I recently read an article in the TOI Speaking Tree discussing the stages of Spiritual Development that the soul goes through. They were listed as given below:

Age of Innocence
Age of Disillusionment
Age of Responsibility
Age of Keeper hood
Age of Realization

Basically a new born child is the perfect example of the age of innocence. He feels that the world revolves around him and that all exist only to serve him. When the child grows up into a teenager he realizes that the world does not revolve around him and is disillusioned. Then the young adult decides that he must be responsible for fulfilling his own needs and enters the next stage of development.

The parent becomes the keeper of the happiness of his family and eventually he realizes that no matter what he does each person can not be made happy. If his soul develops further he understands that there is no difference between him and the rest of the world to love another there needs to be another. So just be the best you can, and remember everything is related and connected, no one is isolated.

That’s roughly what the article writer had to say. I felt that the chronological advance in a person’s age does not necessarily bring about the related development in the person’s soul. Why else will a grown man pout when he feels that he is not being given adequate attention? I feel that the adult may still be stuck in between the ages of innocence and disillusionment.

While the example given is easy to understand it is also equally untrue in most souls. More than one stage can be functional in a human being. He could be in a state of flux so to say. Take for example one of the most talked about and frustrating stages of a human’s life, the teenage. The teenager at times reaches a stage of disillusionment with his parents and skips to keeper of his friends without ever taking responsibility for is own self. What’s more it feels natural for him to do so as well.

Then one has to deal with the foibles of human frailty and deceit. There are people who know the theory and act the part but in reality are only living a sham. Take for example a so called enlightened man who knows that life is limited and death is inevitable, that a pauper and a prince will be leveled by both. This man still wants to hang onto his creature comforts for as long as he can. He knows that they won’t help him in the long run, but the realization does not alter his behaviour.

So stages of development may exist but moving from one to the next may not happen at will or even with age; then how do you move to the next level? What will help and guide you? Any Answers to that one?