Assessing Spiritual Development:
The Capacity to be of Service

By George A. Boyd © 2003
Spiritual leaders and clergy use several criteria to assess spiritual progress. Some of these standards are perceptual, some behavioral, some cognitive, and some intuitive. These standards are listed below.
1. Relative purification of vehicles, e.g., noting the degree to which the vehicle is filled with light versus layers of karmic accretion in the unconscious zone of the mind.
2. Ability to live an idealized standard of behavior opposed to the relative amount of behavior that is driven by passion or vice.
3. Autonomous operation of karma in the unconscious mind in its four quadrants compared to the functions under the control of the will.
4. Relative position of a nucleus of identity or a seed atom of a vehicle to its apparent spiritual horizon, to a state of Mastery, to the Divine Presence, or to its origin or liberation.
5. Awakening of chakras in an inner vehicle contrasted with their dormant areas to full awakening.
6. Relative opening of the Nadamic channels by the spirit as differentiated from portion of the path that continues to be filled with karmic obstruction.
7. Relative spiritual evolution of the ensouling entity to its apparent spiritual horizon, to a state of Mastery, to the Divine Presence, to its seed of "spiritual calling" or to its origin or liberation.
We can apply these standards to discern our spiritual progress. If we have an idealized model of behavior, then we can see how well we live up to these standards. If we have an accurate map of the Great Continuum of Consciousness, then we can see how far we have progressed upon it by looking at the awakening of our individual vehicles, the awakening of the chakras within them, the progression of a nucleus of identity, our spirit or our ensouling entity torwards their origin. We can also look to see how many of our innate abilities we have brought under our control, or how far we have actualized our potential.
Combating Spiritual Pride
While aspirants and disciples can assess where they are on the path relative to the stage of their own completion, they run into trouble when they start comparing their own development with that of others. If they determine that they are more advanced than someone else, then they puff up with pride and feel arrogant and superior. If they sense that they are less advanced, then they feel jealous, resentful and envious. If they compare themselves with a highly advanced initiate, then they may feel that level of attainment is not possible for them, and they become depressed or discouraged.
Spirituality is not a competition or a race, where you have to make it to liberation before someone else. It is rather a progression of insight, mastery and increasing understanding and compassion, an inner maturation that occurs as a result of your spiritual patience. It relates to others only to the degree that you can learn from others or to the degree that you can share your insights and serve them. Ultimately, spirituality is about expanding your capacity to be of service.
A servant puts others before self. He or she seeks to assuage the physical and emotional suffering of others, to heal their infirmity, to uplift them from poverty, ignorance and oppression, to help them grow into their vocational, intellectual, personal and spiritual potentials. The servant is not concerned with "where am I on the path compared to you," but rather "what can I learn from you" and/or "how can I assist or serve you" as we encounter each other in this living moment.
While assessing spiritual development can be useful indicia to know how much further you need to go to reach the goal, once this has been determined, it should inspire you to work on yourself, to meditate, to make further progress. Once you have opened up more of your human and spiritual potential, the purpose of this new development is not to just gloat about it, to show others "see how much progress I’ve made?" But rather, it is to determine how this new knowledge, ability and understanding can be used to serve others and to refine and reform yourself, to become a nobler and more effective human being.
We hope that you will learn to assess your own spiritual development using the indicia presented here. We also hope that, as you reflect upon the transformation of spiritual pride into humility and the wish to be of service, you will realize the goal of that which you are seeking is to express Divine Love and Grace through ministry and compassion. We are reminded of the words of Jesus to his squabbling disciples, "…and the greatest among you will be the servant of all."
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