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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Spirituality & Beliefs > Spiritual Development

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  #1  
Old 10-05-2019, 09:16 AM
Siemens Siemens is offline
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What does spiritual development actually mean?

Most of you consider yourselves as being spiritual or spiritual evolving. But what does spiritual development actually mean? Is there a difference between spiritual development and other kinds of development a human can go through (like learning how to drive a car, how to use a credit card, or things you learn at school)? Or entails literally each kind of development a person undergoes - no matter how profane or earthly it is - inevitable a form of spiritual growth? Is spiritual development the same thing than character development?

And what is the goal of spiritual development? What is it good for? For what purpose should we develop?
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  #2  
Old 10-05-2019, 12:21 PM
Unseeking Seeker Unseeking Seeker is offline
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***

As Bertrand Russel’s book cover states ‘the conquest of happiness’
An unarguably reasonable goal, to uplift to bliss our consciousness
By conditioning hypnotised
and with senses externalised
we search for happiness in the external ephemeral ego domain
and we may get momentary joy but soon followed by suffering from pain
All this goes on until one day we self realise
that in running the rat race, we are foolish, not wise
So we turn inwards into the domain internal
whereupon when connected with the Divine we find bliss eternal
So what is Spiritual Development?
It is the prioritisation of our attention shift inwards, not for attainment
Not for any power or enablement
Rather only for Divine Love without abatement

***
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  #3  
Old 10-05-2019, 01:30 PM
zorkchop zorkchop is offline
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Siemens . . .

The entire design of the “Path” is to lead Soul Itself to recognize, realize, and begin to live beyond the compelling facets of living within the psychic worlds of duality. It is a take-off of the old saying . . . “to finally determine what one is, you must first discover what one is NOT.” ( I’m paraphrasing here. )

So . . . through eons of lifetimes . . . Soul finally begins to suspect . . . then test . . . then determine . . . and then live beyond the facets of the body, emotions, and mind . . . thus giving true freedom.

But while engaged in a lifetime here in the physical world . . . one cannot totally set it all aside and live ONLY within the realm of Soul . . . in other worlds . . . to totally withdraw from the psychic worlds while here IN the psychic worlds.

So . . . another juggling act begins.

This entire scenario of “the Path” has not been established to torture Soul into these realizations . . . but because it works. Since Soul is eternal . . . Soul Itself is eternal . . . then it makes no difference if it takes two eons or twenty eons to figure it out.

In the discovery of this . . . one slowly perceives that it is not so much a “happiness” or a “bliss.” It is more the “relief of true freedom.”

And then yes . . . to begin to lead a major facet of ones life within the true realms of Soul . . . to live within Divine Love . . . always.
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  #4  
Old 10-05-2019, 05:12 PM
ocean breeze ocean breeze is offline
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You'll receive many answers. http://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/sh...d.php?t=128122
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  #5  
Old 10-05-2019, 07:43 PM
inavalan inavalan is offline
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Usually different names means that those are different things.

Spiritual development should be your spirit / soul's development. The goal is that when you die your soul should be more developed / evolved than when you were born.

Many people don't think about it, other people have incorrect beliefs about what that implies. If you want to learn what you should do about it, abandon all your biases and beliefs, turn toward your inside, ask questions, and you'll receive answers. The less you rationalize those answers, the closer you'll be to the truth.
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Everything expressed here is what I believe. Keep that in mind when you read my post, as I kept it in mind when I wrote it. I don't parrot others. Most of my spiritual beliefs come from direct channeling guidance. I have no interest in arguing whose belief is right, and whose is wrong. I'm here just to express my opinions, and read about others'.
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  #6  
Old 10-05-2019, 07:54 PM
iamthat iamthat is offline
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Location: Golden Bay, New Zealand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Siemens
But what does spiritual development actually mean? Is there a difference between spiritual development and other kinds of development a human can go through (like learning how to drive a car, how to use a credit card, or things you learn at school)?

I consider spiritual development as the evolution of consciousness, which is quite different to other kinds of learning.

We can consider a human being as a triplicity of Being (Spirit), Consciousness (Soul) and personality.

Before we step on the spiritual path consciousness identifies fully with personality and form. The spiritual journey is the process of consciousness releasing its identification with personality and form, and learning to rest in itself. Then consciousness turns its gaze "upwards" and learns to identify with Being.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Siemens
Is spiritual development the same thing than character development?

If we consider the eight steps of Raja Yoga then character development comes under the first two steps of the yamas and niyamas.

The five yamas are non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, moderation and non-greed.

The five niyamas are purity, contentment, self-discipline, self-study and surrender.

So we have to attain a certain level of character development before we even begin the subsequent steps of spiritual development.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Siemens
And what is the goal of spiritual development? What is it good for? For what purpose should we develop?

The goal of spiritual development is to know ourselves, or to know our Self. Why? Because it brings lasting peace and true freedom. Isn't this what we are all trying to find?

Some may say that the spiritual path is a selfish pursuit, but how can we be of real service to others if we ourselves are stumbling in the dark?

Peace.
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  #7  
Old 11-05-2019, 08:48 AM
Siemens Siemens is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Unseeking Seeker
***
As Bertrand Russel’s book cover states ‘the conquest of happiness’
An unarguably reasonable goal, to uplift to bliss our consciousness
I agree that the only purpose of spiritual development is the aspiration of happiness.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Unseeking Seeker
What is Spiritual Development?
It is the prioritisation of our attention shift inwards, not for attainment
Not for any power or enablement
Rather only for Divine Love without abatement
I’ve heard that many times, but it sounds dogmatic. So I disagree in two points:

First, I do not see any reason why the source of happiness should be exclusively internal. Happiness can arise from both our external sensations as well as out internal experience.
Secondly, love is not the one and only source of happiness. It is possible to experience bliss and happiness beyond love.


It could be that Devine Love is the most intense form of happiness but definitely not the only form.



Quote:
Originally Posted by zorkchop

The entire design of the “Path” is to lead Soul Itself to recognize, realize, and begin to live beyond the compelling facets of living within the psychic worlds of duality.

It is a take-off of the old saying . . . “to finally determine what one is, you must first discover what one is NOT.”
You mean the purpose of spiritual development is to experience the absence of one’s true identity (as a soul) in order to experience your soul-identity more intense and clearer afterwards?


Quote:
Originally Posted by inavalan
Usually different names means that those are different things.
Are you referring to the terms spiritual development vs. character development?
Two different names could also mean that two things are the same, namely if one thing is a sub category of the other: character development could be a form of spiritual development.


Quote:
Originally Posted by inavalan
Spiritual development should be your spirit / soul's development. The goal is that when you die your soul should be more developed / evolved than when you were born.
Yes, but your definitions or explanations are empty. They do not contain any information:

“Spiritual development should be your spirit / soul's development”
is as if you would say: "Spiritual development is development of your spirit."

“The goal is that when you die your soul should be more developed”
is as if you would say: "The goal of development is development."

The question is: WHAT is spiritual development? What changes in the soul? In which way is the soul different after compared to before a life?




---------------------------------------------

Quote:
Originally Posted by iamthat
I consider spiritual development as the evolution of consciousness, which is quite different to other kinds of learning.
I consider spiritual development as the evolution of consciousness too.
But spiritual development/evolution of consciousness is not quite different to other kinds of learning but rather includes ALL kinds of learning.

With everything you lean you expand your consciousness!



Quote:
Originally Posted by iamthat
We can consider a human being as a triplicity of Being (Spirit), Consciousness (Soul) and personality.
What is the difference between Being and Consciousness?
Do you think that Being is without Consciousness?


Quote:
Originally Posted by iamthat
We can consider a human being as a triplicity of Being (Spirit), Consciousness (Soul) and personality.
It doesn’t make sense to use the term “Soul” synonymous to consciousness in order to distinguish it from spirit or personality. A soul is the thing that gives rise to spirit, consciousness and personality.

Also we have a twoness not a trinity. One the one side we have Personality which is the temporal form a soul can chose (a set of attributes) within one incarnation. One the other side we have Identity which is the eternal structure of a soul.


Quote:
Originally Posted by iamthat
So we have to attain a certain level of character development before we even begin the subsequent steps of spiritual development.
Isn't character development a part of spiritual development. I don't see these two as separated.


Quote:
Originally Posted by iamthat
The goal of spiritual development is to know ourselves, or to know our Self. Why? Because it brings lasting peace and true freedom. Isn't this what we are all trying to find?
Why brings knowing ourselves true freedom?
What do you understand by true freedom in this context?
Do you think that peace and true freedom are the only things our souls aspire?
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  #8  
Old 11-05-2019, 09:05 AM
Altair Altair is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Siemens
And what is the goal of spiritual development? What is it good for? For what purpose should we develop?

We are all pleasure seekers. We want joy, excitement, peace, love, you name it.. or conflict, which can also be a form of pleasure. Those are all different kinds of pleasures. But it's impossible not to chase pleasure. Spirituality is no different and you should be careful when you read what some teachings say regarding ''desires'' and ''attachment''. They make false conclusions. The truth is you cannot transcend your desire for pleasure. You can only substitute one form of pleasure for another..

So the goal of spiritual development is pleasure (a more 'refined' pleasure depending on how we define pleasure). It may just be a different sort of 'pleasure' but the initial drive doesn't change.. it may take a different color..
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  #9  
Old 11-05-2019, 09:50 AM
Unseeking Seeker Unseeking Seeker is offline
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***

Hello Siemens!

If not internal then external ...
But the external domain is cyclic, ephemeral
And attachment ... the clinging bringing suffering

In the internal there is the very life current. Divine Love. The bliss ... what is its source? We imbibe it or are graced to be able to receive and assimilate it. There is no identity in bliss. The personality is dissolved.

The bliss ... unaffected by external circumstance.

Then the bliss ... which we feel by so being in the continuum transcends into compassion.

The root is Divine Love. If not, what else is it? What is the source?

Or if we discard the word love and substitute it with bubbling joy ... joy for no reason and not dependent upon anything else ... like the fragrance of a flower ... what is the source?

***
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  #10  
Old 11-05-2019, 12:56 PM
Greenslade
Posts: n/a
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Siemens
And what is the goal of spiritual development? What is it good for? For what purpose should we develop?
You are not the question looking for the answer, you are the answer looking for the question.

If you are the answer then the questions become "What are the reasons I am asking these questions?" and "What ideas, beliefs and definitions do I already hold on what Spirituality and Spiritual development is?"

The pre-Taoists called it 'Triplex Unity', which basically means that there is 'this', there is 'that' and there is 'both'. What you call "Spiritual development" is 'this', what you call "human development" is 'that', and there is a space there being both where they dance around each other like Yin and Yang and something very different is emergent. You realise that learning how to use a credit card means you can buy that Spiritual book, and the two are interconnected and yet separate.
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