Stages of spiritual development. How to determine which one you are. Does a person need to develop spiritually and how to do it

Starting from childhood, each of the people, consciously or not, develops. And this happens not only with the body. Scientists cannot explain the concept of “human soul”, however, all people, from the earliest moment of self-realization, know that they have a soul.

What is meant by the concept of spiritual development? Someone says that it is the development of a person through a variety of cultural programs that abound in theaters, art exhibitions or concerts. Someone argues that for spiritual development it is necessary to read books of occult content, to support the aura with the help of yoga and meditation. Some associate this concept with reading sacred books and going to temples and places of pilgrimage.

Dmitry Lapshinov interview about the secrets of pruning, purges, fruitarianism and parenthood.

Psychologists have come to the conclusion that the spiritual development of a person is his training and the adoption of all kinds of actions to maintain his life in a positive and creative way. The soul of a person for a psychologist implies an abstract concept that includes the joint work of the consciousness and subconsciousness of a person. Therefore, experts in the field of psychology came to the conclusion that spiritual development includes:

Human self-improvement;
Maintaining the physical body of a person in good condition;
Making thoughts and emotions positive;
Performing actions that help a person to enter into harmony with himself and the world around him, whether it be or listening to music.

Today, the problems of spiritual development are more likely to be classified as occult than psychological or even philosophical.

PHYSICAL LOAD AS A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE, PUMPLED MASTER

Believe it or not?

People who have reached some heights in this area often pass on their experience through books or audio recordings to other people. Why are there so many different methods and options for spiritual development? In fact, the answer to this question is simple: for each person there is a different path, and others may not be suitable. For a simpler comparison, you can use the example of taste or musical perception.

After all, even those people who eat the same cooked dish or listen to the same song they like perceive it differently. Therefore, a technique that has helped one person may not affect or even have the opposite effect on another. It depends on the perception, and on the state, and on the mood, and even on the character of the individual.

Loss and acquisition of spiritual energy

Which development path to choose?

As mentioned above, development paths should be chosen individually. View the description of the works of the authors of books on this subject, decide what is closer to you, check out all sorts of options. Some people compose their path of spiritual development by collecting and combining several methods.

There are people who simply need to go out into nature to find harmony, and there are people who need the company of certain people. Therefore, always strive for what helps you to come to "balance". But even the chosen method should not be blindly trusted, always listen to yourself and analyze the result.

But what about the surrounding world?

If a person is closer to the path of spiritual development, which implies unity with nature, anyway, this person should not become isolated. It’s enough just to devote some time that you can stay in your “path”, to go out of town after work, for example. Man is a social being, and, one way or another, will not feel good all alone.. If the people around you are annoying, it is easiest to find like-minded people and in your free time pay attention to them and your inner world. But do not distance yourself from others!

If everything in life is bad and you can’t find the positive sides, you can organize a trip to orphanages or where the homeless live for the purpose of self-development. Of course, everyone has enough problems, and it seems to each person that his problems are more serious than those of others. Therefore, force yourself to “soberly” look around and understand that there are always those who are worse off. Yes, there are those who are better, but this is another reason to strive for something!

Where to start Spiritual Development - Elina Matveeva

When should spiritual development begin?

It is best to start it at the moment of realizing that it is necessary. Every person comes to this conclusion at some point. How to implement it depends on the person himself. In fact, people develop spiritually from the moment of their realization. This is facilitated by the family, and kindergarten, and school ... Much in a person's life is carried out not consciously. It is possible to develop consciously only after the individual realizes such a need.

What can hinder a person's spiritual development?

Of course, a modern person is subject to the “trend of the transience of time”, it is difficult to keep up with everything, and even pay attention to one’s inner world. However, the real hindrance is the person himself: his constant haste, unwillingness to pay attention to "little things" or use all his possibilities. Everyone can find time for themselves. It's just that not everyone is making good use of that time.

Channeling - How to reach the level of spirituality

What can lead to degradation?

Psychologists answer this question even more unambiguously than the question of the path of spiritual development. According to the advice of experts, you should:

avoid unnecessary stress and stressful situations;
do not allow yourself to fall into apathy;
do not allow daily household problems to occupy yourself all day;
remove evil emotional states as much as possible;
take time for yourself every day, pay attention to intuition and feelings of the subconscious "I".

Is it possible to stop in spiritual development?

In fact, spiritual development can be compared with the development of the body. If a person ceases to develop physically, he either begins to age rapidly or degrades. "Frozen" in one position of spiritual development can also be equated with degradation. In addition, the subconscious, being in a non-apathetic state, is itself subject to changes due to changes in the world around a person, and a person’s consciousness can easily control the perception and consequences of such changes. Therefore, a person thinks about his spiritual development. And just because of the predominant work of the unconscious in the field of such development, it is difficult for a person to develop a correct methodology for himself.

Anna. Spirituality - what is it? How not to go left

Someone lives, increasing material wealth, and someone believes that the main wealth is spiritual. As one friend of mine says, assuming that a person has several lives: “You cannot take your material rubbish with you to another life, but spiritual wealth will always remain with you, whether in this life or another.” Maybe she's right. In any case, a person who has developed spirituality in himself, under any circumstances, will never come to a standstill in front of difficulties. Does this mean that need to develop spiritually? Undoubtedly, because it is easier for a spiritually rich person to adapt to life without losing his moral character.

What does it mean to develop spiritually

Any development involves moving forward in the direction that makes a person better. The spirit is a natural part of a person's personality and it also requires development. The development of spirituality is a person's desire for perfection and the disclosure of inherent abilities.
Thoughts and actions aimed at creation also make up the path of development of spiritual qualities. Learn to perceive people as they are, without being annoyed by the weaknesses of their essence and without judging them. One of the main points in development is learning to observe yourself from the outside. And it is not so important to correct the negative aspects of your personality, but to realize that they are. Awareness is a huge work in the development of the inner state of a person.
The first stage on the path of spiritual development was and will be the receipt of information. It comes precisely at the moment when a person is ready for a new stage in his life, but does not yet know how to develop spiritually. A randomly seen book about spirituality on a shelf at a friend's house; a watched movie that makes you think about the meaning of your existence; meeting people whose conversation gives a tangible impetus to learn something more - all this is not without reason. These are the hints that you are ready and you need to develop spiritually. Often this development occurs intuitively.

How to develop spiritually

Working on yourself throughout your life, when you consciously, and when not, you develop spiritually. If you have already learned to think positively, then we can congratulate you - with such thinking it is easier to move up the steps to the perfection of the spirit. The positivity deflects the negative emotions that are holding you back. And the question no longer arises before you - how to develop spiritually.
Getting rid of wrong concepts about life, from illusions; awareness of one's true nature; the desire to become more patient and tolerant; rising above the circumstances that affect your mood and mind - these are all stages in the development of your spirituality. As it grows, your inner strength increases.
Of course, there are situations when you do not have enough strength to cope with the problems that hinder your growth with dignity. Just for this, there are mantras for a specific occasion and meditation. Using them, you will not lose control of yourself.
It is never too late to learn to develop spiritual qualities in oneself - each person has his own period for this.

Spirit- this is a particle of divine Fire, therefore we cannot develop the Spirit, we cannot improve what was originally perfect. A person can develop himself, not the Spirit, increasing the role of the Spirit in his life.

Spiritual development is the development of a relationship between the surface self (ego) and the Spirit (deep inner self). The spirit must prevail over the "I", which is initially imperfect, and may be prone to darkness [Bokachev O.V.].

Spiritual development is self-improvement, self-purification, restoration of the harmony of the world. We must turn to our conscience more often, listen to its voice and give up everything that makes us act contrary to our conscience. If we compare our thoughts, words, deeds with the ideal, with conscience, with the spirit, then we will develop spiritually [Novikov Yu.V.].

Spiritual development- getting rid of shortcomings, from many habits. This is the overcoming of many obstacles, which makes the path of spiritual development a constant struggle, primarily with oneself. This is the readiness to take on the role of a student, to admit that you are at the beginning of the path, and to respect the opinions of those who are one step higher [Mianie M.Yu.].

Methods of spiritual development

Many methods of spiritual development are offered - reading sacred books, meditation, visiting holy places, rituals, getting an education, physical exercises, visiting theaters, concerts, exhibitions ...

Judging by these recommendations, it is quite simple to develop spiritually, there are many ways, and all of them are for the benefit of a person. True, it is not entirely clear what is spiritual development? Is it enough to follow the listed simple recommendations for spiritual development?

Spirit- this is an immortal particle of divine fire, embedded in each person by the Creator. This is what gives us life, life force. This is our creative beginning, which makes it possible to approach God. Finally, it is our conscience, i.e. an internal unmistakable criterion of truth, an idea of the ideal, harmony, of how everything should be in reality.

We cannot develop (improve) our spirit, because it is impossible to improve what was originally perfect. We can increase the role of the spirit in our lives, that is, turn to our conscience more often, listen to its voice, and refuse everything that makes us act contrary to our conscience. We can also realize our creative abilities by inflating, thereby growing our inner divine fire. At the same time, only that which is consistent with conscience, that does not contradict the will of the Creator, that strengthens world good and reduces evil, can be considered true creativity. This is precisely what brings us closer to God, makes us more perfect, develops us spiritually. Everything else is only a means that can help spiritual development, but cannot be called proper spiritual development.

Spiritual development is not the development of the spirit itself, but the development of a person in the direction of the spirit, in the direction of a more spiritual life.

And the opposite process is possible - spiritual degradation. But this is not a degradation of the spirit, since a perfect and immortal spirit cannot degrade. On the other hand, a person himself can suppress his spirit, fence himself off from it, surrounding him with all sorts of dark shells, depriving him of the opportunity to break out, manifest himself in full, be realized in the world. This is one of the main sins of man - the sin of pride, the rejection of one's divine nature and one's true destiny, the rejection of one's conscience. It is the sin of pride that is most often the first step towards active service to evil.

Methods of spiritual development

Now let's analyze the methods that are offered to us for spiritual development. The criterion for evaluation is very simple. We will look at the achieved result. If the proposed method makes us better, i.e. cleaner, more conscientious, kinder; helps to abandon evil, to be realized in true creativity, then this method is really useful, and it can be called a method of spiritual development. If, after applying the method, we remain the same as before, or even become worse, then this has nothing to do with spiritual development. So the key questions to be answered are: "So what's next?", "What for?", "And what will it give me?"

Visiting holy places and meditation. We are offered to go to distant countries to climb the sacred mountain, swim in the sacred river, meditate among the ancient ruins, etc. At the same time, they talk about the feeling of grace, about the opening of inner vision, about some "thin" (or thick) channels, about the expansion of consciousness, about visions of some higher entities, etc. It is said to be good for spiritual development. Let's ask our key questions.

Well, a man climbed this mountain, bathed in the river, meditated. So, what is next? What will happen to him? After that, he will no longer be able to lie, steal, humiliate, kill? Will he change his life, live according to his conscience, engage in true self-realization? Will he come even one step closer to the Creator? So no! The way people go there, the same way they usually return. The only thing they can boast about among their friends is their long, difficult and very expensive pilgrimage, their experiences. But what about spiritual development? In this case, there is no progress towards spirituality. After all, no movement of the human body in space can automatically make it better.

Visiting theaters, concerts, exhibitions. Let's say someone went to a concert of beautiful music and even shed a tear at it from surging feelings. And what? Will he stop taking bribes and stealing public money tomorrow? Nothing happened! He also needs to "earn" money to attend concerts. No guarantee of spiritual development.

Physical exercise. Suppose a person has developed his body with the help of certain exercises, learned to better manage his internal energies. And for what? To more severely crush competitors? Or to cheat on your wife more often? Or to get drunk with less health consequences? And in this case, both spiritual development and spiritual degradation are possible.

The acquisition of knowledge. Let a person read many books, become more erudite, smarter. So, what is next? Will he invent a terrible weapon? Will it start producing genetic freaks - plants, animals, people? Will he become a cynical religious scholar, mocking the feelings of believers? Gaining knowledge is not a guarantee of spiritual development.
Donation. And if someone donated money for good purposes - building a temple, helping the disabled, children, preserving works of art, etc.? It would seem that this is certainly a spiritual development. But no! Tomorrow he will return to his business - to plunder natural resources, inflate prices, deceive customers and partners, and give bribes. And he will justify these abominations with the desire to benefit someone again. And there is no guarantee of spiritual development.

Conclusion: no external influences on the body, mind and senses can be considered as methods of spiritual development. Everything that is needed for spiritual development is within ourselves. This is our spirit, our thoughts, words and deeds. If we more and more often check our thoughts, words and deeds with the ideal, with the conscience, with the spirit, then we will develop spiritually. This is not a one-time action, not a single act, even the most beautiful, but everyday work. We cannot rest from spiritual development, we must not forget about it, otherwise we are in danger of degradation. That is, the only correct way of spiritual development is self-improvement, self-purification, the fight against evil, the restoration of the harmony of the world. And there cannot be a spiritually developed scoundrel, just as there cannot be a spiritually undeveloped righteous man.

For spiritual development it is not at all necessary to go somewhere, read something, do something. All of the above methods can only help us in our own efforts. But they may not help. They can even get in the way if you take them too seriously, if you consider them self-sufficient.

And the last. In our evil-stricken world, spiritual development, as a rule, does not simplify, does not make a person's life easier, but makes it more difficult, more dangerous, more stressful. But all this is only external. But spiritual development brings inner peace, greater harmony with oneself, with one's conscience, with one's spirit. And this, by the way, is another criterion of spiritual development. If your life is becoming outwardly easier, more secure, carefree, "beautiful", there is a reason to think about whether you are living the right way.

Spiritual development of man- this is the path of self-discovery, the path of realizing God in oneself. This path has no end. And no one will ever be able to deprive you of your soul and the fruits of spiritual work. By perfecting your soul, by developing the awareness of the soul in yourself, you strengthen your connection with God. And at the end of the life of this body, the connection will be maximum.

That is, spiritual development is a constant, never-ending growth. And leaving the physical life, you leave at the peak of your spiritual development.

Realize that you are a soul, and the world will be transformed!Man is a soul, not a body.

And in order to learn how to be happy, it is important to finally understand this.

People see the soul as something mystical and incomprehensible. But this happens only from the fact that we do not devote time at all to our education in this area, we do not question those life principles and views that are rooted in our heads, we think that we already know everything.

But this is not true. The first step to self-knowledge is to realize that I don't know anything. Starting to think about the soul of a person, thinking in terms of the soul and spiritual development, and not the body, directing attention inward, you thereby change the structure of your thoughts, and the world around you is transformed.

And it is true. The spiritual development of a person is very important. It must be remembered that Human beings are based on love and compassion. We are children of the Lord, children of Love. Turn to God, and he will open any doors for you, you will be able to overcome all problems, even the most insurmountable ones. If you understand that you have the greatest power that can be with you, the fear of the future will disappear. Without faith in God, this is impossible.

"Don't worry, my son. The main thing is that you are sincere. The Lord Himself will guide you on the right path.”

Therefore, the results of spiritual work will forever remain with you and will not depreciate, as it happens in ordinary life.

With a deep level of awareness of the nature of one’s “I”, all problems and experiences are perceived without nerves, stress does not have a negative impact on us, we begin to notice the course of life (?), see its change and transformation. All processes are slowing down, we clearly understand what we want and where we are going, peace and tranquility reigns inside.

What is the spiritual development of man? What does it bring into our life?

In one word, I can say this - HAPPINESS.

We become happy people, after all.

Spiritual development implies the development of awareness of life. You see, what's the matter - time does not exist. It is, as it were, for the body and the physical world. It is necessary here to order reality. BUT! From the point of view of the spiritual world, time has never been and never is. The soul exists here and now. She has no past and no future. She simply exists. She just is. And it will always be infinite, out of time and out of space.

When you deeply believe in this and remember, your life here will become many times easier and acquire a completely different meaning. Nobody is stopping you from reaching your goals. But you will set these goals, relying on your soul and a look from within yourself. This goal should not only be useful to you, but should help other people. Everything you do will have a spiritual meaning. We can argue about this as much as we want. But death in one of the moments will pat you on the shoulder. You will never get away from this anywhere.

And building your life apart from this is like building a house not on land, but on water. Or how to pour water into a leaky bucket. It seems that you are doing some kind of action, but there is no point in it. Efficiency is zero.

I would like to make a very important point. For some reason, many people believe that spiritual development implies the rejection of everything material. Allegedly, a spiritual person is obliged to disconnect from material life and everything material is alien to him.

This is complete nonsense. This point of view applies to monks, renounced sadhus, and so on. But how many of us are. Spiritual development does not negate the fact that you have to feed your family, earn your living. Somewhere, on the contrary, comes just the realization and understanding of one's duty to the family. And this can be part of spiritual development, but not vice versa.

How to start spiritual development?

Firstly, as I said above, this is the development of awareness. Life exists only here and now. (Be sure to read this book.) Find time, at least sometimes for silence. The time when you can listen to yourself. Hear the breath, feel what is happening inside the body, dissolve in the present moment.

The best solution is to start practicing meditation. In the article "?" and "" I talk in detail and clearly about why it is needed, what is its meaning, benefit. You will learn everything you need to know about this wonderful spiritual practice, the technique of getting to know yourself.

And if you are completely tired and do not want anything, then before going to bed, when you have already gone to bed, listen to yourself. Don't fall asleep right away, dive inside yourself for a few minutes.

Secondly to hear the voice of the soul, you need to give up your body. This is, of course, an exaggeration. But succumbing to temptations, lust, gluttony, you will not be able to discover your own soul, and this will close the opportunity for you to live a happy life in peace with yourself and the surrounding space.

Again, this is a moment of control. Pay attention when you are really just indulging your body and its endless desires, and when it is a real need.

Remember we are the eternal soul. The body is there, then it is not there. No matter how much you take care of it, it will grow old and die. Take care of your soul. And the most interesting thing is that then your body will thank you.

Spiritual development human- a very extensive process, comprehensive. This . This is a struggle with indifference and indifference, with anger, aggression, greed and hatred. This is the cultivation in oneself of the idea of the unity of all people. There is one God in all of us.

We are all very different, but at the same time we are very similar. And if our differences are most clearly expressed in appearance and character, then what unites us remains somewhere deep. And if you do not think about it, then in principle you can not notice anything and not have the slightest idea about it. Our life, as it seems to us at first glance, will not change from the realization of this unity. This is where the spiritual development of a person is very important.

Why should we remember the human soul?

We all came from somewhere and will return somewhere.

In all of us lives the spark that the Lord kindled in us. In each of us is a piece of God. In everyone, without exception. Whoever you are, whatever position you occupy in society, whatever wealth you have, all this in the long run does not make any sense. Tomorrow or in a few decades, you will disappear, at least the you that people around you know you are.

This cannot be avoided in any way, never, under any circumstances!

Shoulder straps, achievements, awards will fly off, everything will lose its meaning in an instant. It doesn’t matter what goals you set for yourself, how ambitious you are, what pyramid of achievements you have built in your head and step by step follow your success. The time will come when all this will depreciate and the question will arise before our eyes: Why was all this necessary?

Why, if life is so short?

How it turns out in our life: we build a career, moving up the corporate ladder, we grow, we achieve something, we are respected, we are considered, then pension comes, old age follows, and often already during our lifetime, we are no one but our closest people are not needed.

That is, we find ourselves in the worst position when most of our lives are behind us.

When you work all your life, try hard, gain knowledge and experience, it would be logical to assume that in the end we should reach the peak. But it turns out quite the opposite. All our efforts are empty and unnecessary when old age comes.

This is the first moment that raises doubts within me as a spiritual being. I want to grow, gain experience, and so that no time barrier drastically devalues everything that I have been striving for so long. The spiritual development of man just meets these requirements.

The problem here is with goals that are temporary.

Life without regard to our spiritual nature, but only for the body for its own benefit is a road to nowhere!

The speed of the life flow increases every year, as does the level of stress. It is almost impossible to live normally and calmly. To keep up with the daily tasks, we are forced to constantly run. Constant tension, an uncountable number of thoughts in our head, and we can’t even communicate normally with our family, for which there is neither strength nor time left.

We are at home only to take a break from work. Success is of course very important. But I am against life in the name of success. Why - .

But around the world! Did you know about it? You have a whole world outside your window! We see nothing but a narrow imaginary corridor along which we go to work, run at work and return home again. Everything beyond its borders is in a haze.

I will tell you. In spring, flowers grow next to you, literally under your feet. At arm's length, leaves bloom, chestnut trees bloom, birds sing. The sun is shining directly above your head against a bright blue sky. The clouds form amazing patterns in the air. All this can be seen, heard, felt every day, just by opening your eyes.

But it doesn't make any sense to you. All this is not important. For the fact that I will see how a dandelion grows, they will not increase my bonus. We don't notice anything. In this blindness we ask ourselves: Does God really exist?«.

And you open your eyes! For once in your life, look at the world with an open mind and open eyes. A person who does not believe in God will never be able to fully experience all the dazzling beauty of the world in which he lives. Everything is important, but not the world in which we live, which the Lord gave us.

But in fact, everything is quite the opposite. Only this is important. But in order to understand and realize, you need to stop or at least slow down your pace and learn to see, hear and feel. It is important to learn to realize yourself, your true spiritual nature. Then life takes on meaning and opens up before you.

All our affairs are necessary. We have to work, earn our living. But spiritual development of man there is something we are missing. And without it, all life loses its meaning.

The world was created by the Lord. Created with the help of great love, which he invested in everything, including us.

Egoism and satisfaction of bodily passions is the path to the void, in which there is nothing.

Love is the essence of life and its basis. Not the love that is praised as the love of a man and a woman, falling in love. And love for all people, for every person, for everything living and inanimate.

Really, it's just scary from what's going on around. Sex, lust, fame, alcohol, get things done at any cost, at any cost. We do not care about the people who are next to us, we do not put them in anything. Everyone wants to trample on their neighbor, to show their superiority for the sake of a career, for the sake of exaltation in the eyes of others, for the sake of some empty fleeting goals. The body wants sex - we give it sex.

To enter the team, you need to get drunk like pigs until you lose your pulse, then everyone is friends forever. Selfishness rules. We are only concerned with pleasing ourselves. Hence the emptiness and dissatisfaction of the life I am talking about.

And that's kind of normal.

And you know, it doesn't matter if you believe in God or not, it's obvious that what is happening is not good. Such a life cannot bring happiness. We are endowed with reason in order to live a happy life. Instead, we use it to destroy ourselves. Such an unspiritual way of life leads to devastation, to a loss of meaning, to constant depression, irritability, outbursts of anger, to dissatisfaction with oneself, one's fate.

And the more I watch it all, the stronger my desire change. The stronger the desire to meet people who are not indifferent to the words "love", "compassion", "spiritual development".

REGISTRATION FORM

Articles and practices for self-development in your mail

WARNING! The topics that I reveal require consonance with your inner world. If not, don't subscribe!

This is spiritual development, meditation, spiritual practices, articles and thoughts about love, about the good within us. Vegetarianism, again in unison with the spiritual component. The goal is to make life more conscious and, as a result, happy.

Everything you need is in you. If you feel a resonance and a response within yourself, then subscribe. I will be very glad to see you!

Please take 5 minutes of your time to read. Perhaps these 5 minutes will change your whole life.

If you liked my article, please share it on social networks. You can use the buttons below for this. Thank you!

In this article, you will be able to understand in detail how to start spiritual development and what it really is. This article is written based on the experience and research of many people who are on different paths of spiritual growth: within and outside of traditional religions. You will definitely find here all the information you need to start self-realization.

First you need to understand the basic concepts, especially what the concept of “spiritual development” means.

What is spiritual development really?

First, one must understand the clear difference between spiritual development and cultural or moral development. For example, some people sincerely believe that going to museums and theaters elevates them spiritually. But this is a mass delusion, especially when you consider the direction in which contemporary art is going today.

A person can do certain things for decades and think that he is progressing spiritually. In fact, he will not make any progress on the path of self-realization.

True, there is one caveat: if a person has a God-given talent in the field of art and he, for example, is an artist. Then visiting exhibitions and other events related to this area can help a person in spiritual development.

Why? Because:

Spiritual development implies that a person will go his own way in accordance with the talents that are the manifestation of God in him.

There is a certain Divine plan for the life of every living being, which is also called destiny. And if a person does not follow this, then there can be no question of spiritual growth.

The concept of "spiritual development" is described in detail in the video:

Also, before engaging in spiritual development, you need to clearly understand why this should be done.

The main goal of spiritual self-development

It is no secret that many of those who embarked on the path of spiritual self-improvement experienced some or other difficulties before that. It could be a difficult situation in matters of money, a discord in relationships or health problems.

One way or another, life's difficulties push a person to a more conscious life. The whole surrounding world is waiting for us to get out of the influence of the illusion of the material world and begin to develop in the spiritual direction.

The main goal of spiritual development is the realization of one's spiritual nature, God in the heart and life based on this.

Understand that the goal of spiritual development is NOT going to temples on a schedule or unconsciously repeating prayers because some priest said so. We must learn to build a relationship with God in our heart without any intermediaries.

The Almighty is the closest friend and well-wisher who is with us every second and is waiting for us to finally pay attention to him. But we ignore God in our hearts and exchange Him for external, often meaningless things: religions, rituals, pseudo-teachers, etc.

The process of realizing God in the heart is not as long as many priests tell us. We are told that we are not yet developed to communicate with God directly. But this is a lie. No additional conditions are needed to communicate with God. He is with us right here and now.

Don't believe? Try to start living with an eye to your heart (the voice of conscience, if you will). And you will see that real spiritual development has begun, and then miracles will begin.

In general, true spiritual progress is always accompanied by miracles. If a person does a lot of spiritual development, prays for several hours a day, visits the temple every week, reads spiritual treatises, but miracles do not happen in his life and he does not become really happier, then he does NOT develop spiritually and, most likely, went on a false way.

Often people fall for such a deception that religious leaders impose on them: now you need to be humble, endure and develop spiritually as much as possible, but after death everything will be fine. This is another monstrous lie that helps to make people slaves.

You need to live here and now. We need to communicate with God today. You need to be happy in the present moment. This is what God expects of us. And for this, you just need to start living according to your conscience, putting God on the altar of your heart.

God is not very interested in people who endure everything and are afraid of everything. He needs courageous and resolute people who do not shake with fear and do not blindly believe non-humans, who often dress in sacred clothes.

To be fair, it should be noted that there are also pure spiritual people within the framework of religions. Maybe not as many as we would like, but they are. And only God in our hearts will help us to distinguish who is a real man of God and who is a "wolf in sheep's clothing."

If this main goal is not in the focus of a spiritually developing person, then whatever he does, everything will be devoid of deep meaning.

Where to start spiritual development: tools and their choice

If we talk about traditional religions, then in general the instruments of spiritual development are the same there: the choice of the religion itself, prayer practices, spiritual treatises, communication with like-minded people, the search for mentors and spiritual teachers. And it is believed that this is quite enough to go to the spiritual world (or reach the Kingdom of God) AFTER death.

To a person who has been familiar with “religious cuisine” for more than a year, sooner or later it becomes obvious that there are quite a lot of unfortunate people among the followers of religions. Moreover, there is a wealth of information about what crimes are committed by religious leaders: fraud, theft, child abuse, drug trafficking, murder, and more. All this raises many questions from adequate and sane people.

What to do?

To follow the path of any religion or outside of it is the choice of a particular person. The purpose of this article is to teach you to distinguish false spirituality from genuine. Therefore, below we will discuss in more detail the tools of spiritual development that are used both in official religions and outside them.

These are the tools:

Life according to the heart;
Choosing a spiritual path;
Prayer practices;
Holy Scriptures;
Sublime surroundings;
Mentors and teachers;
Altruism or selfless activity;
Additional tools to help spiritual growth.

Life according to one's heart or how to listen to the voice of conscience?

It has already been noted above that God, as one of His full aspects, is in the hearts of all living beings. This aspect is called the Paramatma or Supersoul or voice of conscience.

Today it is becoming more and more obvious that living according to conscience, with an emphasis on God in the heart is the safest way on which a person will not be deceived by pseudo-spiritual personalities. Relying on the Oversoul, a person can not be afraid of anything, since in this case he is under the direct protection of God. In one of the texts of the Bhagavad Gita, God says:

“Give up all religions and just surrender to Me. I will deliver you from all the consequences of your sins. Don't be afraid of anything."

And that says it all, and it's all clear. The main thing in spiritual development is to completely surrender to the Almighty, and then everything will develop with His direct participation.

What is the easiest way to surrender to God? Start listening to your heart, which is where God is. He is with us always and in the present moment too.

How to learn to listen to God in the heart? No one will give specific recommendations, since everyone has this process in different ways. Only He himself knows how everything will happen to a particular person.

Therefore, you just need to sincerely turn to Him and say that you want to learn to listen to Him in your heart. God will surely respond to such an appeal and begin to lead you through life.

And we are not talking about the fact that you were taken like a dog on a leash and led. Where God is always there are exciting adventures and miracles. Believe me, you will definitely not be bored.

In my opinion, this tool on the path of spiritual development should become more important than religions, spiritual teachers, prayers, temples, etc.

How to choose a spiritual tradition?

If you decide to follow the path of any religion, then you need to seriously approach its choice. And in this matter, too, everything is individual. One person may be suited to one religion, another to another religion, a third to a third spiritual tradition. By the way, this does not mean that they should compete with each other - only fanatics do this.

Also, a person does not have to be exactly in the religious tradition in which he was born. It often happens that, having matured, a person chooses another spiritual tradition, which is “closer to his heart”.

Choose your religion (tradition) wisely using the following criteria:

This tradition must lead to the Personality of Godhead (if the tradition's philosophy is that only their path and "their god" are the only correct ones, then this is either a false tradition or false and ignorant followers);
In this religion there should be many truly Holy Persons (not 2-5, but hundreds, thousands and more);
The tradition must be based on authoritative scriptures that are many years old (at least 500 years old and more);
Many people should follow the path of this religious tradition and achieve certain results on it (for example, people rise to a higher standard of living, renounce violence, immorality and debauchery, etc.);
In this religion, there should be a spiritual (prayer) practice, which every sincere follower is engaged in;
You should be fine in this tradition; if you experience constant discomfort, then perhaps this is not what you need;
It's good if you like the customs and rules in this religion (at least they are satisfied at the initial stage).

More than enough criteria are listed for choosing a spiritual tradition (religion) at the beginning of spiritual development. Consider them.

I would like to draw your attention to one point. During the last 200 years, not the best things have been happening in religions and it is my duty to tell you about it. Do not be lazy and study the article:

For people who do not want or are not yet ready to choose a particular religious tradition, there is an opportunity to develop spiritually outside of religion. This is detailed in the article:

Prayer practice: when, how and why?

Now about another important topic - prayers and mantras.

These practices are certainly useful and important, but only when a person is engaged in them consciously and sincerely. When this turns into an automatic process and a person prays simply because he has to, then the effectiveness of prayer tends to zero.

At the initial stage of spiritual growth, the daily practice of prayer or mantra will be useful. It will purify the consciousness of a person and elevate him. Everything new in this world bears fruit, but for the time being.

Over time, when a person is "drawn" into the spiritual life, the effectiveness of prayer drops and it often becomes automatic. And the following situation can be observed: a person seems to be actively engaged in spiritual development, prays, but no special result is visible. This means that he is on the wrong path.

Prayer should be as an addition, but not as the main goal of spiritual development. People who live according to their hearts are often much happier and more powerful than those who, like a robot, pray for hours to no avail.

God responds only to sincere prayers when a person consciously addresses him, and does not think during prayer about what he will do after prayer or how he was unfairly treated. It is better than automatically repeating a prayer to do some kind and selfless deed for people or other living beings. More about it in the video:

Studying the Scriptures

We know a lot of Holy Scriptures, but the question is how much they have survived in their original form in our 21st century? As a result of various studies, I learned that all major spiritual treatises are subject to distortions to one degree or another. By the way, this is mainly done by representatives of official religions. Why? Because they serve a single supra-religious leadership.

The Bible, the Koran, the Bhagavad Gita, the Torah, or something else - today it must be read carefully, with the mind turned on, and everything cannot be taken on blind faith.

Does this mean that spiritual treatises should not be read at all? Of course not. Even in the distorted scriptures, many profound things remain. You just need to know what to choose to read and how to be guided by the study of treatises.

When reading any scripture, one must be guided by the heart. The most important comment about what we read comes from the God within us. If a person lives according to his heart, then he cannot be led astray even by rewritten books. The Almighty will always help to find something that will help a person in spiritual development.

You can learn about how spiritual treatises distort in the article:

About the sublime environment and mentors

It's hard for one to develop. It is impossible to progress spiritually outside of society. Therefore, a person must have relationships with other people. That is, he should not withdraw into himself, considering this the height of renunciation. It is in interaction with other people that we are “turned” like a stone in order to give a beautiful and elegant form - to make truly spiritual people.

It is favorable to have communication with like-minded people who are also engaged in spiritual development. You can communicate with them, share experiences, discuss interesting topics, etc. This gives inspiration, energy, and can also give unexpected clues in situations that are incomprehensible to us. At the moment of difficulties and doubts, such an environment is a very good helper and friend.

True, it is not always easy to find such an environment. But, as they say, a sincere person who lives according to his heart will never be left alone, and God will surely find company for him when it is needed.

Even better if you find a mentor, which will suggest what and how to do, point out errors, etc. Keep in mind that any situation or any person can be a mentor for us, if we can perceive them in the right frame of mind.

But it is not so easy to become a true mentor who will give us advice and we will follow it. Such a person must lead an exalted and pure life for many years. The same goes for spiritual teachers.

One of the most important signs of a spiritual teacher is that he teaches the student to do without him, and does not try to become an intermediary between God and him. A real spiritual teacher helps a person to become himself, and not someone there. A true guru speaks about God in the heart of the disciple and teaches to live on the basis of this.

Not all mentors and teachers meet the criteria described above. But what can you do, these are the times now ... Live according to your heart and God will definitely tell you where the teacher is, and where the swindler and villain is.

Selflessness for spiritual growth

It is impossible to separate real spiritual progress and selfless deeds. A spiritual person always lives on the basis of his talents, and it is in the talent destined for us that one can be truly selfless.

At the initial stage, while we are not in our talent, we can and should look for ways to manifest selflessness. There are really a lot of them these days. Details about the importance of this quality and its development are written in the article:

Important points at the beginning of spiritual development

In addition to the initial steps in spiritual development, certain actions must be taken in other directions as well.

First of all, it is:

Daily regime;
Cleanliness;
Nutrition;
Intoxication.

Without putting things in order in your everyday life, it is impossible to progress on the spiritual path. Therefore, you need to strive to eat right, sleep at the right time, maintain personal hygiene, get rid of bad habits and much more.

In day mode Pay special attention to getting up early. You can learn about the basics of the daily routine from the video:

Cleanliness is especially important for spiritual development and it is imperative to strive for it. This is the purity of the body, underwear, the surrounding space, the psyche, etc.

Start by taking a shower every morning. About the need for this in this post:

Nutrition largely determines our level of consciousness, our qualities of character and even actions. For example, if a person loves to eat meat food, then he will show a tendency to violence and lust, and this will be a serious obstacle to spiritual development. Regarding the usefulness or harmfulness of meat.