Spiritual Growth

[SalixIncendium]

"Spiritual growth" is one of those phrases that is thrown around quite a bit here. When used, it's commonly followed up with a "define spiritual growth."

In my understanding, spiritual growth is a measure in which one assesses their progress to their endgame by whatever tools their religion or worldview has offered, in my case moksha being the endgame.

In your understanding, what is "spiritual growth?"

 

[Fool]

"Spiritual growth" is one of those phrases that is thrown around quite a bit here. When used, it's commonly followed up with a "define spiritual growth."

In my understanding, spiritual growth is a measure in which one assesses their progress to their endgame by whatever tools their religion or worldview has offered, in my case moksha being the endgame.

In your understanding, what is "spiritual growth?"

psychological growth

 

[mikkel_the_dane]

psychological growth

+1

 

[Vinayaka]

"Spiritual growth" is one of those phrases that is thrown around quite a bit here. When used, it's commonly followed up with a "define spiritual growth."

In my understanding, spiritual growth is a measure in which one assesses their progress to their endgame by whatever tools their religion or worldview has offered, in my case moksha being the endgame.

In your understanding, what is "spiritual growth?"

Part of 'spiritual growth' in my view would be to not focus on spiritual growth. Focusing on it has the opposite effect than what it is intended. Sp personally, I try not to think about it. But I have read about it, and generally it would be demonstrated by a few factors ...
- not talking about oneself, loss of ego
- sense of contentment
- less talk, (excluding chit-chat)
- increase of kindness, compassion
- ability to listen
- insightful abilities
- non-reaction, less emotion

 

[Hellbound Serpiente]

Spiritual growth can be described as growth of spirit through consistent spiritual exercises that leads to the advancement and progress of the spirit, until the spirit is tuned to desirable levels and when an individual reaches their desired spiritual destination.

It's equivalent to physical growth. Except in physical growth, you are advancing the growth of something you possess, your body and your physique. In spiritual growth, you are growing what you really are underneath the very core of that body of yours. You are a spirit that is possessing, holding and inhibiting a mass [called body].

 

[Secret Chief]

Closet theosophist?

 

[Hellbound Serpiente]

I'd like to hypothesize one more thing. I consider "spirit" to be energy, and I personally feel that God might be the source energy of all, and this source pervades all other energies and also extends beyond it, and all energies are born from this source energy. Now, spirit is an energy that is born from THIS source energy [God] and both initially shared the same frequency. So, an individual was inherently an energy born from the source energy [God] and shared the same frequency.

But, when this spirit took form of a "human", an individual and his spirit was imprisoned, cemented inside of matter, material body called "human body". This materialistic prison of human beings gave birth to human nature. Human nature is a part of a specific individual's overall nature [with spiritual nature being the real, true nature dormant in human form]. Human nature is egoistic, selfish, uncaring, brutal, dark, just like the mother nature from which it is created. And due to this egoistic nature and dark side of human, our minds and spirits are corrupted by egos interference from it's initial pure form, and the initial frequency of our spirits has been tweaked, becoming misaligned with the frequency of our true energy selves [our spirits]. And this mismatch has led to discordance and separation from the source energy, which is God.

Spiritual growth is just exercises we do to achieve the initial resonation between the source energy [God] and our TRUE energy selves [spirit]. When this resonation is achieve, peace is achieved. This resonation will lead to reunification with the source energy, God, and that'll be heaven/moksha/whatever. Religions/spirituality/etc. just provides us with exercises and structure to put this spiritual exercises in practice to achieve this resonation with God.

Just my two cents.

 

[WalterTrull]

I guess I'll chime in.
Since I believe we are spiritual (not physical) and that we are "one", I think "spiritual growth" a subtle misnomer. We gradually become more aware of our "oneness" ("...thy kingdom come...") and we call the sensation love.
(In my opinion of course, tee hee)

 

[ValdresRose]

It is every moment of my day, excluding sleep. If I am aware my path will be productive. If I am not aware and realize why I'm distracted I can learn from that distraction. Straw into gold.

If I measure spiritual growth day by day it is like dieting, basically no change. But if I look back to where I was 5 years ago I'm thankful for the path I have taken.

 

[Quintessence]

When I read the phrase, I just delete the word "spiritual." It's just growth - putting "spiritual" in front of it doesn't mean anything to me since the word "spiritual" doesn't mean anything to me. You won't see me using the phrase except perhaps when referencing other humans using the phrase.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

When I read the phrase, I just delete the word "spiritual." It's just growth - putting "spiritual" in front of it doesn't mean anything to me since the word "spiritual" doesn't mean anything to me. You won't see me using the phrase except perhaps when referencing other humans using the phrase.

How do you define growth in your practices and path? (Context?)

 

[Unveiled Artist]

"Spiritual growth" is one of those phrases that is thrown around quite a bit here. When used, it's commonly followed up with a "define spiritual growth."

In my understanding, spiritual growth is a measure in which one assesses their progress to their endgame by whatever tools their religion or worldview has offered, in my case moksha being the endgame.

In your understanding, what is "spiritual growth?"

I'm honestly not sure. Every time I try to figure it out I just bring myself back into a circle. I love skating and running. When I roller skate, we just roll in circles to the music. When running, we tend to have a destination (can't go on forever like Forest Gump, right?) and can never get that scene the same way in our return. In both cases, every move and scene are different. Kind of like when they say you can't step in the same part of the river twice.

So, I figure spiritual growth is to work on my turns and moves in the skating rink of life. Find safe scenery and well-meaning paths even though I can't change my choices along the way. Be happy in developing and living experiences. I can't really decide which one journey (skating) or destination (running). Both depends on the day and what I want to achieve for myself.

With the spirit-ual part or the religious part, I really don't have that. I understand one's belief in whatever the source that brings life to its fullness in one's practice, belief, or tradition. Not sure it's something I'd find in myself sense I see no foundation. Everything is moving. Mind as well spin or wear headphones.

 

[Brickjectivity]

"Spiritual growth" is one of those phrases that is thrown around quite a bit here. When used, it's commonly followed up with a "define spiritual growth."

In my understanding, spiritual growth is a measure in which one assesses their progress to their endgame by whatever tools their religion or worldview has offered, in my case moksha being the endgame.

In your understanding, what is "spiritual growth?"

Your question has brought suddenly some things together for me. I have THE answer. I'm like a missionary or something. Its burning in my bones. Want to know the truth of what spiritual growth is 100% ? Do you? Do you?

Its listening to other people.

 

[PureX]

I think "spiritual growth" is mostly about authenticity. It's about becoming more and more who and what we were created to be: a wonderful, amazing, unique human being.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I do not have what I would call "spiritual" feelings or practices. Rather, my philosophical search is for authenticity. I would describe that as the extent to which my own thoughts and actions are congruent with what I take to be my beliefs about this world and my place in it, and what I hope to get from it as well as to give back to it -- and all in spite of external pressures to conform.

Thus, it is my task, I think, to be sure that the conscious, living me comes to terms with the condition of having been born into what is essentially an absurd world -- one that does not have extrinsic values or meaning. Thus, any values and I meaning that I ascribe to the world are of my own making (as opposed to those who suppose there values and meaning are provided for them by a deity). Thus, throughout life I encounter forces and influences that may not be in accord with the values and meaning that I have supposed for myself, especially in human relations. For this reason, I must constantly be aware when there is tension between my presumed values, and my thoughts and behaviours -- and to adjust either my presumed values or my thoughts and behaviours so that they are once again in accord.

When I am dealing with other people (which is what most of life is about, after all), if I lack authenticity, then I am dealing in bad faith -- both with others and myself -- and this is what I must always seek to bring back into alignment.

In other words, it really is important to know myself, and live my life according to that knowledge.

 

[Hermit Philosopher]

"Spiritual growth" is one of those phrases that is thrown around quite a bit here. When used, it's commonly followed up with a "define spiritual growth."

In my understanding, spiritual growth is a measure in which one assesses their progress to their endgame by whatever tools their religion or worldview has offered, in my case moksha being the endgame.

In your understanding, what is "spiritual growth?"

Dear SalixIncendium

I know that ”growth” usually entails some sort of advancement towards something, but I immediately noticed how the progress-bit in your OP, for some reason, sat rather unwell with me.

I normally don’t see a problem in speaking of “spiritual growth”, but now I’m thinking: perhaps I should only call it “spiritual learning”...?

If we think about it, our spiritual ...eh, “learnings”... never end. And they do not necessarily come in a particular order. We don’t need to master one, before we can acquire another, so to say. Sometimes, we’ll understand a new one, only to discover that we forgot another one we previously thought we had for keeps.

Then, there are those phases of doubt, in which we question the lessons we’ve learnt and the practices we’ve lived by. The valuable moments by which we ensure that we still believe what we think we do.

Some people may have goals in mind with their spiritual learnings, I suppose, but many simply do their very best in the here and now to live truthfully by them. It’s a goal too, though one for the constant today - not for some distant future.

Sometimes we do it well; live true to our spiritual learnings. We know when, because when we do, it inspires and harmonises those in our surroundings. Often however, we fail. But that’s okay; we just keep at it. Not because we wish to spiritually advance ourselves, but because the here and now is more pleasant and rewarding to all when we do.

Humbly
Hermit

 

[The Hammer]

psychological growth

+2

 

[Sunstone]

In your understanding, what is "spiritual growth?"

When I have spiritual growth problems, I fall back on Roundup. Roundup kills even the toughest spiritual growths. In my opinion, it's the best herbicide for the job.

 

[The Hammer]

In your understanding, what is "spiritual growth?"

Spiritual growth takes multiple forms: It's a personal tool/metric for measuring the psychological growth an individual can experience through religious/spiritual practice. As well as learning to understand the subtler meanings of symbology on their path, which leads to deeper understandings of life and their place in it.

 

[Marcion]

The way I see it spiritual growth is like it is part of a black box. You undergo pleasurable and painful experiences and learn how to avoid acting from within the ego which lessens the burden of reactions (experiences) that remain waiting to get expressed from within your black box.
At the same time you learn how to see everything as connected to the One who is the Supreme observer, the Supreme Subjectivity in which you exist and you develop love for Him and his many expressions. This also makes it easier to act without "doing".
And you learn how not to avoid obstacles but to meet them head on in order to speed up the rate of reactions coming out of the load in your black box. Obstacles increase automatically when you try to do more good out of love.