Austerities as a Form of Yajna: The Path of Self-Discipline
In the previous article, we discussed Dravya Yajna (yajna of distributing resources) and in this article we will discuss Tapah Yajna (Yajna of austerities).
Austerities (Tapasya), a practice of self-discipline and self-denial, is a form of Yajna. By subjecting oneself to physical and mental hardships, one can purify the mind, body, and soul. Lord Krishna transforms this difficult practice into “Tapah Yajna”.
The Spiritual Significance of Austerities:
Austerities help cultivate self-control, a crucial virtue for spiritual growth. By reducing distractions, austerities can enhance focus and concentrationon the spiritual contemplations. Through self-discipline, one can develop emotional stability and this enables flow of devotion to the almighty.
Austerities can be physical austerities like fasting, celibacy…etc or mental austerities like chanting specific number of mantras, kriya yoga…etc.
Austerities can also be traditional ones – like sankashta hara Ganapati vrat, Masa-Shivaratri vrat, Masa Durga Ashtami Vrat…etc
The Ritual Stance: A Practical Approach
Ritual stance: The ritual stance is a powerful technique for incorporating austerity into daily life. By adopting a ritualistic approach to our daily activities, we can transform mundane tasks into spiritual practices. For example, these actions can be done first – deliberately and mechanically. Once they become habitual, a deeper understanding of the action and their results can be observed.
A progressive approach: Imagine you want to cultivate the habit of fasting. Initially, you may find it challenging to go without food. To overcome this, you can start by setting a progressive goal – say once in 15 days – minimal & plant-based diet. By committing to it, regardless of how you feel, you can progressively reach complete fasting.
Train your brain: In the beginning, you’re consciously forcing yourself to perform rituals or austerities. It might feel artificial or even uncomfortable. But hold on to your ritual stance. Over time, as you consistently practice, your brain begins to form neural pathways associated with this behaviour. It becomes easier to perform the ritual or the austerity without much conscious effort.
Habit: As rituals become habits, you start to experience its benefits more deeply. You may notice increased health & mindfulness, reduced stress, and improved focus. This naturally turn you inward and helps you stay focused.
By starting with deliberate and mechanical actions, we can gradually build habits that become second nature. As these habits become ingrained, we can delve deeper into their underlying meaning and purpose. The entire process can be turned into a spiritual practice by performing them as Tapah Yajna!
Here is what you can do:
Oblation: Offer all your sufferings & pleasures in performing austerities as oblation to almighty in the fire of mind.
Morning Ritual: Wake up early, practice yoga, meditate and perform pooja before starting the day.
Evening Ritual: Spend time in quiet reflection, read spiritual texts and chant mantras.
During the day: Listen to spiritual discourses while taking break or while performing mundane jobs.
Periodic rituals: Perform vrats like sankashta hara Ganapati vrat, Masa-Shivaratri vrat, Masa Durga Ashtami Vrat…etc
Remember:
Prioritize Your Loved Ones: Avoid rituals that cause stress for your loved ones at home. Perform rituals in a way that brings joy and peace to your loved ones.
Do not compromise work or work relationships: Be mindful of your duties and do not compromise on the quality of your work. Be mindful of your coworkers’ workload and stress levels.
Avoid fake Gurus: Do not fall in to the trap of fake Gurus and their rituals. Check whether they possess adequate knowledge of Vedic scriptures and whether they are considerate of other’s needs. If they are imposing or cultish, quit immediately.
Avoid fancy rituals and overspending: Rituals are for developing self-control and its by-product is social harmony. Hence, do not perform rituals for show-off and avoid overspending.
By practicing austerities, even in small ways, we can cultivate a deeper connection with ourselves and the divine. Remember, the goal of austerity is not to suffer or make others suffer, but to purify and elevate our consciousness.
By practicing this Tapah Yajna, we can elevate uncomfortable acts of austerities into astonishing spiritual experiences.
In the next article, we will discuss the sixth yajna – “Yoga Yajna”.
Madhwesh K
Vedic Tribe
