Preliminary PreparationsFor students of Vedanta

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1. Six qualities: a) Shama means a resolute mind and trained will which do not yield easily to the pulls of situations and personal likes and dislikes; b) Dama is restraint or control over the senses and avoiding those sensory inputs which provoke negativities like anger, lust, jealousy etc. It is the proper use of will power to train the mind not to lose control over any situation. Practice of Dama logically leads to Shama; c) Uparati means loosening the intense attachment to possessions (me and mine) by developing a strong attachment to spiritual pursuits; d) Titiksha, the capacity to endure the frustrations of life with calmness, without complaining or trying to change situations or reacting to such situations with feelings of bitterness or revenge; e) Shraddha, commonly translated as faith, actually means a reverential acceptance of the teachings of Vedanta based on understanding and not just faith. One must be patient to verify and confirm the veracity of the teachings in one's own life and not give it up if the expected results do not manifest according to our will and wish; f) Samadhana, the capacity to be absorbed in contemplation or in the study of difficult concepts for a sufficient period of time. A focussed mind free of distractions and committed to the pursuit of self-knowledge alone can possess such concentration.
2. Intense Desire for Liberation or Mumukshutvam: An anecdote from Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa will best illustrate this point. Sri Ramakrishna once asked his disciple Vivekananda, "Imagine if there is a bag of gold coins lying hidden in the next room and you are a thief. What would your state of mind be?" Vivekananda replied, "Of course, I would employ all my mental faculties to try and get hold of that bag." Sri Ramakrishna retorted, "Similarly, if we know that there is a way to end our suffering by attaining god-consciousness, shouldn't we strive intensely to gain that?" Mumukshutvam is the foremost quality expected of a student. He has turned to Vedanta after experiencing the inadequacy of other means and therefore his desire for gaining moksha, liberation from all limitations, should be intense. This intense desire will naturally help him in gaining the other qualities. It is a like a rudder for the ship of life.

These collections of four practices are called Sadhana Chatushtayam. However, it doesn't mean that a student of Vedanta is expected to gain perfection in all these qualities before he takes up the study of the main texts. One has to strive to gain these qualities and apply them to life situations while devoting time to the study of Vedantic teachings.

In the next article, we will see some practical hints that the Bhagavad Gita offers for spiritual seekers.