1. Is SADHANA (Spiritual practice) effective without the control of the senses?

No, Without the control of the sense, SADHANA (Spiritual practice) is ineffective; it is like keeping water in a leaky pot. Pathanjani (the celebrated author of the Yoga-Sutras) has said that when tongue is conquered, victory is yours. When the tongue craves for some delicacy, assert that you will not cater to its whims. The monks and monastic dignitaries in this land have fallen prey to the tongue and are to curb its vagaries; they wear throbs of renunciation but clamour for tasty delicacies and thus bring the institution of monkshood into disrepute. If you persist in giving yourself simple food that is not savoury or hot, but amply sustaining, the tongue may squirm for a few days, but it will soon welcome it. That is the way to subdue it and overcome the evil consequences of its being your master.

Since the tongue is equally insistent on scandal and lascivious talk, you have to curb that tendency also. Talk little; talk sweetly; talk only when there is pressing need; talk only to those whom you must, do not shout or raise the voice in anger or excitement. Such control will improve health and mental peace. It will lead to better public relations and less involvement in contacts or conflicts with others. You may be laughed at as a kill-joy, but there are compensations enough for you. It will conserve your time and energy; you can put your inner energy to better use. You may take as My special Birthday Message for you: Control your ‘taste’ Control your talk.

SADHANA-The Inward Path p.152

2. What are the criteria by which one can judge spiritual progress?

1. Is there a perceptible increase in truthfulness? That is, Is there Harmony between thoughts, words and deeds?

2. Is there increasing Harmony between the evaluation by self, by family members, by professional peer group and superior and subordinates, by neighbours, by relatives and friends etc.?

3. Is the work done to earn a living, is increasing in quality?

4. Is your relationship with parents, wife/husband, children, friends etc. Become more intimate (that is, more open hearted and enjoyable) and less boring etc.?

5. Is your contribution to society by way of money or social service etc. Increasing?

6. Is your peace increasing? That is, Is the frequency of anger-moments and the time taken for returning from Angry mood to normal calm mood, decreasing?

7. Are your ego and desire more and more optimised?

8. Are you able to forgive the faults of others more and more at the personal level?

9. Are you hurting your body, your mind, other body and minds less and less?

10. Are you spending more and more time for insight-giving, Intuition-promoting inward activities such as JAPA(Repetition of the name of God), Meditation, BHAJAN, Study of spiritual books, Silence-periods, etc.

11. Are you more and more in control of your tongue, reading and TV habits, hearing habits, sexual desires etc.?

12. Are you becoming more and more sensitive to the suffering of others and are your efforts to alleviate the same increasing little by little?

13. Is your peace less and less disturbed by illness, loss, etc.?

14. Can you say that the response of others around you to your words and actions is more and more encouraging or appreciative or thankful?

15. Are you more and more able to think of your death calmly and happily?

This questionnaire may be answered once in a week or a month as you like.

Pratical spirituality and Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, p, 145

Spiritual Wing - Nunawading Centre