During our exploration tour at the foothills of Mount Kardu (Cudi), breathing in the clean oxygen, I also saw the famous hermit cell in the Hassana Gorge, known as the “Cave of the Monks”

When I entered this cell, I became emotional. Remembering the monks who had always retreated to this cell to discipline their souls, I came to my senses with a quote from the great philosopher St Paul and began to write down my thoughts in an updated form:

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edification, according to the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear” it" (Ephesians 4:29).

Man is by nature a soul clothed in a body. He is a spiritual being who experiences humanity in this world. Therefore, true humanity cannot be experienced and maintained without the criteria and approaches of sincere spirituality being brought to bear in the inner world. Therefore, true humanity is maintained through the criteria of sincere spirituality.

As the soul develops and the essence unfolds, a person's words also change. They become aligned with the standards of discipline. Conversations become more polite. In essence, no one is lesser or greater than another. Because the essence, like the yeast that leavens the dough, is the same in every person. The fundamental difference between people lies in the degree of development. It lies in the degree of moral talent and spiritual maturity.

The development and growth of the soul or being also enlightens the other two parts of a person, the spirit and the body. An educated and developed soul hears the divine voice more and reveals the potential in the person more.

In the book of Proverbs, Solomon writes: “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, which searches his inmost parts” (20:27).

When we follow the guidance of the soul, which penetrates the depths of our inner being and waits there to guide us, we can live our lives better. We can escape from evil and difficulties. Because the purpose of the soul is to prepare us for life. According to the wisdom of the soul, a person who is offended is not yet mature. A mature soul does not allow itself to be offended. Because it has found itself, it has stabilised itself, its understanding has increased. Because it is calm, it will never lose its balance. It does not allow itself to be influenced by the tiring, annoying, confusing or constantly stressful situations of everyday life.

It follows that a person's development is directly proportional to the growth and development of the soul.

On the other hand, those who cannot grow and develop spiritually cannot discover their self-love and self-respect. They remain children in adult bodies. While they try to cover up their deficiencies and shortcomings in some areas with their words and deeds, they reveal their spiritual emptiness even more. This situation can be positively changed with the greater knowledge that self-knowledge and self-exploration bring. But if the intention is not pure, this will not happen. Any impure intention contains a critical level of delusion. Therefore, a person's strength and peace are directly proportional to their intention and spiritual development.

You should remember that life ultimately teaches evolution. This is a process. It is both easy and difficult.

Without leaving aside dependencies, expectations and comparisons, pure and genuine love cannot flourish in the person who overcomes his ego. It bears no fruit.

A being that does not bear fruit with genuine love does not grow and develop. Because in order to grow and develop, it is not a choice but a necessity to be productive. This is also the prerequisite for a vibrant and fulfilling life.

As the writer Robert Burton (1577-1640) put it: “To keep the light of our soul alive is our greatest and most important struggle in this world.”