| Spirituality can be understood as the knowledge of a | | | | sacrosanct. However, one who sees God in Idols or |
| reality that lies beyond the physical self and forms | | | | forms can never be spiritual as no two idols can be |
| the very core of the physical beings. A spiritual | | | | same. A typical temple of Hindu is inhabited by |
| person goes into the fundamental cause or source of | | | | several Gods or Goddess like Krishna, Rama, Kali, |
| all material reality which can not be seen or felt. | | | | Shiva etc. Even Christianity believe in the Trinity of |
| All living realities consist of a body and a soul or the | | | | God i.e. God the Father, God the Son (Christ) and |
| spark of spirit. While bodies are distinct and changing | | | | Holy Spirit. Judaism and Islam believe in the Oneness |
| every moment, the spirit is eternal and same in all. | | | | of God. Yet there are major differences in the |
| Thus the mind of a spiritual person is still and | | | | description of God. |
| experiences peace and happiness while the mind of a | | | | Thus it is not easy to comprehend God as One |
| material person is turbulent and experiences pleasure | | | | unless one uses intuition and imagination. If God is |
| and pain. | | | | One, then He can never be described by words and |
| All human beings are born spiritual as Jesus said, "Man | | | | Forms for the simple reason that they all represents |
| does not live by bread alone". No man can be happy | | | | a specific concept of divinity which is limited which |
| merely by satisfying the body like other animals. He | | | | God is eternal and omnipresent. He has to be a Spirit |
| has to satisfy his soul to live. All the happiness and | | | | or Energy which is present in all creations. A spiritual |
| joy in the life of man comes only from the | | | | person therefore sees the same God in every |
| satisfaction of body and soul. While the satisfaction | | | | person irrespective of his religion, race or nationality |
| of body is temporary as it lasts only for a while, the | | | | due to His presence in all. |
| satisfaction of soul is lasting which brings permanent | | | | (III) Love All Beings |
| happiness and joy in the life of man. | | | | A spiritual person sees God in all including himself. |
| Thus spirituality is the true indication of the happiness | | | | Hence everyone automatically becomes an extension |
| of a person. | | | | of the self. Thus he loves every person as the self. |
| The Intelligence Quotient (IQ) | | | | However, a material person sees himself different |
| Scientists have developed many methods to | | | | from others, his religion different from others, his |
| measure the Intelligence of a person, calling it the | | | | nation different from others or his race different |
| Intelligence Quotient (IQ). IQ has been widely used | | | | from others. Therefore, he can never love others as |
| by the universities to select the student for the | | | | the self. All distinction leads to hatred as no two |
| graduate courses. The tests like GRE or SAT | | | | people can think alike or do identical things. Thus one |
| measures the intelligence of the student. IQ is also an | | | | can easily know the level of his spiritual growth by |
| important criteria adopted by corporate to select | | | | just observing how many people he loves. |
| their employees as they have learned from their | | | | If one can love every one including his enemies, he is |
| experience that people with high IQ have better | | | | truly a spiritual person. |
| ability to solve problems. | | | | (IV) Wealth is A Means Only |
| It has also been established by many studies that | | | | While most people are longing to earn as much |
| people of high IQ are more successful in their | | | | wealth as they can and live a life or comfort and |
| professional and personal lives. | | | | luxury, a spiritual person sees wealth only as a means |
| Yet there is no guarantee the people of high IQ | | | | to attain God. He lives not to eat but eat only to live. |
| must also be happier in their life than the less | | | | Once his basic necessities are satisfied, he does not |
| intelligent people as happiness comes from within and | | | | want to accumulate wealth. One can never be |
| does not depend on the material success of the | | | | materialistic and spiritual at the same time. |
| person in this world. | | | | A seeker of God does not go after wealth. |
| The happiness of the person does not depend on his | | | | (V) Hate Power |
| IQ but depends only on his spiritual Quotient (SQ). | | | | The concept of individual power runs quite contrary |
| The Spiritual Quotient | | | | to the spiritual world. It is well said that power |
| Spirituality of a person is difficult to measure just like | | | | corrupts and absolute power corrupt absolutely. |
| happiness. The reason is that while the body and | | | | Individual power always challenges the power of God. |
| mind of the person can be seen or measured, the | | | | The universe is perfect in itself as anything that is |
| spirit can not be measured by any instrument. | | | | created by God has to be perfect. However, due to |
| However, every person knows his spirit which is the | | | | the limitation of our knowledge, we often find the |
| source of his thoughts, believes and emotions. Hence | | | | world as imperfect and try to make it perfect by the |
| he can knows himself for sure the truth of his soul. | | | | use of force. Most of us have limited power; hence |
| Spirituality is not measurable by the actions of the | | | | we use it only in our family or dependents. Yet one |
| person. One can go to Church or temple every day | | | | who has more power uses it against a large number |
| without believing God at all. There is no method to | | | | of people. However, it is seen from experience that |
| measure beliefs, truths and love. One can also fool | | | | all such attempts of changing the world by force has |
| the world by doing action and speaking words | | | | finally failed as unlimitedly only the Truth or God wins. |
| contrary to his thoughts and believes. | | | | (VI) Respect Parents |
| Hence one has to be absolutely honest in answering | | | | Man is brought into this world from the flesh and |
| the questions for the SQ Test as it if for the Self | | | | blood of his parents. Parents also play the most |
| and not for others. No material benefits can accrue | | | | important role in bring up the child and make him |
| by getting high SQ score. | | | | stand on his own feet. However, when parents |
| Remember, you can fool all people in the world but | | | | become weak and needs the support of their |
| you can never fool yourself. | | | | children, often children ditch them. For a material |
| So be honest while measuring your own SQ as high | | | | person, it does not make any sense to return the |
| SQ is an indication of your lasting happiness. You | | | | favour to their parents as the parents can never pay |
| clues of high SQ is hidden in the test itself, which can | | | | back the favour again. However, a spiritual person |
| always be used to increase SQ and achieve more | | | | always respects their parents as his very existence |
| permanent happiness in life. | | | | came from them. He feels obliged to feed the source |
| Spiritual Quotient Test | | | | that created them at the first place. |
| Answer the following questions truthfully. | | | | Respecting parents is a sign of gratitude and humility. |
| There are five answers of each question. The | | | | One who is not grateful to his parents, can not be |
| answers and the marks assigned are as following | | | | grateful to God or his Creator. |
| 1. Absolutely True (10 marks) | | | | (VII) Nonviolence |
| 2. Very True (8 marks) | | | | Violence is the easiest method to get results. The |
| 3. Partially True (6 marks) | | | | policy of "an eye for an eye" is as old as the |
| 4. Probably True (4 marks) | | | | civilization itself. However, violence always leads to |
| 5. Rarely True (2 marks) | | | | more violence. The root cause of violence is due to |
| 6. Not True ( 0 marks) | | | | the separateness one feels with the others. If a |
| Q1: I believe that God is One. | | | | person feels that everyone is created from the |
| Q2: I believe that God is formless and present in all | | | | same spirit and have the same God, he can never |
| beings. | | | | resort to violence not only in deeds but even in |
| Q3: I love all people and feel compassion for all living | | | | thoughts. You can never use violence against |
| being. | | | | yourself however wrong you have done. You are |
| Q4: I earn enough to live a comfortable life and I do | | | | always able to find some reason and some |
| not like to accumulate wealth | | | | justification for all your acts |
| Q5: I am happy being myself and do not seek power. | | | | (VIII) Truth is God |
| Q6: I respect my parents and elders. | | | | Truth is the most important character of a spiritual |
| Q7: I seek good for all and I do not like violence. | | | | person as Truth is one of the manifestations of God. |
| Q8: I always speak Truth. | | | | God like Truth is eternal and omnipresent. While |
| Q9: I love my spouse and do not intend to commit | | | | materialistic people are always driven by their desire |
| adultery. | | | | to accumulate wealth and changes the course of life |
| Q10: I always deal with people in a way I would have | | | | based on the tide of the flow, the spiritual person |
| like to be dealt myself. | | | | can never discard truth for the sake of anything in |
| Add all your score and your Spiritual Quotient. The | | | | this world. Truth is always consistent with God and it |
| higher is your score, the more spiritual you are in | | | | is Truth that creates faith and trust. |
| your life and more permanent is your happiness and | | | | (IX) Adultery is Sensuous |
| joy in the life. | | | | Coveting the spouse or wealth of other is the sure |
| In order to know how these questions measure | | | | manifestation of the enslavement of the person to |
| spirituality, we have to understand the essence of | | | | his senses and the body. Adultery is unacceptable to |
| spirituality. | | | | a spiritual person it amount to cheating to the spouse |
| The Essence of Spirituality | | | | for the sake of sensual pleasure. For the spiritual |
| The ten questions to measure SQ are not really | | | | person, nothing is as important as having the faith |
| different from each other but may be treaded as | | | | and trust of the partner. He can not have faith in the |
| the braches of the same tree as a spiritual person | | | | God if he fails to have faith of his spouse. |
| sees unity in all diversities in this universe. | | | | (X) The Golden Rule |
| The detailed analysis of the questions would reveal | | | | Treating others as one would like others to treat him |
| that they all emanates from the same spirit which is | | | | is the most natural action of all spiritual people as |
| fundamental and eternal as explained in following | | | | they do not distinguish between self and others. |
| paras. | | | | Even if they wish, they can not treat others as any |
| (I) God is One | | | | different from their own selves. |
| Every religion gives a different name for the God. | | | | Spirituality Brings Happiness |
| God is known in different religions as Yahweh, Christ, | | | | Spirituality is often associated with other worldliness. |
| Allah, Krishna, Ram, Shiva, Buddha, Mother etc. He is | | | | Nothing can be farther from truth. A Spiritual person |
| also referred as Supreme, Energy, Spirit, Love by | | | | goes beyond the body and discovers the true force |
| nonreligious person. All scriptures provide a different | | | | of the body. Thus he understands the cause and |
| name and description of God. Thus for an ordinary | | | | effect of the world more accurately than any |
| person, all religions are different and all Gods are | | | | scientist. As a scientist can prevent mishaps by |
| different. | | | | predicting weather and cyclones, the spiritual person |
| However a spiritual person knows that they all refer | | | | avoids pain and misery by his better understands of |
| to the same God as there can not be multiple Gods | | | | the world. He earns the trust and faith of the people |
| based on the faith of the person. | | | | by his selfless service to them and by trusting them. |
| (II) God is An Omnipresent Spirit | | | | Thus the Spiritual Quotient of a person measures the |
| Most people understand God by some form. Some | | | | spirituality or the non-material nature of the person |
| people worship the idols of God in their temple or | | | | which truly reflects the quotient of his happiness and |
| churches. Others consider the words of God as | | | | joy. |