Each one of us in the process of spiritual growth from the moment we are born until death and beyond. And part of spiritual growth is understanding that our spiritual paths are not just about ourselves. As Sylvia Boorstein reminds us in this section, "we practice to transform the world." Spiritual teachings and spiritual growth, if they really take root, always lead to new fruit, which shows itself in new or renewed practice. Central to our "spiritual practice" (the ways we express our spirituality) must be the question of how and where it enables us to co-create the world which surrounds us.

Spiritual practice that is primarily personal (like meditation, for instance) is not necessarily exclusively so. All practice has the power to not only change your life, but the lives of others. The subject of most spiritual practice is you—but don't assume that you know the object!

One example of personal, spiritual practice that transformed the world was the way that Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948), the Indian nationalist and spiritual leader, used fasting, silence and solitude to create a new consciousness in both his friends and foes. Gandhi's story is well known. He spent many months, and cumulative years, in jail in both South Africa and his native India. He often fasted in prison, which infuriated his incarcerators, who viewed it as a weapon used to win public support. It was that, in its effect, but this was also Gandhi's powerful spiritual practice, which heightened the awareness—both spiritual and political—of his people,

Is it any coincidence that Gandhi both loved silence and solitude and carried out political action that he knew would result in his imprisonment? He used the time alone to strengthen his practice. His political life was inseparable from his spiritual life. His time alone not only strengthened him, but others. His love for silence, enhanced in prison, even led Gandhi to maintain one full day a week in complete silence when he was not in prison.

What can we learn from Gandhi's spiritual practice? He practiced so consciously that its effect reached a nation, and the world. Personal practice often does this—in smaller ways. Our individual practices change the world. When I meditate in stillness the world becomes more still. When I fast in devotion the world is less hungry. When I…

Of course, there is also spiritual practice that is overtly aimed at transforming the world. For example, the "engaged Buddhism" of people like Bernie Glassman (Zen Peacemaker Order) and Joan Halifax (Project on Being with Dying) are mirrored by efforts in other religious traditions to actively engage in both practice and care for others. According to the Jewish mystic tradition, our responsibility is to release the holy sparks—the divine potentialities in every thing in the universe—by engagement with the world. That is what this section, "We Are Co-Creators with the Divine," is all about. Being co-creators with the Divine involves first seeing ourselves as actors in our spiritual lives, and in creating the future of the planet.

This simple self-test is intended to help you focus on what the current state of your spiritual practice is.

Answer each question with a numerical value:
1. I see myself as a partner with God in the world	1	2	3	4	5
2. I see myself as a creation of God	1	2	3	4	5
3. I see God as mostly separate from my daily life	1	2	3	4	5
4. I understand my spiritual life most when I discuss spiritual matters with others.	1	2	3	4	5
5. I understand my spiritual life most by studying and talking with God	1	2	3	4	5
6. My personal "spiritual practice"—the ways in which I express my spirituality—is what makes my spiritual life meaningful	1	2	3	4	5
1 = Never; 2 = Occasionally; 3 = Fairly often; 4 = Very often; 5 = Always

Add your scores to questions 1 and 4 together (Grouping A), to 2 and 5 together (Grouping B), and to 3 and 6 together (Grouping C)

Whichever grouping scores the highest points represents your current view of spiritual relationships</P>

Grouping A Your spiritual practice is highly interactive. You are consciously working with others to transform the world around you.

Grouping B You gain most of your spiritual strength through your direct relationship with God. Practice is probably secondary in importance for you.

Grouping C Your spirituality is focused primarily on personal practice. The effect of your practice on others is subtle, rather than obvious.