Measuring the spiritual word has one thing in common with squaring the circle,
both are approximate. What makes this so with matters of spirit, is its influence,
that grows perpetually and thus is difficult to get a ruler on.
Still there are skills that facilitate the measure, the computation of spirit's thickness, and that foster the soul's fitness for elegance, excellence and authenticity in wording. Skill-level approximates conscious growth in the spirit and the spirit's influence over the unconscious life.
The skills are monkish, they command obedience, and they go toward meeting the fundamental needs of being human in a world of human beings. They measure fitness in the spirit, or readiness for wording. Four arise necessary.
One. Your proximity to intimacy
To reach the ultimate you must get close, warm with spirit. Your duty is to let go your fears, allow healing of old wounds. Draw nigh unto that which is already always nigh. This skill satisfies the authentic need for love.
Two. Your capacity for stillness
To get intimate with spirit, you must settle down, settle in. Your duty is to let go your desires for pleasure, pride, power, prestige--all craving. Hunker down and in; no hankering, not even for tranquility, not even for letting go. This skill satisfies the authentic need for calm.
Three. Your sagacity in discipline
To settle down and in, you must practice some holy habit. Your duty is to let go the illusion of control. With freedom comes less effort, more deference for a will not your own. This skill satisfies the authentic need for freedom.
Four. Your propensity toward noticing, not clinging
To surrender to holy habit, you must witness your fears, desires, illusions, all forms of clinging. Your duty is but to rest easy, notice. You're made for joy; and to share the enjoyment of glory. This skill satisfies the authentic need for delight.
So to measure wording, test its intimacy, stillness, discipline, and notice. Yet as such you must apply these four skills. That is, you must do the old math. To the trained mind, pi clearly equals 3.1415926+; yet such clarity visits only the trained mind.
