Signs and symptoms of the stages of spiritual development.
Beginning
- Questions whether "God" would condemn people to hell.
- Begins to realize that there are many paths to the divine.
- The spiritual mature person is full of curiosity and engages with the world in generous listening.
- I saw a church sign board on which was written, "You too can hear the angel's song if you tune in on the right frequency." If you would have peace, joy, and happiness, practice tuning in on the right frequency. Spending more of your life and making decisions on that frequency is a sign of spiritual maturity.
Intermediate
- Sense of humor about the absurdities and incongruities of life. (Understands and "gets" paradox.)
- Looking past the body to see the person's spirit.
- The spiritual mature person takes a "not knowing" stance towards the world and its events.
- A person with a more highly developed level of spiritual maturity has given up judgment and condemnation as inappropriate, illegitimate, and a form of idolatry. A spiritually developed person laughs as the absurdity of condemnation of one human being by another.
- Another sign of spiritual maturity is the awareness that one has a choice and God is not mocked meaning that God's love for us is constant, universal, and our natural inheritance and what is required of us is simply the choice of acknowledgement instead of denial.
- To achieve the state of the "Holy Instant" on a regular basis.
- This desire and ability to extend the joy and peace we have achieved through aligning our wills with what we believe is God's will for us is an important indicator of advanced spiritual development.
- People who have achieved an intermediate level of spiritual maturity know that they are never victims except in their own insane mistaken beliefs.
Advanced
- Knowing that love does not die. Love only changes forms.
- Knowing the difference between pleasure, happiness, joy, and bliss.
- Unconditional loving of one's brothers and sisters.
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