Sadhak – Sadhana

A number of ardent people with faith, devotion and sincere dedication seek the Truth in all its manifestations. To them a Guru or Master will hold the promise of an end to their search. But, it seems that most of them do not know what they want, what they are precisely searching for or are unaware of the real aim of a spiritual life. To provide a true insight to this goal and to the process, the following points as explained by Ma to such a devotee in his quest for spiritual enquiry are re-produced:

What Sadhana means

1. Sadhana is a devotional process of acceptance of the Self as the Atman and an automatic rejection of the non-Self.
2. Sadhana is the attainment of knowledge which will assist in the discrimination between the Self and the non-Self.
3. The desire for self-realization is obscured by innumerable inconsequential desires. Sadhana helps improving the futility of those desires. When such desires, which are the impediments in the realization of one’s goal, are eliminated the sadhak realizes the Atman in it’s true glory.
4. Constant and one-pointed fixation of the mind and intellect which results in the cessation of desires is sadhana
5. Sadhana is the process through which you can do away with the superimpositions on the Self, the Atman.
6. It is a process which assists and banishes the delusion which is caused by ignorance.
7. Sadhana is constant justification of the Scriptures.
8. Sadhana is intellectual rejection of all that comes into conflict with the sayings of Bhagwan and the scriptures.
9. Sadhana involves a devotional attitude towards worldly situations and the right discrimination therein.
10. Yajna, tap, daan – all are an integral part of sadhana and the success in these is indicative of your success in sadhana.
11. Sakam karma will automatically lose their importance and any karma will naturally and instinctively be Nishkam karma.
12. Ignorance is the cause of delusion and one’s identification with the non-Self.
13. The feelings of “I” and “mine” are a delusions caused by ignorance, which causes superimpositions on the Atman resulting in darkness. Sadhana helps to remove the egoism which is generated by ignorance and by the attachment to then on self.

A sadhak realizes the above and begins his sadhana to eradicate the ignorance within.

The aims and objects of a sadhak

1. To realize the Self – the Atman
2. To become a Gunateet
3. To imbibe spiritual qualities (Daivi Gunas).
4. To learn the art of nishkam service
5. To study the scriptures and know the Truth.
6. To realize the difference between the Atman and Anatman.
7. To become the living embodiment of the Scriptures.

A sadhak’s essential aspirations and attitude

1. Basic faith in Bhagwan Krishna and the Scriptures
2. One pointed intellect that justifies, upholds and wants to practice what Bhagwan and the scriptures say.
3. Intense yearning for the realization of the Self.
4. Intense yearning for the freedom from ignorance. It is imperative that the desire for the realization of the Self be the only desire of the sadhak – a desire to the exclusion of everything else.
5. Must have a devotional attitude towards discrimination between right and wrong.
6. Studies the Scriptures merely because he wants to know the attitudes which he should have towards life: attitudes which would be conducive to the achievement of your goal – the Self.
7. An unquestioning faith in the Scriptures is essential.
8. The words of Lord Krishna should be a law for you to be obeyed in life the moment they are understood.
9. A true sadhak gives little credence to his own intellect – he uses the Scriptures as a master-intellect and a final authority.
10. A sadhak begins his sadhana with the sole purpose of realizing the Self and the non-Self.
11. A sadhak has insatiable yearning for absolute mergence and identification with the Atman.
12. The point of view of a genuine sadhak will necessarily be different from any worldly man – from any other man for that matter, because a sadhak starts with the assumption that:
    1. He is not the body, but the Atman.
    2. Nothing but the achievement of the Swaroop matters.
    3.  The last speck of ignorance and delusion must go
    4. Maan-apmaan, hani-labh, jai-parajai, are of no consequence.
       
13.  All that matters is absolute identification with the SwaroopExtreme patience, emotional, intellectual and gross endurance, strength and vigilance are extremely essential pre-requisites of any goal that a sadhak sets for himself.
14. 14. A sadhak has a non-possessive attitude towards all men, women and children. He relinquishes all claims on relationship etc. But he does not take away the rights of other people on his body.