Through anougraha (grace), Kriya-Shakti (active form of Shakti) is activated in the aspirant and only then does the pathway to Samandhi, the divine union, gets illuminated.
”The water of the lake is still and calm.
The lake is co clear that one can even see its bottom.”
The current state of this pond can be taken as a symbol of the purity of the heart. There is no mad, no wave, but whenever the pond becomes dirty and is being cleaned, the water gets agitated! All the filth in it becomes visible to the eye. Once it is cleaned, the same stillness, serenity and purity. The pond of the chitta of the average being is unstable and wavering. It is filled with the mud of samskaras (accumulated impressions), vasanas (mental tendencies or inclinations) and the waves of vrittis (modifications of the chitta). When Kriya-Shakti (the dynamic nature Shakti) becomes awakened and starts the process of cleansing the inner activities increase significantly. All the samskaras and vasanas take the form of kriyas and start to manifest right in the front. This is called Sadhan. The instability and fickleness of the chitta is the world and serenity is spirituality. The experience and perception of reality and diversity in the world is Bhoota-Bhava and the experience of unity, eternity, omnipresence and omniscience of the Universal Consciousness is Adhyatma-Bhava.
The sentiment of love is extremely important on the path of sadhan. This very sentiment is helpful in maintining the continuity of sadhan. It makes one cry and pine in the memory of the Beloved and smolder in the fire of seperation. Neither is sadhan possible without love nor is purity of the chitta attained. Kriya-Shakti, the Awakened Shakti does perform kriyas in sadhan, but it is love that provides the inspiration to sit in sadhan. Love is responsible for adding intensity to the activities of Shakti. Love makes one detached of the world and turns the mind towards the Lord. The spiritual practice of an aspirant devoid of love is like an arid desert. His heart remains unemotional and is dominated by insensitivity and harshness. Only love brings single-pointedness in the chitta and reveals events related to the Beloved.”
– Swami Vishnu Tirth