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18. Taamali of Tamralipti -
Extreme Penance
eople who knew me as a Brahmin scholar often wonder
about my decision to become Sraman monk. Sometimes they ask me about our practice of self-restraint, fasting for days, sadhana, and penance. In their view, all this amounts to self-torture and pain. Little do they know about the joy that flows from the soul when we get in touch with it through meditation and penance! A sadhak who is truly in harmony with his soul never feels bodily pain.
Recently a childhood friend earnestly asked me, "Goyama, what do you achieve through sadhana and penance?"
I said to him, “Sadhana is a technique to achieve self-discipline. It helps us to eliminate our weaknesses and gain mastery over our mind. Mastering the mind stops it from indulging in activities that might increase karmic bondage. Sadhana helps clear our thinking, makes mind steady, reduces stress, and slows down or stops the inflow and bonding of karmic particles to the soul. Penances, on the other hand, actually help cut the existing bondage, and purify the soul.”
"How do you know?" My friend asked.
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