Clarification of Doubts

In Spirituality, no matter how much theoretical information one has access to, one's spiritual practice will not be smooth unless needling doubts are clarified. If you should have any questions related to spirituality, please email us at Weekly.

Spiritual Practice on Earth

Question: Is Earth the only place where spiritual progress can be achieved?

– A Seeker.

Dear Seeker,

On a scale of 1 to 100% spiritual level, the average human is at a 20% spiritual level, and one who has attained Final Liberation is at 100%. Until one attains an 80% spiritual level, one needs a physical body in order to be able to do spiritual practice. Hence, one needs to be on Earth or an earth-like place. However, after 80% level, one can continue one's spiritual practice with only the subtle body; one need not be on Earth or an earth-like place with a gross body. The earth (bhulok), nether world (bhuvalok), heaven (svargalok), mahalok, janalok, tapalok, and satyalok constitute the seven regions (planes of existence) in ascending order. Upon physical death when one (that is, one's subtle body) leaves the plane of earth, one transcends to one of the remaining six regions, depending on one's spiritual level. The higher one's spiritual level, the lighter the subtle body, hence, the higher it travels. Once a seeker reaches a spiritual level of 80%, he is beyond the cycle of birth and death. On his physical death, he ascends to the region of maha, jana, tapa, or satya, depending on his specific spiritual level. A seeker at this spiritual level has a choice to be born again on the physical plane or to remain in the higher subtle plane and continue his spiritual practice until Final Liberation. All others (that is, those below the spiritual level of 80%), upon leaving the earth plane, transcend either to the plane of the nether world (bhuvalok) or heaven (svargalok). They are bound by the laws of karma, and so have to be born once again with a gross body.

*If one is not currently doing any spiritual practice, or to complement one's current spiritual practice, one can begin with the simple, but powerful spiritual practice of chanting or constantly remembering God's Name according to one's religion. Chanting also acts as a useful complement to any spiritual path one may be already following. It is a practice recommended for the current times by Holy texts and Saints of all religions.

Seekers in the initial stages of spiritual practice (less than one year) can repeat The Name of the Lord as per their religion (refer to Issue 3 Clarification of Doubts section for details).
Seekers who have been doing regular spiritual practice for over a year or so can determine the appropriate chant for them from the experiment given in Issue 124, Message to Seekers section.