A devotee’s question: Radhe Radhe Didi. This is about ekant sadhana. I experience a lot of ups and downs. Like one day, the sadhana will be so good. You stay there for hours, and you don't realize. And then exactly the next day, you wake up thinking, “Oh my God, I'm going to do even better sadhana,” and then it goes down. And then if the chain happens like that continuously, you start getting demotivated, and you don't want to wake up, and you don't want to do it because you don't know. So how do you deal with the ups and downs?
Sushree Gopeshwari Devi Ji’s answer: Well, the ups and downs, the reason for that is your own prarabdh, or it could be your own carelessness, either.
If it's your prarabdh, it will come very forcefully, despite the fact that you'll fight against it, but you continue to fight. Just like when you are climbing a very steep mountain, at that time it seems you cannot go any further. No, you can't; you'll fall. No, keep going. Just be there. Just don't lose your hope and keep putting your strength. You may move very, very slowly, but don't let go. So this is how you'll have to do with your sadhana practice. It may seem that you're not doing anything, but be there. Be grounded. And you'll have to fight. You have to become a fighter if you really want to attain your goal in this life.
And if the ups and downs are coming with your carelessness, of course, you have to become more and more cautious, careful about the significance of this human life. You have to work hard here as well. You have to talk to your mind. You have to fight with your mind. And you have to tell your intellect. You join (your) Intellect, buddhi, and you unite yourself with Guru's buddhi and God's buddhi. Now, whatever Guru is saying, that's what needs to be practiced, not whatever I'm trying to say. And never, ever allow your mind to just rule over your buddhi. And your buddhi, of course, it is also mayic. So join this intellect with Guru's intellect, and let the intellect rule the mind.
मन तो अपना मन माना करेगा
Man to apnā man mānā karegā.
“The mind will want to do this (listen to itself).”
So do not procrastinate, and do not become lazy and careless, if that is the reason.
Now, still, if the ups and downs are coming, then the only thing that we human beings can do is continuously, constantly put in the effort to practice sadhana honestly. Help will come. It will come. It could be your prarabdh, and that prarabdh will go away. It doesn't remain there all the time. It may take time. Have hope. Be optimistic. And if it's your carelessness and laziness, you have to fight and let it go, because that's wrong. Your prarabdh could be really good, but you may be just lazy or careless. And that can be dealt with proper understanding.
