Are spiritual knowledge and practices essential to self-improvement? On the face of it, it would not seem so. One can develop good habits, learn new skills, and become more productive at work without any spiritual input. But is self-improvement just about knowing more, and being healthy and efficient? These attributes may help improve the quality of our life and enhance our self-esteem. However, they are linked to the external aspects of life – getting things done or having the ability to do so.
There is a difference between doing things better and being better. Having greater knowledge, skills, and competence does not necessarily make us a better person. Modern society puts a lot of emphasis on a person’s productivity, which is why good workers are in demand. But being a good worker and becoming a good human being are two different things.
True self-improvement is about developing the value of the self – the soul. When our very identity is spiritual, how can spirituality not be a part of our efforts to live a more fulfilling life? The soul is the sentient being that functions through the body – thinking, speaking, doing, and experiencing. It is the seat of consciousness, the repository of memories. Repeated thought patterns and actions create tendencies, which then impel us to behave in a certain way. So, true and lasting self-improvement begins with the soul. This is where spirituality comes in.
The soul can be improved only through spiritual practices, most importantly meditation. If the soul suffers from any weakness – anger, greed, selfishness to name a few – they will influence its thoughts, speech and actions, resulting in mistakes, conflict, and sorrow. The answer is purification of the soul, to cleanse it of all that taints its original goodness.
Before starting the remedy, the malady needs to be identified. The diagnostic process is easy. We can watch the kind of thoughts that arise in the mind when we sit quietly for a while. Can I be at peace even for just five minutes, or do I start worrying about the future or dwell on past events? What do I think when I see other people? Do I make critical comments in my mind, judging and labelling them according to how I perceive them? How patient, tolerant, and understanding can I be? Do I adjust easily to others, or does everyone else have to adjust to my preferences? All of these can reveal my defects and tell me what I need to change in myself.
There is an abundance of books and other resources offering advice on becoming a better person. A lot of people follow the advice, and the determined ones achieve the desired result. But not everyone is up to the task. Despite their good intentions they are unable to overcome their damaging habits and turn over a new leaf. The soul needs power to surmount the obstacle. The biggest source of that power is the Supreme Soul.
God, the benevolent, loving Father, is the Almighty and the purifier. When the soul remembers Him, through this mental connection the Father’s love and power flow to the child, cleansing and empowering the soul. The experience of God’s unconditional love gradually washes away past sorrows and the soul begins to believe in, and then live, a better life. Divine love is transformative: it brings souls peace and contentment. God teaches His children by example what benevolence can do, inspiring them to similarly help others by connecting them to the Father. The result is much more than self-improvement. It is metamorphosis, whereby an ordinary person can become an angel – a friend and guide to thousands, spreading the light of hope and God’s love to them.
B.K. Geeta is a Rajyoga teacher at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Abu Road, Rajasthan.
‘The soul can be improved only through spiritual practices, most importantly meditation. The soul needs power to surmount the obstacle. If the soul suffers from any weakness – anger, greed, selfishness to name a few – they will influence its thoughts, speech and actions, resulting in mistakes, conflict, and sorrow. The answer is purification of the soul, to cleanse it of all that taints its original goodness.’