Self-Analysis

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Daily self-analysis or self-examination is an indispensable

requisite. Then alone can you remove your defects and can grow

rapidly in spirituality. A gardener watches the young plants very

carefully. He removes the weeds daily. He puts a strong fence around

them. He waters them at the proper time. Then alone they grow

beautifully and yield fruits quickly. Even so, you should find out

your defects through daily introspection and self-analysis and then

eradicate them through suitable methods. If one method fails, you

must adopt a combined method. If prayer fails, you should take

recourse to Satsanga or association with the wise, Pranayama,

meditation, dietetic regulation, enquiry, etc. You should destroy not

only big waves of pride, hypocrisy, lust, anger, etc., that manifest

on the surface of the conscious mind, but also their subtle

impressions which lurk in the corners of the subconscious mind. Then

only are you perfectly safe.

 

These subtle impressions are very dangerous. They lurk like thieves

and attack you when you are napping, when you are not vigilant, when

your dispassion wanes, when you slacken a bit your daily spiritual

practice, and when you are provoked. If these defects do not manifest

even under extreme provocation on several occasions, even when you

are not practising daily introspection and self-analysis, you can be

rest assured that the subtle impressions also are obliterated. Now

you are safe. The practice of introspection and self-analysis demands

patience, perseverance, leech-like tenacity, application, iron will,

iron determination, subtle intellect, courage, etc. But you will gain

a fruit of incalculable value. The precious fruit is immortality,

Supreme Peace and Infinite Bliss. You will have to pay a heavy price

for this. Therefore you should not murmur when you do daily practice.

You should apply your full mind, heart, intellect and soul to

spiritual practice. Then only rapid success is possible.

 

Keep daily spiritual diary and practise self-analysis (self-

examination) at night. Note down how many good actions you have done,

what mistakes you have committed during the course of the day. In the

morning resolve: " I will not yield to anger today. I will practise

celibacy today. I will speak truth today. "

 

(Source: Essence of Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda)