Sadhana - Spiritual Discipline or Practice

In general, sadhana refers to any spiritual practice undertaken to reach a goal. It can take many forms—yoga systems like raja yoga or karma yoga, or even simple activities like listening, reading, writing, or meditating.

However, in the context of Vedanta, sadhana specifically refers to the disciplined means by which one removes ignorance. The process is traditionally outlined in three main stages:

1. Karma Yoga – purification of the mind through action and attitude

2. Upasana Yoga – steadiness and concentration of the mind through devotional or contemplative practices

3. Jñana Yoga – the yoga of knowledge, consisting of:

   • Śravaṇa – systematic listening to the teachings

   • Manana – rational reflection to resolve doubts

   • Nididhyāsana – sustained contemplation to assimilate the truth

   
   

Each stage prepares the seeker for the next. Many want to jump straight into meditating on the Self, but without knowledge of the Self, there is nothing meaningful to meditate on. And without a purified and steady mind, knowledge cannot take root.

Therefore, one’s choice of sadhana should be appropriate to their current level of preparedness. Western seekers, in particular, often attempt to skip karma yoga and upasana yoga, eager to go straight to jñāna. But most eventually discover that they need to revisit the foundational practices they overlooked in order to fully assimilate and live the truth they seek.