SADHANA CHATUSHTAYA

The fourfold means for salvation, or the four kinds of spiritual practices, is a prerequisite to the aspirants on the path of Jnana Yoga, or, for that matter, in any system of evolution towards Godhead.

Swami Sivananda

1. Viveka

Discrimination between the real and unreal or the permanent and the impermanent.

Discrimination dawns through the grace of God, through virtuous actions done in several past births, through holy company of study of sacred scriptures, through selfless service or work done without the expectation of fruits and without egoism.

One who has viveka or discriminative wisdom cannot fail to have vairagya or dispassion as they are interdependent.

2. Vairagya

Dispassion or the absence of passionate longing born of sustained right discrimination. It is the giving up of passion and desire for all mundane enjoyments.

If and when wisdom begins to act in you, it is no longer academic wisdom but living wisdom. This prevents you from doing what is not conducive to your highest aspirations and encourages you to do what is best—this living wisdom is vairagya. If one still continues to do what is not most conducive to one’s aspiration (whatever be the excuse), viveka or discrimination has not taken seed.

Without viveka, there can be no vairagya, and without vairagya, no spiritual life is possible. Both of these are indispensible.

3. Shad-sampat

The third requisite is a set of sixfold virtues the spiritual seeker must have and are taken as one requisite.

Without vairagya or discrimination and viveka or awakened wisdom that acts, you will not be able to develop these virtues, as the mind will continue to rush outwards.

shama: is serenity or tranquility of mind that is brought about by eradication of vasanas, which are desires or conditioning in a broader sense.

The mind is always centered in the self or its source and never given a free reign to wander about externally. Though difficult to attain, serenity is the single most important qualification for an aspirant. A mind that loiters will never allow an inner life. Shama is not suppression, as the mind is not allowed to wander and given an inner train of thought to work in. It demands incessant and protracted practice, but it must be attained.

dama: is control of the senses or self-control, it corresponds to pratyahara in Raja Yoga. Here too there is no foolish suppression, as the empowered awakened wisdom simply avoids what is not conducive to discovery of the truth.

Shama keeps the mind centered in the self and dama forms a secondary safety net, as strong urges could burst to the surface for action till complete self-mastery is attained.

Self-control and self-restraint work together, as one never knows what situations he may find himself in and this double protection is of immense use.

uparati: is satiation or turning the mind resolutely away from desires by seeing everything through the awakened wisdom rather than the conditioned mind.

When wisdom has awakened in one, there is a natural inner satisfaction knowing the defects of the temporal and that fulfillment can only be had in the permanent and unchanging reality.

One established in uparati is unaffected in the midst of change and distraction as he is always self-centered.

titiksha: is power of endurance or forbearance—patently bearing all opposites without caring to redress them. This frees one from any anxieties and stress that can result from trying to change everything to our taste. In a way, titiksha is an internal and external adjustment so that there is no lament with ever changing situations.

sraddha: is unshakeable faith that transcends reason in the words of the preceptor, teachings of the scriptures and one’s own self. It is not blind faith, as it is based on reasoning, evidence and experience.

Doubts arise in the spiritual path, but sraddha does not allow rising doubts to affect one’s actions and the pursuit of the truth.

samadhana: is mental balance, equipoise and calm which give a balanced inner life. Perfect concentration ensues when samadhana comes about as it is the fruit of the other five. The mind gets settled in its source and does not wander aimlessly, bringing about mental stability and poise.

4. Mumukshutva

An intense yearning for liberation, it is the fourth of the main qualifications. If one is equipped with the other three, this unwavering focus and desire for liberation will be natural. Mumukshutva should be steady, unflickering and of a burning type. If one feels one does not have this burning mumukshutva, one should work hard to practice the other three which will give rise to it naturally.