"The degree of freedom from unwanted thoughts and the degree of concentration on a single thought are the measures to gauge spiritual progress"

This quote by Ramana Maharshi speaks to the idea that spiritual progress is determined by the degree of liberty from unwanted thoughts and the degree of concentration on a single idea. This recommends that the more one is able to free themselves from sidetracking and unfavorable ideas, and the more one has the ability to focus on a single idea, the more spiritually advanced they become. This could be translated as a call to practice mindfulness and meditation, as these activities can assist to clear the mind of unwanted thoughts and focus on a single thought. In addition, this quote could be translated as a pointer to be mindful of our thoughts and to be familiar with how our thoughts can affect our spiritual development. By being mindful of our thoughts and aiming to complimentary ourselves from undesirable ideas, we can make development on our spiritual journey.