Spiritual Evolution

betaboy

We accept evolution in the biological sense. But do you also wonder whether some sort of spiritual evolution is going on side by side? Like, each birth is for the soul's evolution - each birth the soul perfects itself, rids itself of some weakness, and so on. And eventually the soul attains total perfection, the highest state it could possibly attain (through evolution), and this state is the height of bliss, knowledge, strength, and so on.

I can only think of one enlightened master (from India a long time ago) thinking along these lines. Are you aware of anyone else, or do you also have similar ideas?

vinlyn

If you mean some natural process that just occurs -- like scientific evolution -- no.

If you mean the evolution of thought through effort, yes.

betaboy

vinlyn said:

If you mean some natural process that just occurs -- like scientific evolution -- no.

If you mean the evolution of thought through effort, yes.

I mean the soul's evolution through multiple births ....... until it attains absolute perfection.

vinlyn

I think no, not that a natural thing.

how

@betaboy
Goggle the Buddhist laws of the universe. One of them supports some of what you are suggesting......Minus your mentioning of a "soul".

Jason

I think there are all kinds of evolutions, evolutions of species, technological evolutions, evolutions in consciousness, etc., none of which are mutually exclusive in my opinion. That said, I don't view any of those evolutionary processes as inherently teleological.

From a Theravadin perspective, the concepts of kamma and rebirth aren't describe in a teleological way, i.e., the progress of any sentient being can and does vary. Causality from the Theravadin point of view is quite complex and non-linear in the sense that the present moment is viewed as being conditioned by both past and present actions which creates multiple feedback loops, meaning that, among other things, there's a complex array of competing events allowing for some causes to produce effects immediately, and some that manifest over a period of time. In addition, this provides the possibility for some results to cancel others out and/or displace others in the queue.

While it's possible that one's trajectory can be progressively purifying, as with someone on the path (especially from stream entry onwards), there's no guarantee that one's rebirths will, or are designed to, evolutionarily progress towards a state of perfection. In fact, the goal is usually described in terms of cutting or transcending this process, not reaching the pinnacle of it.

Jeffrey

No purity
And no impurity
~heart sutra

anataman

What is this soul you talk about @betaboy?