Asādhakaorsādhakorsādhaj(Sanskrit:साधक), inIndian religionsandtraditions,such asJainism,Buddhism,HinduismandYoga,is someone who follows a particularsādhanā,or a way of life designed to realize the goal of one's ultimate ideal, whether it is merging with one's eternal source,brahman,or realization of one's personal deity. The word is related to the Sanskritsādhu,which is derived from the verb rootsādh-,'to accomplish'. As long as one has yet to reach the goal, they are asādhaka or sādhak,while one who has reached the goal is called asiddha.[1]In modern usage,sadhakais often applied as a generic term for any religious practitioner. Inmedieval India,it was more narrowly used as a technical term for one who had gone through a specific initiation.[2]
Hindu,Jain,Tantric,YogicandVajrayanaBuddhisttraditions use the termsadhaka or sādhakfor spiritual initiates and/or aspirants.[1][2][3]
See also
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edit- ^abKlostermaier, Klaus K.(1994).A survey of Hinduism.SUNY Press. p. 346.ISBN978-0-7914-2109-3.
- ^abWallace, Glenn (2002).Mediating the power of Buddhas: ritual in the Mañjuʹsrīmūlakalpa.SUNY Press. p. 129.ISBN978-0-7914-5411-4.
- ^Sharma, R. S. (2003).Early Medieval Indian Society.Orient Blackswan. p. 269.ISBN978-81-250-2523-8.
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