Absolute Spirituality explained by Sahaj Marg

Spirituality is a way of life, which leads to Reality and transforms a man into a Real man. It reveals the ultimate truth which science cannot.

Science can bring forth certain facts in a laboratory through experiments, but there are numerous facts which cannot be proved in the laboratory. Spirituality deals with all such facts. It is a way to reach the Ultimate (God). It is a method through which the secrets of the Nature are unveiled.
The Indian sages and saints  have explained the spirituality in a fourfold method, which is as follows:

1. Viveka - which means the ‘power of discrimination’. One should develop the discriminating power within himself so that he can judge which is good and which is bad, which is true and which is false, which is eternal and which is mundane, which is to be done and which is not to be done. With this discriminating ability one has to lead one’s life.
2. Vyragya - which means ‘Renunciation’. Detachment with false and unwanted worldly things i.e., becoming free from undue worldly attachments (Maya).

The above two are generally referred to as practices (Sadhanas), but Sri Ramachandraji Maharaj says that they are not the practices but the result of the spiritual progress about which the information is given in the latter part of this article.

3. Shat Sampatthi - which means six attainments (wealth) they are:


1. Shama - It is proper molding of the mind by means of right actions, right thinking & wisdom and not allowing the mind to externalize.
2. Dama - It is having self control over the senses (indriyas) and not allowing them to go as they like.
3. Uparati - It is having no attachment and detachment. It is but engaged in a higher thinking i.e. about the Ultimate (God) thereby keeping one self astray from the lower ones.
4. Titiksha - It is having forbearance of all misery without even a thought of resisting or driving it out, besides without even having any painful feeling in the mind or any remorse i.e. having full and doubtless satisfaction.
5. Shraddha - It is having full faith on the method, Guide (Guru) and the Destination (God).
6. Samadhana - It is self settlement with the will of Master (God) and constant practice to have a grip over the divinity.


4. Mumukshutva - which means the intense desire to be free, i.e. continuous craving to merge in the Ultimate (God).

As observed from the above four kinds of practices, it is understood that the activity of mind and thinking plays an important role and hence it is felt that one should have an idea on the tendencies of mind.

So let us know what the tendencies of mind are. They are as follows:

1. Kshipta – It is a disturbed state of mind due to hunger, thirst, sorrow and longing uncontrolled tendency for desires, wealth, fame etc.
2. Moodha – It is a dull, sluggish, inactive condition of the mind.
3. Vikshepa – It is a state of mind where bad and irrelevant ideas crop up.
4. Ekagravrithi – It is a state of mind where it is fixed on one thing.
5. Nirodha – It is a calm peaceful mind free from disturbances.

So to get the good results one has to tame and train the mind to come to the above said fifth state of ‘Nirodha’, for which ‘Ashtanga Yoga’, an eight fold method is prescribed. The founder of this yoga was an ancient sage by name Patanjali who lived nearly seventy generations prior to king Dasaradha, the father of Lord Rama.

This eight fold method of Ashtanga Yoga is like this:

1. Yama - Self Restraint.
2. Niyama - Observance of Rules.
3. Asana - Posture prescribed by the Masters.
4. Pranayama - Control of Breath.
5. Pratyahara - Diversion of the senses to the highest.
6. Dharana - Process of focusing the attention to one specific point or idea taken up for meditation.
7. Dhyana - Thinking over with continued attention.
8. Samadhi – Absorbed state in the thought with or without conscious knowledge of it.

Sri Ramachandraji Maharaj has taken up the same system in the name of Sahaj Marg (The Natural Path of Realisation) duly making certain changes. His system starts with Dhyana (The 7th one which means Meditation) and proceed to Samadhi, leaving the above first six folds. He says that nowadays the whole life time is not enough to take up all the eight folds in the sequential manner. So according to the changed times and the present life span of the men, he has adjusted the system to suit the lifestyle of the people today.

He advises to start the meditation on heart (At a place where heart beat is heard) thinking that there is a Divine Luminance in it. In one way this state can be taken as Dharana because this supposition of divine luminance in the heart is nothing but wearing or bearing an idea taken up for meditation. So by mere supposition, the step of Dharana is over and the part of Dhyana (Meditation) starts and it leads gradually to Samadhi, the absorbed condition.

In His system Sri Ramachandraji Maharaj draws a divine current (power) from the source (God, the Omnipotent) and supplies it to the heart of aspirants (who are meditating under his guidance.) This He called  Pranahuthi (The Yogic Transmission). By this transmission of Pranahuthi more time is saved and the goal is achieved well within the life span and that too in a short time. For the benefit of humanity, Sri Ramachandraji appointed number of devotees in the name of Preceptors to take up the process of transmission.

By this transmission linked meditation the Abyasi crosses a  number of spiritual phases and evolves. In this process of evolution, Abyasi in his Samadhi state first comes to an absorbed stage having less concern with his surroundings, then he comes to the second stage in which he acts with semi consciousness i.e, he responds to the surroundings unconsciously. And thereon he enters into the third stage where he is fully cognigent and active in his worldly dealings but at the same time he continues with the thought of the divine at the heart i.e . he gains the grip over the divinity all the time and flies towards his destiny, the mergence with the highest like the bird with its two wings stretched, one representing the spiritual and the other the worldly dealings each not becoming obstacle to the other. In this process the benefit of left over six folds of astangayoga have also been covered by the transmission of Pranahuthi.

One thing one should not forget in this process is the faith and dependence on the Master. Dependency leads to deserving and 'surrender to master' is the key to success.

Courtesy: Sri P. Subbarayudu (Preceptor) and Sri. B.E. Sampath Kumar (Abhyasi) of Sri RamaChandraji Maharaj Seva Trust, Kadapa.