Spiritual Progress Quotes

“The sign of spiritual progress is not so much never falling as it is being able to lift oneself up quickly after one falls.”
― Jacques Philippe, Searching for and Maintaining Peace: A Small Treatise on Peace of Heart

“We might note Saint Ignatius’ ideal that only God knows what he would accomplish in souls were he not hindered in the process.”
― Donald Haggerty

“What I understand from reading Guru’s writings, or from experience, is that self-improvement occurs when personal effort meets Grace from Above, and looking back I realized, yes, I made personal effort. But, dammit—there was a lot of Grace going on.”
― Arjuna D. Ghose, The Struggle Within: The Wind's Divine Melody

“If we cleaved ourselves in half to examine our daily mind chatter under a microscope, who amongst us would daringly display the sediment of their innermost thoughts for public consumption? A tattler’s tale reporting the silted musings resembling my tarnished soul is probably the most typical scorecard. Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), an English novelist and poet declared, “If all hearts were open and all desires known – as they would be if people showed their souls – how many gapings, sighings, clenched fists, knotted brows, broad grins, and red eyes should we see in the market place!” My unsavory report card is indistinguishable from the blemished masses. Etched into the end zone of my lifetime playing field are the horrors of gluttony, greed, failure, and humiliation. Recognition of my sinful life led directly to a rash act of despondency. Commission of a ream of sins is a reflection of my weak character. Guilt from leading a sinful life, not strong character, manufactured the overwhelming despair that caused me to seek absolution. The willingness to grade myself as less than a satisfactory human being might be my only hope of ever achieving spiritual salvation.”
― Kilroy J. Oldster, Dead Toad Scrolls

“Spiritual progress is inevitably accompanied by better human circumstances, in one way or another.”
― Donna Goddard, Love, Devotion, and Longing

“Where there is no prayer, there is no spiritual progress.”
― Lailah Gifty Akita

“We use all pain experiences as grist for the mill of our spiritual development. This is the place where the real spiritual work is happening.”
― Donna Goddard, The Love of Devotion

“One determinant of higher spiritual progress is a person’s ability of non-reaction to external events.”
― Anirudh Agrawal, The Science of Spiritual Enlightenment: A Book for Eternity

“Dissolving our problems requires a lot of going into our emotions, memories, and pain. It is called by different names—burning karma, riding out emotions, going into oneself, dissolving memories. It means allowing angry, sad, and fearful thoughts to come up and be clearly seen so they can dissolve.”
― Donna Goddard, Love Matters