What is Sādhanā?

“Sādhanā” is a word you may have heard – it’s a word that comes from the Sanskrit root sadhu, meaning “go straight to a goal”, and is used in Buddhism and Hinduism (and other traditions) to signify a daily spiritual practice. There are many perspectives on what it means to have a Sādhanā, how to do it, and what the point of having one is. Here I am going to offer you mine.

Ultimately, Sādhanā is using your will in the service of devotion. Sādhanā means that however separate and confused we may feel, we recognize in each moment the opportunity for connection to Self. By coming back to our spiritual practice in a regular rhythm, we grind down the habits of body and mind that reinforce the conditioning of separateness. Rain or shine, through all the hills and valleys of life, we come back to it as a reminder of the silent center of all being.

Some will tell you things like “just start meditating and your life will be filled with love and light, you will sleep better and be more relaxed and attain all of your goals”. Bullshit. Keeping the discipline of Sādhanā means so much more than that – and while you may have these experiences through meditation, they have nothing to do with what it means to live in the eternal present. Recognizing the silent witness at the center of all experience is the beginning of Sādhanā, not the end. And that recognition creates an incredible friction in us! How can it be that all that I experience so powerfully in life is simply the radiant play of consciousness? What the hell is going on here?

And in this, we are all equal. No one is better able or equipped to to engage this question than anyone else. We all must face it in our own way. Plenty of people will tell you how to approach it, and what the ultimate meaning of it is, and much of what they say is helpful and very, very interesting. But it all must go by-the-by at a certain point, because the map is not the territory.

So back to the question of Sādhanā – what is it? It’s very simply that part of ourselves that recognizes one’s spiritual nature, coupled with the will to overcome ALL obstacles in the search for wholeness. It is truly the spirit of the warrior.

So, the various “spiritual” practices are (mostly) a reflection of this and a practical application of it – and that’s great! As Ferris Bueller famously said, “if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up”.

— Albee Kara, Jan. 8, 2023