Spiritual Ladder

Spiritual Ladder

Step No.

15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Name of the Step

Description of the Step

Doctorate in spirituality

Joyful Living without any dependency on the external world. Post Graduate in spirituality The knowledge of the ultimate truth should become strong and steady. This happens when the knowledge is applied in living. Graduate in spirituality Removal of ignorance by gaining selfknowledge Spiritual +2 Student Self enquiry supported by scripture and the teacher Spiritual High School Student Consistent and systematic study of scriptures under the guidance of the a competent teacher Spiritual Elementary School Understanding that ignorance is the root Student cause of all problems and realizing that the purpose of living is to gain the true knowledge. UKG in spirituality Achieving Concentration of Mind through Meditation. (Attainment of supremacy of Intelligence over Mind and Mind over the five senses) LKG in spirituality Purification of heart by working for the sake of work and not for results Registration as a Spiritual Surrender to the teacher and following the Student guidance of the teacher until reaching the final step. One should seek a competent teacher for each step. Applicant (To get admission One who understands that material wealth as a Spiritual Student) will not solve the problems of the world Spiritual Illiterate One who works hard for gaining name/ fame/ wealth/ power and position. He may believe either in God and visit Religious person temples and/or believe in himself and concentrate on personality development. Good person One who uses the free will to act (to do good or bad) without any specific long Bad person term goal in life. Sleep walker

Any one who spend the time in Eating and Sleeping

Prepared by Raja Subramaniyan under the guidance of Swami Paramarthananda 26th March 2007

Spiritual Ladder Spiritual Ladder describes the various steps one has to climb to reach the stage of enlightenment. There are no optional steps and every one has to go through every step. However, this should be understood in the context of rebirth. It is not possible for anyone to start climbing from the first step of the ladder and reach the top in one lifetime. Nevertheless, anyone can reach the stage of enlightenment here and now because he/she could have completed all the previous steps in the innumerable previous births. It should be noted that although all the steps are compulsory for everyone, the order in which they are climbed could be different. One can master how to climb from say Step 4 to Step 5 without learning to climb Step 2 to Step 3. These steps could be compared to the different course requirements in graduation. One has to complete specific set of subjects but the order in which they are taken up is not very rigid. As and when a set of subjects are completed the next set will be taken automatically. If the person dies after completing say 5 steps, in the next birth he/she will take minimum time or no time in completing these 5 steps. This way one completes all the steps to reach the top sooner or latter. Notes on the steps of Spiritual Ladder 1. It is required to register as a student (Step No 7) before entering +2 (Step No 12). This also means that it is possible to complete schooling (steps 8 to 11) without registration (Step No 7). 2. Steps 13, 14 and 15 are to be completed in the same order. 3. The time taken to complete each step varies person to person depending on the progress made so far (Including what is completed in the previous births) 4. It is not possible to reach the final step without completing all the previous steps of the ladder. 5. If some one has not completed Steps 8 and 9 (LKG/UKG), it will take longer time to complete the Step 14 (Post graduation). 6. The time spent in each step is largely determined by the Free Will of the person. One who has a very strong will power (if guided properly) can complete the steps at a faster pace. 7. All human beings are progressing in the spiritual ladder knowingly or unknowingly. Every one IS IN THE RIGHT STEP all the time. As and when they complete the requirements of that step, the get promoted automatically. 8. However, if one is aware of the spiritual ladder, he/ she can make conscious efforts to move forward at faster pace so that the steps could be completed within this lifetime. It would then be possible to live Joyfully here and now. Prepared by Raja Subramaniyan under the guidance of Swami Paramarthananda 26th March 2007