✔️ Summary of the Fundamental Goals of Practice
by Atman Nityananda
In summary, the fundamental aims of spiritual practice in relation to both our lower self and our true Self are as follows:
- Purification of the mind: Cultivating sattva (clarity, harmony, and balance), while eliminating rajas (restlessness, passion) and tamas (inertia, ignorance).
- Dissolution of ego and desires: Letting go of egoistic tendencies, desires, lower emotions, inner defects, and attachments such as lust, greed, and conditioning.
- Development of sattvic qualities: Cultivating refined abilities of the mind and heart such as concentration, dispassion, detachment, restraint, steadiness of mind, clarity, discernment, patience, willpower, resilience, self-confidence, endurance, empathy, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, gratitude, acceptance, and love.
- Cessation of false identifications: Releasing identification with the apparent self—including the body, thoughts, emotions, desires, and opinions—as well as with sensory experiences, external objects, people, and situations.
- Discernment of the Self: Recognizing the difference between the true Self—the eternal, formless, unchanging, unborn, causeless Being (Consciousness, Atman, Soul, Spirit)—and the apparent or lower self, composed of the body, prana, mind (in all its aspects), and causal body.
- Development of Self-awareness: Cultivating the ability to remain in conscious, moment-to-moment contact with the inner silent presence—pure Consciousness.
- Establishment in true nature: Deepening and stabilizing our abiding in our true nature as Consciousness through sustained Self-awareness.
These goals are realized through a systematic, daily practice carried out with steadiness, sincerity, and enthusiasm, incorporating various disciplines and supported by a well-structured, sattvic way of life.
The ‘secret’ to a plentiful life, a life of harmony, happiness and contentment is to have a sattvic mind free from desires and ego and to live in every moment in conscious contact with our true Self (Consciousness).
🌺 Peace, Love, Harmony
atmannityanada 