How Spiritual Are You?

A spiritual life is one which is centered in God. It is not something unusual but it is a life we develop according to the attitudes and manner in which we choose to live our life on this earth.

We can be termed spiritual when the Divine enters our thoughts, actions, desires, emotions and aspirations. The danger, then for the unwary on the path to God is confusion about the meaning of spiritual life. It, in essence is to realize the divinity within us and to manifest it in our daily life.

Some basic requirements are necessary for effective and deep spiritual living. First, we must have the faith that the goal we seek does exist; there is the supreme truth- a reality that is the foundation of everything that exists. We have to believe that there is a cosmic intelligence, love and unity that exist behind the flux of this world.

Though it is difficult to perceive this truth during the initial stages of the spiritual journey, it is necessary to believe that the reality - God exists and can be experienced; He is the supreme object of our love and He is our everlasting friend and companion. Somehow, we must develop and strengthen this faith for spiritual goal.

For example, Jesus Christ walked in the city of Jerusalem, teaching and consoling people and thereby changing their lives. It was in Jerusalem that the final scenes of His life were enacted. Faithful Christians everywhere in the world hope to visit the Holy Land. Though they may not have seen it, they never deny its existence. They know that many people have been to Jerusalem. In the same way, as we walk the spiritual path, let us be confident that although God is not visible, He is only a short distance away. He can be experienced as many enlightened, fortunate men and women have experienced throughout the ages.

The nature of God is infinite. He manifests Himself in endless ways. He is impersonal-without a form. He can become a divine incarnation like Christ, Buddha, or Krishna. We all can have our own conception of God. In all fairness, we all should desist from being dogmatic about God's nature. The Upanishads tell us that Brahman is both virtue with attributes and also, the need of it without attributes. We can experience God in both these levels.

The question is, how do we acquire faith? The spiritual teachers say, "Through Holy association." We need to seek those who are living in direct communion with God whereby we can witness in their lives the proof of God's limitless knowledge and love. Our weak notions about God then become transformed into potential faith leading to spiritual oneness with God.