Spiritual growth appears on many planes, many old religions teach the doctrine of ascension and the paths which lead to greater awareness and deeper immersion into the true nature of reality.  Gurus, leaders and movements all take different paths, but the goal remains the same.

Ascended

spiritual paths

To become ascended is a long path, although there have been many claims of instant enlightenment, there is clearly a state of readiness that must occur prior to becoming an ascended master.  Whether that is brought on by a greater awareness of the true nature of the reality that one is immersed in or remembered from far more ancient times, there are ways to prepare for personal spiritual growth that open the paths to enlightenment.

Some cultures draw upon past lives, reincarnation brought through travels of the cycle of karma to a single focal point wherein the sleeper suddenly awakens and is able to transcend the many illusions or maya of the world.

Other traditions such as the shamanistic and animist paths, teach that we are whole from the moment of inception and that the entire awakening is a process of battling through the symbolic forces which manifest as entities both in the externalized supernateral realm and from within.   Gaining a harmonic balance between these forces by taking steps to become one with the world around you and seeing past the veil of ordinary sight is often accompanied by consultations with plant teachers and ancestral guides.   There are cultures which feel that answers to spiritual growth are best found by becoming in tune with your deep past, your ancestors.   Whether this is externalized or internalized varies with the tradition.   One thing is certain, the codes of our ancestors are deeply engrained within our DNA, so within each of us there is a tradition that can be accessed with greater awareness.

Harmony

There are many that equate the harmony of spiritual growth with personal well being.  This is often under the presumption that the here and now represents the current terrain that the spiritual manifestation in physical form is attempting to navigate.  

It is not uncommon for many of those who believe in the materialist schools to recommend visualization of one’s self in harmony with the universe.  Techniques found in popular books such as “The Secret”,  rely on the process of self affirmation and communicating one’s will.   

The operant belief is similar to that of Karma, what you will and set forth in motion is what will return to you.   The philosophy is guided by a deeply held belief that the universe is a reflection of your deepest self in a very holographic way, and exists to bring you that which you most desire to experience.   The art of visualization is the art of creating a clear path for energy to travel along the path of least resistance.

Awareness

Other teachings, such as Zen, teach that there is only the here and now.   On the deepest level, the process of the moment is to be centered amidst all that happens around you.   Ultimately it is all that is happening, that which happens now, and life is truly lived in the moment.   To be centered is to be fully aware, of each breath, each movement that passes through your senses.  In this concept there is no thought, there is only action.   By being centered you enable yourself to act in the true fashion of your being.   

There are many who take this to believe that the past and future are only illusions, only fragments of perception.  It is undeniable that whatever is happening, is an event unfolding in the now.   To master the now, is to master all that there is.