Sadhana: A Text-book of the Psychology and Practice of the Techniques to Spiritual Perfection: A Review

The copy that I have is the 5th edition that was printed in 1985. I read the text the first time sometime in the early 90s. Between then and now, it has been an invaluable reference book for me, as well as a superlative source of comfort and solace.

None of Swami Sivananda's books can be said to be better than any of his others. Every one of them is a peerless gift to mankind. "Sadhana", however (I am saying this at the risk of seeming to contradict myself), occupies a especial place amongst all His books: it is a work by a consummate mind that laid bare the secrets of the human mind.

I have my serious misgiving about whether any psychologists with impressive academic credentials in psychology could do better than what Swami Sivananda has done in this work.

Every page and every line in the book is a spiritual treasure. No one, not even an atheist, will go away thinking that he had lavished his time reading the spiritual treatise. Although the kernel of the book is "spiritual practice", the substratum that undergirds the principal thrust of Swami Sivananda's message is "acquiring control of the mind". The cardinal reason for and purpose of sadhana are to free ourselves from the trammels of the vagaries of the capricious mind. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the author has spent considerable amount of time dissecting the mind.

I should like to cite but one or two of Swami Sivananda's masterful analysis of the problems that one may encounter as one plunges into spiritual practice: in regard to the episode when one is confounded by the attractions of the world and its delusory nature, Swami says that one should employ "antarmukha vritti", to wit, to attack the source of the troubles by deeply searching, understanding and realising the seat of our temptations. He does not stop short at that, hoping that the reader will be happy reading that.

He says that one who is not adept at introspection will invariably come to the cul-de-sac of all attempts. Swamiji says that one ought to plod on dauntlessly to persevere in one's sadhana. Of course, He has described and enumerated the various steps in doing this.

There is an essay on how a sadhak (=spiritual practitioner) should tackle the problems posed by his ego. It is an essential read for anyone who is desirous of making progress in self-surrender and devotion. Chapter 12 on "Obstacles" and the following chapter that summarises all of His books on Bhakti are notably exemplary.

One should not read this book. One should study it. One ought to pore over it many times as if one is preparing for a major examination.

And, it is hopelessly futile if one reads a cook book if one has no intention to try his culinary skills. In the same way, reading "Sadhana" without putting its teachings into practice is not only foolhardy but also hypocritical.