Just as a patient goes to a hospital to get physically healthy, a sadhak goes to an ashram for spiritual health. Attaining good mental health is a natural intermediate step.
In Sahaj Marg terms, spiritual health means removal of samskaras, one's own accretions, self-created images and biases, generally negative. If positive biases are created, even temporarily, they tend to be restricted to groups of some kind, and create their own problems. It doesn't matter how large or small the groups are, they are still bounded. And this is not complete spiritual health. Please note a sudden transformation or epiphany, while useful, is not stable or dependable. Complete or greater and greater spiritual health comes from relinquishing more and more self-created issues. As Babuji said, "More and more of less and less!"
What do patients do in a hospital? If the hospital is trustworthy, patient-oriented, and not avaricious, peace, positivity, and trust arise naturally in the patient. They respond better to necessary medical treatment without worrying about their financial health. Drastic interventions like surgery don't create unnecessary stress. They understand or accept the immediate actions cheerfully. Also cheerfully do they accept the post-hospitalization advice for changes in diet or exercise or medicines.
What should sadhaks do in an ashram? If it is trustworthy, sadhak-oriented, and not avaricious, peace, positivity, and trust arise naturally in them.
The treatment though is very different. Chariji said that it is like heart surgery without physically cutting open the heart.
The vibratory charge in the ashram does all the work.
Interactions create more intense reactions - positive and negative. These reactions, simply witnessed, allow for removal or unwinding of samskaras. Indulged in, samskaras get further intensified.
Sometimes people behave erratically or irrationally without understanding why.
Emotions can run riot.
Physical stresses such as allergies, fever, joint pains, energy and hormonal imbalances, and so on can all occur. There are also health problems arising from shared spaces, especially toilet facilities.
This doesn't mean one should not take medicines for physical symptoms, quite the contrary.
In fact, it is often better to go in good mental and physical health to an ashram. Then, one can withstand the grosser level stresses much more easily, and respond to the spiritual treatment much more easily.
One returns home recharged or freshly-charged. Then one has to retain, and if possible intensify, the charge by practice at home.
While each sadhak feels the effect personally, the work is done impersonally. There is really nothing to do except one's own spiritual practice, and note down what is happening internally and externally. The hospital case sheet is replaced by one's own journal. In a sense, the nurse and attendant for my spiritual treatment in an ashram is myself. And rightly so, because how would another sadhak know what is going on with me internally?
The ICU in an ashram is personal contact with the Guru. Few people can take that intense spiritual charge on a long-term basis. Put differently, it is difficult to stay light-hearted, positive, and think only universal and spiritual thoughts all the time while the Guru is pulling out so much crud from within.
If the Guru calls you, know that there is something - or many things - wrong with you spiritually. Most likely, some immediate correction is needed in one's spiritual practice or attitude or other aspects of your life. Paraphrasing Chariji, why would someone be happy and pleased by incessant visits to - or by - a doctor?
Sadly, all human beings suffer from spiritual ill-health. Very, very rare are those in good to great spiritual health. Not so surprisingly, they also frequent ashrams, much like interns in a hospital.
In sum, staying open-minded and open-hearted is the best way to visit an ashram. But understand that it is treatment, not entertainment. And strive to feel better and better internal health by being constantly yet lightly attentive inwards.
A final caution. Any ashram that deliberately creates physical, mental, financial, or so-called spiritual stress should be avoided. And not just because it is thinly-veiled abuse. They are not effective spiritual hospitals. Please be gentle with yourself.
