Vishen LakhianiFounder of Mindvalley | NYT Bestselling Author | Transforming Lives Globally

True spirituality goes beyond meditation

20 Apr 2026 · 1 min

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In this excerpt from Vishen Lakhiani’s talk, he argues that authentic spiritual practice cannot be limited to passive meditation; it must be driven by a clear vision for the future. He cites historical spiritual leaders—Buddha, Moses, Muhammad, Paramahansa Yogananda, and Mother Teresa—as examples of individuals whose transformative impact stemmed from a concrete vision they sought to create. Lakhiani then outlines a three‑part model of manifestation: (1) intention, the conscious desire; (2) destiny, the soul’s deeper purpose; and (3) the surrounding world’s energy, encompassing environment, cultural context, and collective consciousness (e.g., feng shui). He emphasizes that aligning these three elements is essential for manifesting outcomes, and that the specificity of one’s vision should match what is being manifested.

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Buddha preached because Buddha wanted to change the institutions of that time, the way the rich and the poor were. Moses wanted to free his people. Muhammad wanted to conquer and spread Islam to the world. Paramahansa Yogananda came to America to spread the wisdom of India. All of these people had a vision for a future they wanted to create, and that's really important. Mother Teresa wanted to feed millions of people. So if you really want to practice your spiritualness, you can't just be sitting on your meditation cushion. You got to have a vision for the future. How much should you be specific? How much should you be unspecific? Well, it depends on what you're manifesting. What we manifest in the world comes from 3 different parts of our being. There is our intention, which is what we desire, but that's only 1/3. Then there is our destiny, which is what our soul wants to experience. That's one third. And then the third piece is the energy of the world around us. Our home, you know, the Chinese call this feng shui, the people, group consciousness, our culture, our society. So when you're manifesting, all three of these pieces are coming together.