Hi Tad,
From what I have seen, the rule of the nonphysical (if not, also, often the physical...) is that "like attracts like." If you are wise, noble, and just, you will be attracted to locations where those of a similar temperament congregate. If you are violent, fraudulent, and ignoble, you will be attracted to those similar locations. Ah, and for the ignoble, what a great reward to be with those who are like you...!
You can even see a similar operation of this principle here. Notice how you have been attracted to this particular forum with this group of people. As Jeff would say, there are very few mystics in the world, as most are not interested in this path; also, that those mystics have a particular/unique type of "IQ." Notice how utterly ignored and unnoticed this discussion group is. And yet, we find a group of people who are very serious about the spiritual quest here, at least in the English-speaking world.
For general practice, I would say the 10 Commandments, or any of the general ethical prescriptions - "do unto others" - or the Buddhist suttas' / Yogic sutras' prescriptions against killing, theft, fraud, adultery, and so on are the best means to a positive rebirth.
According to Buddhism, the attainment of stream-entry is the ideal... to do that, the scriptures prescribe: (1) the overcoming of doubt that there is a noble path to salvation; (2) the vision that all the external rites and rituals (I think of the Hasids here, for instance...) do not bring merit (this reorients you toward being much more efficient in your spiritual work than the so-called "devout" are); and (3) overcoming identity view, the gross identification with the body, form, matter, and so forth.
