In
the eyes of foreigners, visual appearance of Sadhus (holy man) and Sadhvi (holy
female) perplex them. A lot of questions and curiosities run in their mind
while it’s a common appearance for Indians.
As per the holy books, Sadhus would pray to God for several years to attain enlightenment and to understand the purpose of the existing life. Presently a few people believe that Sadhus acquire mystical knowledge and power to find out the future. Because they are considered virtuous, many feared for their curses too. Some live in mountains, caves, ashrams, temples for years to attain enlightenment. Sadhus are popularly known as “Baba” who prefers ascetic life. Babas are devoted to a few Gods and Goddess of India such as God Shiva and God Vishnu.
In
India, one can experience to see things differently such as we cannot touch the
sun but we can experience the sun rays and add more meaning to its rays such as
a source of energy, surviving and a destroying agent too. Similarly, Indian
concept of holiness starts with a holy man and woman too.
Understanding Sadhus’ life closely
What
does dreadlock Hair, Tilak, bizarre life and yoga resembles in the Sadhus’ life?
Each
human being tries to perform or implement something which is closely associated
with their role model. This psychologically guides their life during the
development process. Many of us would have seen children imitating their adults’
behavior and style just to get closer to them. Based on our perception, we
strive for happiness in what way we could. Similarly sadhus follow their own
way of life.
Dreadlock Hair contrasting being
Bald – Both Dreadlock (Jata) and bald sadhus are seen in
India. Both approaches are completely different still views are respected. Jata
dhari Sadhus believe that having dreadlock hair resembles strength and power. In
ancient times, Lord Shiva used his mattered lock hair to control the force of
River Ganga on his head. Having dreadlock is a way to show the unique
expression of a cultural connection and an attitude toward strong religious
energies.
In contrast being bald is considered to be a sacred ceremony. Hair is a matter of pride and glorifies a person’s look. On shaving off the head, it’s believed that we are getting rid of our pride and ego. Thus it’s a small step taken to be closer to God without any negative thought in mind.
Vibrant colors on forehead-Popularly known as Tilak, it’s an auspicious mark worn on forehead. Usually sadhus put turmeric, sandal, ash, red turmeric and saffron. All these material used for Tilak have medicinal properties. The U shape or V shape mark on the forehead provides a cooling effect on forehead which helps in concentration and meditation. Applying tilak in a particular style helps to identify the particular sect (Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu). This also helps in uniting the other people following the same path. Tilak reminds of love, sharing and positivity with others and be away from anger, jealousy and sexual feeling.
Renounce Worldly life–It’s believed that world is full of Mayas. All of us are bound with each other through love, care and affection. Once we are devoid of these social obligations, we can be completely free and concentrate on achieving enlightenment. Thus Sadhus free themselves from the social bonds and family attachments to come closer to Nirvana. The inner confidence and contentment with the nature are their strength. In this generation of mobile phones, computers and comfortable life, material possession for them is of no use. They walk several hundred kilometers sometimes with very less clothes and food. Hopefully their self-confidence encourages them to make their own destination and follow their own way of life.
Mysterious Yoga Postures–Modern
generation needs a yoga mat, yoga dress and cool place to show off their extremely
flexible body. However, Sadhus in comparison are completely different. Sadhus
who practiced knowledge and yoga for centuries are seen in postures which are
beyond imaginations. They practice complex bodily postures to demonstrate
agility and strength of a particular deity. Some vow not to sit for years while
others will fast for days together and would depend on breathing pattern to
live for days together without eating. Many of them will stand still in just
one leg. For general public, yoga is a means to attain flexibility and led a
healthy life but for Yogis, it’s a means to break illusions that are attached
to the human body. It’s a system of self-realization.
Smoking Marijuana-Followers of Lord Shiva involve themselves in the consumptions of Charas,
Chilam or Marijuana and put ashes on their whole body. They chant “Hara Hara
Mahadev” where ever they go. Basically it means, O Great God, liberate us from
all ignorance, sorrows and grievances. A large gathering of sadhus can be seen
along the sacred rivers and The Kumbh Mela festival in India reunites millions
of sadhus. It is used as a tool for self-control even in an intoxicated state.
Probably hallucination state helps them to achieve a higher divine experience.
Hype vs Reality
Most
Hindus respect Sadhus and Sadhvis however many of these are fake Babas and Mata ji’s. They indulge
in corrupt practices and try to involve the general public to gain acceptance
in the society. Many of them will be wearing colorful dresses to attract
photographers and ask money in return. This
is certainly a mockery of the pure Hindu saints. However, there are genuine
devotees too who spend their entire life to receive a spark of spiritual energy
and be able to connect with God in the present life instead of waiting for the rebirth.
So they completely dedicated themselves to achieve Moksha (liberation) through
meditation and spiritual practice.
I
don’t know if leading an ascetic life really helps in achieving enlightenment
however everyone is free to lead their own way of life. Sometimes it’s
difficult to understand other peoples’ viewpoint so it’s better to focus on
doing one’s duty and concentrate on improving the purpose of one’s life on this
earth.
