04 Sep Types of Spiritual Practices
When we examine spiritual goals, it is essential that we have correct understanding as to why we do certain things. In spiritual practice (sadhana), the effort must be conscious and calculated, and not mechanical. spiritual sadhana are of two types:
a) Those practices that are used to gain a purified inner equipment antahkarana suddhi, and
b) those that are used to remove ignorance or avidya, about the true nature of the Self.
In order to gain the Higher, we need to develop pure sattvika qualities. Therefore, we must undertake various forms of spiritual practices that will bring about purification. The first type of sadhana explains the various forms of practices that will bring about purification at the mental and intellectual levels (physical purity is already taken for granted). Practices such as repeating the Lord’s name (japa yoga), austerities (tapas), pilgrimages (yatra), worship (puja), and other activities such as charity (dana) and dedicated selfless work, are all performed to purify the mind and intellect…Mere mechanical action is fruitless. It is the right use and understanding of the means that is essential if success is to be achieved…
The second type of sadhana, which, when correctly undertaken brings about the removal of ignorance of the Self, is basically of three types: shravana, manana and nidhidhyasana.
Shravana is listening to the shruti (scripture) from a guru. This is not merely the hearing of words, but rather attentive and single-pointed listening to the true meaning of the guru’s words. Real listening is putting the mind behind the ears, and not dissipating it into any other field of thought. This true shravana must have a degree of antahkarana suddhi or purity of mind as a prerequisite. The mind must be calm and non-dissipating to some extent before such attentive listening is possible. Hence we see the need for antahkarna suddhi.
Mananam is literally, “reflection upon what has been heard.” Manana is the process of making concrete what the teacher has taught. Making the knowledge one’s own is a prerequisite before the third sadhana of nidhidhyasana, can be undertaken.
Nidhidhyasana is meditation or contemplation, that is, coming to “know” for oneself through direct experience, what has been discussed in the scriptures. This process is the conversion of intellectual knowledge (the theory) to subjective experience.
– excerpted from ‘Means to spiritual perfection’ written by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda
compiled in the Mananam series book ‘Reflection Upon Truth’