Doing sadhana while you are sick?

[Vajratantrika]

Greetings all,

Does anyone have any suggestions - one way or the other - about doing sadhana while you are sick? The conflict is I want to keep my practice commitments but I currently am fighting off the seasonal flu. My energy is very low. Has anyone ever received teachings on this? Perhaps I should do a scaled down version of my daily sadhana or perhaps even wait until I feel better? Any thoughts?

[dzoki]

In my own experience praticing while being sick was even more powerful than while being ok. Of course it is difficult, I felt like fainting, at the same time the presence was much stronger. In the end the sickness went on in much easier way and I recovered much quicker (at least that is what seemed to me).

[heart]

Greetings all,

Does anyone have any suggestions - one way or the other - about doing sadhana while you are sick? The conflict is I want to keep my practice commitments but I currently am fighting off the seasonal flu. My energy is very low. Has anyone ever received teachings on this? Perhaps I should do a scaled down version of my daily sadhana or perhaps even wait until I feel better? Any thoughts?

Do a very short session, you can do it in bed if you feel weak.

/magnus

[catmoon]

Absolutely, scale it down if you are not up to it. Dead Buddhists tell no pujas.

[Vajratantrika]

In my own experience praticing while being sick was even more powerful than while being ok. Of course it is difficult, I felt like fainting, at the same time the presence was much stronger. In the end the sickness went on in much easier way and I recovered much quicker (at least that is what seemed to me).

dzoki, thank you for this feedback. I was suffering from the seasonal flu here in the US, which has been pretty extreme this year as far as the flu goes - diziness, fever, chills, body aches, etc. I did attempt to perform my daily sadhana as best I could. I think being sick in itself was a great reminder of impermanence (felt like I was about to die! lol) as well as the nature of samsara and the three types of suffering (i.e. suffering of suffering, suffering of change, all pervasive suffering).

[Vajratantrika]

Do a very short session, you can do it in bed if you feel weak.

/magnus

Thank for for the advice, this is actually what I wound up doing, an abbreviated version, sitting up in my bed. I appreciate it, very helpful.

Absolutely, scale it down if you are not up to it. Dead Buddhists tell no pujas.

You had me laughing catmoon. Thanks for that, I needed the humor, and point well taken.

[Ayu]

When i'm too sick to do the practice, i just take a short refuge, say seven mantras, and do a short dedication.
Just to keep the flow.

Have a good recovery.

[Adamantine]

I went through the flu recently, was able to keep the daily commitments but I just read through them at a faster pace than normal.. did not use any melodies, etc. and did the minimum amount of recitation. It was the only way I could do it, this flu is particularly extreme. If at any point you actually can not physically do the practice, (too weak, coma, laryngitis, etc.) then if you are conscious, you can still try to keep in mind the three jewels or do inner meditation, if you are unconscious there is not much you can do unless you are at a very high level! So really, we need to do our best, that is all we can do.

[Yudron]

When I was recovering from major surgery, in pain, and on narcotics, I found I couldn't even keep my most important practice commitments for a few weeks. What I could do was remember my lama for a minute or two. Then, when I felt a little better I would recite the 100 syllable mantra as long as I could until I fell asleep or spaced out. Now I know what it will be like when I am declining at the very end of my life.

The good part is, now that I feel better I really appreciate every moment that I am able to practice and I really want to do it as much as I can.

[ngodrup]

Good post, Yudron.

[ratna]

Missing practice due to sickness is not breaking samaya, as per Kongtrul's Buddhist Ethics. Especially if one is able to do a minimalistic practice, I don't think there would be any problem.

It's said in Dezhung Rinpoche's biography that he did his full Hevajra sadhana even while in coma, but this is not something that ordinary folks can be expected to do.

[Jainarayan]

When I am sick or have no mental energy for a "real" puja/sadhana that I feel will be worthwhile I do what's called antharyagam puja, internal puja. I mentally imagine the steps of my regular puja and mentally make offerings and prayers.

[byamspa]

Same here, recently i was in the hospital because of a badly infected deep wound due to an accident where someone on a bicycle hit me during a marathon training run, and needed IV antibiotics. I could barely stay awake much less engage in formal practise of any sort.

Most i could do was manage to remember my Yidam and my Guru and just be mindful of the fact I was very sick, I was where I needed to be and and that this too would eventually pass.