Stages of Sadhana

Hislop: Once he has tasted sugar, one never mistakes salt for sugar. If that bliss of which Swami speaks is our real nature, how is it that we confuse the unreal for the real?

Sai: You have not tasted either the salt or the sugar, but are just looking at them and imagining them.

Hislop: When one is merged in the Divine bliss, is one aware of it?

Sai: He is the witness of his bliss. The person loses his limited awareness for God’s total awareness. Deep sleep is samadhi, where there is no world and no mind but only the experience of ‘I.’ Freedom is that same experience in full awareness.

Hislop: At various times, Swami mentions happiness, joy, and bliss. Is there a difference?

Sai: Happiness is temporary; others give it to us. Next comes joy. One is joyful while filling the stomach—it comes and goes. But bliss is one’s rightful nature; it does not come and go. Bliss is not something that comes to one; it is one’s real nature and is permanent.

Hislop: If one is wholly absorbed in God, who will take care of the body?

Sai: In waking and dreams, the mind is there, but who takes care in deep sleep? God takes care. Who takes care of the body at any time? One side may be paralyzed; can you make it move? The genuine saints and yogis in the Himalayas—they have no way to take care of their bodies. It is God who takes care.

Hislop: Baba says that in sadhana at a certain stage the exterior nature ceases. How is that?

Sai: There are 10 stages in sadhana, each cognized by sounds of various types ranging from just sound, through vibrations, bell, flute, conch, Om, thunder, and explosion. The 10th is pure form. Then the senses are transcended. Until then, everything is in the sense realm. Above the senses, there is the state of bliss, the universal body of God, which is light.

Hislop: Is that state of bliss there only for a time? What happens then in the daily round of living?

Sai: That state, when fully realized as natural, always remains. Then the world is bliss, always bliss. Think God, eat God, drink God, breathe God, and live God.

Hislop: Does everyone pass through these sadhana stages?

Sai: No. One may go directly to the transcendental state, or to the stage number 6 or 7 or any way at all. It is not uniform.

Hislop: What should be one’s attitude to these sadhana stages as one encounters them?

Sai: The states change, but the attitude should be unchanging.

Hislop: But what value should one give to the various stages?

Sai: The sadhaka will not be satisfied with any of the states because it is complete union that is desired. Desire remains strong and constant until the transcendental bliss is realized and then desire ceases. Who is the poorest man in the world?

Hislop: The man without God?

Sai: No. The man with the most desires is the most poor. Until we realize the desireless state of pure bliss, we are in poverty.

A Visitor: One gains a measure of spiritual understanding, but in the next life it is all swept away and all is lost?

Sai: We say, ‘I am not the body, mind or intelligence, because they are impermanent.’ These are of the same matter. They are not of different material. Just as butter, curds, buttermilk, ghee cannot again be joined to the others to once again constitute milk, in the same way the quality of spiritual being, once separated by churning the milk of the world, does not go back again into the world. The spiritual beingness is never lost once it is manifested.

Source: Conversations with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Stages of Sadhana

The spiritual journey of every seeker begins with faith, discipline, and a sincere desire to discover the higher truth within. Stages of Sadhana represent the gradual process through which an individual transforms the mind, purifies the heart, and awakens divine consciousness. In the teachings shared by Devotional India, spiritual practice is not merely a ritual but a sacred path that leads one from ignorance to wisdom and from restlessness to eternal peace.

The first among the Stages of Sadhana is awakening. At this stage, a person begins to feel that worldly pleasures alone cannot provide lasting happiness. The heart seeks something deeper and more meaningful. This inner calling inspires the seeker to pray, meditate, chant sacred names, and associate with noble thoughts. According to Devotional India, this awakening is the seed of spiritual evolution because it opens the doorway to self-discovery.

The second stage in the Stages of Sadhana is purification. Here, the aspirant starts controlling negative tendencies such as anger, jealousy, pride, and selfishness. Daily discipline becomes important. Reading holy scriptures, practicing silence, offering selfless service, and maintaining purity in speech and action help cleanse the mind. During this phase, many challenges may arise, yet perseverance strengthens spiritual determination. Devotional India teaches that difficulties during practice are not obstacles but opportunities for inner growth.

The third among the Stages of Sadhana is concentration. Once the mind becomes calmer, the seeker develops the ability to focus deeply on prayer and meditation. Thoughts become more disciplined, and the mind slowly turns inward. The individual experiences moments of peace and spiritual joy that were previously unknown. This stage requires patience because the restless nature of the mind often tries to pull the seeker back into distractions. Through constant remembrance of the Divine, concentration gradually becomes natural.

Another important phase in the Stages of Sadhana is devotion and surrender. At this level, the seeker realizes that spiritual progress cannot happen through ego alone. True transformation occurs when actions are offered with humility and love. The heart becomes filled with compassion, kindness, and gratitude. The aspirant begins to see the Divine presence in every living being. In the guidance shared by Devotional India, surrender does not mean weakness; it means trusting the higher power completely and living with faith.

As one advances further in the Stages of Sadhana, wisdom begins to dawn. The seeker understands the temporary nature of material life and develops detachment from unnecessary desires. Inner peace becomes stronger than external circumstances. Meditation deepens, and spiritual awareness expands naturally. The individual no longer seeks happiness outside because joy is experienced within. This realization marks a major turning point in spiritual life.

The final stage in the Stages of Sadhana is self-realization. In this sacred state, the seeker experiences unity with the Divine consciousness. Fear, hatred, and ego disappear completely. The mind becomes still, and the soul shines with pure bliss. Saints and sages describe this experience as the highest goal of human life. It is the culmination of sincere practice, unwavering faith, and divine grace.

Every seeker progresses differently through the Stages of Sadhana, yet sincerity and consistency remain essential for all. Spiritual growth may appear slow, but every prayer, every act of kindness, and every moment of meditation brings the soul closer to the Divine. The wisdom shared through Devotional India reminds humanity that the spiritual path is not limited to saints alone; it is open to everyone who seeks truth with a pure heart.

-Hindu Rites