1. Paramártha is that by which the worldly afflictions are alleviated completely and the effort to attain this Paramártha is Sádhaná. Where the Átman is free from all objects, that is, free from all types of afflictions, it is called Paramátman. As long as the aspirant maintains dualistic feelings, then he or she will say that sádhaná is the process whereby Átman and Paramátman are unified.
2. Humankind as a whole has to undergo certain disciplines in order to be free from the objective feelings. These disciplines are termed “Sádhaná.
3. Human beings are more conscious than all other creatures in this world, but they are also more engrossed with worldly attachments. Through intellectual powers humans invent new items for the sake of achieving pleasure, but everything manufactured is the object of intellect. It is only when these products of intellect present an impediment to the realization of happiness that people make an effort to realize the true knowledge. True knowledge is unchangeable. In the course of oneʼs research, one finds Brahma at the origin of everything and becomes prepared to attain Him. This is called “Sádhana”.
4. Mind alone is the cause for the bondage or emancipation of human beings. Thus, the mind is behind all our activities, whether we direct it towards worldly objects or towards Brahma. No action is possible without the mind. The mind has infinite potentialities and controlling these infinite potentialities is sádhaná.
5. Sádhaná is possible only through this physical body, and for the sake of sádhaná it is useless to create unnatural situations by forsaking the home. We can practise sádhaná by practising restraint in whichever situation we are placed. The only thing necessary for practising sádhaná is an ardent desire for it.
6. The feelings of weal and woe are creations of the mind. Although the mind is limited, its orbit is vast. The aspirant undertakes spiritual practice through the mind. When the aspirant merges his or her mind in Brahma through sádhaná, he or she attains Brahma. They earn an eternal abode above all weal and woe and they cannot entertain any feeling of difference. They see Brahma in everything. Yájiṋavalkya says to Maetreyii “The Átman alone is the place for bliss. It is expedient to listen to it, to think of and to meditate on it. You will get its light by deep meditation on it. After one knows the Átman, nothing remains to be known”
7. Paramátman is Infinite; hence infinite happiness is only attainable on realizing Him, and for this sádhaná is a necessity. Without sádhaná there is no liberation from worldly bondages, Sacchidánanda is attainable through sádhaná alone.
8. Sádhaná can be practised at home, by family people and it is not necessary to take to the order of Sannyása. The true meaning of the word “Sannyása” is “devoted to truth”. No one can be devoted to truth except through sádhaná. The fact is that the word “sannyása” can only be used in the context of sádhaná
Source: The Form of Sádhaná
Published in:
* Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 2 [a compilation]
* Ananda Marga Karma Sannyása in a Nutshell [a compilation]
* The Great Universe: Discourses on Society [a compilation]
* Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 1
9. The Three Stages of Sádhaná
In Ananda Marga there are three particular stages of sádhaná which can be fused into one, or can remain separate: Shákta, Vaeśńaviiya, and Shaeva. True spiritual practice is a happy combination of these three stages. In endeavouring to reach the Nucleus of the Cosmic Cycle from any point on the circumference, one must develop each stage, for each has an equal importance. To understand Ananda Marga one has to understand the significance of the three stages.
10. In the first stage of sádhaná one has to become a Shákta in order to acquire adequate shakti [power]. In the second stage Prakrti is willing to take the shelter of Puruśa, but the sádhaka is indifferent, and remains absorbed in the flow of Cosmic bliss – so this is Vaeśńava sádhaná, the endeavour to throw oneself into the current of Cosmic bliss and float towards the supreme goal. [And in the last stage one practises Shaeva sádhaná.]
11. In the most developed minds, an infinite thirst becomes awakened. By attaining the supreme rank of Brahma – bliss personified – that infinite thirst can be quenched. The sustained effort to attain that blissful state is called dharma sádhaná.
12. Think about how many of the deeds you performed before coming to the path of sádhaná were good and how many were bad. To tell the unpleasant truth, ninety-nine percent of your deeds were bad. Hence it is often the case that sádhakas have to suffer much more from bad reactive momenta than get to enjoy good ones. It can even be said that the more one suffers from reactions, the more one is progressing along the path of sádhaná.
Source: Sádhaná
Published in:
* Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 8 [a compilation]
* Discourses on Tantra Volume Two [a compilation]
* Subháśita Saḿgraha Part 7 [book not yet published in English]
13. The Guru shows the path of practical sádhaná, teaches the techniques (purashcarańa), enlightens the disciple, and illuminates the path with the diipajiṋána [light of knowledge]. What a human gets from this contact with the Guru is called diikśá [spiritual initiation] – the embarking on a journey… initiality… starting from the initial stage or initiation.
Source: Sadguru and Yoga Sádhaná
Published in: Yoga Sádhaná [a compilation]
14. Everybody wants expansion. The desire for expansion is the innate characteristic, the dharma, of human beings. No one desires to remain kśudra – a tiny thing. All wish to expand their psychic arena. In order to quench this thirst for vistára, one must do sádhaná regularly. In this way a day is sure to come when oneʼs mind will become one with the Cosmic Mind.
Source: The Requirements for Sádhaná
Published in: Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 3
Release: Electronic edition version 9.0.19
15. What is the nature of the sádhaná of human beings? The bondages and mental limitations that afflict human beings exist not in the external sphere, but in the internal sphere. One whose mind is very narrow is a mean-minded person, whereas one whose mind is broad is a great person. Sádhaná broadens and enlarges the mind. How? It is the innate characteristic of the human mind to become as it thinks – Yádrshii bhávaná yasya siddhirbhavati tádrshii [“As you think, so you become”]. To associate oneself with Parama Puruśa, the Supreme Entity, is the actual sádhaná. There is no one greater than Parama Puruśa, and so, when the mind ideates on Him, it expands.
Source: Tantra Is Sádhaná, Sádhaná Is Tantra
Published in:
* Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 4
* Discourses on Tantra Volume Two [a compilation]
16. The goal of sádhaná [spiritual practice] is the all-round elevation of human beings. Spiritual practices do not teach renunciation of the world, they teach only the proper utilization of the subtle and crude potentialities. Just as it is necessary to follow a suitable system in the social and economic spheres, in exactly the same manner it is necessary to advance scientifically with proper discipline in the physical and mental spheres.
Source: Sádhaná
Published in: Ananda Marga Caryácarya Part 1
17. An ordinary Jiiva (unit being) can become extraordinary by means of Sádhaná and Karma, by virtue of refined intellect and selfless service. When such highly evolved individuals merge with Parama Puruśa, they render the Macrocosmic existence much more meaningful, much more significant. A small drop of the essence of screw-pine flower can add scent to a hundred drops of water. So the absorption of such an evolved being into Parama Puruśa adds to the charm of Parama Puruśa.
Source: (Namámi Krśńasundaram, 168)
Published in: Light Comes [a compilation]
18. Mortal human beings can attain liberation only if they channel all their psychic tendencies, all their thought-waves, towards the Supreme One, and then the dynamic flow of their minds, concentrated at a single point, becomes one with the Supreme Cognition, far beyond the scope of all bondages. The finite microcosm merges in the Macrocosm; the small “I” dissolves in the infinite vastness. In fact, this “I” never loses itself – only the small “I” becomes the great “I.” The Supreme Cognition completely absorbs the individual “I,” and this state of total surrender of the individual brings complete fulfilment. In that exalted state, one realizes that the millions of individual entities are all microscopic fractions of the oceanic Brahma, merely bubbles in that infinite sea. This is the state of realization of Brahmaeváham or Brahmásmi [“I am Brahma”]. Hence it is said that if mortal human beings can surrender their all to the Supreme Entity by means of sádhaná, then they can certainly attain liberation, even while in their physical bodies.
Source: (Namah Shiváya Shántáya, 157)
Published in: Light Comes [a compilation]
19. Those who meditate on Him, those who are on the path of Sádhaná, the radius between that spiritual aspirant and the Cosmic Nucleus, the Parama Puruśa, goes on decreasing and decreasing. The position of a person doing Sádhaná is like this [making gestures showing an object moving closer to the centre of a circle]. For people of materialistic outlook, going away from Him, but moving around and around Him, this is the position [making gestures showing a large circle]. A depraved person, is here [far away]. But if he or she will do Sádhaná, what will happen? [gesturing the circle getting smaller and smaller until the circling finger touches the stationary finger in the centre of the circle] That person will become one with Him. Even if it is a degenerated, depraved person, if he or she practices Sádhaná, does meditation, and leads a pure life, his or her radius with the Parama Puruśa will go on decreasing, and a day will come when the radius will be zero and he or she will be one with the Parama Puruśa. That is the goal of human life.
Source: (Ánanda Vacanámrtam XIV, 25)
Published in: Light Comes [a compilation]
Release: Electronic edition version 9.0.19
20. When one does not do Sádhaná, what will happen? The distance will go on increasing. He or she will drift away from the Parama Puruśa. This is the path of animality. You should never support any ideology, any philosophy that goads a person into the path of animality. Yours is the path of spirituality. When you have been blessed with a human body, be cent per cent human, and go on decreasing your distance from the Parama Puruśa. And finally, be one with Him.
Source: (Ánanda Vacanámrtam XIV, 26)
Published in: Light Comes [a compilation]
21. And in order to do this, what are you to do? You are to purify it with the help of Sádhaná and service. These two factors, Sádhaná and service, will keep your mental mirror always in good condition.
Source: (Ánanda Vacanámrtam III, 91)
Published in: Light Comes [a compilation]
22. Even after getting human life, only a few get the opportunity to listen to Dhármika (spiritual) discourses. Among those, only a few develop the desire to practise Dharma Sádhaná. And even among these, only a very few actually grasp the spirit of Sádhaná. Those rare ones who understand, perform Sádhaná, and reach the goal are truly blessed. In this effort to perfect oneself, even if one faces obstacles and hindrances from oneʼs elders and near ones, one must ignore them. This is not a sin, not a crime.
Source: (Ánanda Vacanámrtam III, 61)
Published in: Light Comes [a compilation]
23. Every person is entitled to do sádhaná. Thus Saguńa Brahma must appear to everyone in the form of a Sadguru. But if one does not have a keen desire for emancipation, one cannot claim this right; and that is why Saguńa Brahma does not appear to everyone. When the desire for salvation becomes intense, only then do human beings attain Sadguru. Thus it is said, that only those who have reached the proper time in their evolution, are entitled to attain Sadguru and learn sádhaná.
Source: (Ánanda Márga, 103)
Published in: Light Comes [a compilation]
24. Some people consider it necessary to tear oneself away by force from the enjoyment of worldly things in order to do sádhaná, and the fear of this compulsion torments them. It would, however, never be possible to control oneʼs mind by such compulsion, since withdrawing the mind by force makes the body suffer and leads to ill health. The system of intuitional practice as taught by the Sadguru is so potent that it imperceptibly diverts the mind from crude attractions to subtlety: the desire for earthly enjoyments disappears, and with it the anguish of not attaining them. Hence not to do sádhaná for fear of withdrawing oneself from worldly pleasures and enjoyments is not based on reason. Those who think thus are mistaken.
To give up intuitional practice, which is the innate duty of everyone, because of baseless fears, only betrays oneʼs ignorance. One should not be filled with unfounded fears but should follow the path of sádhaná, so one can know oneself to be not a mere speck but as the Infinite Supreme Entity.
Source: (Ánanda Márga, 209)
25. Nothing can be achieved merely by depending on the guru without doing the intuitional practice, the sádhaná. Everyone will have to do sádhaná. Some have the wrong impression that they do not have to make an effort, and will attain liberation by the grace of the guru. It is true that liberation is not possible without the guruʼs grace – yet the idea that it can be attained without effort is mistaken. One will have to deserve His grace and then alone will it be bestowed – it cannot be thrust on an undeserving disciple. To deserve His grace one must follow the method taught by Him with devotion and faith.
26. Some people believe that, since they are disciples of a Sadguru and since He has come to elevate all, He will take them all with Him just as a cowherd collects all His grazing cattle before He leaves the pasture at dusk. This is not a correct comparison. A Sadguru does not come to the world to graze His disciples like cattle. He comes to liberate people like Himself, to change humans into God. People will therefore have to make earnest effort to do sádhaná, and not merely depend idly on the guru to attain liberation.
(Ánanda Márga, 188)
Source: Anada Marga
Published in: Light Comes [a compilation]
27. Long ago people learned to perform sacrifices; they realized in theory that God exists, but did not know how to attain Him – how to develop God-consciousness, how to make themselves fit instruments for the attainment of the Supreme. Shiva prepared the path of sádhaná for them and taught them to evolve their minds with the help of mantra. Shiva also taught the people how to develop themselves spiritually with the help of different systems of yoga. Then people accepted unanimously that Shiva was the Lord of Mantra (Mantresha).
Source: (Namah Shiváya Shántáya, 234)
Published in: Light Comes [a compilation]
28. I also want to say further that those who wish to attain spiritual progress in their sádhaná will have to do more and more kiirtan. By kiirtan, the mind becomes pure, and with this pure mind, one can do sádhaná. If the mind is made pure even for five minutes by kiirtan, then if you do sádhaná for only five minutes, your sádhaná will be very good; you will surely attain spiritual progress. And because of your spiritual progress, you will come closer and closer to the Supreme Consciousness, you will come in contact with His psychic waves. And in that state you will be able to render still better service to human beings, animals and plants, by means of Neohumanism.
Source: (Ananda Vacanámrtam III, 21)
Published in: Light Comes [a compilation]
29. The constant movement towards the Supreme Entity is sádhaná, and for this sádhaná alone, human beings have come onto this earth. Now the question is, what is the best aid for sádhaná? Kiirtana. What is its actual benefit? It accelerates the speed of the movement towards the Supreme Entity. Besides that, Kiirtana helps sádhakas in various ways, m different circumstances. In the midst of multitudes of obstacles in this relative world, human beings establish themselves finally in the Supreme Stance.
30. Microcosms suffer from three kinds of afflictions: physical, psychic, and spiritual. The only way for the final removal of these triple afflictions is sádhaná. That is why people should do meditation as much as possible. If sádhaná is not done, then oneʼs food, bath and sleep should also be given up. Similarly, wherever there is opportunity and time, one must do Kiirtana, which is the most useful practice for sádhaná.
Source: (Ánanda Vacanámrtam XXII, 17)
Published in: Light Comes [a compilation]
31. The constant pursuit of intellectuality leads one to its furthest point, the place where intuition beings. Hence in the realm of spiritual practice it is immensely helpful. The path of sádhaná is not devoid of intellect or intuition; rather it is based on intuition. It gives no scope for superstition or blind faith. Instead, it will facilitate the maximum all-round progress of humanity and the manifestation of the highest human excellence.
Source: (The Faculty of Knowledge, 5)
Published in: Light Comes [a compilation]
32. Knowingly or unknowingly everyone is moving around Him. Everyone is bound to move, otherwise they will lose their permanent shelter, they will dissociate from their permanent nucleus. This movement is a natural propensity born out of love for Parama Puruśa. Intelligent people develop their natural propensities by dint of Sádhaná, by their constant endeavour. Those who donʼt care to develop themselves, drift away from the nucleus and move towards darkness or negative Prati-saiṋcara. Their future is dark.
Source: (Namámi Krśńasundaram, 130)
Published in: Light Comes [a compilation]
33. Sádhaná (intuitional practice) is waging war against Infinite Prakrti and becoming free of Her subjugation by winning this war. Prakrti is a unique force that controls everything, even natural phenomena. Sádhaná or intuitional practice, therefore, means achieving supremacy over this all-controlling unique force, Prakrti. It was seen earlier that Consciousness (Puruśa) and Prakrti are inseparable. Prakrti, which was the controlling entity of Puruśa before the war, comes under Puruśaʼs control on being defeated in the war. Consciousness (Puruśa) thus becomes the master of the all-controlling unique force with the help of sádhaná or intuitional practice. Due to its victory in the war against Prakrti, it leaves Prakrti unable to exercise any influence over Puruśa. Sádhaná or intuitional practice will make one the possessor of immense supernatural powers.
Source: Intuitional Practice and Its Necessity
Published in:
* Ananda Marga: Elementary Philosophy
* Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]
34. Intuitional practice (sádhaná) has to be learned from a great preceptor (sadguru), and emancipation is obtained by its systematic practice. Nothing can be achieved by merely depending on the preceptor without carrying out intuitional practice (sádhaná). Everyone should carry out intuitional practice. Emancipation is not possible without it.
Source: Intuitional Practice and Its Necessity
Published in:
* Ananda Marga: Elementary Philosophy
* Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]
35. The Qualified Supreme Entity (Saguńa Brahma) has given each of Its units a fully-reflected consciousness. It manifests creation and evolves humanity in it to enable the unit to carry out intuitional practice and attain emancipation. Other living beings do not possess a fully-reflected consciousness and are capable neither of performing sádhaná nor of attaining emancipation. Unit consciousness is fully reflected in all human beings and thus everyone has an equal right to practise sádhaná. No other living beings till they are evolved to the stage of human beings have the capacity to perform intuitional practice.
36. As everyone has an equal right to do sádhaná, it is necessary for Saguńa Brahma (Qualified Supreme Entity) to reach everyone as a great preceptor. But this does not happen because due to peopleʼs lack of interest in achieving emancipation, they are not able to claim their right to sádhaná. The great preceptor is available only to those who have an earnest desire for emancipation. For them only the opportune moment has arrived and they alone can claim their right to sádhaná and find a great preceptor (sadguru).
37. Human beings have the power of discrimination as they possess a fully-reflected unit consciousness. They can discriminate between good and evil and choose to live a good life. The desire for emancipation is good, but as every action or desire has to have a cause, so this desire also has to be aroused within human beings. Developing an earnest desire for emancipation or earning the right to do sádhaná, therefore, depends on oneʼs efforts. The great preceptor cannot be accused of partiality because of teaching intuitional practice only to those who really deserve it. Saguńa Brahma wants to liberate everyone, but one must earn the right do to sádhaná by oneʼs own efforts as, although all human beings have a fully-reflected consciousness, many are not able to develop the earnest desire for emancipation. God cannot be blamed for human indifference towards attaining emancipation which prevents one from finding a great preceptor. It is everyoneʼs duty (dharma) to create the desire for emancipation, as that is the wish of the Lord and that is why the Lord made the vast creation.
38. The aim of Saguńa Brahma is to liberate each of Its units, and that is the only reason It made this vast creation. Everyone will gain emancipation sooner or later, as that is the wish of the Lord. It may happen soon or may come about after an indefinite period. The only way to gain emancipation is through sádhaná, and so everyone will have to begin sádhaná one day in their search for liberation from the bondage of creation. The wise should therefore start sádhaná as soon as possible and gain emancipation quickly. They realize that to delay is to suffer unnecessarily under the bondage of creation, which is not their permanent home. To regard a transit camp as oneʼs home and suffer the rigours and difficulties of the camp is foolish: knowing that this is not the final goal and that one has no right to stay here permanently, it seems sensible to make an effort to leave as soon as possible. Everyone has to reach his or her goal some time. It is imperative for everyone to achieve emancipation quickly by practising sádhaná. This is our permanent duty.
Source: Intuitional Practice and Its Necessity
Published in:
* Ananda Marga: Elementary Philosophy
* Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life in a Nutshell Part 1 [a compilation]