Hello, dear readers of my blog! Today I want to consider the question of what human spiritual development consists of. After all, there is still no clear answer, and this concept includes not only a person’s religiosity. This is his morality, ethics, understanding of purpose, achieving a sense of internal balance, harmony and a set of qualities with which it is possible to achieve all this. But what is clear quite accurately is that everyone determines their own spiritual path and follows it. He moves with the speed and ability to overcome difficulties that he can cope with. In this article I will try to touch on areas that are related to spiritual development.

What is spiritual development?

Spiritual development is actually a process during which a person understands himself, his reactions, sensations, his purpose and needs. When does the search for answers to questions about who I am, where I come from and why I came to the fore come to the fore? There are levels of consciousness in society, with the help of which it is possible to find the necessary answers, these are: moral, aesthetic, political, religious, legal and scientific.

The need to develop is not built into a person from birth, but is manifested and activated in the process of socialization and knowledge of oneself as an individual. There are no limits to spiritual knowledge; everyone determines the boundaries and resources for further searches.

A person can consider himself spiritual if he consciously knows how to accept others as they are. Something like a parent's unconditional love, has achieved peace of mind and peace, and also has faith in something good in his heart. Let's look at each component in more detail:

1.Mindfulness

In fact, this is a very courageous decision when a person stops deceiving himself and decides to get rid of illusions and fantasies, preferring to still notice reality, no matter how terrible and destructive it may be. Then the ability to accept the imperfections of this world, other people and oneself appears. In return there is freedom. A person understands what and why he is doing. He can predict and explain his reactions to any events because he is aware of the sensations that arise. This is a rare, but justified courage when you allow yourself to be sincere not only with others, but above all with yourself.

2.Unconditional love

Usually it occurs among parents in relation to their children, when they love them not for anything, but only because they exist in this world. If we slightly modify this type of love, we can reformulate it like this:

A morally developed person is capable of not only noticing this world with all its shortcomings, but also loving it at the same time, and not for something, but directly in spite of it.

Then the ability to empathize, that is, empathy, sympathy and compassion, develops greatly.

3.Faith

We have already talked in the article about how to achieve the necessary results, the most important thing is our faith that everything will work out. Do you remember about the effect of affirmations? If you tune your subconscious and devote all your energy to exactly what you have planned, it will definitely happen, and then a person will be able to reveal his full potential, knowing that there is outside support and something magical that you can rely on.

4.Feeling of inner balance

This state is probably called nirvana. When there is no anxiety, worry, feelings of irritation and helplessness, guilt, sadness and shame. A person seems to be filled from exhaustion with warmth, which gives a feeling of satisfaction, calmness and confidence. When there is no urgent need to satisfy any need, but on the contrary, a process of assimilation occurs, that is, assimilation of the experience gained. This state cannot be acquired once and for all, because life is different, with different situations that can sometimes pull the rug out from under one’s feet, but still, with spiritual development, by combining the previous components, a person strives to gain a sense of balance.

What happens as a result of this development?

1.Health

A person who strives to develop his morality improves his health, compared to others, he is less susceptible to diseases and lives longer. Because the balance of the inner world affects the physical condition. Have you heard of such a concept as psychosomatics? This is a direction in psychotherapy and psychology that studies the connection between a person’s feelings and his health. That is, all our ailments and diagnoses arise as a result of retained feelings, stress that we could not cope with.

For example, a person who reacts to many situations with resentment, which he constantly keeps within himself. Most likely, as a result, he will have a stomach ulcer, because he directs energy deep into himself, preferring to unconsciously destroy his body for various reasons. Therefore, a person who strives to achieve balance is deprived of such a feature as holding within himself negative feelings which helps improve her health.

2. There is a more effective process of socialization and personal growth

Due to the fact that a person is balanced and aware, he knows how to build relationships with other people. Understands their intentions and the purpose of their actions. Therefore, he does a much better job. Wins success and quickly resolves complex and conflict situations. He knows how to cooperate and, most importantly, understands that an inextricable process takes place in this world, that when we receive something, we must give it back. If even one part stalls, it will be impossible to achieve harmony.

Have you ever noticed people who only want to receive, but give nothing in return? Or vice versa, when everything is for others, but they don’t care about themselves? Can they be called happy? I really doubt. Such one-sided views on life will not lead to success, much less help you advance in your development.

3. Becomes happier

As a result of the fact that a person becomes more conscious, takes care of his health and quality of life, over time he gains not only a sense of internal balance, but also a feeling of happiness. He is practically not subject to stress, because the style of responding to changes changes. various situations which becomes less destructive and more creative and productive.

4. The meaning of life appears

I have already written about the fact that a spiritual person asks questions about his existence and purpose. She understands that she is capable of influencing something in this world and carries a special value and task. Everyone’s searches happen differently; I outlined the main methods in the article. This is a very important part of reflection for everyone, because it brings motivation for life, so that you have the strength to get up every time after the blows of fate and continue your path further.

5. Coming to terms with death

No matter how much we sometimes want to avoid this topic, spiritual development still helps a person come to terms with death, realize his finitude and the impossibility of influencing how to live forever. And it doesn’t matter which area will help a person realize this: psychology, religion, philosophy, physics, etc., the main thing is that he finds a satisfying, calming answer about the process of dying and the presence or absence of life after death.

6. Self-realization occurs

After all, in finding your purpose, the most important thing is to discover your true nature. And after this discovery, take actions aimed at realizing your plans and goals, and not just actions, but successful ones, which bring not only success and the intended result, but also pleasure from the process.

The best ways to do this

The very first and main method is self-awareness

Study yourself, explore reactions and even the dark sides of your character. Be honest and open, first of all, with yourself, and then over time you will learn to accept yourself as different, with different manifestations and shortcomings, and this will contribute to a non-judgmental attitude towards others, and then there will be less expectations from them, as a result of which we are usually disappointed. Which will significantly affect the achievement of internal harmony.

read books

Not necessarily some kind of religious literature, anything with the help of which you can develop and find answers to any questions. Let it be classics or books on business, the important thing is that you do not stand still and have an interest in life and searching for information. In addition, reading has a very beneficial effect on health, and has many beneficial consequences, which you can read about on my blog “What does reading books develop and why is it a direct path to success?”

Meditate or pray

Depending on the presence or absence of faith, the main thing is that at this moment you can turn deep within yourself, relax and switch your attention. These methods have a healing effect not only on our mental and emotional state, but also on our physical health. A lot in our body, and in life in general, depends on the ability to concentrate on what is important, with the right internal message. If you don’t know how to meditate correctly, you can familiarize yourself with techniques for beginners in the article “”. And your heart and intuition will tell you how to pray.

Charity

If you read the article, you noticed that almost all influential people who have achieved colossal results are engaged in charity. Because I know that in order to receive energy, you first need to give it away. Help your loved ones, those in need, donate to what you believe in, and then you will feel satisfied that you are useful in this world and can make life easier for someone, even if you yourself are experiencing difficulties.

Environment

Communicate with people who, in your opinion, have reached a certain level in understanding existence and their true self. After all, those around us greatly influence our value system and perception of the world; by adopting their experience, we will be able to rely on it and appropriate our successes and conclusions. By expanding your boundaries in communication, you will become more open to this world.

Conclusion

That's all, dear reader! I hope you were able to find the answer to the question of what spiritual development is and how to achieve it. Harmony to you, so that your thinking becomes clearer and more collected, then you will find inner balance, health and deep relationships, which will contribute to the realization of your plans and desires, and will also improve the lives of those around you. Don't forget to subscribe to blog updates. See you soon!

10

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

Few people are familiar with Taoist philosophy and Taoist methods of self-development. For most people, spiritual development represents an increase in a person’s moral qualities, and the process of comprehending one’s spirit itself remains outside the zone of attention. This vague and incomplete understanding means 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 pursue 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 push you to practice :-)

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

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

1 Promoting 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, purify your consciousness and develop your spirit.

However, there are such directions and schools where maximum attention is paid directly to the development of the spirit, and the body is looked after either poorly 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 they take care of both the body and the spirit), or to supplement spiritual practices with general health-improving 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, values ​​what he has 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 honed a set of practices to prolong life. After all, it is unknown 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 achieve a high level of practice and extend their life to 200, 300 or more years, but the very presence of such a potential opportunity 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 impartially, without the distorting prism of the Ego. The process of spiritual growth releases primordial wisdom (knowing without words), increases intuition and makes you more flexible, revealing your creative potential.

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

As the practitioner's mind becomes clearer, he gains a deeper understanding of his strengths and weaknesses, which gives him leverage to make the most of his own talents. Know your weaknesses and give specialists the opportunity to perform those actions in which you are a layman, or consciously abandon perfectionism in an area that is “not yours” - such a life position reduces stress and saves energy on what you are the best at.

Quieting the busy 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, you begin an avalanche of global changes in your life.

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

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

I recommend reading more about the use of Taoist philosophy and methods of interaction with the outside world in the book “Taoist Thinking”.

3 Relieve stress and find happiness

If you take care of your body, heart nature and spirit, then you gradually begin to be more conscious about 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 your satisfaction with life.

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 tightly 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 stops wanting something and lives in a cell. He continues to act in society and achieve improvements in his life, but he does it more detached. The list of desires of such a person is gradually reduced; only what is truly integral to the inner nature and personal preferences remains on 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 what is introduced and false.

Thousands of books have been written on how to become happy. The shortest way, in my opinion, is to cleanse yourself. Cleansing the body brings health and gives you strength, cleansing the mind from impurities 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 unnecessary and follow your Primordial nature - this is what spiritual development gives us :-)

Do you want to live a great life? Start practicing 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 is not happiness?

4 Finding the meaning of life

I think sooner or later every person is faced with the question: “Who am I and why am I here?” It doesn’t matter whether you asked yourself this in school, during a midlife crisis, at 40 or 65, it’s never too late and never too early to look for yourself!

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

Knowing your spirit is a multifaceted and multi-layered 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 last for your whole life.

If you have not found your calling in society, or maybe this is not enough for you, or you feel that everything in this world is temporary, and your soul is reaching for something more fundamental, remember that your spirit is the foundation that binds you with 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 the process of comprehending one’s Primordial nature, cognition of the Primordial spirit. This is not at all reminiscent of the soul-searching that is encouraged in various areas of psychology. This realization occurs in meditation, which, of course, is not so easy. Not everyone will be able to sit motionless for a long time, without thoughts, concentrating on practice. But it's worth it!

After some time, shifts occur in the practitioner’s consciousness. It’s 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 understand better the world, feel the relationship between internal and external. And those things that seemed ordinary to you are gradually transformed into something else. The world becomes, on the one hand, simpler, and on the other, more inexplicable, since a significant part of the acquired understanding 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 boundaries have long been defined? The true boundaries of your Self can be expanded indefinitely, and you can become their discoverer. It’s one thing to read in some article that the world is not at all the way we see it, and quite another thing to feel and see it for yourself!

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

6 Ways to come to terms with death

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

Religion arose precisely as a way of reconciling a person 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 rules and rituals, for example, we 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 the religious worldview is not suitable for everyone - many believe in the laws of physics, universal reason, the law of cause and effect, etc. For such people, as well as for those who are not very religious, spiritual development is a way to come to terms with death. Whether you believe in heaven, reincarnation, the finality of death, or anything else, spiritual development gives you the opportunity to become convinced that you have a spirit - something that exists beyond life and death.

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

When you get in touch with your spirit, your attitude towards life and death will become different, 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 things will always get better, 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 heaven, no matter how you imagine it :-)

7 Unlocking your energy potential

Taoist practices include working with the body, Qi (energy) and spirit. It is quite natural that spiritual development requires a lot of Qi, and the Taoists created a rich arsenal of all kinds of exercises that help accumulate, preserve and strengthen energy.

At the initial stage, the practitioner restores health, since he will need all his strength to comprehend his own Primordial nature. And How by-effect, accumulated and strengthened Qi makes it possible to act more actively in social life.

With diligent and correct practice, a person can even develop special abilities, such as the ability to heal people with 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 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, sleeping well, and with 2 more weekends ahead, you’re full of energy to do something interesting.

It’s very exciting to even just learn to feel your Qi, to some extent control it, heal yourself, be able to reduce your weight or do unusual things with its help. And if your practice is sincere, the 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 learn more, to know yourself and your nature.

8 More fully serving the World

The basis for spiritual development is purifying oneself and cultivating virtuous qualities, such as compassion and philanthropy. 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 activities have at their core an element of service to others. In many business books successful people share one of the secrets of their success - a sincere desire to give something to people, improve something, make it easier, change something... If you want to receive more, start giving more! Developing your spirit and knowing yourself will make it possible to help others from the bottom of your heart, and this will bring joy and make you more successful in what you do. People feel when you do something “with your soul,” and they are always drawn to it, because everything done from the heart spiritualizes 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 processes of growth and evolution of all that is bright and good in your field of activity.

By helping others, we help ourselves to 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 your 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 Original nature to manifest itself through our thoughts, feelings and deeds.

That is why the most important and the real reason to engage in our spiritual development is that it is spiritual development that helps us 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 were 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 consciousness, 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’s never too early and it’s never too late for anyone to think about spiritual development! If you have a personal crisis (for example, a midlife crisis), your values ​​have changed, 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 vanity, you have poor health or disagreements with others - the desire to change all this can become an impetus for self-development, spiritual growth, revival and change in yourself and your life!

Read these 9 reasons again. I'm sure you'll find a couple to start your awakening. Allow the light of your heart to open, follow your spirit and the trees of paradise will grow where you live.

Good luck on your Path and good health!

Today there is no comprehensive, unambiguous and final answer to the question of what spiritual development is. Why is this so? There are a lot of reasons - from differences in religious views to differences in the political and economic structure of a particular 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 above 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 an individual person that are associated with his ethics and morality. This is an understanding of your purpose, mission. The spiritual development of the individual is inextricably linked with the degree of understanding of the universe and its integrity. And also with the awareness of one’s own responsibility for all events occurring 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 changes. What can really be improved is something that 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 the issue regarding direction? It’s 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 within him - he is on the right path. If a person experiences inspiration, joy, and elation from the fact that his personality is growing, becoming mature, morality is improving, and his ability to penetrate into the essence of things is increasing, then his path is correct.

Path directions

Spiritual and moral development in today's society is achievable 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, Koran, Vedas, Avesta, Tripitaka; spiritual personal practices - meditations, rituals, ceremonies, exercises; visiting holy places such as Mecca, Vatican, Tibet, Shaolin. As you can see, there are a huge number of options, 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 misconception 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, unimportant circumstances. At first they may play an important role, but as progress progresses they should fade into the background or disappear altogether. True spirituality begins and grows within. The world itself gives the practitioner certain signs about where to move next and how.

Need for companion and support

Any process is subject to certain laws. If there is any development, for example, a nuclear reaction, then it is subject to the laws of physics. Spirituality is the values ​​that are inherent in every person. On this path it is important to have an assistant, a companion, a partner. You should not be embarrassed to discuss certain aspects with your significant other or with a friend. If the interlocutors do not share aspirations, it’s okay. Just lead by example. Naturally, qualitative growth and development will be noticeable, and there is a high probability that the partner (or comrade) will also be interested in increasing his own level of spirituality. It is necessary to provide him with help and support so that the person feels confident and comfortable.

Personal development or spirituality?

The word “personality” is a set of socially significant qualities (interests, needs, abilities, views, moral beliefs). In this case, we can say that personal development is work that is aimed at revealing individual characteristics, self-realization in society, and self-expression. This is an indicator that is created by man. But what is spiritual development? In the literal sense of the word, it is the manifestation of the spirit in man and in the world. It turns out that this term may not be associated with implementation in society at all. You can say “spiritual development of culture.” But how will this concept be applied to individual 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?

Distinctions

Personal development is the process of effective implementation of a person in society. IN in this case 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 and earn good money. But spiritual development is a search for internal boundaries, determined by oneself, a desire to meet 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 the process of understanding oneself, one’s nature, one’s masks, which do not depend on any external indicators and circumstances.

Path difference

Always implies some goal that must be achieved within a certain time frame. There is an end point and 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 overcoming this limitation is the way to achieve what we want. What if there is an intangible goal, for example, to be happy? After all, this is an internal feeling, subjective. IN personal development it is replaced by certain material objects - a million dollars, marriage, and so on. If there is a certain goal that you need to strive for and achieve, then this is not spiritual development. After all, it comes from a completely different state - it is comprehension, search, experience, feeling, knowledge of reality here and now.

Discovering Yourself

Personal development requires someone, some kind of obstacle. You need to become better and more perfect than someone else. This is exactly what is important and necessary. Spiritual development of a person implies discovering oneself through accepting oneself. A person begins to be interested in himself, in what he already has. There is no desire to become “someone” different. This is an exclusively internal process, because nothing and no one is needed, there is no need for support or approval. Inner knowledge and inner strength appear, various illusions about the surrounding reality and oneself disappear.

Attitude to 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 to make sure that “something” appears in the near future. We are focused on tomorrow and live for it. The biggest problem in such a way of life and worldview is the devaluation of present time, since in this version it is not of particular value. Spiritual development implies a completely different attitude towards time - the absolute irrelevance of the past and the future, because only the present exists, and only it is valuable. Attention is directed to awareness of the current moment of life. External situations only provide incentive 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 constantly 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 - it is 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, a desire for it. Whether it's the perfect relationship, finding the perfect job, ideal life. This is necessary to feel the significance of yourself and your life. That is why in personal development such assessments as “good” and “bad”, “moral” and “immoral”, “moral” and “immoral” are used. There are no evaluative concepts in spiritual development, since any action has its own hidden meaning which needs to be known. There is no ideal, but there is a desire and desire to know the essence.

The spiritual development of a person is a process that includes the deliberate evolution of personal qualities, which consists in improving the inner world for the sake of its rational interaction with the external environment. In essence, it becomes an act of intellectual self-improvement. As a result, based on a comparison of one’s experience with great historical achievements in various fields, one comprehends one’s own purpose in this world and the likelihood of taking a worthy place in it. Spiritual improvement is a long and thorny path, full of ups and downs. Ideally it is infinite. Having achieved certain results, a person only approaches the truth, but does not know it completely. Any stop, the confidence that everything has been achieved, leads to degradation. Personal development is possible only in the direction from simple to more complex and constant improvement of what has been achieved.

And how to do it? Study! For those who have already reached certain heights in their biography. The development of spirituality, its level, is tested by life. Shifts in the evolution of personality can be considered truly positive only when they are gratefully noted by those around the person: their loved ones and colleagues. This is the only way to achieve career growth in any existing business. A spiritually developed subject can have a significant influence on people. This will help him solve many previously unsolvable problems. The flip side of this involvement in the environment becomes isolation on oneself. Such a person constantly acquires new knowledge and opportunities, but does not realize them externally. A person could improve the situation of other people around, but does not do so. He only imagines that everything is within his power. There is no benefit to society from its existence. Such spirituality is usually empty, and ultimately only leads to disappointment and thoughts of a wasted life.

What becomes the illusion of spiritual self-improvement

People think about how they can develop themselves spiritually. Popular methods are:

• reading educational literature;
• visiting top-rated films, concerts, theater performances;
• religious or philosophical meditations;
• hermitage;
• denial of the material world for the sake of the spiritual.

These methods are correct to some extent and allow you to raise the intellectual bar to impressive heights. It’s just that each of these actions and all of them as a whole have no direct relationship to spirituality. At best, they expand the horizons of knowledge of life.

What do books and more or less similar visual spectacles provide? Indeed, they contain knowledge and sensory experience. But knowledge that is not applied in reality is quickly forgotten. The time spent on their acquisition can be considered pointlessly wasted.

To know does not mean to be able to. Skill, unlike knowledge, is a purely practical category. This is a habit brought to automaticity. It is acquired through the constant use of the information received in a specific case. This is the only way to update knowledge and give it a universally significant, spiritual coloring.

The same applies to sensory experience. Someone else's experience, which does not correlate with one's own feelings, can teach, but only in the abstract. He will not force everyone to act or not to act the same way. This requires personal experiences. Only they stick in memory and help in the future.

How does this happen? The main postulates are formulated in the Bible, in the moral instructions of Moses. He lays out in detail what not to do in order to avoid the condemnation of society. Kant formulates this in a more collected form, suggesting categorically not to commit those actions that you consider unacceptable in relation to yourself.

Meditation also does not lead to spiritual development. It only contributes to the concentration of biological energy to achieve one’s own goal, which does not matter to others. The humanitarian factor, which is one of the defining indicators of spirituality, is absent here.

Prayers and all kinds of mantras make it possible to escape from real problems and transfer their solution to certain mythical sources. They can only be given spiritual meaning by crowded ceremonies that unite their flock around events that are equally valuable to everyone. For example, relating to war and peace, life and death.

Hermitage, as a way of escaping the world, was originally intended to preserve the values ​​pursued by modern society and revered as truly correct. In pre-Petrine Rus' these were the Old Believers, in Ancient China - the monks of mountain monasteries remote from the capital.
The culture of hermits, like that of the wild tribes of South America or Africa, has a touch of even high spirituality, but it is confined within a certain territory and, in essence, inaccessible to others. Its significance is limited for world civilization.

Refusal of material well-being in the name of spiritual self-improvement is one of the extreme concepts. The ascetic worldview is based on the belief that only a person liberated from the constant search for a means of livelihood is able to freely develop himself.

This idea is persistently promoted by numerous pseudo-religious sects. At the same time, their true goal becomes the enrichment of preachers through the complete robbery of their adherents. All doubts about the selflessness of all kinds of spiritual teachers are suppressed by force.

In fact, the material well-being of a person does not in any way contradict the development of his spirituality. On the contrary, it only helps this process. The capabilities of a wealthy person allow him to constantly improve his education, as well as travel, adopting the best from other cultures and civilizations and thus increasing his spiritual potential. The problem lies only in achieving harmony between material and spiritual development.

What is meant by spirituality?

There is no comprehensive definition of spirituality that can convince of its practical necessity. Only one thing is clear: a person deprived of spiritual potential will not have a beneficial influence either on the development of society or on the happy determination of his own destiny.

What, then, should we focus on in order to develop qualities in ourselves that are more or less close to the spiritual ideal? A sociological survey conducted among students of several leading universities in the country showed that they made a conscious choice in favor of a number of life attitudes. The main ones include:

1. comprehensive personality development;
2. morality that ensures respect in society;
3. meaningfulness of one's actions;
4. formation of intellectual and spiritual baggage sufficient for career advancement;
5. selflessness and devotion in friendship;
6. soulfulness in love;
7. equality in marriage, where a man and a woman help and support each other without disturbing peace of mind with unnecessary quarrels.

Young people are inclined to eternal ideals recognized by the majority. Such, for example, as faith in God, cementing the best spiritual traditions of generations. Moreover, the very name of the Lord will be different among people, signifying any of the world religions. But whether it is Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism or Buddhism, the concept of supreme justice, which each of the gods personifies, remains the same for representatives of different religions.

Patriotism occupies an important place among spiritual values. This sublime feeling concerns not only love for loved ones and the country, but also the readiness to consciously defend all this in difficult times. Family and society should instill it from childhood. Every child, when born, becomes a citizen responsible for his fatherland. He needs to constantly introduce this into his consciousness.

Modern man, according to young people, is obliged to constantly improve.

Only in this way will he be able to act adequately in a world that is changing at an increasing speed. Along with obtaining information useful for professional activities, you should also develop your emotional and sensory sphere, which allows you to humanize, make more humane, the personal relationships of various people.

An indispensable means for harmonizing your inner world is communication with beauty. This is how books train your imagination, fine art expands the range of visual ideas about life, and the right one immerses you in a host of unusual sounds that can create any mood that is comfortable at the moment.

Much of this is perceived unconsciously, at the level of hidden instincts. Not everything is accepted at once. At the first stages, something you read, see or hear may be misunderstood and rejected. Only over time, gaining knowledge and experience, having the opportunity to compare different things, do people realize what is not important to them, but what is necessary, like air.

Why is this necessary?

Spiritual development of the individual always gives a positive effect. No matter how unimportant it may seem at first glance, its fruits are ultimately felt in life.

As a result of constant improvement of the inner world, honing the intellect and the sensory sphere, a person gains the ability not to be afraid of difficulties and achieve his goals, regardless of any obstacles. Each of us has a destiny placed on the scales of our biography. It is possible to arrange life properly only if you are fully armed, clearly imagining the final goal and having the appropriate spiritual potential to achieve it. A truly spiritual person proceeds precisely from these considerations, daring but correct.

The only exceptions here are the so-called “evil geniuses,” people who direct their extraordinary energy to the harm of others. The consequences of their activities in world history and simply in everyday life are terrifying. Good and evil, in the understanding of these individuals, often change places. Violence, fear, godlessness, and savagery are presented as fair. What can be opposed to the activities of villains? There are different views on this matter, including the biblical and Tolstoyan non-resistance to evil through violence. In practice, however, the most effective method The fight against evil is most often brute force.

A weak, ignorant nature is alien to such contradictions. She is constantly overcome by doubts about her vulnerability. Such people are not even sure of the possibility of achieving any significant goal. She scares them. Failures force us not to look for a new option of action, but only to make excuses, citing harmless circumstances that, out of laziness, are considered insurmountable. The existence of such entities is meaningless. They don't deserve respect. Their destiny is vegetation in life and oblivion in its bitter finale.

The importance of spiritual maturity for each individual and society as a whole is very difficult to overestimate. The result is not only technical, but also social progress. Evidence of this is the positive development of world civilization, capable of overcoming all kinds of difficulties standing in its way and moving through thorns to the stars.

In this article you will be able to understand in detail where to start spiritual development and what it really is. This article is written based on the experiences and research of many people who follow different paths of spiritual growth: within and outside of traditional religions. You will definitely find here all the necessary information to begin self-awareness.

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

What is spiritual development really?

Initially, it would be worthwhile to understand the term “spirituality” itself, which, upon certain consideration, has a rather negative connotation. If we combine information about this term with what is happening in modern spiritual movements, a complete picture emerges, which, again, does not have the most attractive appearance.

You also need to understand the clear difference between spiritual development and cultural or moral development. For example, some people sincerely believe that going to museums and theaters greatly elevates them, even though it may bring certain benefits. But this is a mass misconception, especially considering the direction in which contemporary art is moving today.

A person can do certain things for decades and think that he is progressing spiritually. But in fact, he will not advance one bit on the path of self-realization.

True, there is one nuance: if a person has talent in the field of art and he is, for example, 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 follow his own path in accordance with the talents that he has, and also develop sublime qualities of character.

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

The main goal of spiritual self-development

It is no secret that many of those who have embarked on the path of spiritual self-improvement have experienced certain difficulties before this. It could be a difficult financial situation, a breakdown in a relationship, or a health problem.

One way or another, life’s difficulties push a person to a more conscious life. The entire world around us is waiting for us to come out from under the influence of illusion and begin to look at this world with sober eyes.

The main goal of spiritual development is awareness of one’s true nature and development in accordance with this knowledge.

Understand that the goal of spiritual development is NOT going to temples according to a schedule or unconsciously repeating prayers because some priest said so. Everything is simpler.

We must learn to live according to our hearts or conscience, to be humane and decent, to gain real knowledge, to develop intelligence and abilities that are called supernatural.

First, try to start living with an eye on your heart (the voice of conscience). And you will see that real spiritual development has begun.

In general, real personal development (spiritual development, if you like) is always noticeable and brings results in the near future. If a person does a lot of spiritual development, prays several hours a day, visits temple every week, reads spiritual treatises, but miracles do not happen in his life and he does not really become happier, then he is NOT developing spiritually and, most likely, has gone down the wrong path ways.

Often people fall for the deception that is imposed on them by religious figures: now you need to be humble, endure and develop spiritually to the best of your ability, but after death everything will be fine. This is another monstrous lie that helps make people slaves.

You need to live here and now. You need to be happy in the present moment.

People who endure everything and are afraid of everything are ordinary cowards and ignoramuses, and do not develop spiritually or evolutionarily at all. But brave and determined people do not shake with fear and do not blindly believe in non-humans, who often dress in sacred robes.

To be fair, it is worth noting that There are also pure people within religions. There may not be as many of them as we would like, but they are there.

Where to start spiritual development: tools and their choice

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

To a person who has been familiar with “religious cuisine” for many years, sooner or later it becomes obvious that among the followers of religions there are quite a lot of unhappy people. Moreover, there is a lot of information about what crimes are committed by religious leaders: fraud, theft, child abuse, drug trafficking, murder and more. All this raises many questions among reasonable and sensible 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 between false spirituality and genuine spirituality. 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 your heart;
• Choosing a spiritual path;
• Prayer practices;
• Scriptures;
• Elevated surroundings;
• Mentors and teachers;
• Altruism or selfless activity;
• Additional tools to help you grow spiritually.

Living according to your heart or how to listen to the voice of conscience?

Today it is becoming increasingly clear that living according to your conscience or according to your heart is the safest way, in which a person will not be deceived by pseudo-spiritual personalities. Relying on conscience, a person may not be afraid of anything, since in this case he is guided by his most faithful assistant.

How to learn to listen to your conscience? No one can give specific recommendations, since this process happens differently for everyone. But absolutely every person knows which action is bad and which is not, and inside the heart there is always a response to any action. The only question is: does he listen to his conscience or not.

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 take its choice seriously. And in this matter, too, everything is individual. One religion may be suitable for one person, another religion for another, and a third spiritual tradition for another. By the way, this does not mean that they should compete with each other - only fanatics do that.

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

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

• This tradition must lead to the Personality of Godhead (if in the tradition the philosophy is that only their path and “their god” are the only right ones, then this is either a false tradition or false and ignorant followers);
• In this religion there must be many truly Holy Persons (not 2-5, but hundreds, thousands and more);
• Tradition must be based on authoritative Scriptures that are many years old (at least 500 years or more);
• Many people should follow the path of this religious tradition and achieve certain results along it (for example, people reach a higher standard of living, renounce violence, immorality and debauchery, etc.);
• In this religion there must be a spiritual (prayer) practice that every sincere follower engages in;
• You should feel good about 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 of this religion (at least at the initial stage you’re happy with it).

There are more than enough criteria listed for choosing a spiritual tradition (religion) at the beginning of spiritual development. Take them into account.

I would like to draw your attention to one point. Over the past 200 years, not the best things have been happening in religions and it is my duty to inform you about this. Don’t be lazy and study the article:

For people who do not want or are not yet ready to choose a specific religious tradition there is an opportunity to develop spiritually outside of religion. This is written in detail 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 engages in them consciously and sincerely. When this becomes 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 a person’s consciousness and elevate him. Everything new in this world bears fruit, but for the time being.

Over time, when a person becomes “drawn” into spiritual life, the effectiveness of prayer decreases and it often becomes automatic. And the following situation may occur: a person seems to be actively engaged in spiritual development, praying, but no particular result is visible. This means that he is not going the right way.

Prayer should be an addition, but not 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 turns to him, and does not think during prayer about what he will do after prayer or how he was unfairly treated. It’s better than automatically repeating a prayer to do some kind and selfless deed for people or other living beings. More about this in the video:

Scripture Study

We know a lot of Holy Scriptures, but the question is how intact are they in our 21st century? Through various studies, I have learned that all major spiritual treatises are subject to distortion 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, Koran, Bhagavad Gita, Torah or something else - today you need to read it carefully, with your mind turned on, and you cannot accept everything on blind faith.

Does this mean that spiritual treatises should not be read at all? Of course not. Even in distorted scriptures, many profound things remain. You just need to know what to choose to read and what to follow when studying treatises.

When reading any scripture, one must be guided by the heart. The most important commentary on what we read comes from 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 you find something that will help a person in his spiritual development.

You can find out how spiritual treatises are distorted in the article:

About exalted surroundings and mentors

It's hard to develop alone. 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 “polished” like a stone in order to give a beautiful and graceful shape - to make us truly spiritual people.

It is beneficial 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. In times of difficulty and doubt, 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 after his heart will never be left alone and God will definitely find him company when needed.

Even better if you find a mentor, which will tell you what to do and how to do it, point out errors, etc. Keep in mind that any situation or any person can be a mentor for us if we know how to 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 himself must lead an exalted and pure lifestyle for many years. The same goes for spiritual teachers.

One of the most important signs 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 true spiritual teacher helps a person become himself, and not someone else. A true guru speaks about God in the heart of the disciple and teaches him to live based on it.

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 scoundrel are.

Selflessness for spiritual growth

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

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

Important points at the beginning of spiritual development

In addition to the initial steps in spiritual development, you need to take certain actions in other directions.

First of all, this:

• 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 in right time, maintain personal hygiene, get rid of bad habits and much more.

During the day Special attention pay attention to getting up early.

Cleanliness is especially important for spiritual development and one must strive for it. This is the cleanliness of the body, linen, surrounding space, psyche, etc.

To start, start showering every morning.

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