SPIRITUAL PATH-Sadhna Spotlight by a Saint

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SADHANA - SPOTLIGHTSBY A SAINT

M.M. VAKMA


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Published byMANAV SEWA SANGHVRINDAVAN (U.P.)

Price :Rs.25.00Edition :2002, 1000 copies


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PREFACE

A few years ago, it was my privilege to offer t othe English reading public a free rendering inEnglish of selections from some of the illuminatingdiscourses and observations of a saint. (He doesnot like his name t o be displayed in publications;though he freely moves about in the country, onhis spiritual mission, and is well known amongspiritual seekers). The compilation was publishedin a book entitled "A Saint's call t o Mankind", witha Foreword by Dr. S.Radhakrishnan. It was chieflybased on the Hindi publications of his teachingsth at had appeared by tha t. t ime, u i z . S a n tSam agam , Manav Ki Mang and Jiw an Darshan;and covered the Saint's utterances on various topicsof spiritual interest. The book was very wellreceived by the readers, both in India and abroad.

A number of other publications have sincebeen brought out by M a n a v S e v a S a n g h (anassociation of sadhakas founded by the said saint).Some of these v i z . , Sadhana Ta t tawa , Chi t taShuddhi , Sa t sang Aur Sadhana and S a d h a n aN i d h i contain the saint's discourses relatingpointedly t o certain fundamental elements of


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I SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINTsadhana , clearing the ground and enlightening thepath of the aspirant, who is often confused andfrustrated by following certain traditional routinewithout a clear vision of his goal and a properinsight into his own life &d propensities.

In this small book, an attempt has been madet o summarize and bring together some of theessential thoughts given in the said treatises onthis all-important subject of s a d h a n a by thisprofound thinker. The reader is requested t ooverlook a certain amount of repetition o roverlapping which it has been difficult t o avoid onaccount of the universality of the saint's centralthought running through diverse ways andcontexts. Such repetition may, in fact, help thereader t o catch the saint's thought more clearly.

I solicit the reader's indulgence for theshortcomings in my rendering which is like bathingon the shores of the Ganges with the help of atumbler. Nevertheless it is hoped that the profoundand thought-stirring lights t h r ow n on the essenceof sadhana by the saint will be found of much helpby all earnest sadhakas. Some of them may findthis small hand-book on s a d h a n a an usefulcompanion on their path; and some others who canread Hindi may follow up by reading the originalworks.

+ + +There is a classic story.A ki n g invited the bestartists to paint frescoes i n h is palace. Tw o painters


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PREFACE I Iwere working in the same hall on opposite walls,with a curtain between the m , so th at neither of the mcould see w ha t th e other w as doing. One o f th emcreated a mar vello us picture w hich evoked theadm iration o f every on-looker. Th e other artist h adnot painted an yth ing a t all. He had spent all histim e polishing th e wall-had polished it so perfectlythat when the cu rtain w as removed, thepicture ofthe other painter w as reflected in a way t ha t mad eit appear even more bea utiful th a n the original.

Even so , a mind wholly purified-the egopolished off, so t o say-mirrors Yoga, Gnan a andLove.

It is this lesson that the Swami would appeart o want t o drive into our minds and hearts byconstantly dinning into our ears the sadhaka's firstand last responsibility of discarding once for all,all that is non-true and non-essential and ofhunting out every trace of impurity from one'smind. True sadhana blazes up spontaneously in apurified mind. Unless the mind is purified, moreaccumulation of knowledge of the scriptures is buta burden; worship, a soulless routine or an escape;religion only a smoke, not fire; even service, aninflation of the ego !JAIPUR MADANMOHAN V mJuly 1,1967


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LIST OF CONTENTS

ChapterPreface

1. The Rases of Sadhana2. Purification of the Mind3. Purification of the Mind (Contd.)4. Satsang and Sadhana5. Satsang and Sadhana (Contd.)6. The Essence of Sadhana7. Some Maxims of the Saint

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SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINTThe most important thing for such awakened,

purposeful sadhaka is t o detach himself from theinfatuation of the ephemeral, i.e. t o take a firmdecision t o renounce all that is non-true. By suchfirm resolve all clingings resulting from age-longhabits would drop away like dry clay; and the questof the sadhaka would be set ablaze. Such pure quest

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and longing always find their fulfilment in theEternal.Even after a firm resolve t o renounce the non-

true, however, for some time the s an s ka ra s(impressions) of the past may linger, and confrontthe sadhaka with temptation o r fear throughmemory. The sadhaka should look upon these aspast sanskaras emerging from the subconsciousrecesses of the mind only t o clear out. If he simplynon-cooperates with them, they would be starvedout. They are not fresh k a r m a s calling forcounteraction, but mere shadows of the past-a sortof a diary of what has passed off.

A sadhaka, thus, isa man who has learnt fromhis experience, in the light of viveka, that t o lookout for Life in external things, the body, individuals,outer circumstances etc. is a will-o'-the-wisp. Thesecan at best be of use as instruments of sadhana for


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THE BASES OF SADHANA 3

attaining true Life. From this point of view, theworld and the body may be likened t o a TrainingSchool and training apparatus for realization oftrue life. But man is not the body, a t any rate; andall his (so-called) relationships with the worldpertain t o the body.

Every human being has an innate tendencyto do, t o know and t o believe. To act according toDivine Law is dharma, duty; and the performanceof duty with a pure heart, being prompted by aninner sense of unity and directed t o service offellow-beings, washes off attachment t o action anddestroys the sense of doership. Thereby, after everyaction, his mind relaxes in the Eternal. This isspontaneously followed by a burning quest ofReality, which devours all other attachments andleads t o self-realization. Or, t o one on the path ofdevotion, one's faiths dissipated in the many fuseinto a single-pointed faith in the One, and thesadhaka becomes one with the Sadhya , the Goal,the Beloved.

The quintessence of s a d h a n a is deep,unshakable and ever-fresh yearning for therealization of one's Sadhya .


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THE BASES OF SADHANA 5circle. The sadhaka must beware of this foe in theguise of a friend-desire-and keep his gaze fixedon the goal.

Another obstacle is the delusion that agreeablethings or circumstances are essential for oursuccessful advance t o the goal. Let the sadhakaknow once for all that no set of things andcircumstances can be perfect, by their very nature;and that , whatever things and circumstances aregiven t o one by Providence are the ones that aremost conducive t o his progress on the path, if onehe m ak es the best use of them. Therefore, thesadhaka should not fret over this tools, but should

a make the best use of the same. Providence is neverniggardly in giving more, and all that is wanted, t oone who makes good use of what is given t o him.

To run after what is not possible toachieve isan obstacle t o sadhana. So also, t o cogitate overwhat has passed; and t o develop attachment withthings, personalities and surroundings, which areever-changing and bound t o vanish. The sadhakamust beware of being lured by any fleetingpleasures appearing in asadhana. Desire is themother of fear.


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6 SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINTAssumed relationships and 'at tachments

demand service of those with whom we haveestablished relationships and attachments. Toaccept relationships and not t o redeem them byservice is t o forge chains that bind, and hampersad hana .

Any happiness or gain which is born of theunhappiness of another is bound to end in sufferingand sorrow, and is detrimental t o the enjoyer ofsuch temporary pleasure or gain. This is theimmutable law of Providence.

Lack of faith is another obstacle in sadhana.A fundamental obstacle t o sadhana is that our livesdo not bear the stamp of what we know, i.e. thegulf between knowledge and conduct.

Above all, one should always remember thathe is a sadhaka first and sadhaka last. Therebyone would not develop attachment with externalthings which are but instruments of sadhana; andwith his gaze fixed on this Sadhy a , the attainmentof the S a d h y a becomes easy and certain for him.We create obstacles and difficulties by not breakingoff our false attachment with external things.

A sadhaka should have spontaneous taste inhis sadhana. It is when he undertakes a sadhana


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8 SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINTinstruments of sadhana allotted t o him, cogitatefor what he does not have.

Sadhana becomes a burden t o one who resortst o it before one's want for the Sadhya is trulyawakened, i.e. in a fit of passing emotion o r in mereimitation of a tradition. To a thirsty man, thedrinking of water is never a hard job.

Sadhana done in expectation of pleasure o rprofit is asadhana in the garb of sadhana. Seekingof pleasures o r profit for oneself is the creater ofall distortions and distractions of the mind; t o seekt o give happiness t o others is conducive t o allsadhanas. All true sadhanas are based on servicewithout expectation of reward-which is theessence of Duty-and terminate in Love. Dischargeof duty, aspiration and faith are the outer aspectsof sadhana; desireless love of the Supreme is itsinner force. Genuine aspiration is the beginning ofsadhana. The urge for sadhana is inherent in man,but it is covered up by desires born of aviveka.Sadhana turns despair into hope, want intofulfilment, dependence on external things intofreedom and darkness into light. Such is thesignificance of sadhana. Through whateversadhana, suiting a n individual, the goal is realized,the s a dha ka discovers the goal as being One


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THE BASES OF SADHANA 9Indivisible... .whose attributes o r aspects are Yoga,Oyana-and Love.

A bundle of two contradictory urges-quest forTruth and desire for the ephemeral-constitutesthe false "I" of man. The bondage of the latter doesnot let the former bloom. The fleeting pleasure ofthe fulfilment of a desire, alternating with the painof non-fulfilment, keeps one tantalized and slavet o a vicious circle, feeding the ego. It also makesone dependent on time, place things, personalities;and thereby the problem of one's life, which is aquestion of the present, poses itself as problem ofthe future. The greed of pleasure naturally givesbirth t o fear of pain, and hence one remains caughtin greed and fear: the opposite of peace.

Only on the destruction of the ego one uniteswith the essence of sadhana. When the sadhaka,overwhelmed by his helplessness, becomes utterlydiscontent with his condition, he surrendershimself t o the Supreme. The Supreme devours theego of the sadhaka, s o to say, and unites him withHimself.

Discharge of duty, quest for Truth and self-surrender are sure means for the destruction of thefalse "I".

ma


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PURIFICATIONOF THE MIND

Self-pWication, that is t o say purification ofthe mind, is an essential prerequisite for self-realization. Indeed, a pure mind is a mirror throughwhich Pure Consciousness shines. I t is the impurityof the mind that blocks the fountain of Life. Animpure mind revels in servility a s if it werefreedom, in stupor as if it were wakefulness, indeath as if it were life. Only a mind that is pureand still can mirror Reality.

Impurities of the mind are innumerable.However, let us first underst and the fundamentalsource of all impurities of the mind-the basic error,the original sin, s o t o say. This consists in ourmistaking the body and various other objects, thecircumstances and environments, the states andmodes of the mind, as constituting LIFE; whereasall these are given t o us as tools of sadhana for therealization of true life. More succinctly put, it isthe identification of ourselves with the body that


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PURIFICATION OF THE MIND 11is at the root of our spiritual ignorance and theconsequent whirlpool of sorrow and death.

Let us reflect over it. This basic error breedsan endless progeny of sankalpas and vikalpas-projections and distractions of the mind, thoughtsand desires-that just do not let us pause and relaxin our true being, the source and the goal of ourlives, the Eternal. To be ensnared in this net ofappearances, is t o be caught in the vicious circle ofdesire, the round of pain and pleasure, pleasureand pain. The feeling of fulfilment of a desire islike a will-o'-the-wisp. Desire is born of a feeling ofnon-fulfilment, and the moment we feel satisfiedby the so called fidfiilment of a desire, another desirefor something else appears, leaving the sameresidue of non-fulfilment and of craving. It isobvious, therefore, that sankalpas (projections andpursuits of the mindkwhose birth and momentaryfulfilment are both marked by renewedheartache-can by their very nature not fulfil ourtrue want, for they are a t best symptomatic of anunderlying desire which their play may suppressfor a while but cannot redeem.

We should, therefore, turn our minds awayfrom such deceptive appearances, causing desire


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I 2 SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINT

that are unquenchable, towards the Life which isthere before the rise of desires as well as after theirplay is over-Immutable, and Eternal. Once weturn our backs t o all that is born and dies, all thatis in a continuous process of change-in perpetualflux-there will be born within us a yearning forthat Life Eternal, whch is Truth, Beauty, Love.This yearning will devour all false desires; and theremembrance of the Source will erase from ourminds all impurities caused by false identification.

Some sadhakas curse the mind, as if it werethe cause of all evil. The mind in itself is not t oblame. When the sadhaka is kindled by genuineaspiration, he will find the mind t o be a willing co-operator. It is an instrument, not the doer. It is arecord-plate s o t o say, of our silly vagaries. Poorthng, it itself gets no peace from us as long as wepursue the mirage of desire. At any rate,purification of the mind is not s o hard as it mayseem, because all impurities of the mind areextraneous deposits on the mind, and not its realnature. The aspirant has only t o renounce, o r non-cooperate with, what is not its own nature, but whatis imposed on his mind from outside and is indeedon infection. The moment we allowed the mind t o


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PURIFICATION OF THE MIND 13be just itself, it would stand purified, whereby theaspirant would find fulfilment. The meditatorwould attain samadhi; the yogi would become onewith yoga; the jignyasu (the seeker for wisdom)would attain self-realization; the devotee wouldfind his Beloved once for all, inseparate andinseparable.

All sadhanas bear the best fruit in the soil ofa pure mind. Any sadhana done by force with animpure mind only causes false pride. The mindcannot be purified by suppression. Thank God,however, that the mind can never be impure in itsentirety. Were it so, the question of purification ofthe mind could not have arisen. The impurityobserved in the mind lurks only in a part thereof.The other part of the mind which perceives thisimpuri ty mirrors the l ight of v i v e k a(discrimination) and imparts the power t o removethe impurity. In fact, the very awareness ofimpurity of the mind as impurity marks thebeginning of the sadhana for the purification of themind. The very urge t o purify the mind releasesthe power t o purify it.

Having indicated the root cause of the maladyand its fundamental remedy, let us consider some


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14 SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINT

of the major symptoms and effects of thedi seaseimpur ity of the mind-that the sadhakahas t o grapple with and t o obtain relief from.

First and foremost, one has t o extricate oneselffrom the whirling round and increasing chain ofsanka lpas and vikalpas with which one findsoneself virtually strangled. The sadhaka shouldbegin by renouncing all non-essential, impure andevil sankalpas; and fulfilling essential, pure andbeneficial sankalpas; with a pure heart, with gazeon the goal and in a spirit of discharge of duty. Evilsankalpas are those which make one a slave t oexternal objects for one's happiness and even thefulfilment of which leads t o renewed desire forsomething else still unobtained or for the repetitionof the same thing over and over again; o r thefulfilment of which involves the unhappiness ofothers. Good sankalpas, on the other hand, arethose whose fulfilment iswithin one's reach, whichrelate t o the present and the fulfilment of whichone cannot do without; and aboveall the fulfilmentof which does not involve harm to another. Withbad s an ka l p a s eliminated, the experience offulfilment of good sankalpas leads to freedom fromsankalpas; and a longing for true Life arises in the


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PURIFICATION OF THE MIND 15heart of the aspirant. That is the utility of thefulfilment of a good sankalpa. The sadhaka should,therefore, never make the momentary satisfactionreleased by fulfilment of a sankalpa-even a goodsankalpa-his perpetual food.

As long as desire for external objects for one'sfulfilment clings t o the mind, the mind cannot bepure. All compounded things are bound t o dissolveand perish. Desirelessness is a necessary conditionof a pure mind. For the aspirant t o self-purification,Peace is the target, not pleasure. Desire isinconsistent with love, even as justice isinconsistent with anger. The inner ultimate wantof man is not for fleeting objects, but for the all-pervadmg Life Eternal which lends them its glow.

An impure mind is caught in fear and greed.Attachment t o external things, including the body,i.e. t o non-self; lack of faith and indiscrimination,are the source of all evil. Non-attachment, be itnoted, makes little difference t o the right use ofthings. One derives no less comfort from the houseone lives in, for instance, if he does not inhibithimself with the notion that it is his house.Similarly,one c an make full use of the body withoutthe false notion that he is the body, which forges a


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16 SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINTchain of endless desires. If only one releases hisconsciousness from false identification with thebody and attachment with personalities andattunes himself t o the true Life pervading them,one would realise that Peace "which passeth allunderst anding."

It is the lack of rasa (joy) that makes us goround and round the cage of external objects andpleasing circumstances. The easiest way of risingabove them consists of generosity when one findsoneself in agreeable situation-i.e. sharing one'spleasures with others-and renunciation indisagreeable situations. It is one's attitude to eventsthat makes all the difference. Disagreeablecircumstances might be an obstacle t o hhoga(pleasuresof the senses); hey cannot be an obstaclet o Yoga. Only those who lack faith in Life beyondexternal objects and states of existence are afraidof disagreeable surroundings.

Pravritti (forthgoing) should be regarded asbut a stepping-stone t o nivritti (return t o thesource). Only such pravritti drags on in a viciouscircle as is not pursued with a spiritual purpose.Dharma provides spiritual purpose. Dharma is abridge-builder between pravritti and niuritti. One


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PURIFICATION OF THE MIND 17who undertakes a pravritti in consonance withdharma rises above it a t the end of the pravritti.The perfection of apravritti consistsin nivritti; andthe mode of suchpravritti becomes an example t oothers, Indeed, even as a'purified arsenic curesmany a disease, so do even pleasures enjoyed inconsonance with dhurma soon lose their attraction,for their utility ends when one has learnt fromexperience the illusoriness of desire and all objectsof desire.

Pravrittis that cause harm o r unhappiness t oothers are evil and pollute the mind. Pravrittis thatcause benefit o r happiness t o others are righteous.

One cause of impurity of the mind is that menoften think of nivritti while in pravritti and ofpravritti in moments of nivritti. Hence they neitherdo justice to their work nor experience true nivritti.If one puts the whole of himself into one's work,one will experience nivritti after each pravritti.

Right use of all objects and things, and serviceof all individuals t o whom one is attached, purifiesone's mind of all false attachments. Therefore,unselfish, discharge of one's duties t o all concernedis an effective means of purifying the mind. Onewho finds himself surrounded by various


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relationships sticking t o the mind should,therefore, confront all his relationships withselfless discharge of his duties and service t o them.That will release his mind from their bondage andpurify it.

i Our attachments and aversions are fed by ourI not renouncing our supposed rights and claims onI others, and our not utilising whatever is given t oI us in serving the interests of others. ExpectationI, of anything from those we serve, pollutes the mind;

selfless service frees us from any false attachmentst o those we serve.

Service prompted by attachment, like loveinfected by desire, also corrupts the mind.The strength, capacity, resources and things

given t o one are Universal and not any individual'sproperty. To regard the same as one's own is a grossimpurity of the mind. Even as the water in everywave is that of the sea, s o is the Eternal the solerepository of all power and resources. If onerecognizes that what one gives t o another is reallynot his but is only entrusted t o him for right use,one would not expect a return; otherwise onecannot help expecting a return. Indeed, one who


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PURIFICATION OF THE MIND 19gives over something believing it t o be his own,really invests t o earn a larger dividend; and hisgiving is tantamount t o taking.

The sadhaka should discharge his allottedwork through whatever is given to him, in theservice of the Supreme Giver; which would leaveas its residue only love of the Supreme. Even as allthe household duties performed by a devoted wiferesolve into love of the beloved, all work done bythe devotee in that spirit resolves into love of hisLord.

Misuse of power, aimless wandering of themind, the gulf between knowledge and practice,are symptoms of the impurity of the mind. Misuseof power. makes the mind impure. Right use ofpower consists in utilizing it for the service of one'sfellow-beings, not in self-indulgence.

Divine Law provides strength and resourcesfor the discharge of one's duty One has only t o makeright use of whatever strength and resources he isallotted t o receive more of them if needed.

A very useful rule of conduct for purificationof the mind is for the sadhaka t o be wary in hisactions, while being content with what comes t o


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20 SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAlNTpass. Be well assured that the Cosmic Power whichregulates the working of all the world alsoapportions t o us what is in our true interests andfurnishes us with viueka t o make the best use ofwhat is given t o us. So, instead of grumblingagainstthe resources allotted t o us, we should make thebest use of them.

One of the major causes of impurity of themind is that we do not live in the present, but dwellon the past and day-dream of the,future-therebyaccumulating all sorts of sanskaras in our minds.The sadhaka should forget past incidents andretain only the wisdom distilled out of the same.Constant thought of objects of desire is much worsethan even their indulgence, for such thought drawsa trail of psychological impressions,. n continuity,on the mind.

Consciousness of one's virtues, which is asubtle form of pride, and the tendency t o pry intoother's faults, are enemies t o purity of the mind.Our deepest vices, which make the mind impure,are those which are born of a consciousness ofvirtue, o r vices bearing an artificial covering ofvirtue. It is easy t o remove vice, but vicesmasquerading as virtue are very difficult t o catchand wipe out.


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PURIFICATION OF THE MIND 21The habit ofjudging others by prying into their

faults is a perverse and destructive habit, whichmakes the mind impure. One should mind one'sown duty, instead of depending on the performanceby others of their duty.

Contemplation of obj ects and things makes themind impure; contemplation of what underliesthem-Life, Reality, God-makes the mind pure.

The longing for respect and honour in the eyesof others-a symptom of the impure mind-lingersin one's mind only as long as one is not worthy ofrespect. For as long as one depends for one'shappiness on others-things or individualsetc.-one's very dependence on and slavery t oothers makes him unworthy of respect. He alone isworthy of respect whose entirepravritti is for thebenefit of others, and who does not desire anythingfor himself. In the soil of desirelessness sprouts theplant of yoga, which bears the fruit of self-realization, which is saturated with the rasa(delight) of Love.

Knowledge o r apprehension of Reality hasseveral levels corresponding t o the organs ofapprehension. What is perceived by the senses t obe one thing is known t o be quite different from


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PURIFICATION OF THE MIND 23themselves; evil creeps in by our identifyingourselves with them.

A pure mind is imbued with perfectequanimity. If your mind is attracted o r repelledby any object, beware it is infested with lust orgreed. If your mind is sensitive t o what others sayof you, or do t o you, be sure it is an impure mind. Ifyou feel conscious of being in the possession of anyvirtues, know that you are not truly virtuous.

The ego is very subtle, even after thesubsidence of sankalpas and vikalpas, sometimesit prolongs its sway by revelling in its own domain,as it were. That is like one almost crossing out ariver, but drowning near the shore. This happensspecially if a sadhaka gets attached t o a particularform of sadhana , a routine, a process, soullessritual; or, he begins to take pride in having achieveda measure t o progress on the spiritual path; o r t ohanker after recognition and fame, if nothing else.

Dissociation from the mind is also a radicalmeans of purification of the mind. To dissociatefrom the mind is t o become its beholder as ofsomething outside our self. This means, instead ofremoving the various impurities of the mind one


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by one, starving the mind of its very food derivedfrom our association with it.

Much more sticky than impurities of the mindis the inertia that allows man t o put up with thesame.

The sadhaka who establisheshis goal for good,performs all works with the purest motives s o ast o take him t o his goal; and thus allhis acts becomesadhana for him.

Unless one's entire life becomes a sadhana,complete purification of the mind cannot beachieved.

Discharge of one's duties in a spirit ofdedicated service; desirelessness and a burningquest for Truth and surrender t o Divine Grace, arepowerful aids t o the purification of the mind.Compassion and sewice purify the mind of animalpropensities, a burning quest for Truth brings aboutdetachment and desirelessnessin the aspirant, andsurrender t o Divine Grace is the most potentweapon t o erase all impurities of the mind.


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PURIFICATION OF THE MIND (Contd.)FORGIVEN ESS

One.of the principle causes of our mindsbecoming soak-pits of impurities blocking the flowof the waters of Life and Love is the wrong habit offinding fault in others, especially harbouringantipathy or aversion for any injustices or supposedinjustices done by others t o us in our variousrelationship in th e world-as well as theconsciousness of guilt in ourselves, resulting fromour own actions against our viveka.

The aspirant must learn t o forgive others. Intruth, none other can inflict a wrong on you; it isbut your own karma which recoils on you throughanother. But even if this be hard t o understand orto accept, let the aspirant forgive others as he wouldforgive an erring child.

What comes in the way of our forgiving othersis ow clinging to the illusion of ou r claims on othersand our dependence on them (including our own


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26 SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINTbodies, which arenot our Selves) for our fulfilment.But he who realizes his relationship with the Divineand is tr eahng the Path of Return lays no claimon the world; he lives in the world t o redeem itsdebts by discharging his obligations. He recognizesthat others cannot deliver the goods, cannot fulfilhis true, innate want. Forgiveness is his strength,not weakness. One who seeks God's forgiveness forhimself must learn t o forgive others. To ascribeone's lot t o the wrongdoing of others, or t o harbourthe faults of others in one's mind, is a mistake andis a gross impurity of the mind. To seek forgivenessfrom all and t o forgive all purifies the mind. Pureconsciousness shines in the purified mind.

Some people are confounded by a seemingcontradiction between forgiveness and justice. Oursense of justice is distorted, because on account ofthe limitations of our ego, our reactions areperverted. Justice in our view consists ofpunishment of the wrong-doer and reward for rightconduct. Divine Justice, however, is a self-operatingmechanism that accelerates the onward march ofthe pilgrim on the path. It serves its purpose inmalung the guilty see his guilt for himself, whichalone make him turn away from it for ever. That is


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28 SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINTexpress love in different ways: the love of thebrother for the sister, of the mother for the child, ofthe husband for the wife, of the friend for the friend,etc. The same principle should operate even whenin certain events our actions have t o assumeunpleasant shapes. Even the Goddess appears notonly as Saraswati, Goddess of learning and wisdom,o r Lakshmi, Goddessof wealth and prosperity; butalso as Kali, the Goddess of power and destructionof evil. But surely the Divine Mother does not shedHer inherent love while assuming the form of Kalifor the work calling for that form.

So we must once for all forgive others whomight have done any harm t o us, unilaterally as itwere, even without their asking for it. And inrespect of the consciousness of our own guilt, weshould resolve from the depths of our hearts not t oallow past mistakes t o be repeated and sincerelyask for forgiveness. Thus only will the impuritiesof our minds caused by both the above categoriesof sanskaras be washed off.

It required great moral strength to seekforgiveness for one's own past wrong actions. Onlyone who is truly repentant and who has realized


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PURIFICATION OF THE MIND (Contd,) 29that any satisfaction of the senses derived from evilpropensities is bound t o reap a harvest of evil andsorrow, can rid himself of the same. Avice is not sodamaging in itself - being born of delusion, andnot being a part of man's real nature-as not t osee it for oneself and not to feel remorse for being aprey t o it. We but deceive ourselves by shuttingour eyes t o our vices, and aggravate the wrong byresorting t o further falsehood in attempting t oconceal the same from others. This vicious circlecan be broken definitely by true prayer forforgiveness following sincere repentance for thepast, and right resolve for the future. Forgivenessis a spontaneous quality of the Divine. Even as theocean receives and purifies in its sweep the dirtieststream, so does the Divine transmute the greatestsinner as soon as he surrenders his sins to Him.Even though an individual you may have wrongedmight not seem t o forgive you, the Divine in himforgives you. Indeed, only the Infinite can afYord t oforgive all its embrace.

The aspirant should, however, guard himselfagainst the illusion of "memory". When one hasfirmly resolved t o respect one's discrimination and


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not to repeat past mistakes, sinful sankalpas ceaset o sprout in his mind. Nevertheless the memory ofhis past pursuits may remain green for sometime.The aspirant sometimes mistakes it t o indicate thathe still remains a sinner and thus unnecessarilydrags himself back into the mire.


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32 SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINTun-truth. Renunciation of untruth and realizationof Truth (satsanga) are two sides of the same coin.Effort ends with renunciation of un-truth; Truth isself-effulgent. The scope of effort does not stretchbeyond renunciation of un-truth, and Truth doesnot demand more from its votary. Renunciation ofun-truth by itself spontaneously leads to union withTruth. Renunciation of un-truth canies in itself'theend of asadhana and the emergence of truesadhana. Many people, however, in ignorance ofthis fundamental distinction, engage themselvesin forcibly suppressing their asadhana by differentexternal forms of sadhana. Such suppressionmaycover up, i.e., outwardly suppress, asadhana; itcannot eradicate it. What is worse, the sadhakaoften arrogates t o himself the false credit of doingsadhana, which is a grave asadhana. The s dhaka ,therefore, should direct an all-out effort towardsthe renunciation of all un-truth, as revealed by hisviveka, through earnest self-introspection.

Here the sadhaka will have t o be on guard inso far as even after his firm resolve to renounceun-truth the memory and reactions of his pastwould take time t o be effaced. Some sadhakas arediscouraged by this phenomenon, and lose heart,


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34 SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINTassociation with un-truth. The melting of pride ofpartial sadhana helps t o melt the craving forfleeting pleasures as well, inasmuch as no one couldbe satisfied with a life of total asadhana-whichwould thereby be exposed in its nakedness. Theconsciousness of partial sadhana feeds the ego andmakes renunciation more difficult. The egocontains within it the seed of asadhana as well asthe yearning for sadhana. To value external objectsas life itself is un-truth, and is the seed ofasadhana. Spontaneous love of freedom is reflectedin the longing for sadhana . With one's inneryearning for freedom, t o continue t o subsist ondependence on external objects is just stupor. Noexternal paraphernalia are needed to achievefreedom; and what does not require any externalparaphernalia-which include the body and themind, both being external t o the Self-does notrequired effort o r practice. The very factor ofdependence on external objects becomingintolerable t o a sadhana kindles in him theyearning from freedom, which is a self-sufficientsadhana for freedom. Truth is eternal andall-pervading. It isonly identification with un-truththat hides Truth from the sadhaka . Desire forexternal objects is the sadhaka ' s own screen


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SATSANG AND SADHANA 35separating him from true life in Truth and freedom.Renunciation of un-truth is all that is required ofthe sadhaka.

Let us ponder over the three fundamentalurges of man-action, cognition and love-in thiscontext and from this point of view.

RIGHT ACTION FOLLOWS RENUNCIATIONOF WRONG ACTION

From identification with the un-true wrongaction follows automatically, and similarlyrenunciation of the un-true spontaneously unfoldsright action. Wrong actionis any action which goesagainst the dictates of our own viveka. It corrodesthe springs of right action. The springs of rightaction will begin t o operate as soon as wrong actionis renounced. Partial, o r fragments of, right actionperformed along with wrong action only go t o feedfalse pride in the sadhaka. From this point of view,a partial performance of good deeds, withoutrenunciation of un-truth and wrong action born ofun-truth, gets infected by and merges into wrongaction. It is therefore, extremely necessary t orenounce wrong action o r evil deeds before thesadhaka starts on right action or good deeds.


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Without the renunciation of wrong action satsangisnot possible. satsang is the unfailing base of rightaction. The sadhaka should, therefore, constantlyaspire for real satsang, which alone would 'uprootall wrong action and spontaneously unfold pureright action and nothing but right action.

To the true sadhaka; life consists of nothingelse but sadhana. The gulf between life andsadhana is only due t o association with un-truth.

Only one who performs right action-discharging his obligations and fulfilling hisduties-can have a taste of an effortless state offreedom. Association with un-truth leads t o wrongaction. Right action leads t o eternal freedom,which-and not action as such-is dear t o all.Attachment t o action prevents one from realizingthis mystery. What one has t o do is only to renounceun-truth. Then follows pure action. In renunciationof wrong action lies pure action; in renunciation ofasadhana lies sadhana, and in renunciation ofattachments lies infinite love.

To regard the allotted things (including thebody), power and talents as one's own is un-truth.Identification with this un-truth is the r oo t cause


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38 SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAlNTA false valuation of things, power o r talent

entrusted t o one makes one mistake these for life,and makes one crave for what is not given t o him,which deprives one of purity and peace. Providenceprovides everyone what he needs, without hiscraving for it. Craving o r desire leads nowhere.There is not a single soul in the world whose everydesire isfulfilled. To regard the hIfilment of desiresas life is,therefore; a mirage. The seeming pleasurederived from the fulfilment of a desire is invariablyfollowed by the pangs of a fresh desire; and thevicious circle goes on without end, unfulfilleddesires always remaining as the residue falling t oone's lot, perpetuating abhava (want);whereas thesadhaka essentially longs for the ending of wantwhich can never be achieved without theannihilation of desire. In desirelessness liesfreedom and the fulfilment of the true want of man.The sadhaka, therefore, should regard everythingthat falls t o his lo t as a tool for service, not for hisexploitation or self-gratification.

No one likes another t o do evil t o him. To dounto another what one does not like for himself isobviously opposed t o one's uiveka.Association withun-truth makes one forget this simple truth and


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SATSANG AND SADHANA 39

resort t o wrong action. Right action can emerge onlyin so for as wrong action makes way. One shouldnever do to others what one would not have othersdo t o him. To seek one's gain in another's loss isthe height of folly. The sadhaka should not acceptany happiness which is born of another'sunhappiness.

The rights of one consist in the duties ofanother, and the duties of one make for the rightsof ano.ther. The sadhaka should realize that he isfree only in the fulfilment of his duties t o others,not in the achievement of his rights from others.The latter is only a shadow of attachment t o un-truth; and when a sadhaka renounces attachmentt o this un-truth, he is blessed by becoming just aninstrument of the Divine for service. Attachmentt o rights prevents the sadhaka from being freedfrom the shackles of desire and anger. Theemphasis on rights makes him look to others fortheir fulfilment and when this desire is thwartedanger is aroused.

The desire t o retain the fleeting phases ofpleasure and the fear of ever-recurring pain areanother hurdle in the way of the sadhaka retaininghis poise essential t o right action.


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SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINTNot t o do evil because it is evil, and t o do good

because it is evi1,and t o do good because it is good,is sadhana. But t o refrain from evil because of fearo r t o do good motivated by desire is asadhana inthe shape of s adhana . It would be easier t oovercome asadhana in the shape of asadhana;butwhen asadhana assumes the shape of sadhana, itbecomes very hard t o get rid of it. There isno room,therefore, in the life of a sadhaka for fear o r desire.

All asadhana is rooted in ego-consciousness;and ego-consciousness is the mother of manifoldasadhana. Renunciation of ego-consciousness istherefore essential. Ego-consciousness is fed byattachment t o things or t o environment, which iscaused by mistaking them for life. The sadhakadeclines to mistake any thing, state or environmentas life.

Right action performed along with wrongaction often feeds wrong action itself ! Partialdischarge of duty feeds false pride. Consciousnessof partial virtue prevents the awakening of remorsefo r vice, which feeds attachment t o fleetingpleasure and rules out total annihlation of wrongaction-without which there can be no emergence


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SATSANG AND SADHANA 41of pure action. Which is essential both for one'sliberation and for the reform of society. The merry-go-round of wrong action alternating with rightaction sustains the ego.BREAKING THE FETTERS & LIFE IN FREEDOM

Man feels bound by fetters of the inevitablewhen his desires are not fulfilled. But the lover oftrue freedom perceives bondage even in thefulfilment of desires, in as much as the llf ilmentof desires is dependent on external factors likeindividuality, objects environment, time etc., whichare all a passing show; and dependence on suchexternal paraphernalia is the antithesis of truefreedom. True freedom unites the sadhaka withLife Eternal in Consciousness, and releases himfrom the bondage of all objective phenomena. Thus,t o regard gratification through passing fulfilmentof desires as life in freedom is un-truth, withoutthe total renunciation of which the realization oftrue freedom is not possible. The aspiration forfreedom is an inherent want of the sadhaka, andcannot be satisfied by fleeting fulfilment of desires,which might suppress the hidden urge of freedomfor a while but cannot obliterate it. On the contrary,indulgence in self-gratification through the


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SATSANG AND SADHANA 43The incidence of pleasure and pain depends

on providential dispensation and is beyond thepowers of the inhvidual. What is within the powerof the sadhaka is the right use of the same. Thesadhaka should realize that true freedom is withinone's self, and that identification with anythingexternal t o one's self is un-truth. No plane or stateof being pertains t o the core of the real being inman. To identify oneself with any state of being isa-sat, and a chain of bondage. Detachment fromthe same leads t o freedom.

Freedom is unborn, eternal and immutable.It illumines itself as well a s the bondage. The latterhas a beginning in time and must therefore comet o an end like everything born. Intense yearningfor life in freedom devours all attachment t o variouspassing phenomena of bondage: In the yearning forfreedom is inherent, the destruction of bondage.The sadhaka who despairs of freedom and getsaddicted t o slavery is a victim of asat, which hemust renounce. To realize asat as asat is an easymeans of releasing the sadhaka from its bondage.

The sadhaka creates his own bondage byattachment of sankalpas, which are extraneous t ohis real self, and therefore asat. Dissociation fromsankalpas is renunciation of asat, and results in


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satsang. Should the sadhaka not co-operate withsankalpas that raise their heads, they would dieout by themselves-the essential among them afterfulfilment and the non-essential without prolongedagony. To merge one's sanskalpas in the will of theSupreme is, for the sadhaka, the best means ofmelting his slavery t o extraneous objects.

When the sadhaka realizes the sankalpas t obe extraneous t o his real self, non-co-operation withthe same becomes easy, and he is not affected byplesasure or pain on their fulfilment or otherwise.Thereby he realizes his inherent life in freedom,which is immutable. One has only turned his backt o it, forgettinghis real self, which is not separablefrom him, while everything extraneous is doomedt o be separated and can be ended by renunciationof the obvious asat.

When the quest for true life beyond pleasureand pain is kindled in the heart of the sadhaka,his sankalpas melt away; for a realization of thephantasmagoric nature of all that is born (body,objects and the world) robs it of its false glamour,and the sadhaka no longer identifies himself withthe same. Non-identification with the un-true freesthe sadhaka from the shackles. It is ignorance of


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SATSANG AND SADHANA 45the delusion of the untrue that keeps him bound t oit and does not let him awaken t o the quest of thetrue. It is evident t o all sadhakas tha t the pleasurederived by the fuKilment of sankalpas is not lasting;and what is not lasting cannot be true life. Toidentify oneself with what is not true life isassociation with aswt. The sadhaka shouldtherefore remember firmly that t o regard anypassing show as life is association with asat.

The urge for life in freedom is the inherentwant of man. What separates man from it isattachment t o objects, environment etc-the rootcause of which is t o regard oneself as the body,which is an obvious a-sat. Distinct realization ofasat as asat leads t o its renunciation. The sadhakashould, therefore, direct tireless effort t o spotlightand sift out all asat from his life.

When the sadlzaka, in the light of his viueka,realizes that he is not the body, all his relation withactivities, thoughts and states of being proceedingfrom his identification with the body is cut asunder.Even while retaining the body, he is freed from theshackles of the body, and he attains desirelessness,which ushers h m nto the kingdom of freedom.

One in whom are found together theimpressions of associations with un-truth as well


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46 SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINTas a yearning for Truth is a sadhalza.:The yearningfor Truth is self-fulfilled the moment the reactionsof association with un-truth are exhausted; andfirm renunciation of un-truth spontaneouslyexhausts the reactions of association with un-truth-which results in real satsang and theemergence of true sadhana., whereon the entirelife of the sadhaka becomes sadhana, and satsangand sadhana becomes the life of the sadhaka..Allhis problems are then resolved.

The sadhaka's problems are posed not byun-truth but by his association with un-truth; forun-truth by itself is powerless t o affect the realbeing of the sadhaka.

THE ENDING OF ATTACHMENTS AND THEDAWN OF LOVE

Belief in conflict with one's viveka is untrue,without the renunciation of which belief in what istrue, which is a mark of sadhana, does not manifestin the heart of the sadhaka. True belief leads t ounbroken relationship with the True, which leadsto the realization of unity of kinship. The unity ofkinship fulfils itself in LOVE, which is the solefountain-spring of BLISS-which is the true want


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SATSANG AND SADHANA 49

It behoves the lover-the sadhakn who aspiresfor unity with the Beloved-not t o lend faith t o anypower save that of the Beloved, not to beg anythingfrom the Beloved, and t o dissolve all hisattachments into one sole relationship with Him.Thus the very being of the sadhaka is transformedinto pure yearing for the Beloved, which is theclimax of the sadhana of Devotion. Such union isnot wrought by practice, but only by deep faith.Practice, being dependent on the body and externalfactors, cannot usher one into the realm of theSelf-luminous. Faith is the magnet that attractsDivine Grace. Refuge in Divine Grace is thequintessence of the devotee's s a d h a n a .Relationship with the Divine melts away all otherattachments, including that for the body.

When the sadhaka gives up all trust in theuntrue and pins his faith in God, His swee tremembrance is spontaneously awakened in him.But he impatiently looks for its effect on his bodyand mind ete., which he had sought t o dissociatehimself from. Such tendency renews hisattachment t o body and mind. The sadhaka shouldaspire from the core of his soul, and not looktowards the fruit of it in Ms body and mind o r in


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SATSANG AND SADHANAMOOK SATSANG AND REPOSEThe Immutable, the Eternal, is Truth, and

association with That is satsang. In fact, Truth,being the bed-rock of all existence, is the eternalcompanion of man; it appears t o be remote onaccount of man turning his back t o it, o r crowdingit out from his mind. The love of Truth swings backthe sadhakak face from untruth and unites himwith itself. But this applies only t o those sadhakaswhose minds are not deluded by pleasure-seekingindulgence in un-truth and its vicious phenomenonof fleeting sensation. The way to be rid of the sameis, first, Right Action-i.e., right use of all that isgiven t o man. Such action does not leave behind atrail of samskaras, which is the lot of those whoare lost in action born of attachment, and whchindeed is the cause of the restlessness of the mind.Suppressed samskaras emerge time after time, andprevent the sadhaka from the bliss of repose, whichpertains to his real nature. The sadhaka should


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therefore abandon all wrong action, i.e. activitywhich is born of attachment, o r is unessential andself-centred.

When the sadhaka becomes an instrument ofDivine Will, and retains no sankalpas of his own,he discharges his duties without losing hisequilibrium o r repose, and enjoys the Peace of theDivine even when engaged in work. But this ispossible only when the sadhaka renounces allpersonal sankalpas, which is possible only whenhe rids himself of attachment t o things, individuals,circumstances etc. The memory of the past mayyet oppress him for a while; but if only he does notco-operate with it, that too will soon exhaust itself;for all fleeting phenomena become lifeless as soonas one ceases t o co-operate with them.

Such a sadhaka dwells in peace after thecessation of an activity; that is t o say, between t heend of an activity and the commencement ofanother he is not inhibited by thoughts of the pastor the future. All his activity is related t o the serviceof the world; for himself, the sadhaka bears norelationshp with the world save that of service.


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SATSANG AND SADHANA MOOK SATSANG AND REPOSE 53

True repose is inherent in mook satsang-silent communion with the Abso lu t~whichs aneffortless state. It is the base as well as the apex ofall sadhana. It is identification with asatya(un-truth) tha t deprives one of satsang. I t isdispelled by viueka. Mechanical practice o r effortonly suppresses desire, whch emerges again andagain. aviveka can be ended only by dissociatingoneself from false identification with asatya-thebody and external objects-through uiveka. Thisfrees the sadhaka from desire; and Peace is a stateof desirelessness. When the sadhaka is thuspurified-with no residue left of action born ofattachment, and no feeling of doership in hisactions-he enjoys effortless awareness, which isanother n a m e for mook s a t s ang , in which isinherent the t o ta1 renunciation of un-truth.

The climax of effort for the devotee is seekingrefuge in the Lord (Saranagat i ) ; or the man ofthought, in detachment; and for the man of action,in selfless dehcation t o duty-Dharma. All thesethreefold efforts culminate in mook satsang. Notin the sankalpa of not doing t h i s and not doing that,but in the total renunciation of sankalpas consists


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rnook satsang. Mook satsang resolves 'doing' into'being', and 'being' into ' IS ' ,which is the Eternal.

Yearning for satsang dissociates the sadhakafrom asat, and unites him with Sat. Mook satsanghelps the sadhaka in this happy consummation. Itis atonce the highest sadhana and the goal ofsadhana.

The cessation of all propensities born ofsankalpas and dwelling in Peace both inside andoutside is mook satsanga. Desire for what one hasnot got, and misuse of what one has got and lack offaith in, and love for, the Eternal-are obstacles t omook satsang. Even a short spell t o mook satsangawakens the sadhaka t o Reality. It is equally usefulto sadhakas of any path; even as the earth unfoldsall varieties of seeds; pravritti and nivritti alikegain their end through mook satsang , which helpsthe sadhaka 's 'I' t o rise above both t o true life. Mooksatsang is independent of any external possessionso r circumstances.

Mook sa tsang dissolves even unfulfilleddesires in the Rasa of Love.


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The Voice of the silence can only be heard intrue mauna mook satsang. Mook satsang is silentcommunion with the Absolute, a state of pureawareness, and affords true and immutable repose.

+ + +Repose, freedom and love constitute the true

want of every sadhaka. Their fulfilmentis inherentin perfect dutifulness, detachment and feeling ofkinship with the Divine. Renunciation of impureaction (which is against the dictates of viueka),renunciation of attachments (which are contraryt o the light of viueka) and the ending of trust in allthat is extraneous (which is opposed t o viveka)result in perfect dutifulness, detachment and love.Renunciation of untruth consists in the firmrejection of these three aspects of untruth. This isthe responsibility o f every sadhaka, in th edischarge of which every sadhaka is free. It is theforgetfulness of his real want that makes thesadhaka forget his responsibility. The awakeningof his real want makes the sadhaka alive to hisresponsibility.

Action that is in consonance with viveka andnot beyond the power of the sadhaka constitutes


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his duty; action that is contrary t o the light ofviveka and beyond one's power is non-essential,indulgence in which is association withasat-whicn must be renounced. Indulgence insuch action makes one forget his real duty, thedisregard of which provides the soil for breedingmore and more indulgence in impure actions. Thesadhaka should therefore, be vigilant for theperformance of duty in the purest spirit and withhis eyes fixed on the goal. The sadhaka has t oprotect the righ ts of all concerned, for th edissolution of all accumulated attachments, and t orenounce all his supposed rights, t o prevent theformation of any fresh attachments and theirbreed-lust, anger, etc.

The realization of what constitutes the realwant of man is inherent in himself. What is notrealizable is the fulfilment of all extraneous desires.To turn one's back on the former, and t o indulge inthe latter, is falling a prey t o untruth. All compositethings a re doomed t o dissolve, and t o seek t opreserve them is a delusion; whereas the true Lifepervading everything, and still remaining itselfbeyond them, pertains t o the real core of man, and


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is his undeniable heritage. The true sadhaka boldlyand firmly rejects the former and leaps up t o thelatter. He rejects all perishable attachments andthereby attains true freedom and Love Eternal.Identification with the body is the primal cause ofbondage, and has pushed man into pursing themirage of fleeting pleasures. The sadhaka boldlybreaks the chains that thus bind him-rejectingonce for all the suzerainty of asatya-and uniteswith Truth, which is true satsang, the quintessenceof pure sadhana which merges in the Sadhya.


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THE ESSENCE OF SADHANA

"I am" is every man's experience. Next comesthe experience of "the World" around and one'svarious relationships with it. Last though not theleast, one feels and gropes after the First Cause ofthe entire Creation.

As one awakens t o the light of viveka, oneaspires t o fulfil himself v is a vis himself, t o redeemthe manifold relationships with which he findshimself bound with the world, and t o meet or realizehis Creator.

To fulfil himself, man must realize his Self. Torealize his Self, he must dis-robe himself, his innerconsciousness, of what he is not-the body andthings, the talents and ability, the energy etc.provided t o h m o play his role. Namely, he mustrid himself of the fever of "me" and "mine", of desirefor external things and of a sense of his rights o rdemands on others. Riddance from the sense of "I"and "mine" does not detract an iota from the use-right use-of whatever is given t o one. On the


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THE ESSENCE OF SADHANA 59contrary, it spontaneously results in right action,which helps t o build up a good social order. It alsoconduces t o make one desireless; for when the verybody is recognised t o be an external things, noexternal thing would be needed for the real self.By desirelessness the mind becomes pure and calmwhich releases pravritti in the service of all andspontaneous niuritti-compassion and detachment.If only men seek t o serve, t o protect the rights ofothers, the right of all would be protected withoutthe selfish clamour of greed and jealousy and withmutual love warming the hearts of all. For love isthe summum bonurn of service, and indeed trueservice is the outer expression of love.

With the splitting of the atom of the "I" thesadhaka becomes one with Yoga, Gnana and Love.

When the s a d h a k a thus fulfils himself,automatically he becomes a blessing t o the worldand 'Joy of the Return' t o the Lord of the world.Pure sadhana flows through him. Through such aone everything that passes his touch is rightly usedin the service of the world. He returns good for evil;his knowledge becomes a candle that lights othercandles; his strength a support of the weak; hislove freely gven.


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SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINT

Not t o do evil is the beginning for such asadhaka. Nobody can be entirely evil-infested. Evena murderer has compassion for someone in somecorner of his heart. By returning good for evil theevil-doer too is purified and transformed. In theperfection of sadhana evil no longer exists for him.The true sadhaka realises the present purity ofeveryone. However impure one's past might havebeen, the present timeless moment of everyone ispure. The sadhaka therefore has compassion ratherthan anger for the evil-doer.

Above all, the sadhaka realizes that his bodyand possessions are a trust from Providence, whichit is his duty and privilege t o utilise in the serviceof the world. He never forgets this obligation to theworld.

Finally, in the heart of such sadhaka springsforth faith, a spirit of surrender, and love anddevotion for the One who is the bed-rock, theSource, the life and light of himself and the world.What is that One like, where is He, what He doesare secondary questions which are not essential t othe acceptance that He IS, and that He IS our own


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THE ESSENCE OF SADHANA 61

and we are His own. His Glory both ofTranscendence and in Immanence then revealsItself t o the consciousness of the sadhaka, unitingit with His Consciousness. What a pity that weforget our innate relationship with such a One, ourSource and our Creator, and forge our attachmentswith the crumbs that we receive as gifts fromHim.Lf we can do nothing else, we can surrenderourselves t o Him in humble but one-pointed love,which itself would melt our ego. His Grace is everraining, flowing. The world, on the other hand, isby itsvery nature incapable of delivering the goods,of fulfilling the real want of a single soul.

Surrender t o the Lord of Love isnot an escape;it is a remembrance of our inborn, imperishablerelationship with Him. For the sadhaka who hassurrendered himself t o Him, there remains nothingelse t o do, for HE does everything for him. Such isHisLove, His Compassion, His Power,His Wisdom.

Thus, in Self-realisation, service of fellow-beings and love for the Lord consists the fulfilmentof the faculties of thinking, doing and feelingwithwhich the human being is endowed. Nothing exists


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outside the Lord of Life and Love, and in servingall he serves the Lord of all. Thus, man being a rayof that Life and Love, he fulfils himself in realisinghis true being.


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SOME MAXIMS OF THE SAINT

1. Renunciation of wrong action spontaneouslyleads t o right action.

2. Right use of the present is the root of progress.3. In the renunciation of one's rights and the

protection of the rights of others lies the secretof attainment.

4. One who desires nothing for himself is desiredby all.

5. What one does t o others is rendered unto him.6. Goodness does not brook a thought of return.7. Returning good for evil destroys the evil.8. Exercising the mind on what others should do

makes us forget what we should do.9. In the right use of things lies the key t o

obtaining all things necessary. Right use ofthings consists in the service of others.


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10. Retaining relationships without renderingservice is bondage.

11. Acquired wealth is a trust of the poor.12. All power is a trust of the weak.13. Service and sacrifice are the acme of duty and

dutifulness.14. In the craving for selfish rights is hidden

virtual himsa.15. The feeling of compassion is the highest

service.16. It is a tremendous mistake t o covet one's gain

in the loss of others, one's progress in another'sdownfall, and one's happiness in another'sunhappiness.

17. Do not pry into the vices of others. Looking intothe vices of others binds you with the vices.

18. Do not listen t o gossip against others.19. Forget your virtues and others' vices.20. Not t o repeat a bad deed is the best atonement.21. Forget the past, mind the present. The present

makes the future.


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SOME MAXIMS OF THE SAINT 6522. Do t o others as you would like others t o do t o

you. Do not do t o others what you would notlike others t o do to you.23. In the renunciation of aimless ramblings of the

mind lies the key t o creative thought.24. Paying heed t o viveka is t o destroy aviveka.25. In the renunciation of a s a d h n a is theemergence of sadhana.26. The awakening of quest for the Eternal

swallows all desires for the ephemeral. Innivritti from desires is vested the fulfilment ofquest.

27. All impurities are rooted in the craving forpleasures of the senses.

28. Past mistakes are obliterated by themselvesif they are not repeated.

29. From the renunciation of evil sanka lpa semerge good sanka lpa s . Renunciation ofindulgence in the fruits of goodsankalpas leadst o niuritti from sankalpas. The peace of nivn'ttifrom sankalpas ismuchmore precious than thepleasure of the fulfilment of sankalpas.


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30. The right use of pain and suffering is indetaching oneself from the rising above thesame.

31. To imbibe the lesson of sorrow is the greatesttapa.

32. To regard ano ther as the cause of one'ssuffering is a delusion.

33. Above pleasure and pain is life.34. The plant of sorrow grows from the seed of

pleasure. To crave for pleasure is, therefore, t oinvoke pain.

35. 'Ib be desireless one must be free from the senseof 'I) and 'mine'.36. In the knowledge of the real nature of the world

is Inherent the renunciation of the world.37. The destruction of ego releases infinite power.38. A timeless moment of effortless repose is of fargreater value than a long course of calculated

effort.39. Truth is the greatest shield in life. None

protects like it.+ + +


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SOME MAXIMS OF THE SAINT 67

40. Love is the nature of the Beloved and the lifeof the lover. Love is light, life, eternity. Thereis nothing else t o achieve but Love, in Loveconsists the perfection of life.

41. Faith and Love go together.42. In the ending of desire is the dawn of Love.43. In the sense of unity resides Love.44. The truth is that the Supreme Giver is ours,

but all the things He gives are His.45. The last offerings at the altar of Love is the

(6 9 9surrender of I and "mine."+ + +

46. Inherent in one's ow n reform is the reform ofall.

47. Actions, beliefs and relationship opposed t oviveka are t o be rejected.

48. Only he can be free of fear who is not a causeof fear t o anyone. One who gives fear t o othersis himself in the grip of fear. Only one whohimself is in the gnp of fear gives fear t o others.

49. AU ear is grounded in body-consciousness.


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68 SADHANA-SPOTLIGHTS BY A SAINT50. The urge, o give happiness t o others helps t o

destroy one's own craving for pleasures.51. The right use ofpleasure is in sharing the same

with others.52. Only he can be free from faults who sees only

his own faults.53. There is no vice greater than prying into the

faults of others.54. Desire for pleasure is the mother of frustration.

Compassion eats up the craving for pleasure.55. 'Ib feel a need is itself beggary.56. Adversity is afraid of one who is not afraid of

adversity.57. Peace is the source of power.58. Forgiveness o r generosity motivated by

attachment,and renunciation caused by anger,are fruitless.

59. By adopting any one sadhana in its fullness,all the sadhanas are carried out by themselves.

60. A sadhaka must respect the Law of the Divine.The light emanating from the Sun is not the


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66. The non-Mlment of a desire is sorrow. Merelyt o smart under it is indulgence in the self samesorrow. If one pines for pleasure in one's pain,it is indulgence in the self-same pain. If a painmakes one's gaze pierce deep enough into apleasure t o see the pain inherent therein, thatis the real lesson of pain.

67. The forgetfulness of the goal of life prevents. the desired lesson of pain from sinking into our

minds.68. The discharge of everypravritti for the good of

all, ree from attachment, is the path of action.69. To detach oneself from all objects,circumstances and states of mind through

viueka is the path of thought.70. Faith in, and surrender to , the Lord is the path

of devotion.


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SPIRITUAL PATH-Sadhna Spotlight by a Saint

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