sadhana chatushtaya

What is the solution to the worldly problems?

   In fact, Gautama wanted to find out the meaning of all these and finally sat quiet in nirvana! He arrived at the conclusion that "This world goes on and on, without any beginning or end", and, probably he thought, "It is foolishness to find any meaning or solution to these mundane problems of idiosyncrasies, changing attitudes and behaviors, mind and moods, sickness, old-age, death."

The Buddha smiled whenever anybody asked him a question. His smile, the all-knowing "Buddha Smile" is an answer.

     Now, the troubles and travails the Buddha underwent is also an eye-opener to the common man. Nothing can be achieved by anything- like karma, bhakti, jnyana, dhyana or asana and pranayama; only total surrender to the supreme Almighty may help. However, there is a per-requisites to this Ishvara pranidhana, surrender to Ishvara. The first two principles of yama and niyama gives chittashuddhi, and, hence very essential. Dhyana, dharana and samadhi will bring the ultimate nirvana. But these require what is called sadhana. The four essential practices, sadhana chatushtaya, are: satsang, svadhyaya, nidhidhyasana and samadhi (savikalpa and nirvikalpa). Only at the end of these will jiva be redeemed, liberated from the bondage of sansara.   

   When a jiva attains this state of total silence, mahattanta shanta, 'nirvana', with an all-knowing smile as an answer to all questions arising out of mundane existence comes the liberation.

  Each one may pursue the path of- sat-nyas, samnyas, or sanyas, he / she likes. All these are difficult paths to liberation. When a person gives up desire with the understanding that this is mrutyu lok and all born here have to die and all relational existence is just fooling oneself. The person should hold a staff as a support, become ekadandi, and drop that staff, danda also to become paramahamsa. The worm should hibernate in its cocoon and fly out as a butterfly making a hole through its cocoon (outer shell).