Qualifications Of A Yogic Student

Sri Swami Sivananda

The Yogic student must have faith, devotion to Guru and the Lord. He must have faith in the teachings of his Guru and in Yogic scriptures. He must have intense aspiration and dispassion. Faith, aspiration and dispassion are the three important qualities of a Yogic student. Non-violence, truthfulness and celibacy are the three fundamental virtues. The Yogic student must be gentle, simple, humble and noble. He must be free from crookedness, cunningness, diplomacy, double-dealing, harshness, crude nature, greed and egoism.

Selflessness and Cosmic Love: He must have the spirit of selfless service. He must serve the poor and the sick. He must share whatever he has with others. He must have cosmic love. He must love all. He must have all-embracing love. He must cultivate this again and again. He must be serene. The Divine Light will dawn in a serene mind only. He must be non-violent, truthful and non-covetous. He must adapt the golden medium or the middle path.

Purity and Self-restraint: He must observe perfect celibacy or he must lead a well-regulated, disciplined life. He must be moderate in everything. He must lead a contented life. He must have perfect self-restraint. He must gradually discipline the senses and keep them under subjugation. He must speak gently, sweetly and truthfully. He must not use vulgar words or harsh words. He must give up intoxicants, liquor and smoking. He must take vegetarian food. There is much nutrition in milk, milk-products, nuts, etc. Animal diet excites the passion and makes the mind turbulent.

Virtues for Rapid Progress: He must possess adaptability, courage, mercy, generosity, tolerance, patience, perseverance, sincerity and complacency. He must be earnest, vigilant and diligent. He must have intense faith, application, tenacity and endurance. He must stick to his ideal and goal. He must be ever cheerful. Cheerfulness is a powerful tonic of the mind. He must have discrimination, fiery determination and firm resolve. He must stick to his resolves. He must be regular in his practice. Regularity is of paramount importance for success in Yoga. He must have equanimity, fortitude and forbearance. He must have manliness and mannerliness. His speech must agree with his thought, and his speech must agree with his action. He must practise introspection and analysis daily. He must give up backbiting and boasting. He must annihilate laziness. He should eradicate evil habits.

Positive Overcomes Negative: In the early morning meditate on ‘courage’ for ten minutes. Mentally repeat ‘OM Courage’ when you work and move with people. Feel ‘I am courageous, I am becoming more and more courageous.’ You will gradually develop courage. You can develop any virtue through meditation. Concentrate in cultivating two or three important virtues such as truthfulness, mercy, humility, courage. All other virtues will cling to you by themselves. Nil desperandum. Never despair. Be hopeful always. Persist in your practice. You will eventually succeed. Positive always overcomes the negative. Develop love: hatred will vanish. Cultivate courage: timidity will disappear. This is the method of Pratipaksha Bhavana (cultivating counter thoughts or opposite qualities).

The tendency of the mind is always to move downwards. It would rather revel in darkness and multiply and die there, than come and live for a short time in the sunshine, like flowers. Man’s mind is something like the house-fly. Of course, sometimes, if some sweet-smelling object is kept, it may perch upon it for a moment. But the next moment it would prefer to alight upon a dung-heap. Its nature is there. So, perhaps, a nice tune might attract your attention for a while, but the next moment if something is given, to which it is accustomed always, this house-fly of the human mind at once goes and sits upon that. It is used to frivolities, mere flippancies. It is used to taunt and give torment to others. When a very delicious dish is put before it, it forgets the spiritual path and alights upon it.

Mind is ever restless, never stays on a fixed point for a considerable period. It jumps hither and thither. Mind is ever changing and oscillating. Its wandering habit manifests itself in various ways. The mind in the vast majority of persons has been allowed to run wild and follow its own sweet will, inclination and desires. The mind of worldly persons is gross; it is unfit for concentration, self-analysis and introspection. Rajasic mind is restless and turbulent: it agitates the body and the senses and makes them subject to foreign influences. An aspirant’s mind is calm, collected, sharp and subtle. A well-disciplined mind alone constitutes the powerful process of reaching the highest state of liberation. Spiritual enquiry must be set afloat in the mind.

The Uttama Adhikari, who is ever ardent, silent and serene due to the dawn of proper knowledge, ever the same among the diverse men of the world, undisturbed by the distracted activities of the workaday world, calm and peaceful, withdrawn himself from the bustle of life, unmindful of what is happening on earth, disinterested either in this or that, indifferent to the pleasures of a so-called successful life,—that is really fit indeed to receive the ultimate Wisdom of the Lord and the Truth. Even if there is the slightest desire lurking inside other than for the realisation of the Divine, that person will not be able to comprehend the true import of the Upanishadic teachings or the instruction by the spiritual teacher. He will have thousand doubts and distractions in the mind that make impossible all spiritual activity.

Qualifications Of A Yogic Student

A true seeker on the spiritual path must develop purity, patience, and discipline to understand the deeper meaning of life. Qualifications Of A Yogic Student are not limited to physical practices alone; they include mental balance, self-control, faith, and devotion toward the Divine. A sincere aspirant learns to remain calm in difficult situations and keeps the mind focused on truth and righteousness. Through regular meditation and spiritual study, one slowly gains the inner strength needed for self-realization. Devotional India has always inspired seekers to follow the path of yoga with dedication and humility.

The most important among the Qualifications Of A Yogic Student is sincerity. Without honesty in thoughts and actions, spiritual growth becomes difficult. A yogic student must avoid negative habits and cultivate kindness, compassion, and simplicity in daily life. In the traditions of Devotional India, saints and sages taught that discipline and devotion together create a strong spiritual foundation. The student should also practice concentration and maintain control over desires to experience peace of mind.

Another essential aspect of the Qualifications Of A Yogic Student is faith in the Guru and sacred teachings. Respect for spiritual wisdom helps the seeker move forward with confidence. Devotional India continues to preserve these timeless values through ancient scriptures and spiritual practices. Patience and perseverance are equally necessary because yoga is a gradual journey of transformation.

Ultimately, the Qualifications Of A Yogic Student guide an individual toward purity of heart and higher consciousness. By following these principles with dedication, one can attain harmony, wisdom, and divine bliss. Devotional India reminds every seeker that the path of yoga is a sacred journey toward inner awakening and eternal peace.

-The Royal Science of Brahma-Vidya