nirvikalpa:

Intention is the starting point of any spiritual path. Intention includes will and purpose, aspiration and highest vision. If you set your intention toward material existence, that will grow instead. Once you plant the seed of an intention, your soul’s journey will unfold automatically. Here are several basic intentions that mark a spiritual life:

I want to feel God’s presence. This intention is rooted in the discomfort of being isolated and separate. You can mask it by developing friendships and family ties. Ultimately, however, each of us needs to feel a sense of inner fullness and peace.

I want God to aid and support me. God’s presence brings with it the qualities of spirit. At the source, every quality – love, intelligence, truth, organizing ability, creativity – becomes infinite. The growth of these things in your life is a sign that you are getting closer to your soul.

I want to feel connected to the whole. The soul’s journey takes a person from a fragmented state to one of wholeness. Events start to weave into a pattern. Small details fit together instead of being scattered and random.

I want my life to have a meaning. Existence feels empty in separation. This gets healed only by moving into unity with God. Instead of turning outward to find your purpose, you feel that just being here, as you are, is the highest purpose in creation.

I want to be free of restrictions. Inner freedom is greatly compromised when fear exists, and fear is a natural outcome of separation. As you come closer to your soul, the old boundaries and defenses start to melt away.

If these basic intentions are present inside you, God takes the responsibility for carrying them out. Everything else that you do is secondary. However, you can still exert a great deal of influence through your everyday conduct. Here are the ground rules for spiritual life that have proved effective for me personally and that I feel will work for many people.

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