Aspirants Guide

Author(s): Atmanandji Maharaj
Publisher: Shrimad Rajchandra Sadhna Kendra Koba

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ASPIRANT'S GUIDE
doors to hell, he cultivates the virtues of non-attachment, forgiveness and contentment.
Whether in day-to-day activities such as bathing, taking food, business, worldly activities family relations and their problems and so on, or in spiritual activities such as devotion, association with saintly persons, self-study, worship, daily spiritual activity, meditation, and so on, practice of the continued divine awareness should be cultivated. The feeling that I am "Sadhaka Atma" should be persevered with such intentness that life becomes remoulded and the fragrance of virtues spreads in each activity of our life, and our entire life becomes propitious to ourselves as also to others.
If we could accomplish this successfully, self-knowledge (Atma-jnana), self-meditation (Atma- Samadhi) and self-joyfulness (Aima-ananda) will surely manifesi theniselves; because of the principle that the appropriate causes having been provided, the invariable association must manifest.
GLORY OF ENGAGEMENT IN SELF-STUDY 1. We cannot make headway on the path of salvation without knowing what it is. We must therefore know the right path through the sermons of a learned preceptor or through the study of the sublime scriptures. 2. True renunciation (Tyaga) is not possible without a proper understanding of what is to be given up and what is to be accepted. 3. Real compassion cannot be actually practiced without proper knowledge. Knowledge is, therefore, a forerunner of the practice of real compassion. 4. In this world of ours nothing is more sacred than knowledge. 5. Acquisition of the best of things is not possible without best efforts. Hence with a firm determination, a person must constantly cultivate the vow of self-study (Svadhyaya). He should not give up self-study in spite of difficulties, only such a noble and great aspirant attains to an established state of self-study (Svadhyaya). 6. By following this method and also by constantly engaging in study, one attains to concentration in Svadhyaya. Self realization and equanimity of the soul dawn on their own in this very life
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SADHAK-SATHI