How can we identify a Spiritual Person?

Mundane v/s spiritual

Spiritual people are as common as all people and difficult to identify from the crowd. They are usually free of outward ostentatious adorations like particular coloured attire, beard, shaved or matted hair or adorned necklaces. There is also a misconception that they stay in forests, caves, or the Himalayas. We can find spiritual people very much amongst us, but the only problem is we fail to recognize them. Appearances are deceptive, and still, we get deceived by that and get cheated by such spiritual posers.

Identifying the spiritual

The question then is, how can we identify truly spiritual people? Identifying truly spiritual people is based on their personality traits and characteristics.

The ten traits

Let us have a look at the recognition features of such individuals.

* Self-realized

Often, we tend to identify scholars with erudite knowledge as spiritual people. A spiritual person is not one with dry or academic knowledge. With a good memory, anyone can remember all that is read from scriptures or books, pose as knowledgeable, and even prove things by mere logic. A scholar’s knowledge mostly depends on others’ studies or scriptures to support their arguments. Against this, a spiritual person is one whose knowledge emanates from the inside and is self-realized. The self-realized one, in turn, is turned towards God. Thus, his words emerge directly from his soul, which is convincing with no need for forced convincing. It is not based on what somebody has written or has said.

* Preaching and practising are in sync

The behaviour and conduct of a spiritual person are always in harmony. Spiritual persons do not speak something that they do not believe in. Many preachers preach equality, but they have a superiority complex hidden within. Many preach about living a simple life, but they live a lavish lifestyle. A spiritual person speaks only that is practical. He sets an example by doing things in keeping with his words and demonstrates the practicability of his principles.

* Peaceful

A spiritual person is always at peace as his soul remains connected with God. He views the world from a different and wider perspective compared to ordinary people. His mind is always calm and tranquil, like the water in the ocean’s depths. A spiritual person views the world as a stage, witnessing the events and happenings in an impassionate uninvolved manner. He can understand the worldly drama logically and becomes aware of the cause and effect. He remains unaffected by the mundane things of the world and remains calm and composed and as placid as a lake.

* Indifference to materialism and appearance

Spirit and Spirituality are complementary to body and materialism, respectively. Most people are body conscious and given to worldly pursuits. Body-conscious people can never be spirit conscious. A spiritual person never gets carried away by the external appearance. So, a spiritual person is indifferent to the physical appearance of individuals and judges people only based on their soul quality. Spiritual people may enjoy entitled materialistic comforts based on their inheritance or personal efforts but never run after materialism for worldly pleasures/enjoyments by employing methods of hook or crook.

* Thy name is love

Love at heart is the most identifying feature of a spiritual person. Even if he gets angry, it is mostly for the other person’s good. Outwardly a spiritual person may appear angry, but from inside, he/she  would be a fountain of love. Spiritual people do not hate anybody, even if it be an enemy or one who is insultative. An ordinary person may find it hard to digest the insult or the anger of others, but a spiritual person takes it in his or her stride and sympathizes with the arrogant. Spirituality makes a person find self in others. A spiritual person finds identity not only with all but also with the Universe.

* Sense of justice with no discrimination

All souls are equal, and so, all humans are also equal. Though equal, a spiritual person understands that the difference in birth in an affluent, middle class, low-income or poor family and the sufferings, miseries or happiness and enjoyments thereat are due to the previous karmic acts or deeds. A spiritual person does not discriminate between high and low or rich and poor. Spiritual people look at everyone equally, irrespective of their position in society. They do not discriminate against people based on their religion, caste, economic status or position in the society, as they see everyone with equal love and respect.

* Impassionate

A spiritual person is composed and never in a hurry as he does not hunger after things. A man of passion and action (Rajogun) always involves himself with something or the other and remains restless. However, a spiritual person does things that are always in the world’s best interest. He tends to have control over his body, senses and mind. As told by Krishna in Gita, a spiritual person practices’ attachment with detachment’ and sees ‘inaction in action’ and ‘action in inaction’.

* Humility is thy nature

Humbleness and humility are the cardinal features of a spiritual person. Since he sees God in every being, he views them as extensions of self. He realizes that all are born equal but are merely tools in the universal justice system of karmic laws. All the inequality we see in the world is the consequence of the principle of ‘as you sow, so shall you reap’. A spiritual person is never proud and never takes pride in anything he/she does. Humility is the companion of a spiritual person who is ever humble and would treat everyone with love and affection. Many spiritual masters or messengers of God have demonstrated humility, like Jesus washing his disciple’s feet.

* Compassion and Forgiveness

‘Forgiveness, the best medicine of spiritualists’

Forgiveness is a nature that all should cultivate. This is a fundamental quality of all spiritual people. A spiritual person is always forgiving and never sits on judgement as he knows that karmic rules and God shall judge people’s actions. So, he never acts as if God and attempts to punish people attached to him. A truly spiritual person/master forgives even if anyone has insulted, questioned or wronged (actual or imagined) and guides the person on the right path and even seeks forgiveness from God for the person. Sometimes the behaviour or actions of a person may not conform to the desire or the expectations of a master. Still, a truly spiritual master would never feel aggrieved and behave like a worldly man, given to anger and vengeance. Instead, he would shower his compassion on the person. A spiritual person is always, by nature, compassionate and forgiving.

Then said Jesus, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do’. Luke 23:34. This first saying of Jesus on the cross is traditionally called “The Word of Forgiveness”. It is theologically interpreted as Jesus’ prayer for forgiveness for the Roman soldiers who crucified him and all others involved in his crucifixion.

*Egoless or Absence of Ego

Ego is the biggest enemy of Spirituality. The five major weaknesses of the human personality are at variance with its spiritual essence and are known as the “Five Thieves” because they steal a person’s inherent common sense. These five thieves are kaam (lust), krodh (wrath/anger), moh (attachment), lobh (greed) and ahankar (ego or excessive pride). One can overcome the first four with effort and practice, but the last one is the most difficult to conquer. Maybe, you cannot control the first four fully, but if their expression in your life does not harm or hurt someone, it is ok. But, ego is something that robs one of all lustre of Spirituality. Even the greatest of spiritual masters have not been able to reign in ego, and at least a little ego persists despite all spiritual endeavours and practices. A truly spiritual person should try to shun ego first and foremost and concentrate on it. The ego can give rise to anger and cloud your thinking; pride and desire, in turn, would come into the picture. An egoistic master expects everyone to obey him as he desires or wants and cannot stand the challenge of questioning. He gets hurt (hurt of ego), leading to actions and behaviours detrimental to Spirituality and spiritualism. Despite pursuing spiritualism, such a person becomes animalistic in his words, actions and behaviour, even worse than an ordinary worldly man. My suggestion in this context would be ‘brethren, try to conquer ego, but if you cannot conquer completely, at least exert willful control over your outbursts and actions out of anger that can manifest as a consequence of hurt ego’. So, a spiritual person should become egoless to reap the benefits of Spirituality.

There’s no ‘I’ or “me” for spiritual people. Many “spiritual” people boast about their knowledge, spoken or written and think they know it better and believe others should follow them as per whatever they desire and want. I don’t think those people can be considered experientially spiritual.

In addition to these, certain other qualities are also associated with Spirituality. Positive thinking, inner peace, optimism, harmony, responsibility, unbiasedness, justice, simplicity and reciprocity.

Having addressed the question of ‘How to identify a spiritual person’, let us now address the why?

Why do you need to identify a spiritual person?

A famous saying is that a man is known by the company he keeps. If you live in the company of worldly men, you become materialistic, and if you live with spiritual people, you tend to be spiritual. To live a balanced and fulfilled life, we must learn to become spiritual because man is a spiritual being. Jesus said once, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”(as quoted by Mathre 4). Man suffers pain when he ignores the need for his spiritual awakening and hungers for food alone like animals. Everyone can listen to the words of God once spiritually awakened. Thus, a toddler on the path of Spirituality should learn from the people who have evolved higher in their Spiritual journey. The ten identifications discussed above can help a person identify the truly spiritual person and undertake the journey towards self-awakening and ultimate realization. Developing these ten characteristics in self can make a person spiritual and selfless.