Spirituality at Sanatan Ashram Ponda

What about spirituality at Sanatan Ashram Ponda? Am I really doing anything to increase my spiritual knowledge? Is Sanatan Sanstha teaching me about any significant spiritual practices? Well, if you consider personality defect removal process or PDR as a significant spiritual practice, then I spend a considerable part of my time in spiritual practice. I also attend several satsangs; the topics are generally repetitive and stress on Dr Jayant Athavale and his beliefs. Some of them are about naamjap and the importance of different names of God and which name we should chant. Overall, I must be spending about 4-6 hours daily in these activities, but as I am also involved in other sevas; I am part of the Swagat Kaksh at Sanatan Ashram Ponda, it is less.

Sevas equal Spirituality at Sanatan Sanstha

Other sadhaks at Sanatan Ashram Ponda spend considerable time doing naamjap. I know several sadhaks who would spend upwards to 10 hours in this chanting activity. They had several personality defects and the sanstha had advised them that chanting only could rid them of their personality defects.

All sadhaks had to participate in various activities inside the ashram. It operated as a cooperative society with responsibilities divided among the various members. We were not paid anything for the time and effort spent in these sevas. It was said that these sevas were meant to be part of our spiritual practices. I fail to understand how a service at the ashram qualifies as spiritual practices while the same done at one’s home does not. I could not raise such queries otherwise I would again have to do penance; I had experienced it many times. My attitude of questioning had landed me in hot waters

many times and though I had full faith in Dr Jayant Athavale, I was learning how to handle politics in Sanatan Sanstha. This was definitely politics; or was it? Was it a psychological method aimed at mind control. Was Sanatan using these techniques to strengthen their hold over us, using this to control our minds? Why were we unable to question such practises, why, we – independent women in our own rights, unable to raise our voices against injustices? Why were we helpless, why did we feel hopeless?

Spirituality at Sanatan Ashram Ponda

We give free service to Sanatan Ashram Ponda and equate it with spirituality. It is true across ashrams across India and maybe the rest of the world. There is nothing wrong about this. What is wrong is that only occupants of the ashram must give this seva. Outsiders, including sadhaks are not required to do this. They can spend their time as they want to. We stay at the ashram of Sanatan Sanstha and we do not or cannot pay for our lodging and boarding. The sanstha recovers the cost in this manner. They use us as slaves. As it is cloaked in spirituality, we do not feel a burden. But frankly, we are slaves of Dr Jayant Athavale both in mind and body. We are not independent; we cannot think independently. Sanatan Sanstha has taken away this ability from us and we are proud of this fact.

God, please help us to come out of this maya jaal. Only you can save us from Dr Jayant Athavale and Sanatan Sanstha. Many sadhaks staying at Sanatan Ashram Ponda pray to God to seek His intervention; He blesses only some of us.