Today there is no exhaustive, unambiguous and final answer to the question of what is spiritual development. Why so? There are a lot of reasons - from the difference in religious beliefs to differences in the political and economic structure of a single country. Naturally, the individuality of each person and the historical path of society and society with its traditions, labels and prejudices also influence. But what to do?

An attempt to define

Although it is clear from the foregoing that there cannot be a single answer, it is still necessary to outline some framework for further consideration of the issue. Spiritual development is a certain indicator of certain qualities of a single person, which are associated with his ethics and morality. This is a sense of purpose, mission. The spiritual development of a person is inextricably linked with the degree of understanding of the universe, its integrity. And also with the awareness of one's own responsibility for all the events in life.

Movement towards self-improvement

Spiritual development is a process, it is a path. It should not be seen as a result or a line to be crossed. If this process is stopped, then the person will immediately begin to degrade, since the spiritual development of the individual cannot be paused. This movement from less to more is a process that has its own specific characteristics, like any other. These include speed, direction, magnitude of change. Really improve what can be measured in some way. This means that it is possible to qualitatively monitor the dynamics of development at different levels (or stages). How to navigate in a matter of direction? Very simple - you need to look at the result. If practice makes life better, easier, brighter and more interesting, if a person becomes kinder, more tolerant, there is harmony and peace inside him, he is on the right track. If a person experiences inspiration, joy, elation from the fact that his personality grows, becomes mature, morality improves, the ability to penetrate into the essence of things increases, then his path is right.

Way directions

Spiritual and moral development in today's society is achievable by different methods - alternative and traditional. What could it be? The spiritual development of the individual must begin with social and cultural activities. In addition to this, there may be: literature - the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas, the Avesta, the Tripitaka; spiritual personal practices - meditations, rituals, rituals, exercises; visiting holy places such as Mecca, Vatican, Tibet, Shaolin. As you can see, the options great amount and they are all individual. Perhaps the beginning of the spiritual path will be hatha yoga or the Church. You need to listen to yourself, your heart.

A small note

Life shows that a very deep delusion on such a path as spiritual development is the prevalence of external influence on the will, personality, body, mind, feelings, and these are only external, insignificant circumstances. At first they may play an important role, but as you progress, they should fade into the background or disappear altogether. True spirituality is born and grows from within. The world itself gives the practice certain signs of where to go next and how.

The need for a companion and support

Any process is subject to certain laws. If there is some development, for example, nuclear reaction, then it obeys the laws of physics. Spiritual - these are the values ​​that are inherent in every person. On this path it is important to have an assistant, companion, partner. You should not be shy to discuss certain aspects with your soulmate or with a friend. If the interlocutors do not share the aspirations - it's okay. Just show an example. Naturally, qualitative growth and development will be noticeable, and there is a high probability that the partner (or friend) will also be interested in raising their own level of spirituality. It is necessary to provide him with help and support so that a person feels confident and comfortable.

Development of personality or spirituality?

The word "personality" is a set of socially significant qualities (interests, needs, abilities, attitudes, moral convictions). In this case, we can say that personal development is work that is aimed at revealing individual features, self-realization in society, manifestation of oneself. This is a man-made indicator. But what is spiritual development? In the truest sense of the word - the manifestation of the spirit in man and in the world. It turns out that this term may not be associated with the implementation in society at all. You can say "spiritual development of culture." But how does this concept apply to individuals? Naturally, you can combine the words and say "moral and spiritual development of the individual", but what is the difference between them and how significant is it?

demarcations

Personal development is a process of effective realization of a person in society. In this case, the boundaries are set from the outside, that is, by society. The external environment stimulates action, and it also limits it. Personal development is the material side of human existence. This includes the desire to be successful, to earn good money. But spiritual development is a search for internal boundaries, conditioned by oneself, the desire to meet with one's "I". At the same time, there is no desire to “become someone”, but there is a need to get answers to eternal questions: who am I, why am I, where did I come from? The spiritual development of a person is a process of understanding oneself, one's nature, one's masks, which do not depend on any external indicators and circumstances.

Way difference

It always implies some kind of goal that must be achieved within a certain time frame. There is an end point, there is a starting point. That is why we can say that this is the "path of achievement." It is assumed that there is something outside that limits us, and it is overcoming this limitation that is the way to achieve what we want. And if there is an intangible goal, for example, to be happy? After all - this is an internal sensation, subjective. In personal development, it is replaced by certain material objects - a million dollars, marriage, and so on. If a certain goal is supposed to be striven for and achieved, then this is not spiritual development. After all, it comes from a completely different state - it is comprehension, search, experience, feeling, cognition of reality here and now.

Self discovery

For personal development, someone, some kind of obstacle is needed. You need to become better and more perfect than someone else. This is what is important and necessary. The spiritual development of the individual implies the discovery of oneself through the acceptance of oneself. A person begins to take an interest in himself, in what he already has. There is no desire to become "someone" different. It's exclusive internal process, because nothing and no one is needed, there is no need for support or approval. Inner knowledge, inner strength appears, various illusions about the surrounding reality and oneself disappear.

Attitude towards the future and present

Personal growth is completely and absolutely built on images of the future, on futuristic pictures. If we don’t have something now, then we must take some steps so that this “something” appears in the near future. We are focused on tomorrow and live it. The biggest problem in such a way of life and worldview is the depreciation of the present time, since in this version it is not of particular value. Spiritual development implies a completely different attitude to time - the absolute irrelevance of the past and future, because only the present exists, and only it is valuable. Attention is focused on understanding current moment life. External situations only provide a stimulus for research.

Availability of guarantees

Personal development cannot exist without any guarantees. Although it is clear that no one knows a 100% future in this ever-changing world, it is the illusion of security and stability that is important. In this case, everything becomes only a means, and freedom - the goal. Everything is perceived not as an ongoing event, but as a reward for work. The spiritual development of a person is devoid of any guarantees - this is a complete and absolute unknown. Everything is perceived as a process of comprehension, without subjective assessments.

Ideals

In personal development there is always some kind of ideal, striving for it. Whether it's the perfect relationship, the search for the perfect job, the perfect life. This is necessary to feel the significance of yourself and your life. That is why in personal development they use such assessments as “good” and “bad”, “moral” and “immoral”, “moral” and “immoral”. There are no evaluative concepts in spiritual development, since any action has its own hidden meaning that needs to be known. There is no ideal, but there is a desire and desire to know the essence.

Spiritual development is the process of comprehending our Primordial nature, which is a direct part of the original eternal basis of everything that exists. You can read more about this, for example, in an article about who the Taoists are.

Few people are familiar with Taoist philosophy and Taoist methods of self-development. For most people, spiritual development is an increase in the moral qualities of a person, and the process of comprehending one's spirit remains out of focus. Such a vague and incomplete understanding leads to the fact that spiritual development for many is not directly related to everyday practical reality and is not used to improve life and achieve happiness.

In this article, I want to tell you about 9 reasons to consciously and purposefully engage in your spiritual development using the methods of practical Taoism. Perhaps such a structured and purely practical approach to this issue will help you take a more rational look at self-improvement and encourage you to practice :-)

I must say right away that in my opinion, only the last 9th reason is true. But we are all imperfect and in order to move forward, we need, to some extent, selfish motives.

So, here are 9 reasons that can push you to active spiritual self-knowledge :-)

1 Improving health and prolonging life

Since the methods of practical Taoism involve the harmonious improvement of the body, energy structure, heart nature, consciousness and spirit of a person, we can safely say that spiritual development using Taoist methods will help you improve your health, harmonize your psyche, clear your mind and develop your spirit.

However, there are such areas and schools where maximum attention is paid directly to the development of the spirit, and the body is either poorly cared for or not at all. Therefore, I personally believe that it is necessary either to practice the methods of a complete harmonious school (for example, the Zhen Dao school, where both the body and the spirit are taken care of), or to supplement spiritual practices with general health and strengthening exercises for the body and energy structure.

As one grows spiritually, one begins to think less selfishly and more clearly. Such changes in consciousness also lead to a transformation of worldview: a practitioner in a stressful situation behaves calmly and collectedly, interacts more harmoniously with the world, appreciates what is more and is less dependent on his desires. All this has a beneficial effect on health.

Since spiritual development is a long process, the Taoists created and perfected a set of practices to extend life. After all, it is not known what the next incarnation will be, and therefore it is necessary to try to fully realize oneself spiritually during this life. Of course, not everyone will be able to reach a high level in practice and extend their life to 200, 300 or more years, but the very presence of such a potential opportunity personally still warms my soul ;-)

The longer you live, the more pressing the issue of health. It's best if you start taking care of him not when it's time to go to the doctor, but right now! Prevention is more enjoyable, requires less effort, and produces greater results. And in a healthy body, as you know, the spirit feels better, which means it will be easier to develop it.

2 Personal growth and improvement of social skills

Spiritual development is always accompanied by personal growth, as a person learns to look at the world with an open mind, without the distorting prism of the Ego. The process of spiritual growth releases primordial wisdom (knowledge without words), increases intuition and makes you more flexible, and unlocks your creativity.

You learn to see the causes and consequences of your actions in your daily routine, and this allows you to quickly correct mistakes and more effectively master various social skills. You also learn to see the causes of other people's behavior, understand them better and use those opportunities that are available only in cooperation with others. Success is always connected with other people, it is impossible to become successful without interaction with society. Therefore, the improvement of communication and cooperation skills, which occurs due to spiritual and personal growth, is very useful!

As the practitioner's mind clears, he becomes more aware of his weaknesses and strengths, and this gives him the leverage to make the most of his own talents. Knowing your weaknesses and enabling specialists to perform those actions in which you are a layman, or deliberately abandoning perfectionism in an area that is “not yours” - such a position in life reduces stress and saves energy on what you are the best at.

Calming the fussy monkey mind brings peace to your life - by doing less, you achieve more. You learn to see the invisible currents of life and use the moment, act exactly when you need it - by moving a small pebble, start an avalanche global change In my life.

Of course, spiritual growth increases and quite popular personal qualities: awareness, the ability to take responsibility, initiative, insight, composure in stressful situations and more. A change in values ​​and purification of your personality can lead to a change in profession, lifestyle - you become freer, more courageous, easier to follow the dictates of the soul and look at the world more positively.

If you are a pragmatist, then this reason is quite weighty in order to start engaging in spiritual development. You just need to see the practical connection of your daily life with the development of the spirit.

Learn more about using Taoist philosophy and methods of interacting with outside world I recommend reading in the book "Taoist thinking".

3 Relieve Stress and Find Happiness

If you take care of your body, heart nature and spirit, you will gradually become more aware of your life. This helps to track negative emotions, dissolve the thoughts that lead to them, and change your stereotypes, patterns of behavior and obscurations of the heart-consciousness. By transforming your thoughts, you change your emotions and actions to positive ones, which increases life satisfaction.

Peace within leads you to happiness! You can change your life at any moment, but the speed and depth of the transformation depends on how strongly you cling to your views and false beliefs. The less negativity in your life, the more satisfied you are with it.

Spiritual development does not mean that a person ceases to desire anything and lives in a cell. He continues to act in society and achieve improvements in his life, but he does it in a more detached way. The list of desires of such a person is gradually reduced, only what is truly integral to the inner nature and personal preferences remains in it. Thus, a person, developing spiritually and purifying himself, actually realizes himself more fully in life, focusing only on the most important and not being distracted by the introduced and false.

Thousands of books have been written on how to be happy. The shortest way, in my opinion, is cleansing yourself. Cleansing the body brings health and gives you strength, cleansing the mind from defilements and freeing the heart from obscurations gives joy. Happiness is a natural state of mind! To be happy, you just need to let go of everything superfluous and follow your Primordial nature - this is exactly what spiritual development gives us :-)

Want to have a great life? Start doing Taoist practices and your life will be filled with light, no matter what situation you are in. Spiritual development gives you the freedom to live your own life in your own way. To be who you are - isn't that happiness?

4 Finding meaning in life

I think sooner or later every person is faced with the question: “Who am I and why am I here?” Whether you asked yourself this at school, during a midlife crisis, at 40 or 65, it's never too late and never too early for anyone to find themselves!

Spiritual development can give you the meaning of life. We all came into this world to know ourselves, although most of the time we want to change the world. But, in fact, all we can really change and really worth changing is ourselves.

Knowing your spirit is a multifaceted and multilayered process. At each stage, you will change and the meaning of why you are doing this and who you think you are will change. But the main thing is that this meaning will be and it is inexhaustible, it will be enough for your whole life.

If you have not found your vocation in society, or maybe this is not enough for you, or you feel that everything in this world is temporary, and your soul is drawn to something more solid, remember that your spirit is the foundation that binds you strong ties with the entire universe. What could be more impressive and global than studying the Universe in the laboratory of your spirit?

5 Deeper knowledge of yourself and the universe

Let me remind you that spiritual development is a process of comprehending one's Primordial nature, cognition of the Primordial spirit. This is not at all reminiscent of self-digging, which is encouraged in various areas of psychology. This realization occurs in meditation, which is of course not so easy. Not everyone will be able to sit still for a long time, without thinking, concentrating on practice. But it's worth it!

After some time, shifts occur in the mind of the practitioner. It is like a landslide: more and more layers of your Self are opening up, gradually exposing the Primordial. This process is accompanied by flashes of awareness that gradually change you and your life.

These mini-enlightenments allow you to better understand the world around you, to feel the interconnection of the inner and the outer. And those things that seemed ordinary to you are gradually transformed into something else. The world becomes simpler on the one hand, and more inexplicable on the other, since a significant part of the understanding gained is very difficult to express in words.

If you have a strong curiosity, then you will definitely enjoy the process of understanding yourself. Who said that in our world all the boundaries have long been defined? The true boundaries of your Self can be expanded to infinity, and you can become their discoverer. It is one thing to read in some article that the world is not at all the way we see it, and quite another to feel and see it for yourself!

Right in front of you lies the road to the unknown; you can begin to comprehend what few people know, you can see what few see, and you can enjoy the most simple things like a child looking at the world for the first time after birth and rediscovering it!

6 Ways to come to terms with death

Each of us sooner or later faces death, begins to think about it .. although we often drive these thoughts away, fence ourselves off with all sorts of rituals or positive formulas, like “everything will be fine”.

Religion arose just as a way of reconciling man with death. We follow certain rules and rituals, and in return, after death, “everything will be fine.” Sometimes we “make deals” with God: we follow the rules and rituals, for example, pray, and in return - everything will be fine in life, there will be less pain, and death will come someday very soon or will be quick and easy.

But not everyone is suitable for a religious worldview - many believe in the laws of physics, the universal mind, the law of cause and effect, etc. For such people, and also for those who are not too religious, spiritual development is a way to come to terms with death. Whether you believe in heaven, reincarnation, the finality of death or something else, spiritual development gives you the opportunity to be convinced that you have a spirit, something that exists beyond life and death.

This knowledge gains power only when you comprehend it personally, from your own experience. You can theorize for a long time, believe or not believe, discuss and debate about the presence or absence of the spirit and the significance of spiritual development, but to real change our behavior is driven only by personal experience!

When you get in touch with your spirit, your attitude to life and death will change, and how and on what you spend your time will change. Knowledge of the Primordial will give you not just hope, but a clear confidence that it will always be better in the future, as you will become more and more perfect, original, wise and eternal. The clearer the consciousness, the purer the heart - the brighter the sun, moon and stars will shine for you, always illuminating your Path to paradise, no matter how you imagine it :-)

7 Unleashing your energy potential

Taoist practices include working with the body, Qi (energy) and spirit. It is quite natural that a lot of Qi is required for spiritual development, and the Taoists have created a rich arsenal of all kinds of exercises that contribute to the accumulation, preservation and strengthening of energy.

At the initial stage, the practitioner restores health, since he will need all the strength to comprehend his own Primordial nature. And, as a side effect, the accumulated and strengthened Qi makes it possible to be more active in social life.

With diligent and correct practice, a person can even manifest special abilities, for example, the ability to heal people with the help of Qi. From my point of view, the desire for magical abilities is a false motivation for spiritual development, but at the first stage it may well serve as a good incentive to start the practice and maintain its regularity. The main thing is not to deceive yourself by replacing the true desire for self-development and self-realization with the false desire to possess special abilities!

The more energy you have, the more fulfilled you feel. It's like waking up on Saturday morning, having a good night's sleep, and there are 2 more weekends ahead, and you are full of energy to do something interesting.

It is very exciting even just to learn to feel your Qi, to some extent manage it, heal yourself, be able to reduce your weight or do unusual things with it. And if your practice is sincere, classes give a positive effect and you become more energetic, truly positive, feel your depth and subtle connections with others, then all this additionally stimulates you to do more, to know yourself and your nature.

8 Fuller Service to the World

The basis for spiritual development is the purification of oneself and the cultivation of virtuous qualities, such as compassion and humanity. It is compassion and philanthropy that underlie sincere service to people. And therefore, spiritual development strengthens your desire for self-realization and gives you the strength to serve the World.

Most social activity contains an element of service to others at its core. Many business books successful people share one of the secrets of their success - a sincere desire to give something to people, something to improve, facilitate, change ... If you want to receive more, start giving more! The development of the spirit and self-knowledge will make it possible to help others with a pure heart, and this will bring joy and make you more successful in what you do. People feel when you do something “with a soul”, and they are always drawn to it, because everything that is done from a pure heart inspires life, brings joy, hope, care and kindness to the hearts of others.

Spiritual development will help you become a conscious part of the world, serve people, enjoy it and participate in the growth and evolution of all that is bright and good in your field of activity.

By helping others, we help ourselves become better. Begin to consciously comprehend your spirit - and your nature will bloom, and your heart will open to meet the universe.

9 Self-Realization of one's Primordial Nature

On the one hand, we came into this world to change ourselves, and on the other hand, there is no need to strive to become someone, since we are already who we are, and all that is required of us is to allow our Primordial nature to manifest through our thoughts, feelings and deeds.

That is why, the most important and true reason to engage in one's spiritual development is that it is spiritual development that helps to realize our Primordial nature. It is in our nature to strive to improve our spirit, and not doing this is like trying to live without using the hands that are given to us from birth.

Of course, until a person has reached the required level of understanding, he may well be guided by more selfish motives, but when he purifies his heart and mind, spiritual development will be what he exists for. In this case, the development of the spirit becomes a way to realize oneself.

In conclusion, I want to assure you once again: it is never too early to think about spiritual development and it is never too late for anyone! If you have a personal crisis (for example, a midlife crisis), you have changed values, you are tired of work, you want to change everything, you are looking for yourself, you are unhappy, you have low energy, you live in fear, stress or endless worries and fuss, you have poor health or disagreement with others - the desire to change all this can become an impetus for self-development, spiritual growth, rebirth and change in yourself and your life!

Re-read these 9 reasons. I'm sure you'll get a couple to start your awakening. Let the light of your heart unfold, follow your spirit and the trees of paradise will grow where you live.

Good luck on your journey and good health!

There's no doubt what's inside of us

contains an incredible energy that can reach

everything you ever dreamed of.

The very fact that you are interested in this topic sets you apart from most people and shows that you have the determination to become a winner and master of your mind, body and character.

The first thing that gave me an impetus to self-knowledge was the birth of my beautiful, temperamental son;). I began to ask questions: how can I realize myself? to be an example for your son? how can I become the best mother, wife, etc.

And you know, after that, Robin Sharma's book "Who will cry when you die" fell into my hands. This book had a significant impact on me, my thoughts began to change, everything became somehow different.

Where to start your self-development?

I give specific advice on where you can start your self-development:

Read the biographies of great people, at least once a week, well, or a day, as you wish. I advise you to become a "mirror image" of someone who has made significant progress in your area of ​​interest.

By studying the lives of great leaders, businessmen and other miracle workers, you will very quickly see that their results of greatness are achieved thanks to clearly articulated goals. For example, on our self-development portal you can learn about the secrets of success famous people and even about the exploits of people with disabilities.

- Sit less at the TV, computer, on phones. They take a lot of time. By the way, I want to note that TV is one of the weapons of politics. I highly recommend everyone to see documentary, banned from showing "Prosperity" here is a link to watch it says a lot about the political system, the education system, why the world works this way, etc.

- Listen to motivating music while you go to work, clean your house, go somewhere.

- Daily physical exercise is the most effective means to achieve personal excellence, set aside at least 15 minutes. Go swimming, running, skiing, cycling, just breathing fresh air, etc. Physical perfection precedes spiritual perfection.

- Relaxation of the body and mind. It is very important to take time every day to relax and calm the mind for at least 10 minutes. It can be stretching, yoga, meditation, qigong, contact with nature, self-massage. Make this practice a habit.

- Think positively. Your level of success is determined by how you think every second of every minute of every day. Your thoughts shape your world. Develop the habit of positive focus.

"A person should not let the clock and the calendar blind him and forget that every moment of life is a miracle and a mystery." H. G. Wells

- Discipline and willpower. Read about the life of Mother Teresa, Helen Keller, Mahatma Gandhi, Bruce Lee, Coco Chanel and you will understand what willpower means in action.

- Be sure to plan your day. Get a notebook, paint your action plan for a week, a month and even a year.

- Get up early in the morning. Take a morning jog, start running once a week for a start, then start alternating every other day. Morning run, warm-up, yoga, it doesn’t matter what it is, but it gives such a boost of energy for the whole day! Get yourself a partner with a similar goal to achieve physical perfection.

In order to develop the habit of getting up early, you must first remember that it is the quality of sleep, and not its duration, that plays a paramount role.

- Believe in yourself! “Don't be afraid of life. Believe that it is worth living and that belief will help make it a fact.” William James

Use the method of self-hypnosis (repeating ideas out loud) throughout the day.

- Find like-minded people. Attend self-development courses, go to oncoming clubs where you can exchange information, motivate yourself in any way!

- Laugh more. Daily laughter is uplifting, creative, and energizing.

- Use various pictures to develop yourself, what you would like to achieve. It could be some kind of sport, car, happy family, home, etc. Stick them around the house and just look at them.

Use imagination and visualization techniques to imagine yourself the way you want to become. It is advisable to do in the morning and before going to bed for 10 minutes.

- Always be grateful. Give thanks when you wake up, give thanks when you eat, give thanks when someone wants to help you.

How long does it take to develop yourself?

I think from the information received you have found something close and useful for yourself. For further, continuous development, you need "Kaizen" in Japanese means constant, ongoing improvement. As Confucius said " Good people continually improve themselves."

Therefore, we can say that the problem, in fact, is not at all in starting to develop yourself intellectually, physically, spiritually or emotionally, but in not losing this craving for constant self-development all your life and feeling the need for this as soon as possible. .

Decide today that you need to change your lifestyle, program yourself for absolute success and self-confidence. Write down on paper what you need to work on, give yourself a word that you will do it!

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 development internal state 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.

Spiritual development- this is the study of the structure of INTELLIGENT LIFE, through the knowledge of YOURSELF, your feelings and thoughts, from where and how they are born, how they affect us, on a personal and general level.

The real Spiritual path of development (growth of the Soul) is not possible without real knowledge of oneself (one's inner world of feelings and thoughts).

Not everyone is able to come to this Path. Someone is busy getting their daily bread, someone needs personal life to arrange, that is, most people are immersed headlong into “everyday life” and they simply have no time to stop to think about something else. Fear also has a place. After all, even realizing the senselessness of the “race” for new acquisitions and the growth of one’s social significance, it takes a lot of courage to boldly look into oneself and try to change the usual way of life, and at the same time transform oneself.

Only some out of the ordinary event that can shake a person can make such people leave the “comfort zone” - it can be stress, a sudden insight caused by shock, the death of loved ones, etc. The event should make him understand all the illusory nature of such a life, where values ​​come, and human life, by and large, has no meaning.

When understanding comes and the familiar world collapses, a person faces a choice - how now to live on, what to believe in, what or whom to serve? What can stimulate a person to believe in himself and think about eternal and unshakable values? At this moment, a difficult path of changes and transformation of his spirit opens before him, an opportunity opens up to touch his Divine principle.

Evolution of Spirit and Soul

Spiritual development is the Path of the evolution of the spirit and soul, which distinguishes people from animals, and for the sake of which we all incarnated here on Earth. After all, the meaning of life lies in the fact that by moral victories over one’s shortcomings, character traits and habits, clear the mirror of one’s soul from dirt, strengthen the spirit and continue to improve beyond the limits of our reality, in higher worlds and in finer matters.

Real Spiritual development is possible only under these conditions, when a person goes beyond the Destructive Mind, in which there is the creativity of illness, death, doubts…

Our body is the seat of the soul and is connected with the Creator (God or Creator) through the spirit. It can also be said that each person, animal, insect, plant, mineral or atom together constitute the body of God, or it manifests itself through everything that surrounds us and it all evolves and develops according to cosmic laws and cycles.

Reaching human nature soul and body are being severely tested. On their way, obstacles arise in the form of ego, doubtful desires, negative emotions, a sense of self-importance, etc. In the fight against these factors, a person sometimes lives many lives until conditions mature and form in which a person can no longer continue to live like this without changing yourself.

The Essence of Spiritual Development

The most important thing on the path of Spiritual development is to find the integrity of one's views and aspirations with the desires of the soul, and then it is possible to become similar to God not only in image, but also in content. Love is the key to discovering limitless possibilities in yourself. Love is the language of God. Learning to love truly is not easy, and many do not even have an idea of ​​what it is. Their understanding does not extend beyond carnal rubbing against each other and possessive attitude towards beloved ones.

We must learn to give love to the whole world around us, without expecting anything in return, because God has already rewarded a person with everything that one could dream of even at birth. However, for some this is not enough and they rush from one extreme to another. Hence the wars, and rivalry, and fornication ... This is the path of suffering and dissatisfaction, which destroys the body and destroys the soul.

But how, by what means and methods to come to an agreement with oneself? Perhaps prayer will become a consolation for someone, but it is not capable of giving an impulse for evolutionary growth. Religion is an unnecessary mediator between man and God. In our time, it increasingly serves as a tool for manipulating people, a means of profit and dirty machinations on the part of the church or higher authorities.

Only evolution matters now. Therefore, by choosing a voluntary, firm and conscious intention to know and change yourself, you can come to the desired result. As they say, there are many who seek the Creator, but not many find him. The Creator lives in each of us, but without awakening it, we turn away from ourselves. He does not hear the voice of our desires, requests or laudatory odes - he reacts only to manifestations of the spirit expressed in actions.

Self-doubt and fear of an unknown future and, most importantly, an uninformed choice spiritual path will very quickly return an immature person to a familiar and comfortable way of life. To stay true to your choice, especially at the initial stage, you need to be vigilant, listen to yourself and pull up whenever the ego begins to dictate its conditions - complete control of thoughts and actions.

• You need to accept yourself, sorting out your delusions, mistakes, resentments, albeit not immediately, but over time. First of all, you should learn to always remain honest and be yourself under any circumstances. There is no need to blame anyone for the current situation, and even yourself - after all, this is a school where we all go through training and grow our souls with each class.

Freed from the burden of past mistakes and insults, a person gains lightness and self-confidence. The world begins to create favorable conditions for a person, fills the space with guiding signs, life becomes joyful and transforms right before our eyes. Feeling inner peace and a desire to live, a person in the future will never be able to repeat the mistakes of the past and will not make new ones.

Reading philosophical literature, spiritual practices, and meditation will help speed up evolution. Religious literature contains too much speculation and falsehood, so a person ignorant of such matters can easily accept anything on faith. There are a lot of ancient and modern literary artifacts that can acquaint the traveler with the structure of the universe, with cosmic and spiritual laws, with concepts that reveal the very essence of a human being and much more.

Spiritual development is possible only if a person sincerely wants to know his inner world, really change the structure of your feelings, give yourself the opportunity to know how to actually live, breathe, love, without feelings of fear.

Literature:

E.P. Blavatskaya, D.L. Andreev, Roerichs, Sri Aurobindo, Osho, ancient Indian epics – “Mahabharata” and “Ramayana”, Bhagavad Gita, Vedas, Philokalia, AllatRa and many other books that are recommended for deep study by those who chose the path of the spirit.