Many caught in samsara are desirous of getting out of it. But the way out is not easy at all. It requires much determination along with tremendous and continuous effort. It can be achieved by consciously cultivating excellent disciplines of body and mind which sastras have explained with great clarity, pointed out Sri R. Rajagopala Sarma in a discourse. Known as Sadana Chatushtaya, it provides the spiritual aspirant with a comprehensive and graded approach to practise the fourfold qualifications and qualities that are indispensible for sadana.
The first of these is ‘nitya-anitya’ viveka, the sense to evaluate what is lasting and eternal as against the passing and the ephemeral. Any keen observer easily perceives the world of change and the limitations imposed by time. This engenders a strong dislike for worldly attainments. The wise person seeks the permanent alone and rejects all else as passing and fleeting. When he begins to feel tempted, he detaches himself from these. Vairagya is extolled for its great merit as it tries to remain averse to strong worldly pulls and also tries to sustain this perspective. The practice of the six virtues, ‘Samadhi Shatsampati’ is advised. These are Sama, turning away from sense objects, dama, controlling the karmendriyas and the jnanendriyas, ‘Uparati,’ giving up desire for the fruits of one’s actions, Titiksha, the ability to bear discomforts and sufferings with patience and acceptance of one’s lot as prarabdha, samadana, fixing the mind on the permanent alone and all that is conducive for spiritual practice, and sraddha, faith in God, the guru and the sacred texts.
Along with these, one should have the tenacious desire for moksha, mumukshutva. A person in whom the sense of urgency to get liberated is always dominant is known as a mumukshu. The analogy often used in this context is that of man who desperately runs out of a house that is on fire.