The Structure of a Sadhana

A sadhana is a liturgical text that forms the basis of many of the daily practices done in Tibetan Buddhism. The sadhana is a kind of ritualized mediation, practiced in a specific, step-by-step ritual format. Tantric rituals provide a context within which one is able to experience various dimensions of everyday ego based mind, and then gradually ritually shift experientially to resting in a vast non-egoic awareness.

In these rituals, the practitioner uses ritual implements, chanting, mantra, music and visualizations. The process is guided by use of a liturgical text, the sadhana. Sadhana practice usually includes formless meditation, offerings, establishing protective boundaries, the preliminaries of refuge and bodhicitta, the main practice, the completion stage and the conclusion.

In this short class we’ll explore the structure of the sadhana, so you will understand and recognize it later in practices like Green Tara, Chenrezig and so forth. (This class is highly recommended for people who would like to do those two practices.)