Jagadguru Shankaracharya #SriSri Bharati Tirtha Mahaswamiji on the qualities essential for a sadhaka:

The first qualification for a person engaged in penance is patience. Some may praise, some may insult and some may make fun. But the person must be patient and be unperturbed. Today, just like the Mahatmas of yore, people remain patient, though only in certain occasions. We remain patient because we are powerless. For instance, our patience is observed only when someone who is senior to us hurts us and we are unable to retaliate. If it is possible to retaliate against the person, people do retaliate.

Similarly, people bear with changes in the environment only when their job relocates them to a place with extreme weather. If they protest, they are likely to lose their job. People sit down for worship and meditation but seldom think about the Lord during that time. Instead, they think about their bank deposits & assets even when they sit down to meditate. Hence it is inappropriate to complain that Sadhanas do not bear fruit.

क्षान्तं न क्षमया गृहोचितसुखं त्यक्तं न संतोषतः
सोढा दुःसहशीतवाततपनक्लेशा न तप्तं तपः।
ध्यातं वित्तमहर्निशं नियमितप्राणैर्न शम्भोः पदं
तत्तत्कर्म कृतं यदेव मुनिभिस्तैस्तैः फलैर्वञ्चिताः॥ (Vairagya Shatakam)

(Forgiving out of weakness, giving up comforts of the home out of lack of fulfilment, tolerating the unbearable cold, wind, heat, without fulfilling austerities, thinking of riches day and night with intense energy but not on the Lord's feet; thus have we performed the actions of the ascetic recluse,but devoid of the benefits.)

The Shastras point out that wealth and woman are the cause of one’s downfall. Duryodhana went after wealth while Ravana went after a woman. The fate they met with is known to all. He whose mind does not get oriented towards either of these two – wealth and woman – is indeed praiseworthy. Hence it is essential to realize the faults in oneself and strive accordingly. Nothing is impossible if we exert the proper effort.

#SanatanaDharma #Sringeri #Shankaracharya #vedanta