Emotional Elevation by Soaham Japa

No upasana could be complete without incorporating Japa, dhyana (meditation) and bhavana - emotional sincerity and linkage with the divine goal of upasana. Literally speaking upasana means - sitting near by. Sitting near an idol or picture or any other symbol of God, worshiping it with the help of flowers, sacred water, candan aksata etc and uttering some prayers and mantras in front of it might be useful for conditioning the mind for an upasana. But, this alone does not serve the real purpose. Faith in the divine disciplines, through pondering over the latter and adopting them in all aspects of life …., and development of the personality so as to nature the virtues that uplift it towards the ideals of morality, near the level of an angelic being - are essential for performing an upasana.

Faith in God becomes meaningful only when thy disciplines and the duties assigned by thou materialize in the devotee's life. Gradual elevation of the devotee's behavior, qualities, thoughts, emotions and deeds is an indication of his proximity with his ideal (the deity, whose upasana is being attempted by the devotee). This is indeed the criterion for judging the sincere performance of his upasana.

Reading religious or morally inspiring literature, visiting the shrines and firths and recalling their memories - these practices give support in restraining the agility of the mind and focusing it for meditation during an upasana. Different methods of japa and dhyana are taught under different religious and spiritual schools. But, the sadhana of Soaham can be regarded as a universal upasana. Every human being can perform it.

As mentioned earlier, this universal sadhana involves japa (of Soaham through the breath), Dhyana (meditation on the subtle sound of 'so' and 'ham') along with emotional depth (to contemplate and feel that "I" am an expression of the Brahm). This is indeed an upasana of the limitless eternal expression of the Brahm. No rituals, no other methodology, need be performed with this sadhana. In this sadhana, the devotee realizes his closest link with thee by experiencing thy presence in the inner self. There could be no upasana as complete as this experience is. By sincere practice and strength of internal faith and sraddha such a realization becomes easy and it intensifies as the Soaham Sadhana progresses.

Worshiping God's idols with the feelings like that of "Twaneva mata ca pita twameva, Twameva banduh ca sakha twameva… - regarding thou as the mother, father, friend, the most near and dear one", is an ideal example of the dvaita bhava in upasana. Thyself and the individual self are regarded as two and the latter devotes himself under the divine shelter of thy grace. The Soaham Sadhana is an upasana of advaita bhava. Here, devotee's self and the God are regarded as one - both being the integral reflections, manifestations, of the Brahm

If the swaras of 'so' and 'ham' are recognized separately and the existence of the divine powers of the Brahm and the conscious form of the individual self is experienced differently then the Pranayama of Soaham Sadhana would correspond  to a 'davaita upasana'. Moreover, if the presence of air - a jada element of nature, is also felt along with the sounds of breathing then this would be a traite bhava. A Sadhaka is free to select any 'bhava' suitable to him during the sacrifice and complete unification in sublimity.

The soul remains a jivatma only till it is asleep under the illusions of maya. The jivatma recognize itself only as the body and the mind in ordinary humans. The spiritual charge of upasana and Sadhana removes the mists of ignorance that shrouded it. The inner self is then purified and enlightened as an eternal reflection of divinity. The emotional power of the Sadhaka used in the advaita bhava of the Soaham Sadhana awakens and elevates the state of the soul to revive its original glory and its unity with the Brahm begins to reflect in the Sadhaka's personality.