There are three stages to be crossed to reach the goal of peace. First you must enter into the stage called Jijnasu, which is that of the spiritual seeker and student. From this stage of Jijnasu you enter the stage of Sadhaka, when you fully devote yourself to putting the spiritual teachings into daily practice. After that you reach the goal of Arudha, in which you enjoy the bliss of God realisation. If you want to understand this more simply, you may compare the stage of Jijnasu to the period of life when you are a student. In this stage you are most active in acquiring knowledge. As Jijnasu you inquire into the great powers of God and the secrets behind God. You try to understand the principle of Tat Tvam Asi through inquiry. Tat Tvam Asi refers to the efforts made to find that Tat and the Tvam, the that and the this; Tat speaks of the eternal divine principle we call god, and Tvam speaks of the immortal Atma which is the one true Self of everyone. In the stage of Jijnasu you strive to reconcile and achieve unity between them.

First of all, you need to learn that there is unity underlying everything in existence. Then after having become aware of it, you have to live your life accordingly by practising the application of this great truth in all your daily activities. In that way you move on, to become a Sadhaka. The Sadhaka stage can be compared to the period of life when you are employed and busy in your profession. If you have not pursued your education and earned good qualifications you will not be able to find an appropriate position. Therefore, in the stage of Jijnasu you acquire a good education and develop your knowledge so that in the next stage of Sadhaka you can put that education into practice and use it to do your life’s work. The third stage of Arudha can be likened to the later period of life when you are retired and become a pensioner. You receive a pension only after you have completed your working career. You start your career and gain employment, in the first place, only after you have successfully completed your education and acquired qualifications. These then are the three stages in your spiritual quest, and also in your path through life, namely, first is the stage when you are a student, then there is the stage when you are a professional, and lastly, there is the stage when you are a pensioner. In this final stage of Arudha, you enjoy complete peace of mind and realize the unity of all of creation. To permanently acquire this peace of mind and state of unending inner joy, you have to first enter into the stage of inquiry and give up all attachments to the world. (DBG, 1988, pp. 19-20)

In philosophical parlance, desiring, acquiring the object desired, and enjoying the object acquired (priyam, modam and Pramodam) are also regarded as relating to the three stages of ‘Shravana’, (listening) ‘Manana’, (ruminating in the mind over what has been heard) and ‘Nididhyasana’, (imprinting in the heart what has been ruminated upon). Merely listening to sacred words will not help. It should be followed by recapitulation and deep contemplation. (SSB 1979, pp.126-127)

First, one must learn about the precious truths contained in the sacred texts from veterans in the field. When you learn about them you naturally take an interest in them. Then you develop an urge to visualise those truths at any cost. This is the first stage of Knowing.

In the second stage, you carefully peruse, examine and collect such sacred texts wherever they may be available. You read and directly visualise them. With great perseverance you enquire, comprehend and enjoy them. Thus you derive some satisfaction that you have discerned certain profound truths. This is the second stage of visualising.

It is easy to memorise passages from books and deliver lectures. Knowledge acquired merely through the reading of books is bookish knowledge. This is quite an ordinary type of knowledge. What has been heard, seen and understood should be put into practice at least to some extent. This is the stage of entering. (SSVahini, pp. 165-166)

Those who are sincerely seeking to realise God to achieve Him, have to become free from the taint of desire. Because mamakara-sunya, devoid of the feelings of’I’and ‘Mine’; then, you attain Moksha, Salvation. That is the achievement of the goal of life. That stage knows no joy or grief; it is above and beyond them both. (GV, p.248)