Old Soul, Young Soul
December 27, 2023 • Conversations on the Spiritual Path
If I can accept myself for where I am in my evolution, then I can accept others for where they are in their evolution.
As a Hindu and from personal experiences, I believe and subscribe to the concept of reincarnation. Simply said, reincarnation describes a belief that we are a soul living in a physical body. When the physical body dies, the soul continues on and, in due time, reincarnates again in another physical body. That’s just the high-level gist of it. There are endless ramifications to this belief.
Keeping reincarnation in mind, we can then understand that everyone is at a different point in their evolution. Some are more mature than others and a little further along on the path, and others are still stumbling and finding their foothold in this journey of evolution.
The decisions we make, the perspectives we have on life, and the world around us are all based on where we are in our evolution. A less evolved person may see the world as being in turmoil and have a deep sense of hopelessness about him. A more evolved soul may see a bright future, the path to it, and the actions that are needed to be taken to manifest it.
Over two decades ago, sitting with my guru one day, I asked him, “How do you tell the difference between an old soul and a young soul?” His response was concise but infinitely clear: “By how they react to life’s experiences.”
A younger soul may react poorly to a situation, as he is less able to control his awareness in his mind. A mature soul, who has worked on herself consistently over many lifetimes, will respond more positively to an experience because she has better control over her awareness.
For example, if someone said to a young soul, “Your dress looks ugly!”, the young soul may react in an uncontrollable way and respond with, “Well, you dress like a tramp!” An older soul may respond with, “Well, you’ve given me the perfect reason to go shopping. Thank you!”
So, if I can accept myself for where I am in my evolution, then I can accept others for where they are in their evolution. And accepting does not mean approving; it just means acknowledging where one is in their unfoldment. And based on where they are, that is how they will react to life’s experiences. If those reactions are poor, then it behooves us to lovingly and compassionately guide and steer them in the right direction… should they be open to it.
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