Swami Veda Bharati - Daily Schedule of a Sadhaka

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Copyright 2007 Swami Veda Bharati

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Daily Schedule of a Sadhaka

There's no point in philosophy; there's no point in information. The point that is important is practice. There are very simple things about practice, very, very simple things. All you have to do is think of regularity, frequency, length, depth, and surrender. Nothing else.

Regularity in Meditation

Regularity like your annual doctor's visit. Without regularity you will not benefit. If you meditate one day and then don't meditate for two days, on the fourth day you're starting right from the beginning. The mind is like water, meditation is like ice. To turn the random mind into a meditative mind is like freezing water into ice, giving it a fixed shape, giving it a definite direction, or opening certain channels for the flowing water, or turning a flood into a channel. If you make a few holes in the ground today and then nothing for three, four, or five days, you will have to start all over again. Regularity.

Frequency of Meditation

Frequency, twice a day. Regularity, frequency. Do it regularly, do it frequently. Twice a day. Try to repeat it many times.

Length and Depth of Meditation

Length, you determine according to your time, your inclination, and your physical and mental strength. If you sit for two hours and you don't really meditate and let your mind run around, then you have not spent any time in meditation. But if out of two hours you have spent even two minutes of real intense concentration without a break in your breath, you get somewhere. If for five minutes in the morning and five minutes in the evening out of your entire sitting period, you can sit without a break, you accomplish something.

Surrender in Meditation

Then surrender. That is the most important point, surrender and depth. Depth and surrender. Regularity, depth, and surrender; if you can combine these three you're fine. Surrender means that in meditation you do not compete, not race, not want to accomplish, not want to reach a goal, none of these. Just do it, let it flow. Surrender your body, relax it; surrender your mind, empty it of all thoughts.

The Wealth and Morality of a Sadhaka

You have a wealth. A human being is born with a certain amount of wealth. His wealth is counted not in thousand dollar bills, not in hundred dollar bills, not in dimes or pennies. Your wealth is counted in the number of years, number of months, number of days, number of breaths that you have. And let me tell you this. The number of breaths you spend meditating are well spent; the number of breaths you spend without meditation are being thrown in the garbage. It's like taking your diamonds, taking your pennies, taking your bundles upon bundles of hundred dollar bills and throwing them in the garbage can. So the breaths you use meditatively are the only breaths used properly; the rest is a waste of life.

I have only one definition of morality, and that is to ask of any thought, speech or activity: Will this lead me to self-realisation? Will this lead to the vast perfection man is capable of? If you believe in a God, will this lead me to God realisation? If it doesn't then it is immoral, it's no use, it's worthless. If eating certain kinds of food in a certain way and in a certain amount will prevent my going towards that goal, then it's immoral. If uttering a word will lead me to the center of my inner silence, it is a moral word, if it will not it's a useless thing, it's a waste. If accomplishing wealth, if gathering money will later on give me time to meditate, then go ahead and gather wealth. Otherwise God knows how many millionaires have been born on this earth but are unremembered. People remember Christ, they don't remember the millionaires of ancient Rome.