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Spiritual aspirant. (Glossary for the Vahinis)

The Sadhaka, who is earnest for the results, has to be ever vigilant. The senses might at any moment, regain their lost mastery, and enslave the individual. (JV, p. 10)

Be ever and always immersed in the search for Truth; do not waste time in the multiplication and satisfaction of wants and desires. One source of pleasure craves as a corollary to another source. Thus the mind seeks again and again to acquire the objects it has given up, so do not yield to the vagaries of the mind. Turn back, even forcibly, from sensory attachment. One has to stick to the same place and time for prayer. The Atma itself will sustain such Sadhaka and give them strength and steadiness. (JV, p. 10)

The Sadhaka should avoid the difficult obstacles in the path of Dhyanam, viz. anger, pride, conceit, the tendency to discover the faults of others, mischief, etc.

The Sadhaka must be vigilant not to lose his temper on even small things, for that will block his progress. The Sadhaka must welcome gladly the announcement of his defects by anyone. The Sadhaka must, by inward observation, examine the mind and its contents and condition. By proper disciplinary habits, he should remove the accumulated dirt, little by little, systematically. The Sadhaka must minimise all discussion and argumentation, for this breeds a spirit of rivalry and leads one on to angry reprisals and vengeful fighting. Do not struggle to earn the esteem of the world. Do not feel humiliated or angry when the world does not recognise you or your merits.

Learn this first and foremost if you are an aspirant for spiritual success. A sense of joy is necessary for Dhyanam and Dharana to progress. (DhyV, pp. 68, 69, 72)

The Sadhaka should be under all circumstances, joyful, smiling and enthusiastic. Even more than Bhakti and Jnana, this pure attitude is desirable. (Prema Vahini, p. 70)

The prosperity of yesterday, the poverty of today, both are due to the actions of the so-called ‘Great’. (Prema Vahini, p. 72)

For fire to increase or decrease fuel is the only cause; there is no other reason. The more the fuel, the more illumination. In all humanity, every individual has the undisputed right to feed his fire with fuel! Fire has the power to give light, by its very nature. So, too, in the fire of the Buddhi of a spiritual sadhaka, the fire which emanates is the light of wisdom, and the fuel of renunciation, peacefulness, truth, mercifulness, forbearance and selfless service has to be constantly placed; the more they do this, the more efficacious and effulgent the Sadhakas can become. (Prema Vahini, pp. 73-74)

The mind must be ever pure, untarnished and calm, full of courage. No weeping for the past, no faltering in the performance of the task at hand, that is the mark of a Sadhaka. Be prepared to face any obstacle in the path gladly. Only such can realise the goal. (P.Vah, p. 14)

The Vasana of man will not disappear even if he is immersed in many acts, purifying Sadhanas, so long as the heart is full of illusion of Egoism. Such a Man, if he is desirous of getting rid of the feeling of ‘I’ and ‘Mine’ must worship Hari. He must become a Sadhaka, without likes and dislikes. Vikaras like these cannot co-exist in the same heart, with the Sadhu nature. Light and darkness can never co-exist at the same place at the same time, is n’t it? He whose heart is ruled by the group of Six Passions can have only Ahamkara, as his Manthri! Those who have such a Manthri are worse than foolishmen, however great they claim to be as Pundits, Sadhus and Sannyasis. (Prema Vahini, p. 47)

The Sadhaka should note the distinction between the conduct of the natural man and the aspirant. Sahaja man is one without Sahana (Fortitude), with Ahamkara (conceit), and one who is full of desires relating to the Jagat by which he is trying to have a contented Janma. The Sadhana man is he who is engaged in Sarveshvara chintana as ceaselessly as the waves of the Sagara (sea), who accumulates the Dhana (treasure) of Equality and Equal love to all who is content in the thought that all is the Lord’s and nothing is his. The Sadhana man will not, like the Sahaja man, easily bend before grief or loss, anger or hatred or selfishness, hunger, thirst or fickleness.

One should master all the above things as much as possible, and journey through life with fortitude, courage, joy, peace, charity and humility. (SSS Vol.18, pp. 115-116)

A thief who knows that there is rich hidden treasure in the neighbouring house will not go to sleep. He won’t even take food till he secures that treasure by hook or crook. As night approached, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to roll on the floor in extreme distress, giving up food and sleep, and crying in anguish, ‘O Divine Mother! Yet another day is gone, and I haven’t had your Darshan. Without your blessed vision, this life is not worth living’. A Sadhaka who wants to steal God, the Great Stealer of hearts, and who wants to possess Jnana Dhanam have no taste for food and sleep, till he obtains it. (NNSG Vol.5, p. 66)

Strike a green tamarind fruit with a stone and you cause harm to the pulp inside. But, strike the ripe fruit and see what happens, It is the dry rind or shell that falls off; the pulp and the seed are not at all affected. The ripe Sadhaka (seeker) doe not feel the blows of fate or fortune; it is unripe man who is wounded by every blow, physical or mental. (NNSG Vol.5, p. 165)

A Sadhaka must bloom into a Sadhu. (NNSG Vol.5, p. 170)

There are two enemies of a Sadhaka – the conceit that he knows everything and doubt whether IT is or is not. (NNSG Vol.5, p. 192)

Sadhakas all over the world will naturally be engaged in Japam and Dhyanam,; but first one has to be clear about the purpose of Japam and Dhyanam. Without this knowledge, people begin Japam and Dhyanam believing them to be related to the objective world, capable of satisfying worldly desires, and hoping to demonstrate their value by means of sensory gains! This is a grave error. Japam and Dhyanam are for acquiring one-pointed attention on the Lord, for casting off sensory attachments and for attaining the joy derived from the basis of all sensory objects. The mind should not be wandering in all directions, indiscriminately, like the fly. The fly dwells in the sweet-meat shop and runs after rubbish carts; the fly which has such a mind has to be taught to understand the sweetness of the first place and the impurity of the second place, so that it may not desert the sweet- meat shop and pursue the rubbish cart. When such teaching is imparted to the mind, it is called Dhyanam! (DhyV, p. 8)