The Five-Question Test
A Tool for Spiritual Discernment
In the spiritual journey, it’s common to come across new teachings and teachers that seem resonant, powerful, or mysterious. But how do we know if they are truly helpful for our path?
The Five-Question Test is a gentle discernment tool you can carry with you to help determine whether a particular teaching aligns with love, truth, and your current place on the journey.
This isn’t about gatekeeping or spiritual snobbery. It’s not about making something right or wrong. Rather, it’s about checking in with yourself. Think of these questions not as rigid qualifications, but as a soft cloak of inner awareness — something you wear as you explore.
1. Is there any fear or shame involved?
If fear, guilt, or shame is the engine behind a teaching, it likely stems from the ego rather than love. Ask yourself:
Is this teaching trying to scare me into transformation?
Is shame or punishment used as a motivator?
A true path toward awakening does not rely on fear, but on love. If fear is present — whether it’s coming from the teacher, the teaching, or your own projection — it may not be a helpful path at this time.
2. What do I expect to get out of this teaching?
Pause and notice what part of you is drawn to the teaching. Is your ego seeking specialness, control, or escape?
Am I using this teaching to avoid being here now?
Is the goal to "win" or be seen as more spiritual?
This isn’t about never wanting anything — it’s about being honest with what’s driving the desire. If your ego is trying to use a teaching to bypass discomfort, that’s worth noticing.
3. Who does this teaching say that I am?
A helpful teaching will affirm your divine nature, not reinforce a separated or broken identity.
Does this teaching speak to the wholeness of who I truly am?
Or does it claim that I’m fundamentally flawed?
Many teachings describe the ego as broken — that’s different from claiming you are broken. You are not the ego. The deeper truth of who you are is whole, eternal, and loving.
4. Where on the ladder of awakening is this teaching for?
Every teaching has a context. Sometimes something feels “off” not because it’s wrong, but because it’s not for you — at least not right now.
Is this teaching resonant with where I am in my journey?
Is it something I’ve outgrown, or not yet ready to digest?
There’s no shame in needing a certain type of teaching at a certain time. Some teachings serve us as bridges to deeper understanding — others are meant to be temporary companions.
5. Does this teaching make me more loving or more fearful?
This may be the most important question of all.
After engaging with the teaching, do I feel softer or more closed off?
Am I more patient, honest, creative, and kind — or more anxious, judgmental, and defensive?
Ultimately, the fruit of a teaching reveals its roots. Does it bear the fruit of love? Of presence? Of peace?
A Final Word on this Test
You don’t need to “pass” these questions before exploring something new. Instead, carry them with you like a companion on the journey. Let them guide your reflection, journal with them, or sit with them in silence after encountering a new book, practice, or teacher.
These questions are here to help you qualify your alignment with a teaching — not disqualify the teaching itself. If something resonates deeply and evokes love, that’s a strong sign it’s pointing you to Truth. And if something feels off, it may not be wrong — just not right for now.
All outer teachings are stepping stones back to the inner Teacher. That Voice within—call it Spirit, intuition, the Tao, or Christ—is always leading you home.
Trust yourself as you are. Let Love lead the way.
