Experiencing Spiritual Progress In Groups (Part 1)

Anyone who is inclined towards making spiritual progress often feels the need to be part of like-minded spiritual groups. Such groups, gatherings or communities offer a set of lifestyle habits or guidelines for living. Their members participate in spiritual efforts like meditation, prayers or service and gradually transform together. On the other hand, certain spiritually motivated individuals may not be interested in being a part of groups or communities. They believe in progressing spiritually in isolation or alone, taking guidance only from books, online resources, television or videos and not being part of a group. There are a few aspects a person may wish to evaluate before deciding one way or the other. 

When we work on the spiritual path in isolation or alone, our personality is not activated completely. We practice on our own terms and according to our own timelines. We do not get a chance to fully express our powers to cooperate, tolerate, adapt and accommodate. Also, our spiritual routine may suffer when something else becomes a priority and takes our focus away from spiritual growth. When we are part of a community, several shades of our personality get triggered during interactions. At that time the members of our spiritual community can take note and give us feedback. Their pure intentions and the vibrations of the gathering motivates us to constantly improve. It is comparable to the nurturing we receive from family and friends since childhood – from time to time they encouraged and brought out the best in us. 

A prime objective of spiritual development is to finish our negative habits and become soul conscious. This means our strengths and weaknesses need to be checked periodically. This is possible more when we are part of a community or spiritual family, where we get an insight into our behaviour so that we become more aware and accurate in our spiritual routine. In tomorrow’s message, we will explore specific aspects within a spiritual group that help in our spiritual progress and self-transformation.