Home | Personal Journey |
If you are actively engaged in spiritual work, how do you know if you are really making progress? Many formal religious institutions award status titles when people show they have attained levels or passed tests. Some of these titles are listed below (and this list is by no means complete):
- Catholic hierarchies – Deacon, Archdeacon, Vicar, Priest, Bishop, Cardinal, Archbishop, Pope.
- Protestant hierarchies – Pastor, Reverend, Deacon, Bishop, Archbishop
- Eastern Orthodox – Patriarch, Abbot, Monk, Nun
- Islam – Imam, Mufti, Ayatollah
- Judaism – Tzadik, Rabbi, Hakham
- Buddhist – Roshi, Rinpoche, Lama, Khenpo, Acharya, Ajahn, Bhikkhu
- Hindu – Shankaracharya, Maharshi, Goswami, Rishi, Paramahansa, Sadhu, Swami
- Pagan – Witch, Druid, Archdruid, Priest/Priestess, Shaman
The Scottish Rite in masonry has a set of 33 degrees, through with students can progress.
- degree – Entered Apprentice
- degree – Fellowcraft
- degree – Master Mason
- degree – Secret Master
- degree – Perfect Master
- degree – Confidential [Intimate] Secretary
- degree – Provost and Judge
- degree – Intendent of the Building
- degree – Elu, or Elected Knight, of the Nine
- degree – Illustrious Elect or Elu of the Fifteen
- degree – Sublime Knight Elect, or Elu, of the Twelve
- degree – [Grand] Master Architect
- degree – Knight of the Ninth Arch, or Royal Arch of Solomon
- degree – Grand Elect, Perfect and Sublime Mason, or Perfect Elu
- degree – Knight of the Sword [of the East]
- degree – Prince of Jerusalem
- degree – Knight of the East and West
- degree – Knight [Prince] Rose Croix
- degree – [Grand] Pontiff
- degree – [Grand] Master of Symbolic Lodges
- degree – Noachite or Prussian Knight
- degree – Knight of the Royal Axe
- degree – Chief of the Tabernacle
- degree – Prince of the Tabernacle
- degree – Knight of the Brazen Serpent
- degree – Prince of Mercy
- degree – Knight Commander of the Temple
- degree – Knight of the Sun, or Prince Adept
- degree – Grand Scottish Knight of St. Andrew
- degree – Knight Kadosh
- degree – Inspector Inquisitor Commander
- degree – Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret
- degree – Sovereign Grand Inspector General
Some people earn these titles, other gain them by sticking around long enough and moving through the ranks (like a career climbing the corporate ladder in a government department). They are all pretty meaningless for our purposes.
Measuring progress – the answer!
None of this discussion has helped with the question we posed at the start of the page, which was how to measure success. The answer is actually very easy. If you are feeling happier and healthier and are more satisfied with life, then you are making progress. It is as simple as that. If you are on a spiritual path and following spiritual teachings that are not resulting in you feeling happier or you are feeling stressed, then you are doing something wrong or are in the wrong place. In that case, start making changes.
