Sadhu
|
In Hinduism, sadhu is a common term for an ascetic or practitioner of yoga (yogi) who has given up pursuit of the first three Hindu goals of life: kama (pleasure), artha (wealth and power) and even dharma (duty). The sadhu is solely dedicated to achieving moksha (liberation) through meditation and contemplation of God. Although the term Sadhu has its roots in Hinduism it is also used for followers of other religions, if they live a Sadhu life. There are Sadhus in Sikhism as well.
Vedic textual data suggest that asceticism in India - in forms similar to that practiced by sadhus today - dates back to 1500 BCE; the present-day sadhus of India likely represent the oldest continuous tradition of monastic mystical practice in the world.
In Theravada Buddhism, the term is used from the ancient Pali root language to denote agreement with something which was said, or after a discourse of the Buddha was recited. It is repeated three times — "Sādhu! Sādhu! Sādhu!" — with the intended effect of "Well said, well put, we agree".[1]
Sadhus are often sanyasi, or renunciates, who have left behind all material and sexual attachments and live in caves, forests and temples all over India. The word comes from the Sanskrit "to practice", referring to the practice of meditation. See sadhana.
A sadhu is usually referred to as baba by common people. The word 'baba' means father, or uncle, in most Indian languages. Sometimes the respectful suffix 'ji' may also be added after baba, to give greater respect to the renunciant.
There are up to 15,000,000 sadhus in India today and they are still widely respected, revered and even feared, especially for their curses. It is also thought that the austere practices of the sadhus help to burn off their karma and that of the community at large. Thus seen as benefiting society, sadhus are supported by donations from many people.
Sadhus are not unified in their practices. Some live in the mountains alone for years at a time, eating only bananas. Others walk around with one arm in the air for decades until the fingers withdraw into stumps. Still others partake in the religious consumption of charas, a form of cannabis and contemplate the cosmic nature and presence of God in the smoke patterns.
There are naked Naga (Digambara, or "sky-clad") sadhus with thick dreadlocks, or Jata, who carry swords. Aghora sadhus may keep company with ghosts, or live in cemeteries as part of their holy path (See: Aghori). Indian culture tends to emphasize an infinite number of paths to God, such that sadhus, and the varieties that sadhus come in, all have their place.
There are two primary sectarian divisions within the sadhu community: Shaiva sadhus, ascetics devoted to the god Shiva, and Vaishnava sadhus, renouncers devoted to the god Vishnu and/or his incarnations, which include Ram and Krishna. Less numerous are Shakta sadhus, who are devoted to the Goddess - or Shakti, the divine energy - in one form or another. Within these general divisions are numerous sects and subsects, reflecting different lineages and philosophical schools and traditions (often referred to as "sampradayas").
The largest Shaiva sampradaya is called the Dashnami - or Ten Names; sadhus in the sect take one of the ten names as an appellation upon initiation. The sect is said to have been formed by the philosopher and renunciant Shankara, believed to have lived in the 8th century CE, though the full history of the sect's formation is not clear. The Vaishnava sect with the greatest number of members - and indeed the largest sadhu sect in contemporary India - is the Ramanandi sect, said to have been founded by a medieval teacher of bhakti, or devotion, named Ramananda.
Shaiva sadhus are known as "sanyasis," those who have renounced, or laid down, while Vaishnavas call themselves "vairagis," or dispassionate ones. The terms reflect the different worldviews of the two groups: the philosophy of Shaiva asceticism and renunciation is, in many ways, more austere and radical than that of the Vaishnavas. The Shaiva ascetic worldview emphasizes a radical separation from the mainstream social world and complete commitment to liberation from "samsara," the world of birth and death, coming and going, while Vaishnavas emphasize remaining engaged in the non-sadhu social world through compassionate service.
While sadhus ostensibly leave behind caste at initiation, the caste backgrounds of initiates does influence the sects into which they are admitted; certain ascetic groups, such as the Dandis within the Dashnami sampradaya, are composed only of men of brahmin birth, while other groups admit people from a wide variety of caste backgrounds.
The ruggedness of the sadhu life deters many from following the sadhu path. Such practices as the obligatory early morning bath in the cold mountains require a detachment from common luxuries. After the bath, sadhus gather around the dhuni, or holy fireplace, and begin with their prayers and meditation for the day.
Some sadhus dispense cures to the local community, remove evil eyes or bless a marriage. They are a walking reminder to the average Hindu of Divinity. They're generally allowed free passage on the trains and are a closely-knit organization. Some were even militant in the old days, and even now, the Naga babas carry their swords with them.
Many sadhus have entered the Guinness World Records for feats of marathon endurance including standing for 17 years, staying in the same place for more than two decades, crawling 1400 km and many similar efforts, in their quest to attain liberation. Kumbh Mela, a mass gathering of sadhus from all parts of India, takes place every four years at one of four points along sacred rivers in India, including the holy River Ganges. Sadhus of all sects join in this reunion. Millions of non-sadhu pilgrims also attend the festivals, and the Kumbh Mela is said to be the largest gathering of human beings for a single purpose on the planet. - excerpted from Wikipedia, 2006 |
______________________________________________________________
