Evolution of love

Ladder of Transformation

Sadhana
Swami Sivananda Saraswati
Sadhana is the process of transforming one’s nature from
human to the divine. This is the real purpose for which we have
been born. You can hope to achieve perfection only when you effect this transformation. For purposes of sadhana, everything must be rendered sattwic. The place of meditation,
food, apparel, company, thoughts and objects of contemplation must be sattwic. Conversation must be
sattwic. The sound that you hear must be sattwic. Everything must be sattwic. Then only good progress is possible, particularly for beginners. To grow in sattwa you must entirely
overcome your lower nature. It is purification and change of heart alone that make sadhana possible. Never imagine for a moment that you are anywhere near the goal unless and until you strive with earnestness and diligence to rid yourself of negative tendencies, and get established in a pure, sattwic character.
Real aspiration
Strong spiritual aspiration is the first step in the seeker’s path.
Some people have a little curiosity for the spiritual line, but no real thirsting for liberation. They think that they will get certain powers or siddhis if they do some yogic practices. When they do not attain the powers, they lose patience and give up the practices, abandon the spiritual path.
Mere curiosity will not help you attain any spiritual progress.
Introspect. Analyse your thoughts and find out whether you have real spiritual hunger or mere curiosity-mongering. Transmute your inquisitiveness into real thirsting for salvation by constant satsang, company of truth, study of inspiring books, prayer, japa and meditation. Good intentions alone will not do. They must be backed up by good actions. If you think, “I will take a bath when all the waves of the sea subside”, this is not possible. The waves will never subside and you will never take a bath. Even so, if you think, “I will start spiritual sadhana or meditation when all my cares, worries
and anxieties cease, when all my sons are fixed up in life, when I have ample leisure after retirement”, this is not possible. You will not be able to sit for even half an hour when you become old. You will have no strength to do any rigorous tapas, austerity, when you are in advanced senility. You must start vigorous spiritual practices when you are young, whatever your condition, circumstances and environment. Then only you will reap a rich spiritual harvest when you become old. You will enjoy the everlasting peace of the eternal. You must enter the spiritual path with the best intention of attaining atma jnana, self-knowledge, but unless you are vigilant and diligent, unless you do intense and rigorous sadhana, unless you
guard yourself against lust, anger and greed, egoism and selfishness, good intentions alone will not enable you to achieve success. Do something substantial in the path of sadhana instead of wasting your time in idle pursuits and lethargy. You have infinite strength within you. There is a vast reservoir of power within you. Therefore, do not lose heart. Begin sadhana now.
Discipline
Stern self-discipline is absolutely essential. Self-discipline does not mean suppression, but taming the lower instinctive nature. You will have to break the virgin soil before you sow the seed. The seed breaks itself before it sprouts out as a plant. Destruction precedes construction. This is the immutable law of nature. You will have to destroy your brutal nature first before you develop a divine nature.
There is no shortcut on the spiritual path. There is no royal road to the kingdom of mortal bliss. There is no half-measure on the divine path. Strict, hard discipline is wanted. Then alone can you conquer maya and control the mind. Discipline is the training of your faculties, through instructions and exercise, in accordance with a settled principle of authority. You must discipline not only the intellect but also the will and emotions. A disciplined person will control his actions. He is no longer at the mercy of the moment. He ceases to be a slave of his impulses and senses. Such mastery is not the result of one day’s effort. One can acquire the power by protracted
practice and daily self-discipline.
Self-control is the greatest in one whose life is dominated by ideals and general principles of conduct. The final end of discipline is self-control. The whole nature of man must be disciplined. Each element requires its specific training. Discipline harmonises the opposing elements of the soul. Self-control will enable the aspirant to know the truth, to desire the good and win the right and thus to realise the reality.
Every temptation that is resisted, every evil thought that is curbed, every desire that is subdued, every bitter word that is withheld, every noble aspiration that is encouraged, every sublime thought that is cultivated, adds to the development of will force, good character, and attainment of eternal bliss and immortality.
Regular practice
If you do not clean a plate daily, it will lose its lustre. It is the same with sadhana too. The mind becomes impure if it is not kept clean by the regular practice of sadhana and meditation. Meditation removes the dross of the mind in an effective manner. Therefore, practise meditation in the early morning regularly. Persist in your spiritual practices. Be tenacious and diligent. You are bound to succeed. Even a dull type of aspirant will notice a marvellous change in him if he keeps up the practice of japa and meditation for two or three years
in a continuous stream. Now he cannot leave the practice. Even if he stops his practice of meditation for a day, he will actually feel that he has lost something on that day. His mind will be quite uneasy. Every bit counts Every bit of sadhana done is surely recorded without fail in your hidden
consciousness. No sadhana ever goes in vain. Every bit of it is credited immediately towards your evolution. This is the law. Think not negative thoughts, but calmly go on with the
sadhana. Be regular at it. Without missing a single day, proceed onward with your spiritual practices. Little by
little, the power accumulates and it will grow. Ultimately, the cumulative force of all the continuous earnest sadhana done perseveringly and patiently over a long period has its inevitable consummation at the supreme moment when it bears fruit in the form of blissful realisation. Let the sadhana be regular, continuous, unbroken and earnest. Not only regularity, but also continuity in sadhana and meditation is necessary if you want to attain self-realisation quickly.
A spiritual stream once set going does not dry up, unless the channel bed is blocked, unless there is stagnation. Meditate regularly.