| Are you a Saint? A Zen Master? How about | | | | or just hear about the success this person is |
| just a good human being? How do you know? | | | | having in their life. Be brutally honest, or |
| What are the qualification? Are there any | | | | you will just be cheating yourself. Does it |
| tests you can take to find out your spiritual | | | | create any negative wave within you? Any |
| growth? Yes there are. | | | | tinge of jealousy? Any feeling of |
| | | | irritation? Any feeling of frustration? Any |
| There are lots of ways to test your spiritual | | | | feeling of hurt? Does it cause any ripple, |
| progress and life is constantly doing just | | | | any disturbance, in your psyche? The greater |
| that by giving you tests to help you evaluate | | | | the disturbance the more the test indicates |
| yourself in order to make spiritual progress. | | | | its time to get busy with your spiritual |
| There are also many ways to assess your | | | | practice. Here is a more detailed analysis |
| spiritual level proactively and in this | | | | of the test results. |
| article I will provide one such illuminating | | | | |
| test. | | | | A negative reaction or disturbance can |
| | | | indicate the following with regard to your |
| Human beings are complex and so is life. I | | | | spiritual state. |
| am glad it is so. The test I propose in this | | | | |
| document is to evaluate some aspects of your | | | | 1. Too Much Ambition: You are probably |
| being and is by no means a comprehensive | | | | focused too much on getting results and are |
| examination. Perhaps I will come up with a | | | | overly ambitious. These attachments to the |
| more complete system down the road, but for | | | | results can cause jealousy and ill-will |
| now let's try this one test to get us | | | | towards those who have already achieved what |
| started. | | | | you so badly seek. Another way to look at |
| | | | this is you may not be doing what your really |
| This test will help you determine if you have | | | | love to do in life? This is the only way to |
| the right perspective, the right spiritual | | | | be free of the clutches of society and gain |
| attitude towards life, or if you have been | | | | oriented living. Doing what you love to do, |
| snared by society and entrapped by the ugly | | | | will free you from everything. If this test |
| web of attachment. | | | | produced negative waves, it could mean that |
| | | | you are only doing things to see what you |
| From my experience this one test, although | | | | will get out of them, instead of doing things |
| simple, is quite revealing. It is incisive | | | | for their own sake. |
| and cuts deep into your psyche to reveal the | | | | |
| conditions under which you are currently | | | | 2. Non-Dual Perception of Reality: The test |
| operating. Using it, I can not only keep a | | | | could also indicate that you are living |
| sharp eye on if I am slipping into the jaws | | | | excessively in an ego-centric way. You are |
| of ambition, but can also determine the state | | | | seeing the world as full of separate people |
| others are in, with regard to their | | | | and focusing on the various personalities, |
| "spiritual evolution". | | | | instead of seeing the world in a non-dual |
| | | | light with all of creation being One and |
| By no means am I suggesting that you start to | | | | having nothing but divine nature. As Yogi |
| use this test (or others I might propose) to | | | | Bhajan points out, "If you don't see God in |
| start judging the world or yourself harshly. | | | | all, you don't see God at all." Are you |
| The test is simply to be used as an | | | | seeing the Divine Nature of he who is getting |
| indicator, to give you insight and help you | | | | under your skin? Are you seeing the Oneness |
| with your spiritual work. So here is how the | | | | of Reality? |
| test works. | | | | |
| | | | 3. Chasing the Wrong Things in Life: If you |
| Test To Determine Your Spiritual Growth & | | | | have never thought about it, let me point out |
| Mental State | | | | an interesting fact about enlightenment. In |
| | | | society there is so much competition because |
| Step 1: Take a few moments and determine | | | | resources/rewards are limited. There are |
| what you are very passionate about. This can | | | | only so many top 10 Blogs, there is only 1 |
| be your career, but, does not necessarily | | | | winner in the tournaments, there are only |
| have to be so. It should be something, | | | | limited political seats, there is only 1 CEO, |
| though, that you are actively engaged in | | | | only so much oil, land, etc etc. This breeds |
| doing and something that you feel deeply | | | | competition and conflict. But Enlightenment |
| about. Here are some examples: Yoga | | | | is not limited. Just because I am |
| Teacher, Professional Blogger, Health Care | | | | enlightened, does not mean you can't be also. |
| Professional, Technology Professional, | | | | We can all be enlightened (and are), so this |
| Businessman, Politician, etc. | | | | is one of those things you can chase without |
| | | | worrying about having to wrestle it away from |
| Step 2: In this field that you care very | | | | anyone else. There is no need to compete, it |
| deeply about, think about someone who is | | | | is an infinite, inexhaustible resource. |
| enormously successful. Successful in all | | | | |
| ways if possible. Someone who has made a | | | | So this test implies that you are not |
| huge amount of money in that field, become | | | | exclusively chasing enlightenment. You are |
| famous and is powerful. Now one more | | | | getting distracted and running around all |
| criteria is important about this person. If | | | | over the place chasing useless stupid things. |
| possible, have it be someone who you don't | | | | Time to buckle down and get back to the |
| like, or don't agree with. The more you | | | | business of going after that which is the |
| dislike their ways and methods the better, | | | | highest purpose of man. Time to fulfill your |
| but the test will also work pretty well even | | | | destiny. |
| if you don't dislike the person or their | | | | |
| systems. | | | | Take this test from time to time, or be aware |
| | | | when life brings it your way. It is an |
| Step 3: Watch your reaction to when you hear | | | | insightful instrument to gauge your goodness |
| complimentary information about this person, | | | | and spiritual understanding. |