Necessity of Sadhana (practice)

There was a great need for a clear instruction to aspirants and a treatise based on the experience of a realised being would certainly be most welcome to the spiritually inclined. That intellectual conviction gained by mere knowledge of scriptures is all which constructed Gnyaana, has been widely prevalent among many pandits. This mistaken notion rendered superfluous the necessity of Saadhana (practice) of either a Mantra or otherwise. Some religious propagandists tried to impress the gullible with the cults of pseudo-love. The acquaintance with metaphysics and its lingo emboldened some to propagate the need to concentrate on an absolute attributeless Brahman, which cult merely degenerated into tall talk. As usual there were some who sought to provide materialistic interpretations to spiritual truths in the light of their understanding quite unsupported by practice or experiended. Then there were numerous commentaries on sacred works which successfully helped to highlight the erudition of the commentators and hold a glamour for the educated. Bhagavad Geeta provided a living to the erudite, first to the public speakers and scriptural sanction to the irreligious behaviour of various politicians and public.

Under such circumstances Maharishi Ramana taught hat Upaasana and Saadhana (Practice) of some kind, not discussions, were indispensable to achieve spiritual advancement. The desire for self-realization must be canalized into meditation upon God or steady quest for the self or a deep plunge into the self or restraint of life breath and mind. When one launches upon a practice thus, he would be freed from bondage and would realise the truth and would settle in Self, that meant real tapas and supreme calm.

(Nayana, Sri Ganapati Muni’s Biography, by Dr G Krishna, p.136)