Combat with the self from viewpoint of Imam Khomeini

The major lofty goals of messengers and highest of their ideals have been to invite mass public and society towards guidance and purification of soul.
Another major objective of the messengers has been to convince humanity to make efforts towards understanding divine religion of Islam, which is a submission to God, the Almighty and a complete code of life.
Moreover, the holy book of Quran clearly indicates that salvation of humans depends on adopting piety and relieving themselves form grips of carnal desires.
In accordance with divine-oriented framework, humans will have to relieve themselves from devilish and viciousness habits in order to accomplish their real status and dignity.
The holy book recommends the mankind to decorate themselves with piousness and divine virtues if they are seeking for deliverance and true salvation.   
The Islamic traditions narrated by the holy prophet of Islam and his infallible successors clearly signal that  the combat with the self is great intellect, a sources of ascension, wisdom, self training and purification.
Imam Khomeini through his academic books and works also describes deep understating of the self as a first step towards purification.
A famous book under the title of “the combat with the self” is a collection of lectures delivered by Imam Khomeini during his exile period in the holy city of Najaf. The book shows truth seekers the path towards the spiritual and real mysticism.
It also demonstrates that Imam Khomeini had not given up the idea and struggle for self training and purification even through tough circumstances and conditions.

Imam Khomeini in his workssuggests eight stages for self-training and purification. A brief description of these stages comes as under:

1)     Yaqdha. A type of awakening which helps an exit form negligence
2)     Meditation: At this stage, the truth-seekers meditate and ponder over bounties and signs of God, the final objectives of life and duties the human must carry out before Lord
3)     Determination: The path-pavers will have to carry out divine duties and avoid form all types of sins
4)     Mosharteh: Someone commits not to commit any task which is against the will of God. The truth-seekers set condition for certain time but is extended for longer term.
5)    Moraqaba: The truth-seekers must take care themselves like a kind doctor or nurse against plunging into carnal desires which can cause humiliation
6)     Mohasabah: It is a kind of self-calculation and self-shielding against sin
7)     Tadakur: Believers and faithful remind themselves about good and bad and guard against any type of deviations. They also do remember God’s signs and dignity
8)     Mo’atabah: It is a kinds of criticism of the self in order to keep themselves on right track

It is worthy to mention that Imam Khomeini advises and recommends the faithful people and truth-seekers to undertake serious efforts for self-purification and get rid themselves of bad habits and sins during the youth time. It would be more difficult to correct themselves from spiritual perspectives as they get older.