Life path can be very difficult and winding. A step to the side - and it’s easy to find yourself flying into the abyss. In order not to disappear in this fancifully arranged world, people accept spiritual teachers, mentors or simply rely on the experience of those who are trusted.
Instruction manual
1
From among the preachers or priests, select the person you trust. Before turning to this person for spiritual guidance, observe him. See how his words match his actions. Perhaps this person will not be a priest at all, but simply a wise, inspiring person.
2
Learn more about this person’s biography. How he came to his present position (he became a priest, a spiritual leader, just a wise man). If this way seems right, interesting, worthy of imitation to you - this will be another reason to ask for mentoring.
3
Ask this person questions about the meaning of a person’s life, about his individual path. Answers may not meet your expectations. They may even upset you. But the main task of the spiritual mentor is not to please the student’s ears with “sweet songs, ” but to convey the Truth to him. Therefore, it is worth thinking about which person will be more useful to you as a spiritual mentor: a pleasant and leading soul-saving conversation or a real spiritual warrior, able to break your usual ideas about the world and turn you to the Truth.
4
Ask this person if he is ready to act as your spiritual mentor. The ritual of “turning to the teacher” is necessary. This form of establishing a teacher-student relationship has been practiced since ancient times in the East, when a person humbly asks a teacher to accept him as a student.
5
You need to discuss with the person whom you have chosen as a mentor whether he is ready to take on such responsibility and give you instructions on life, analyzing your luck and mistakes on the path to "enlightenment", no matter how you define it for yourself.
note
Remember that a spiritual mentor and a psychotherapist are two different things. A spiritual mentor does not deal with your psychological problems. His task is to exalt your life and give it the highest meaning with your example and instructions.
Useful advice
Take your time to take a spiritual mentor out of a desire to follow fashion or imitate one of the people.
The decision to accept a spiritual mentor must be balanced and natural for you.
