How to Gauge Spiritual Advancement
The Spiritual Ascent: The Right Line
Kabbalist are teaching us that spiritual progress is advance-ment using “three lines”, and optimally one would need to stay on the so called “middle line”.
Let us analyze the work that takes place in the middle line. We must begin our spiritual ascent by being in accordance with the right line, which represents a sense of perfection in the spiritual, happiness with our lot, and our desire to carry out the Will of the Creator selflessly and sincerely.
We must ask, “How much pleasure do we derive from our spiritual quest?” We consider any amount sufficient, because we are convinced that the Creator controls everything in the world, and whatever we feel during our spiritual quest, it must be so desired by the Creator.
Whatever our condition may be, it must ensue from the Creator. Thus, the mere realization of Divine Rule and spiritual perfection is sufficient to make us happy, to give us a sense of our own perfection, and to induce us to thank the Creator.
The Discovery of Evil: The Left Line
But this state lacks the left line, in which we check our own condition (Heshbon Nefesh). This inner task is opposite to the work done in the right line, where the main focus is on glorifying the spiritual and the Creator, irrespective of oneself or of one’s own condition.
When we begin checking how serious our attitude is toward the spiritual, and how close we are to perfection, it becomes obvious that we are still immersed in petty egoism and cannot lift a finger for the sake of others or the Creator.
Having discovered the evil in ourselves, we must strive to oust that evil, and must apply our utmost efforts to this task.
We must also pray to the Creator for help as soon as it is clear that we are unable to transform ourselves without assistance. Thus, there become two opposite lines in a person. Alongside the right line, we feel that all is in the power of the Creator and, therefore, all is perfect. So we do not wish for anything and are, therefore, happy.
The Synthesis of Right and Left: The Middle Line
By the left line, we feel no interest in the spiritual; we have no sense of spiritual progress, and we sense that we are still encased in the shell of our ego, just as before. Furthermore, we do not ask the Creator for help to escape from this state. Having discovered the evil within, we decide to dispense with our common sense because it tries to dissuade us from our efforts to pursue the hopeless task of correcting our egoism.
At the same time, we should continue to thank the Creator for our present state, sincerely believing that this state is truly the perfect state. We should also continue to be just as happy as we were prior to checking our state.
If we can manage to follow this, we will advance along the middle line. Thus, it is crucial to avoid becoming too critical of ourselves by excessively following the left line.
It is also important to remain in the content state of the middle line. Only then will we be able to enter the spiritual realm with “both feet,” so to speak.
It is through the middle line that we achieve equivalence of form with the Creator, starting to attain His actions, achieving gradual adhesion with Him.
“How to Gauge Spiritual Advancement” is based on the book, Attaining the Worlds Beyond by Dr. Michael Laitman.
