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श्रमण / जुलाई-सितम्बर / १९९६
: ७९
In the words of Acārya Haribhadra- gokheṇa joyaṇão jogo savvo vi dhammavāvāro.
Those noble activities are the constituents, of Yoga which enable man to liberate himself. Only such activities which effect seflrealization and Moksha i.e. liberation are termed as Yoga. Thus Yoga serves two purposes viz. release from bondage and the realization of the self. Thus the aim of Yoga is to inspire the aspirant to transcend to the state of Yoga and the process by which this is achieved is Sadhana. The ultimate aim of Sadhanā ie. Sadhya is the realization and enlightenment of the self which is the source of all energies be it physical, mental or intellectual. The self and the truth are infinite. but the senses, the mind and the intellect are limited, unreliable and imperfect. It is impossible to comprehend the unlimited self through limited resources. It is in this context that we have to understand the importance of Sadhana. The senses and the mind can grasp and analyse only gross matter as their functioning is limited. They are unable to grasp the subtle truths and comprehend the existence of the self which is also very sutable. It is only through Sadhana that the Sadhaka can comprehend the suibtle truth and realize the self, which is the Sadhya i.e. aim and purpose of Sādhanā.
When the self is realized, it is Ātmodaya, after which there is no looking back. All religious systems have developed a methodology of practice i.e. Sadhana. by which the self in bondage may be realized and released. Only when a person realizes that he is not the body in which his self resides, is able to undertake the task of Sādhanā. Such a person is a Sadhaka and he alone shall be able to gain the Sadhya and become a Siddha i.e. the perfect one.
Due to our material inclinations we are ignorant of the spiritual treasure house which is lying buried deep within our self covered by the heaps of Karmic matter. Today the richest and the most powerful men are unhappy and are in richest search of more and more material goals than before. They have this query of what next hanging like the Demacatus sword over their heads. But when one differentiates the self from the not-self, he undertakes the Sadhana
