their sádhaná." Bábá said, "No, no! Your answer is not correct." "Then what should I say Bábá?" I humbly asked. Bábá said, "When someone says this, you should say, 'It means that your sádhaná is going well.'" I got upset and said, "Bábá, then the Márgiis will get annoyed!" Bábá said, "No, no!" Then He explained, "What is sádhaná? The psychic waves of all human beings are curved. As you progress in sádhaná, the curvature goes on decreasing and the psychic waves are gradually straightened. A day comes when the psychic waves become parallel with total alleviation of curvature, facilitating merger of unit mind into Cosmic Mind." I asked Him, "Bábá, how long will it take to develop interest in sádhaná again?" Bábá replied, "It depends upon the individual sádhaka. It may happen in a day or it may take a long time." Being encouraged by Bábá's interest in replying my queries, I asked, "Is there no way?" Bábá said, "Yes, there is. Do three things: first, kirtana — secondly, svádhyáya — and thirdly, satsauṋga. If one follows this dictum, again sádhaná will be better. A day will come when unit psychic waves will come in close contact with the Cosmic Wave. Slowly the merger of unit mind into Cosmic Mind will be attained."Read the story

    — Ácárya Keshavánanda Avadhúta, Kolkata, September 1990, Ácárya Keshavánanda Avadhúta, “Reminiscences of Bábá: Memoirs”, “8.8. How to Be Firm in Sádhana”

  • If they sit

    We were sitting in front of Bábá. He said: Tell the Márgiis I will not be unhappy if they don't do any work for me. However, they'll bring me joy if they do just two things-sitting for sádhaná twice daily and eating a hundred percent sentient diet. Some Márgiis don't sit for sádhaná in the evening because they are too tired. Yet, their meditation is not their burden -it's mine. Therefore, if they sit, I'll do their sádhaná. So what else do they want? Sádhakas should also never put támasik food in their mouths, just like they would not put a drop of poison in them.Read the story

    — Ác. Shamitánanda Avadhúta, sitting in front of Bábá, Ác. Shamitánanda Avadhúta, “Bábá Unparalleled: 102 Stories”, no. 92

  • One minute at each end of the day

    In the Nursing Home, there was a nurse whose name was Mrs. Modaka. She was a religious lady who looked after Bábá with sincerity and devotion. One day, Bábá inspired her to learn sádhaná. It was noontime and Kimshuk was also with me in Bábá's room. Bábá said to Mrs. Modaka, "Human beings should also devote some time for sádhaná in addition to their worldly duties." She said, "Bábá, I don't have time. I come from Ichhapur and have to start at 7 a.m. to reach here. It is 8 p.m. when I leave to go home, Bábá." Bábá said, "You can find time if you wish." But Mrs. Modaka was reluctant. She kept on saying, "Bábá, I don't have time." Bábá was persistently trying to bring her around, as He wanted to bless her. He asked, "Well, don't you sleep at night?" She said, "Yes, Bábá, but it is midnight when I go to bed." "And don't you get up in the morning?" Bábá asked. She replied, "Yes Bábá, I do get up. But I have to prepare tea, send the children to school, and perform other household duties." Then Bábá said, "Well, along with all this work, spare one minute before going to bed at night and one minute after getting up in the morning for sádhaná. What Bábá said proved to be inspiring guidance for her. She said," I can certainly give this much time, Bábá!" Bábá said," Go and do this much and you will be happy." Then Bábá blessed her. This was Bábá's especial grace.Read the story

    — Ácárya Keshavánanda Avadhúta, in Bábá’s room at the Nursing Home, Ácárya Keshavánanda Avadhúta, “Reminiscences of Bábá: Memoirs”, “7.8. Inspiration for Sádhana”

  • Don’t miss that moment

    One day at noon time Bábá called me into His room. Bábá was lying down. When I went inside, I felt a special vibration inside the room. My eyes automatically closed. I did not want to think about anything else except my inner self. Bábá said to me, "You cannot do good meditation all the time but when the mind is in a higher level then don't miss that opportunity, utilize that time by doing more meditation." Then He told me, "Now you go and do meditation."Read the story

    — A worker called into Bábá’s room at noon, Ac. Dhyaneshananda, “Stories of Bábá”, no. 48

  • Hours in a closed cell

    … Let me relate something more. It was His usual practice to do evening sádhaná from five or six o'clock until eight or half-past eight. We followed the same schedule in a neighbouring cell. After sádhaná He would walk up and down in the open space in front of His cell until about nine. We would walk with Him. One night when we were walking with Him, I noticed that His lungi was quite soaked. I said, "Your lungi seems to be wet." He said bluntly, "Yes, it is wet, and it gets wet like this every day. As I do sádhaná for long hours in a closed cell, I perspire a lot and the upper part of the lungi gets soaked. So, after I sit up, I turn the lungi upside down so that it can dry during my evening stroll." There was no window in that tiny cell; there was not even a vent. No breeze could get access to it. Nevertheless, He remained absorbed in sádhaná despite the heat that caused Him to sweat profusely. Once He drew our attention to the fact that the blanket on which he sat for sádhaná was wet all the way through, but He said in an unperturbed voice, "It is of no importance because it happens daily. The blanket gets wet when I do sádhaná for hours at a stretch." He never shortened His sádhaná even a little bit though He must have suffocated in that closed cell. We never heard Him comment that the sweltering heat had in any way interfered with His sádhaná. …Read the story

    — Ác. Sarveshvaránanda Avadhúta, who attended Bábá in His cell, Ác. Sarveshvaránanda Avadhúta, “My Days With Bábá”, “1.5. Sincerity in Spiritual Practice”

What Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti said

  • “Meditation is trying to make the “I” feeling coincide with the subjectivated form. Because it is a coincidence of “I” feeling, it is concentrated thinking. In other words, the endeavour to make the controlling point of the “I” feeling coincide with some other subjectivated form is called meditation.”
    Yoga Psychology, “Ideation and Meditation”
  • “Sádhaná, after all, is a scientific process by which the entire psycho-physical existence is divinized.”
    Ánanda Vacanámrtam 33, “Bhusuku and Brahmabháva”
  • “During Kiirtana what happens? The mind gets lifted, exalted, and as a result you will enjoy a particular nature of peace. And if you start your Sádhaná just after doing Kiirtana, you will enjoy bliss.”
    Ánanda Vacanámrtam 12, “The Chance to Be One with Him”
  • “Human life is short. It is wise to get all the instructions regarding Sádhaná (intuitional practice) as soon as possible.”
    Yogic Treatments and Natural Remedies, “Appendix G: Mental Purity”
  • “Everything requires a base; if life does not have a strong base, it is disrupted by an ordinary storm. Brahma is the strongest base.”
    Caryácarya 2, “Sádhaná (Intuitional Practice)”

Videos

  • How to Become a Person You Want to Be? Brief Theory of Meditation.Open on YouTube ↗

    How to Become a Person You Want to Be? Brief Theory of Meditation.

  • The different stages of meditation - English Discourse by Shrii Shrii AnandamurtiOpen on YouTube ↗

    The different stages of meditation - English Discourse by Shrii Shrii Anandamurti

  • What is Meditation | Benefits of MeditationOpen on YouTube ↗

    What is Meditation | Benefits of Meditation

  • What is Meditation? - 1. Nourishing the Mind.Open on YouTube ↗

    What is Meditation? - 1. Nourishing the Mind.

  • What is meditation? - 2. Cleansing the Mind.Open on YouTube ↗

    What is meditation? - 2. Cleansing the Mind.

  • What is meditation? - 3. Exercising the Mind.Open on YouTube ↗

    What is meditation? - 3. Exercising the Mind.

  • What is Meditation? - 4. Resting the MindOpen on YouTube ↗

    What is Meditation? - 4. Resting the Mind

  • What Is the Goal of Meditation?Open on YouTube ↗

    What Is the Goal of Meditation?

  • Why MeditateOpen on YouTube ↗

    Why Meditate

  • Meditation is Concentrated Thinking || Learn with Acarya Ragamayananda AvadhutaOpen on YouTube ↗

    Meditation is Concentrated Thinking || Learn with Acarya Ragamayananda Avadhuta

  • Do I Need A Teacher?Open on YouTube ↗

    Do I Need A Teacher?

  • What is the best time and place to meditate?Open on YouTube ↗

    What is the best time and place to meditate?

  • Dada Cidghanananda: Introducing MeditationOpen on YouTube ↗

    Dada Cidghanananda: Introducing Meditation

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