The first is spiritual vision. Spiritual vision is that super-sensory perception wherein the transcendental truths are revealed. Infinity and eternity are innate qualities of our life. Immortality is the very substance of our soul. Universality is the essence of our spiritual being. The reality of our true self is beyond all finite categories. God is the absolute spirit. He is all pervading yet illimitable, revealed only in pure consciousness though known through the cognitive power of intelligence and discrimination. We are impelled by our spiritual nature to attain the knowledge of God and our true self. Our whole being demands it.
We are from spirit. Therefore, we reach out for the perfection of God. We intuitively know our ultimate spiritual destiny. We are convincingly aware within our consciousness that the perfection of God is the divine destiny of our soul, of all souls. We feel that God is the source, the substance and the sustenance of all. Desire to know God, soul and truths which are infinite, eternal and absolute, is the strongest of all urges within our innermost self. Nothing can obliterate this inner longing of the human spirit. Impelled by an irresistible force that is already within us, our mind, heart and soul ascend in continuous aspiration, transcending all concepts of time, space and duality, to gain the vision of the reality, perfection and glory of God.
The second is spiritual aspiration. Spiritual aspiration is soul’s yearning for God and his perfection. It is the desire of the soul to unfold and manifest its divine qualities until they are perfected to the state of the attributes of God, wherein soul realizes its identity with the supreme Spirit. Spiritual ambition is the elevating force of the human spirit. In the innermost depth of our heart we all long to make our life beautiful, complete and joyous.
Every one of us yearns for the grace of virtue and righteousness. Because it carries within itself all the attributes of God, our soul is unceasing in the endeavour to bring into full manifestation its divine potentialities. We not only desire the unfolding of our godly qualities but we also long to share their beneficence with our loved ones. We spiritually enrich ourselves as well as others by sharing our divine treasures of virtue and righteousness with all souls.
The third is intuition. Intuition is soul's power of direct apprehension of truth. We possess the faculties of the senses and mind wherewith to gain knowledge. We are also endowed with a spiritual power which gives us the ability to know the truth immediately and directly without the aid of the senses and the mind.
The power is intuition. We all possess the power of intuition because none of us is denied the reality of soul. All knowledge is gained within consciousness. Knowledge is revelation within consciousness. The purer the consciousness the more developed is the intuition. Truth is the ever-existing reality. It reveals itself within us when we have made our consciousness pure in its self-effulgence.
The fourth is contemplation. Contemplation is the total application of mind and consciousness to attain complete knowledge of truth and reality. It is the definite focusing of thought upon the subject of revelation. Meditation is profound contemplation upon God, soul and all other spiritual truths and realities. Meditation lifts our vision and consciousness into the realm of effulgent infinity wherein we become immersed in all-absorbing blissfulness.
The fifth is constancy. Constancy is the tenacity of the soul. It is the resolution of a devotional heart and the steadfastness of an unwavering mind. It is the courage of the inner self to pursue the course of a noble ideal amidst all obstacles. It is the firmness of the spirit that seeks the highest good.
The sixth is constructive attitude. A constructive attitude is the positive power of mind and heart. It has its origin in the soul. When the mind and heart are inspired and guided by the divine qualities of the soul that constructive attitude is attained. Spiritual idealism is the foundation of the constructive attitude. The closer we identify our life, thought, desire and feeling with spiritual qualities the more abiding becomes our constructive attitude. It not only keeps our own consciousness established on all that is beautiful and sublime within ourselves, but also guides our perceptive vision to cognize that which is good and elevating in all experiences of life.
A constructive attitude is indicative of inner spiritual unfoldment. Spirituality invariably awakens the consciousness of a positive approach within us. The constructive attitude, therefore, is an integral part of the inner thinking of a man of spiritual illumination.
The seventh is universality. Universality is the divine glory of our soul. It is as natural to our soul as freedom is to space. Our soul is universal, infinite and all-encompassing. It is limitless in all its divine qualities. The righteousness of our soul cannot be confined within the limitations of time, space and form.
The godly virtues of our soul grant us the realization that all are parts of our greater self and that we are one with all. God has endowed our soul with the attributes of universality in order that we may realize that in spirit we are one with all objects and beings of his infinite creation as well as with him.
The eighth is self-transcendence. Man is a transcendental soul. We are transcendental spirit. Nothing of this sensory world can confine our soul. Birth and death, pleasure and pain, and all other conditions of this plane of evanescent existence are merely the passing shadows of the divine reality of our soul.
There are other planes of existence and different worlds of manifestation in God's cosmic creation. Our soul journeys through them all, but none of these can hold our soul within its limitations. God has made our soul of the substance of his transcendent divinity that we may dwell in our spiritual glory forever.
The ninth is self-realization. Self-realization is the realization of our true self. It is the revelation of our godly self within our pure consciousness. It is the direct knowledge of what we are in our spiritual self. The realization of the self alone gives us the right understanding of every aspect of our life and its expressions. The knowledge of our true self accords us with the spiritual direction to our life, thought, will and emotion. Desire for self-realization is the supreme motive force of our life. Let a man know his real self and he shall conduct his life in conformity with ethical principles and spiritual idealism.
The light of the self is the true light in man. Self-realization is the highest goal of our life. We are irresistibly progressing towards that ultimate objective of our existence. In truth, through science, art, philosophy and religion we are drawing ever nearer to the realization of the full perfection and glory of God, our supreme Self. In the realization of our divine self we reach that state of self-perfection wherein we realize our identity with God and attain the realization that we are the absolute self.
From: Meditation and Self-Unfoldment: The Divine Way of the Soul, 1979
Swami Premananda