SADHANA AS A CONCEPT

The term ‘sAdhana’ derives from the root ‘sAdh’ ( a weaker form is ‘sidh’) and refers to accomplishment, reaching a goal, perfection. The term ‘sAdhana’ can thus be said to mean ‘the process or means of accomplishing perfection or of achieving and reaching the goal.’ It can be concluded that the goal being referred to is moksha or spiritual emancipation. This state is identical to the ultimate experience of Advaita Ananda or the bliss of the realization of Unity. It is the same as the realization of one’s true identity as Brahman. SAdhana is the process through which one attains that ultimate state of Atma sAkshAtkAra or Self-Realization.

This process is referred to in every scriptural text. Every person who attained to this state has described the process, the sAdhana, that is necessary for attaining the goal.

In Indian scriptural literature, many alternative means or sAdhanas are delineated. One is not aware whether any systematic historical research has been conducted to establish the chronological or historical sequence of these descriptions or alternative sAdhanas. In fact, it is generally difficult to place the scriptural texts in a historical or chronological sequence. Accordingly there have been controversies on which came first and so on. Unlike the Western approach of establishing such chronology, Indian approaches have tended to ignore this aspect and concentrate on the content of the declaration.

For our part we will try and understand the concept numerically, starting from the number 1 and going upwards.

The Unitary Process

This is the ultimate method. It is the understanding of Ekam Sath, the A-dwaita or ‘Not -two’ method. It is truly the goal, a state of complete understanding or realization. It is the end-point of all sAdhana.

The Two -fold Process

There are many ‘two-fold’ methods. Let us start with a basic method.
Understanding is itself two-fold, that is, there can be knowledge and then there can be the application of knowledge resulting in experience or anubhava. It is not enough just to have knowledge. One can become knowledgeable through reading, listening, browsing, viewing, observation and so on. Here the various sense organs are used to collect information, classify the same and become aware of insights and experiences of others, and is broadly called Theoretical Knowledge or Book Knowledge or Jnana.
However there is another very vital aspect of understanding, and that is called ‘Wisdom’ or ‘Practical Knowledge’ or ‘Experiential Knowledge’ or Vijnana.
Theoretical knowledge is not enough to attain Self- realization. Practical knowledge and experience are important to attain the Bliss of the Atma. Perhaps that is why the ancients symbolize this concept in the form of the guardians of Vaikunta, the gate-keepers to Moksha called Jaya and Vijaya representing Jnana and Vijnana respectively. One needs both theoretical and practical knowledge to reach Brahman.

The opposite of knowledge, both theoretical and practical, is ignorance or ajnAna. If knowledge is absent and ajnAna prevails, then birth in any form is inevitable.
Thus the key processes in sAdhana are the destruction of ajnAna and the acquisition of jnAna and vijnAna. The ultimate state of unity is called sujnAna.

The second two-fold process that is described is the sa-gunopAsana and the nir-gunopAsana methods. Brahman is gunAtheetha or beyond attributes, forms, qualities and such descriptions. It is inherently nirguna, nirAkAra, nirmala, nithya that is, ‘without qualities, without form, without impurity, permanent.’
prakriti or nature, that is, the manifest Brahman is full of gunAs, and is called gunamayi, charAcharamayi, vAgmayi, srimayi or ‘with attributes or form, mobile and immobile, with sounds and expression, full of auspiciousness and the means of existence.’
Yet another two fold process talks of ‘dwaita’ or the ‘two’ being the devotee and Bhagavan. This relationship is the key to realizing the unity of the two.

The Three- fold Process

This is a special variant to the straight A-dvaita approach and the two fold approach and is appropriately called Vishishta advaita. It posits three entities, the human being, nature and Brahman. It is through the process of life and with the assistance of nature that one can reach Brahman.

The Guru - Shishya approach is also a threefold process where the Shishya or student surrenders to the Guru or teacher and thus is helped or guided to the ultimate truth of Brahman.
As the Guru, although a human, is a knower of Brahman and thus is equivalent to Brahman (‘Brahmavid Brahmaiva Bhavati’ that is, the Knower of Brahman becomes Brahman Itself), this becomes a two-fold process and leads to unity.

The Four-fold Process

The classic four-fold process of sAdhana is the sAdhana chatustaya described by Sri SankarA in his famous treatise ‘Viveka Chudamani’. It comprises four elements, viveka, vairagya,ShaTsampatthi and mumukshutva or discrimination, detachment, the six disciplines that sensitize the mind for serious sAdhana and the intense desire for liberation. Sri SankarA describes this process as absolutely invaluable for attaining liberation.

The four-fold description of the human personality as symbolized by the Omkara as described in the Mandukya Upanishad is another key to achieving liberation by traversing the body, mind, soul and ultimately experiencing Brahman as reality.

The Five-fold Process

A beautiful composition of Sri SankarA is the ‘Sadhana Panchakam’. It comprises just five slokas which contain some forty exhortations to the aspirant. A careful analysis reveals that the five stanzas and forty elements contained therein are focused on five essential practices:
1. A study and understanding of the Vedas; the practice of the Karmas contained therein and an understanding of the philosophy in the Upanishads;
2. Maintenance of the body with pure Satvik food, indifference to taste and indulgences;
3. Control of Desires in the mind, a state of contentment, and the orientation of the mind to the God Principle;
4. Development of discrimination, the avoidance of arguments and debates, and indifference to likes and dislikes, heat and cold etc;
5. The company of devotees and people of Sat-bhava, solitude, renunciation of possessions and body identification and the cultivation and realization of ‘I am Brahman’.

Sri Sankara’s composition is not as orderly in its layout as shown above. The ideas appear to be randomly distributed in the five slokas. However further contemplation may reveal new patterns.

Another five-fold structure could be based on the ‘Pancha Kosas’ as also the ‘Pancha Pranas’. More study and research may reveal sAdhana-s based on these five-fold concepts.

The Six-fold Process

The Shadsampati or six-fold sAdhana is embedded in the ‘sAdhanA chatustaya’ which is itself part of the ‘Viveka ChudAmani’.

These six steps are sama, dama, uparithi, thithiksha, shraddha and samAdhAna (that is, balance, self-control, withdrawal, forbearance, intense faith in the words of the scripture and the preceptor and peace). They are pre-eminently considered essential pre-requisites for further serious sAdhana.

These characteristics form the cornerstone or foundation for sAdhana. The performance of karmas, both ritualistic and routine, help in the development of the Shadsampati characteristics.

Thus karmas with shadsampati are the necessary pre-requisite for sAdhanA.


The Seven-fold Process

This sAdhana is based on sound. The structure of sound is said to be sevenfold or sapta swara and comprises the seven notes
sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, da and ni. These notes are slightly different from the Western octave.

The saptaswara form the basis of nAda which is itself a fourfold entity in line with the OmkArA. These four components
are parA, paschyanti, madhyamA and vaikhari and correspond to Brahman, the soul, the mind and the body respectively.

VAk is the sound that proceeds from our mouth and the sound that the ear hears. However sound originates from Brahman and becomes super subtle in the soul, a conception or thought in the mind and then expresses itself as voice.

Thus sound is also called nAdabrahmam. For this reason, the composer saints such as Thyagaraja, Tulsidas and Meera are recognized as realized souls, in tune with Brahman, who expressed themselves in song. Their music is considered celestial and endowed with divine attributes.

Brahman is described as sAmagAna priya or the lover of the sound of the sAma vedA. Thus correct intonation of the Vedic mantras is considered extremely important.

The Eight-fold Process

The classic treatise on the eightfold process of sAdhana is the ‘Yoga Sutras’ of Maharishi Patanjali who came from the sAnkhyA tradition and who is said to have existed sometime between 150BCE and 100CE.

The essence of the methodology of the Yoga Sutras is called the ‘Eight-fold Path’ or AshtAnga Yoga. The eight steps of sAdhanA are:
-yama comprising the strict ‘avoidance of violence’ (ahimsa), abjuring untruth (sathya), renouncing or strictly regulating body indulgences (brahmacharya), and strictly avoiding the temptation to cheat or grab the possessions of others (aparigraha) and non coveting others’ possessions(astheya);
-niyama comprising the strict observance of purity and cleanliness, both external and internal (shoucha), cultivation of a sense of contentment (santosha), austerity and sacrifice to ensure truth and purity in thought, word and deed (thapas), serious study of scriptures, the listening to expositions by elders and illuminated adepts and rumination over the import of those statements (swadhyAya), and dedication of all actions, thoughts and speech to the Divine Principle in a spirit of total surrender ( iswara pranidhana).
-AsanA or bodily postures and exercises that help to stabilize and relax the body;
-prANAyAma or systematic breathing to re-invigorate and refresh the subtle energy or Pranic centers in the body and calm the mind;
-prayAhAra or the progressive withdrawal of the mind from the outside world and the body;
-dhAraNa or the concentration of the mind in the direction of the Divine Principle either by continuous mental chanting of a mantrA or simple concentration on the name and form of the preferred deity or form of the Divine Principle or simple concentration on an abstract concept such as the Om or simply a form of light or a flame;
-dhyAna or deep meditation which transcends the mind and enters the realm of the Spirit;
- and finally, samAdhi or the state of self-realization and mergence in the Divine Principle.
Obviously, all these steps do not take place at once or in one sitting, as it were, and it is necessary to cultivate the conditions required for each step slowly and steadily and with great discipline and regularity. The step from dhAraNa to dhyAna is a crucial one and it is said and often recommended that this step requires the help and guidance of an adept or teacher or Guru. Indeed there is a prevalent opinion that the whole process requires to be initiated by a Guru.
The AshtAnga Yoga methodology occupies a vital place in the field of sAdhanA and has helped countless aspirants to achieve the goal of Self- Realization.

It is important to note that this process is eulogized and commented upon by Sri SankarA in his concise and elegant treatise ‘Yoga tArAvali’. An extensive commentary on this is available from the Sringeri tradition written by Sri R. M. Umesh (‘Perfection through Yoga’ - Sri Sharada Trust, 1984, with a beautiful benediction by Sri Abhinava Teertha Swamigal, the then Sankaracharyal of Sri Sharada Peetham.)

The Nine-fold Process
Prayer is a powerful form of communication with the Divine Principle. It is said that in the Kali Yuga prayer and the remembrance of God is the simplest and most effective form of sAdhanA. Prayer can occur just in the mind, that is, silently, or can be articulated from the mouth. In both forms it is truly poetic and full of beauty, of harmony, of rhyme and rhythm.
The RAmAyana is full of references of the love for the Divine. The old lady Shabhari is a case in point where her devotion to Sri RAma is acknowledged and reciprocated by Him. So is the case of GuhA, the boatman, who ferries Sri RAma, Sri LakshmanA and Sri SitA to the other side of the Ganga. The devotion of Sri Hanuman is exemplary. He is shown as a person who combines, in a remarkable fashion, duty with devotion. The dedication of Sri Lakshmana himself to Sri RAma is another interesting model of conduct. So is the devotion of Sri Bharatha who could have had the empire at his will but declines to do so out of his deep devotion to the Lord. The surrender of VibhIshana, the brother of Ravana, is often cited as one of the outstanding examples of devotion. Sri RAma recognizes the true devotee in VibhIshana and accepts his surrender. When Sri RAma Himself appears dazed in His conclusive battle with Ravana, the sage Agasthya emerges to convey to Him the sacred hymn called the ‘Adithya Hrudayam’, a panegyric dedicated to the Divine Principle in the form of the Sun, which enlivens, encourages and emboldens Sri RAma to complete the sacred task for which He has in fact appeared on earth, that is, the destruction of Ravana.
During the period following Sri Krishna, considerable literary and spiritual developments seem to have taken place with the writing of the great PurAnas which are all attributed to Sri Veda VyAsa and the compilation of the Brahma SutrAs which are also said to have been authored by VyAsa. With the decline of the Vedic civilization and the onset of Buddhism, the philosophical approach seems to have given way to the devotional. This was in fact initiated by Sri VyAsa himself who is said to have authored another magnum opus, the Srimad BhAgavatham, a devotional biography of Sri Krishna. The devotional school of thought flourished apace and schools of thought devoted to Sri Krishna seem to have flourished in many parts of the land, in Manipur in the North East, to Gujarat in the West being the seat of Sri Krishna’s own kingdom, DwAraka; from Mathura and Brindavan in the north of India being the birthplace of Sri Krishna to Pandharpur in Maharashtra and Guruvayoor in Kerala. During the years that followed, several schools of devotion to Sri Krishna seem to have arisen in Bengal under Sri Chaitanya, in South India under the Azhwars, and in Rajasthan under the inspiration of Sri Meerabai, a queen who became a devotee. This sweeping development of the devotional school is often called the Bhakthi movement in contemporary writings.
This concept of devotion as a path to salvation is described in detail by Sri Krishna Himself in the Gita. He describes vividly the model devotee as one who, indifferent to the world outside of himself, oblivious of cold or heat, praise or blame, hate or love, has his mind focused single-mindedly on the Divine Principle. He describes how such a devotee, devoid of any form of expectations, dedicates every action of his to the Lord, thinking constantly of Him, with no vestige of ego or desire, and dedicates his all to the Lord. In the Gita, Sri Krishna assures such a devotee that all that the devotee possesses and all that he should ever need will be the responsibility of the Lord Himself. In moving verses in the Gita, He reiterates His commitment to the devotee and his welfare and promises that in the case of one who has his mind one-pointedly focused on Him, He will erase all the sins of the devotee and ensure that he will achieve Moksha.

The Nine-fold process is elucidated by the Narada Bhakthi Sutras, said to be authored by the Sage Narada himself and indicating several important elements of the path of devotion or Bhakthi. They are said to be hearing the names of the Lord (sravanam) , recollecting His glory (vishnu smaranam), reciting or singing His names and accomplishments (nAma sankeerthanam), obeisance and respect (vandanam), worship ( archanam), service to humanity as a manifestation of the Divine ( pAda sevanam), service to the Lord Himself (dAsyam), friendship of the Lord (sneham) and self-surrender (Atma nivedanam).


The Multi-fold Process

Every one of us aspirants for spiritual enlightenment play many roles in the secular world. We are at once a son, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a grandson, a nephew, a teacher, a boss, a subordinate, a team member, a leader, an exemplar, a servant, a master, a cook, a driver, a watchman, a writer and so on and on.

The world in which we live, work, eat , sleep, and have our existence is called the ‘Karma Kshetra’ or the field of action. All relationships, interactions, actions, reactions, and every form of activity is a ‘means to living’, a means for survival.

But the most important feature of all this action is that it is the foremost means for self-purification, for ‘chitta shudhdhi’ or ‘trikarana shudhdhi’ , the purification of one’s body and mind. It is the most basic means to absolving oneself of the vAsanAs one has been born with. This is called ‘papa vimochanam’.

Karma or action is the means of dissolving one’s karmAs or inherited latent tendencies.

Intense, dedicated, selfless performance of work is the means of attaining to the meaning of life, the true purpose of life, which is ‘moksha’.

The ‘karma kAnda’ of the Vedas, the life of Sri Rama, the articulation of ‘NishkAma karma’ by Sri Krishna, are all supremely important as it is only by performing one’s duties or ‘swadharmA’ in life that one qualifies for all the other stages of personal sAdhanA.

Conclusion

Thus, as above, one has to commence sAdhana at the lowest rung, the multifold, variegated, sometimes confusing processes of one’s life, and progress through the other levels until one reaches the stage of ‘unity’ or ‘Ekam’ or ‘A-dwaita’. That highest level is a state of supreme bliss or ‘Ananda’.

It is this tenfold approach to ‘sAdhanA’ that is presented, in a nutshell, as it were, by Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi in his compact and precise thesis, the ‘Upadesa sAram’.

May every one of you who reads this be blessed with such attainment!