Throughout the world, there are many organizations, religions, and cults teaching spirituality and all kinds of metaphysical systems. Some believers seek the Mother or Father in the religious leader, some perceive the spiritual mentor as a therapist. Others lack something in their lives, so they try to solve the problem through spiritual enlightenment. Unfortunately, there are a lot of scammers and “spiritual” organizations who abuse the credulity of people.
Who is a religious leader?
How can a person who seeks a spiritual mentor distinguish a real teacher (or organization)? After all, many people claim that they are spiritual teachers, but not all actually have the necessary qualification.
A religious leader is a person who assists parishioners in development, spiritual enlightenment, solving problems and achieving life goals, helps to find answers to many questions, especially spiritual ones. The healer or psychologist, as a rule, helps to solve individual problems and does not affect the person’s fate as deeply as a religious leader.
How to find a religious leader? Who has the right to give spiritual advice?
A good religious leader is someone who differentiates between Good and Evil, always follows the path of Light, does not pursue material values, is not selfish, fully “enlightened” and understands the true nature of reality. This is a person who has achievements in spiritual development and helping people. He can lead others to different levels of consciousness, because he has spent years on his own spiritual work and has greater awareness.
Let’s consider the qualities of a religious leader in more detail.
1. Purity
Impeccable, irradiating unquestionable honesty, irreproachable, having such a character that no one can declare his imperfection, a leader should be an example for others, free from vices, scandals, and accusations. To do this, he must behave so well that any accusation becomes an absurdity.
2. Abstinence
This character trait means a high level of self-discipline. The leader must be able to control himself in all respects: appetite, affection, etc. A moderate person has a clear perspective of life, a correct and fruitful spiritual orientation. He does not lose his physical, psychological, spiritual balance. Such a mentor is stable, not exposed to false confidence, always thinks clearly and does not lose sobriety being under pressure.
3. Chastity
A spiritual guide is sensible, does not fall into bizarre thinking or emotional irritation, makes the right judgments. So many religious quirks and unsustainable ways are offered by charlatans today. But it is not easy to knock out of the path of God the mentors with a faithful, sensible and steady thinking in all aspects of life. A good leader is prone to caution, practical wisdom, concern for the consequences of actions, a wise prediction of the future through an understanding of the present.
4. Education
A spiritual leader is a qualified teacher. Mentoring activities should be preceded by appropriate education. A person cannot transmit knowledge unless he has learned it himself.
An educated leader does not look for arguments and does not inflate them. He is sensitive to people, even to those who are confused, stubborn and fierce. If he is subjected to a verbal or physical attack, he does not respond the same. This is a lifestyle of self-control.
5. Not cocky
The leader should not deepen into his own interests, self-satisfaction, stubbornness or arrogance. He must obey the authorities, strive to please God and others.
A self-willed person stands on his own path and seems to never give up his desires to serve others. But, even if he does it, he does it reluctantly. Such an individual builds a world around himself.
“Self-willed” and “having a strong will” are two different concepts. A spiritually mature person will not dominate over others, even if he has a possibility.
6. Not angry
The leader should not be irritable, dissatisfied with everything. It is a person who does not have a “short wick” and does not evade the resolution of problems.
Some feelings of anger are inevitable in this fallen world. But if we leave them quickly, they will not do us any harm. Anger strikes the spirit. In the form of secret hatred, the desire to take revenge, it leads a person to a loss of perspective. Those who are “slow to anger” may find that it is much easier to cooperate with the movement of the Spirit.
A real leader is not violent, not militant, not pugnacious. A pugnacious person looks for an excuse for a quarrel, always has a strong argument for a theological fight.
7. Not resisting
A picky person dominates others. He fights, competes and argues with them. He is not flexible, unhappy unless he commands surrounding people and is not willing to serve someone. Such “guru” are usually envious and selfish, driven by pride. They are prone to contests and disputes, like discussions, conflicts, struggles and disagreements.
The opposite of this is a peaceful character that makes a person a good leader. “Live in peace with one another” is his slogan.
When searching for a spiritual leader, one must be guided by facts that indicate the presence or absence of sincerity on his part. It is important to assess the abilities of a certain teacher with the sober look and remember that he also can be mistaken. A spiritual mentor should be chosen not only with the mind, but also with the heart. Certainly, your inner feelings will help to make the right choice.
On the path to religious enlightenment, it is important not to engage in self-deception and remember that spiritual development is a painstaking work on oneself, which requires a lot of time. The science of the spirit is much more complicated than it may seem at first glance. It differs from many other sciences studied in modern universities. If it is necessary to perform an assignment on physics or math, you can always contact a custom essay writing service. But what to do when you face a difficult spiritual dilemma? In this case, you cannot do without a religious leader – a reliable mentor and adviser.