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Many people on Earth are living on borrowed time, simply passing through this world. Many are lost without proper guidance from informal education at home, where parents teach their children moral values and proper conduct. Everything is moving at a very fast pace, and time is too limited to allow for informal teachings at home.

Hence, in today’s world, it is rare for anyone to pursue spiritual training and spiritual cultivation. Spiritual training and spiritual cultivation culminate in gaining inner knowledge and wisdom of power. Anyone who achieves this inner knowledge and wisdom will lead a blissful, contented, and happy life; life will always be joyful and tranquil in both mind and heart.

Spiritual Training and Spiritual Cultivation, What’s the Difference?

Many of us do not fully understand what spiritual training and pure cultivation mean. They are not the same and exist on different levels. In our context, spiritual training and spiritual cultivation are two different ways to improve our spiritual knowledge and gain intuition, insight and wisdom.

Spiritual training (Hokkien: siew heng; Mandarin: 修行) refers to the condition in which an individual may have to go through tough periods in life that may involve physical or financial sufferings or more, and require plenty of experience and exposure to all walks of people. In simpler terms, spiritual training involves physical challenges in life, such as facing agitation and instigation from those who dislike us. Others may slander us or criticize our character destructively. Some may even falsely accuse us or betray us, causing pain and hindrances in our lives.

The main aim of spiritual training is to inculcate empathy, care, love, and consideration. This empowers us to reach greater heights of human instinct and intuition. Such insight eventually leads to gaining Jhanas, which are prerequisites for attaining Arahantship. However, spiritual training is only one part towards gaining the insight and divine wisdom.

Spiritual cultivation (Hokkien: siew lian; Mandarin: 修炼), on the other hand, refers to a finer level of cultivating divine knowledge and wisdom. Spiritual cultivation involves doing more inner work on our mental state, such as listening to or reading the Dhamma, doing more chanting, pondering, contemplation, and meditation. These regulate the mind to ensure thoughts remain tranquil, preventing mental inactivity and senility.

However, this alone is also not complete – ideally, you need both spiritual training and spiritual cultivation combined to effectively achieve inner knowledge, insight as well as wisdom of power.

Also read: Impermanence Definition

Why is It Hard for People to Go for Spiritual Training and Spiritual Cultivation Today?

Unfortunately, today we are living in a turbulent era marked by wars, internal strife, natural disasters, and epidemics. Humans are now turning against each other, overthrowing weak and corrupt governments.

The scenario we face today is one of chaos, turbulence, and maladministration. Nobody seems interested in helping one another or working together to build a more united nation. We are divided by our own spaces and ideologies. This is the greatest setback in our society and clearly reflects that many no longer uphold moral values.

Let’s use an analogy. In the animal world, many creatures are born wild and fierce. Releasing such wild animals into our society would cause great harm, as they would easily attack humans. Only when these wild animals are well-trained and disciplined do they become tame and well-behaved around people.

Similarly, humans who come into this world without proper training often display unkind gestures, wild behaviors, and even violence. Therefore, it is important to train every child with proper guidance, good discipline, manners, and respect for elders.

How to Practice Spiritual Training and Spiritual Cultivation Then?

The best way to cultivate a well-disciplined population with good conduct is through proper training or cultivation classes. Such sessions are usually organized by temples or associations, so there shouldn’t be much difficulty in joining spiritual training or cultivation classes, but just a matter of willingness to attend.

One reason for the decline in discipline and good conduct in our society today is the absence of proper moral education in schools, unlike in the sixties and seventies when it was a compulsory subject taught with great dedication and emphasis. Unfortunately, the lack of moral education today has contributed to high rates of indiscipline in schools.

When these unruly kids become adults who continue to act wildly without much care for society’s well-being, this then leads to violence, civil unrest, and street protests worldwide. It is clear that even formal education alone cannot guarantee the production of civilized people.

It is vital to spare time for spiritual training through vast exposure and profound learning experiences. These can be found by enrolling in Sunday Buddhist classes, actively participating in school sports, practicing Chinese physical exercises, attending Befrienders’ classes, or joining social clubs such as Toastmasters or volunteering as social workers. These activities provide insights into the ultimate inner reality of life by helping regulate the mind to become more alert, healthy, resourceful, wiser, and better informed.

Also read: How to Choose A Good Spiritual Teacher or Master

Spiritual Training and Cultivation Are Interlinked, But They Don’t Have to Happen At The Same Time

Many are unaware that training and cultivation are interlinked and need to be completed together. However, they do not need to happen simultaneously; either can take priority in a session. Some may start with spiritual training and later move to pure cultivation, or vice versa.

However, if we do not understand the source of spiritual training, we will never achieve anything meaningful in life. We are too absorbed in this fast-paced world of advanced technology and have little time for spiritual cultivation. We are preoccupied with fast living, fast food, and fast technology, oblivious to the importance of spiritual training. In daily life, we rarely find time to keep our minds active and healthy, often overwhelmed by surrounding festivals and celebrations, until we lose the zeal to cultivate inner peace and profound contentment.

Many waste their leisure time on unbeneficial activities instead of proper mental training and cultivation. Many are unaware of the importance of daily chanting of sutras and mantras, listening to Dharma talks, reflecting on past actions, and practicing contemplation and meditation. These positive actions are essential to achieving a more meaningful life and eventual spiritual attainment.

Also read: The Undiscovered Insight on An Almighty God Prayer

The Time to Start is Now

Spiritual training and cultivation are practical necessities for everyone. As society becomes increasingly fast-paced and fragmented, we must not neglect the importance of nurturing both our outer conduct and our inner wisdom. As we learn to embrace spiritual training, we learn to face life’s challenges with patience, empathy, and resilience. Through spiritual cultivation, we develop tranquility, clarity of mind, and a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Although it may seem difficult to set aside time for these practices amid our busy schedules, even small steps such as joining a training or cultivation class, participating in community activities, or simply spending some time each day for reflection and chanting, can make a profound difference.

Ultimately, the combination of spiritual training and cultivation leads to a life of greater contentment, harmony, and purpose, and eventually, the knowledge and wisdom that we can bring back to the afterlife. If we wish to build a more compassionate and well-disciplined society, we must begin by training and cultivating ourselves, so that we may inspire others to do the same.

And the best time to start is now.