Inappropriate place/time for sadhana ?

[Nyingjé Tso]

Hi,

I would like to have your opinion and advices considering this situation please...

I have come home for a week and a half to see my family. There is also my grandmother and grandfather, I love them both very much and we are very close. Unfortunately my grandfather had a sudden, very powerful double cancer (lung and brain). He is taking heavy medication and radiotherapy that aletered his physical and mental state, unfortunately there is no hope. He is going to die soon, and the house of grandma is full of sorry, it is also very hard to see my grandpa in such a weak, horrible state...

I was wondering if it's still beneficial to keep my sadhana going during the time I am at home... is it okay, or can the general atmosphere and tought about grandpa can be a hindrance or bring bad effects ?

Is there a more appropriate mantra or spiritual practice that could be beneficial and help relieve the suffering of my family ?

Thank you very much

 

[Sb1995]

If I were you I'd buy him a tulsi malaa to wear so that Shri Vishnu could bless him in the next life. I will pray for him and your family. Jai Shri Ram

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

I'm sorry to hear about your family's suffering JB. I'm not experienced in the power of mantras or how appropriate certain rituals are.

However, I'm a believer in the power and importance of intention. If your heart and mind are steadfast and warm with good intention, I can only imagine it will change the energy in the house for the better.

This might sound strange, but why not sing? It doesn't have to be overly positive, or somber - just maybe a song your grandpa likes. Even if he cannot hear you, it might be good for others to hear. Fill the house with a gentle song.

:camp:

 

[Maya3]

So sorry to hear this. It is not easy to deal with illness and imminent death in your family.
I would chant the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra. It is healing and is considered the death conquering mantra, it is supposed to ease suffering, so that the release of the body is as easy as a cucumber falling from it's stalk.

Also if you feel that you are able to focus on your sadhana then definitely do it, but if you aren't able to focus, that is ok too.

Maya

 

[Jainarayan]

So sorry to hear this news. Maya's advice is wonderful.

 

[zenzero]

Friend JayaBholenath,

Inappropriate place/time for sadhana ?

Appreciate you for being able to have the strength to see someone whose death is imminent and bear it all even though we know that death is like a only a change of clothes.
Though am not aware of your prowess in 'mantra japa' as to be able to bring out the actual power of a mantra, it itself is a sadhana and takes years to master just a mantra as just by reading a mantra it will not be effective.
However to my understanding sadhana includes 'seva' and if done whole heartedly it brings joy to the person who is served and to the person offering it too; some where in between a merging keeps happening which is no less to merger with THAT whole for whom other forms of sadhana is undertaken. Meaning by serving your grandfather wholeheartedly and connecting with his suffering will surely ease him or try REIKI.

Love & rgds

 

[Madhuri]

I'm not sure what your sadhana involves but praying/chanting/meditating is always beneficial.
I would not do anything that disrespects the family's beliefs- so if they are strong Christian, for example, I would advice to not do anything that would cause them stress. But if there are subtle ways to help like praying then absolutely do that.

 

[Stormcry]

Pranam JayBholenath ,

This is really not good. But here I would like to give advice to your grandfather.

If he's really going to die, tell him to chant Mahamrityunjaya Mantra & to become a devotee of Suryaa. It will surely help for his health or even he can recover from those diseases.

Mahamrityunjaya mantra will help him at the time of death. You can't imagine, at the time of death person feels very severe pain. Its that pain caused by biting of thousands of Scorpions at one time. Chanting Mahamrityunjaya helps to lower this severe pain.

But my heart says that he should recite at least one verse of Bhagavata purana. It is said that whoever reads Bhagavata purana on final days of life gets liberated in parabrahma.

Hare parabry

 

[Ravi500]

I was wondering if it's still beneficial to keep my sadhana going during the time I am at home... is it okay, or can the general atmosphere and tought about grandpa can be a hindrance or bring bad effects ?

If you practice your sadhana, you emit sattvic positive vibrations which helps to calm yourself and others as well around you, and brings peace in the process. This itself brings a general sense of well-being and health around which is much needed at this time. From what I have understood, your family and ancestors too benefit from the good karma that you do, especially sadhana and seva.

You also attract God's grace which has the potential to work miracles, from countless examples I have seen and heard.

 

[ShivaFan]

Ravi gave a wise answer! It makes perfect sense, and has been proven true. Your own sadhana can infuse the akash and environment with calmness. I would give darshan and mantra to That which speaks this calmness. You only will know Who and How for that which lights this calmness. Then the way works out.
Om Namah Sivaya

 

[Makaranda]

Namaste JayaBholenath,


I hope the answers given in the thread are helpful for your present situation. I'd just like to add from my own experience that the imminent passing of a close relative is a wonderfully powerful opportunity to deeply discriminate That which does not pass away within each being, even though the body may be racked with painful terminal cancer. That which is your grandfather's innermost essence is also your own, and will never be dimmed or weakened. Please remember that when you see him again, and your calming strength will be a great support during the most difficult moments.

 

[ratikala]

Namaskaram Jayabolenath ji :namaste

many have spoken well , please use your Sadhana to give yourself the peace and calm you need to give strength to the whole family , if chanting aloud might disturb the family just chant gently to oneself , but please sit with your grandfather and chant gently to him it will help him become more relaxed you can talk gently with him , I did this with my grandmother I asked her if I could chant for her , imidiately she became more peacefull I explained to her gently not to worry but to just listen to me , I reminded her that when I was young she would sing me to sleep , so now I said it is my turn to sing you to sleep , she held my hand whilst I chanted quietly in her ear , she slipped very quickly away , this also was very helpfull to all of my family as they saw that she passed well and it was not prolonged , they were also very nervous , so my remaining calm also helped them .this will realy help the person who is leaving , if we are disturbed it will make it harder for him .

Blessings to you , remember our Tara she will give you blessings and strength :namaste

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

Vanakkam sisters/brothers

Thank you all for your advices and kind words, I will answer more in detail to some things when I have more time to post...

My sadhana is a complete stand by anyway and will remain like this for some days... you know... "ladies days" but it will continue after it's over.
I will go then with Mahamrtunjaya mantra, since I already have experience with it. I have no pronounciation problem, and have already deeply studied it, so I don't think there should be any problem...

Unfortunately I have no means to get tulasi mala here... But I have bhagavad geeta with me (always) so it should also help.

Very unusual things are happening. I have already experienced death of a dear one before and remember being overwhelmed by pain and sadness, and very stressed. I was expecting to be deeply shocked to see my grandfather in such a horrible physical state. Yet... none of this happened. I felt that the moment I saw him yesterday, something in me was shocked, and stressed, and sad and yelling. But it wasn't me. I ... wasn't that. I felt all these feelings deep within me, as if they were someone else's. I was feeling immensely calm and at peace, a complete new feeling. All I could do was to be kind, patient. And at the same time I was feeling like an "observer" of this "me" deep inside crying and sad. I don't know how to explain this... But I am peaceful. I am a few steps back from myself, witnessing feelings rising, dying, but they donnt have any grip on me. It is really a liberating feeling, as I am not bothered by inward matters, I can concentrate on helping my grandpa and grandma feel better. It is also very instructive, as I can really observe with clarity feelings, needs, desires within myself, see them, identify them, acknowledge them, then allow them to pass without affecting this peaceful part of me.

Please don't worry for me. Pray for a very kind and bright man for a painless liberation and a happy birth

Thank you very much :namaste:

 

[Makaranda]

I have already experienced death of a dear one before and remember being overwhelmed by pain and sadness, and very stressed. I was expecting to be deeply shocked to see my grandfather in such a horrible physical state. Yet... none of this happened. I felt that the moment I saw him yesterday, something in me was shocked, and stressed, and sad and yelling. But it wasn't me. I ... wasn't that. I felt all these feelings deep within me, as if they were someone else's. I was feeling immensely calm and at peace, a complete new feeling. All I could do was to be kind, patient. And at the same time I was feeling like an "observer" of this "me" deep inside crying and sad. I don't know how to explain this... But I am peaceful. I am a few steps back from myself, witnessing feelings rising, dying, but they donnt have any grip on me. It is really a liberating feeling, as I am not bothered by inward matters, I can concentrate on helping my grandpa and grandma feel better.

Very wonderful.

 

[zenzero]

Friend JayaBholenath,

We grow both physically and spiritually every moment through life.
For you this is a great learning curve.
By doing our dharma and karma we reach the other shore!

Love 7 rgds

 

[Vinayaka]

Vanakkam sisters/brothers


Very unusual things are happening. I have already experienced death of a dear one before and remember being overwhelmed by pain and sadness, and very stressed. I was expecting to be deeply shocked to see my grandfather in such a horrible physical state. Yet... none of this happened. I felt that the moment I saw him yesterday, something in me was shocked, and stressed, and sad and yelling. But it wasn't me. I ... wasn't that. I felt all these feelings deep within me, as if they were someone else's. I was feeling immensely calm and at peace, a complete new feeling. All I could do was to be kind, patient. And at the same time I was feeling like an "observer" of this "me" deep inside crying and sad. I don't know how to explain this... But I am peaceful. I am a few steps back from myself, witnessing feelings rising, dying, but they donnt have any grip on me. It is really a liberating feeling, as I am not bothered by inward matters, I can concentrate on helping my grandpa and grandma feel better. It is also very instructive, as I can really observe with clarity feelings, needs, desires within myself, see them, identify them, acknowledge them, then allow them to pass without affecting this peaceful part of me.

Please don't worry for me. Pray for a very kind and bright man for a painless liberation and a happy birth

Thank you very much :namaste:

Very nice, this is the true Hindu way. Affectionate detachment.

 

[Aupmanyav]

I was wondering if it's still beneficial to keep my sadhana going during the time I am at home... is it okay, or can the general atmosphere and thought about grandpa can be a hindrance or bring bad effects?

I suppose that would be inappropriate for theists - Sutaka, Shoucha, but remembering God has no restrictions. So, perhaps reading from scriptures, bhajans. God will guard against bad effects, do not worry about that. I see that you have your Gita, really nothing more is required. "Karmanyevādhikāraste .."

 

[Aupmanyav]

I reminded her that when I was young she would sing me to sleep, so now I said it is my turn to sing you to sleep, she held my hand whilst I chanted quietly in her ear, she slipped very quickly away, ..

Very nice, Ratikala. Brought tears to my eyes. Saw such a death in my family (my wife's grand mother), she stroked the hand of her daughter-in-law (who had lost her husband a few months ago) repeatedly and quietly passed away. You would say pious souls. Her daughter-in-law is happy with her children and grand-children.