I would like to share with you my thoughts regarding what one should look for when choosing a spiritual path. I have studied so many lately that I have been able to come to some set of standards or guidelines to follow when choosing a spiritual path. There is an important difference between a spiritual path and a religion. A religion is usually a dogma based on some past spiritual revelation who's principle leader or Master has long since passed away. A spiritual path is a presently used method of God-realization taught by a living Master.

1. It should always have a living Master or Guru who has fully mastered the goal of the path. (At least one perfected living example is essential, otherwise what evidence would there be to prove that this path really works?)

2. The living Master or Guru must always be kind, loving, cheerful, helpful, available, and more than willing to do all he or she can to bring about the successful and complete liberation from all problems, etc. of his or her chelas.

3. It's methods and values, etc. should be based on scientific evidence and never on faith or dogma.

4. One should NEVER be forced to accept anything or act on anything based on blind faith or dogma.

5. It must be practical and adaptable to the needs of the modern lifestyle.

6. There should be no unreasonable and/or difficult requirements especially if not fully explained and not providing any scientific proof.

7. It must WORK HERE AND NOW (not in four lifetimes!) to fulfill all one's spiritual yearnings to his or her individual capacity, and fully answer all one's questions, etc.

8. Regular, deep meditation and listening to the inner sounds while experiencing God's love should be a major part of it.

9. A lifestyle of purity, chastity, or celibacy should be a requirement.

10. The Master or Guru of this path must be completely free of all lust, alcoholism, attachments, personal desires, selfishness, and any other moral imperfections, egotism, etc.

11. The Guru should never request any money or financial support of any kind.

12. It should not require any rituals, idol worship or religious activities, beliefs, etc. of any kind yet all religions, other paths, cultures, etc. would be fully appreciated and understood for what they are.

13. See God within and without in all people and in all form, know yourself and everybody else, no matter how they act, as a God in form. Acknowledge that all living beings are from one and the same Source.

14. It would encourage giving gratitude for all of God's Blessings, and as much as possible having one's attention fully on the NOW moment.

15. It would uphold the SUPREME COMMANDMENT which is to have an undying and totally unshakeable love and devotion for God.

16. There would be a strong emphasis on gaining direct experience from the highest levels of super-consciousness rather than obtaining revelation through channeling, mediumship, hypnosis, etc.

17. A 100% vegetarian, raw food lifestyle should be encouraged.

18. It should encourage only the healthiest, most ethical diets and lifestyles.

19. All killing, maiming, etc. and the eating of meat, fish, chicken, etc. should be condemned.

20. The path must involve the respect of all life as precious and honour and marvel at God's Creation.

21. All immoral, unlawful behavior, etc. should never be allowed.

22. Illicit sex, drugs, drinking, and smoking, etc. should be absolutely forbidden.

23. The "finer things" in life, such as higher values, spiritual marriage, deep devotional love, etc. should always be encouraged and supported.

24. There should always be an open-minded quest for higher values (such as truth, goodness and beauty) and their expression.

25. Love, joy, laughter and devotion should be in the eyes of all its members.

26. It should be non-judgemental and always willing to help those in need.

27. It should be progressive and open-minded to new ideas as long as they can be scientifically proven.

28. It would never be too rigid or inflexible to the point of excluding other methods from other paths that would otherwise be of some benefit.

29. Exceptions should be allowed for genuine individual needs.

30. Not only must there be a daily meditation practice, that practice must include several hours a day of perfect concentration on the inner sounds and inner light of God through the third eye.

31. The goal of meditation should be to "die daily" meaning to develop the ability to leave the body at will and soar into higher levels of reality with the goal of leaving behind the astral and causal bodies to soar into the highest, most loving realms of complete, permanent liberation from all reincarnation and all suffering.

32. Everything should be done to make meditation as completely rewarding and fulfilling as possible as soon as possible. This could include a meditation clinic where all meditation problems are properly diagnosed and treated.

33. Individual spiritual needs should be fully acknowledged and adequately met.

34. It should not only be a system of self-realization, but also a system of God-realization through self-realization.

35. There should also be an unending quest for higher and higher possibilities such as the the process of living on light and the creation of an immortal light body that can function on the physical plane.

Of course it is impossible for any one spiritual path or system of yoga to have all of the above. But the more of the above it has, the more perfect and desirable is that system of God-realization. However some of the above requirements are more important than others. Any obvious omissions I would consider as being like a red warning flag indicating that it could be a cult or following who's leader has hidden motives.