In every serious spiritual tradition, there is a time for long solitary sadhana (retreats) – a time when one can make a serious spiritual breakthrough and deepen the knowledge of Atman, one's divine essence.
Supporting the provision of long-term retreats is an opportunity, even while engaged in everyday activities, to become part of the spiritual experience nurtured by monks practicing in retreats. After all, as is known, if the ground of wisdom of one monk has grown, it influences the entire Sangha, for we are a single field.
“In retreat, being alone with God, your mind, and your karma, you will re-evaluate all your views on life and the world; you will know your own worth and understand your karma. You will understand who you really are and what this life is. You will learn the value of your words and thoughts, as well as what lies behind them. You will understand that a day, and even a minute, of practice is more valuable than a thousand words and many years of reasoning about it.”
Sadguru Swami Vishnudevananda Giri, Code of the Master
For centuries, sadhus have gone far away from people – into seclusion or hermitages – where they devoted all their strength to knowing God, and today the same thing happens.
In our tradition, Gurudev has established a stable system of retreat practices for both monks and lay disciples. The training program outlines various options for solitude:
- 1-3-5 days;
- 1-3-5 months;
- one-year retreats;
- 3-year retreats;
- 5-year retreats.
The longer the retreat and the more intense it is, the more powerful transformation it can bring, and the more preparation it requires. Therefore, long-term seclusions in the community are currently undertaken only by experienced monks who have completed a 12-year course of study and are ready for serious spiritual work.
Retreats are a deep transformation; they are tapasya – spiritual ignition, self-transcendence. As a result of such asceticism, pure spiritual energy is generated, which in the Vedic tradition is called shuddha-sattva (holiness and purity that transcends duality).
Therefore, providing for long-term retreats, where the energy of holiness is born, is a great merit.
It is an opportunity, even while engaged in everyday activities, to become part of the spiritual experience nurtured by monks practicing in retreats.
It is an opportunity to create such karmic causes that will ensure your own successful completion of long-term sadhanas in the future, and therefore a serious spiritual transformation.
