Search for Wealth Within - Swami Atmashraddhananda

Part II

Cultivation of higher virtues or daivi sampada is fundamental to spiritual life. In Vedanta even the very study of sacred scriptures, it is held, should be made only after one has acquired certain qualifying prerequisites. The aspirant for the study and practice of Vedanta is expected to acquire sadhana chatustaya or the four means of spiritual enlightenment—viveka, vairagya, shamadi shat sampatti [the group of six spiritual treasures—shama (tranquility), dama (self-control), uparati (cessation of external organs from the pursuit of sense-objects), titiksha (endurance), samadhana (concentration), and sraddha (faith)] and mumukshutva. The underlying idea is that unless one is endowed with these qualities, one is likely to either misunderstand the goal or treat Vedantic truths as objects of intellectual gyrations and not as life-giving principles.

Cultivation of daivi sampada or divine wealth is universally accepted by everyone. Just as laws of nature discovered by scientists have a universal application independent of time and space, so is the importance and need for cultivation of higher virtues. You cannot say that Newton’s laws are operating only in England or America and that ‘the Pascal’s principles were useful only when they were discovered and are no longer relevant. Just as the laws of science have a universality about them, so also the cultivation of divine virtues is a basic prerequisite. Patanjali, the great sage of yoga, calls the cultivation of inner wealth as mahavratas or great vows:

© "The Vedanta Kesari" (July, 1999) published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, 31, Ramakrishna Math Road, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004. Website: www.sriramakrishnamath.org. Reprinted with permission. Part I of this article appeared in Splendour, April, 2005 issue.

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