Excerpt : The Art of Spiritual Development

by Darren Rose

We are, ultimately, all here on the Earth Plane to love, learn, evolve and ascend; to become our own Gurus, our own Guides. Any Spiritual Teacher, whoever they may be, is only a facilitator of the process of your Realisation, a process that is unique to you alone. However, it is always good to have a gentle and loving reminder of the Way, in our difficult private moments. We all go through such times, the great and the humble - the so-called 'human condition' - and the following brief pieces of advice are little gemstones gathered from the shores of experience. There are, of course, countless others. May they give you a little joy in their Reflecting, and always help you to find your Light again.

• RESPECT YOUR LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT - We all have a Divine Purpose, the great and the small. Finding it and living it is about being true to ourselves and following our Joy. Wherever you are on your Path, respect it. You are perfect in the eyes of the Divine, and you are always good enough. Do not compare yourself (favourably or otherwise) to others – it is better instead to focus again on yourself; on valuing your gifts and attributes. Commit yourself to using and developing them, then to sharing them when and wherever you can.
• EMBRACE YOUR EMOTIONS - Being on a Spiritual Path doesn’t mean you have to act like a Saint or Bodhisattva; such places of Peace are earned after transmuting all the lower aspects of the self, over time… until this has occurred, many would-be ‘saints’ are simply in a messiah-martyr complex, which is not very spiritual at all. In fact, being Spiritual requires even more emotional and moral honesty than ever, plus it will bring up deep issues needing to be healed. Embrace the good and the bad emotions within you compassionately, as a part of you; only then will you be able to accept yourself and your experiences fully, and subsequently let go of your pain and anger to the Violet Flame and the Angels, knowing that it will not return. Then your Peace is true.
• ALLOW YOURSELF SPACE AND TIME - As well as being patient with your progress, allow yourself space and time. Experiences need to be processed, wisdom needs to be distilled from knowledge, information needs to be digested, and any form of healing always takes time. Development is a gradual and organic process that works its way through the entire system. Try to dedicate at least ten minutes a day to simply sitting down and allowing yourself to be.
• ENJOY THE JOURNEY - Every moment is precious; an opportunity to think, reflect, create, find peace, be inspired, send out waves of Love, anything. Along your way, take in all the beautiful colours and textures that Life gives us, wherever you are. Be stimulated by the energy of the city, healed by the green of the countryside, invigorated by the power of the sea, inspired by the radiant firmament. Take it all in and embrace everything around you. The Divine is in everything. And the Divine is in you.
• BE COMPASSIONATE - Everybody suffers and everybody wants to be happy. If we can remember this, it is easier to be compassionate towards the suffering of others. Compassion comes when we realise that we are all on the same journey, and very little needs to change in a person’s life to produce grave difficulties and upset. Even if we cannot condone a person’s behaviour or actions, it is important to remain compassionate about their Souls and the causes of their misbalance and suffering. We have all erred, and we have all needed understanding and correction. We have all been hurt, and have then needed to be healed.
• BE HONEST - Be honest, first with yourself and the Universe, then with others. When you are honest and clear about your thoughts and feelings, and avoid projecting them through blame and transference on to others, or deceiving yourself, you can find a balanced and loving approach to almost anything. The Heart is invincible when full of Love, and needs no lie to defend it!
• BE LOVING - Be loving and show affection, gentleness and attentiveness where you can. Give heartily and freely to others, knowing that what you give returns to you threefold and more, for in an interconnected World what happens to you also happens to others. Don’t be afraid to connect with others eye to eye and give a little of your time and energy to spread good feeling and give comfort. This keeps the cycles of Abundance turning and returning.
• BE WHOLESOME - Try to do what is right for your body, mind, Heart and Soul. Nourish and maintain all aspects of your being, as one aspect affects all others through sympathy; having a healthy mind encourages a healthy Soul, and having a healthy body encourages a healthy Aura, and so on. See yourself as a unified whole, a perfectly balanced and energy-efficient Natural mechanism. In this way development is achieved most quickly.