The progress of spiritual thinking over history.

[hallow]

I just had a thought, From my understanding of the evolution of the human. We always didn't seek spiritually throughout history. Also I am sure you all know some people are spiritual thinker's and others are not regardless of what our spiritual beliefs are there all basically the same.
My question is do you think spirituality over time was bred into humans over time in the same fashion as blonde hair for example? I am only asking because humans are the only being on this planet who seems to have this feeling of being spiritual.

[HITESH SHAH]

Originally Posted by hallow

I am only asking because humans are the only being on this planet who seems to have this feeling of being spiritual.

U may probably be right. In the kingdom of God , men's relationship with nature n world is that of fiduciary . In such relationships though technically there is no bar on one but practically every reason is there to use liberty very judiciously and in just manner. That's where man is made in the image of god. And this calls for spirituality.

People who are averse to spirituality are given the species most suited to their preferences

[Busby]

Originally Posted by HITESH SHAH

People who are averse to spirituality are given the species most suited to their preferences

That's a really big jump - needs clarification on your part.

[HITESH SHAH]

Originally Posted by Busby

That's a really big jump - needs clarification on your part.

For God all species are similar. With the capability of language,logic,grammer,mathematics,algorithms,scie nce human species is privileged one. With all this privilege humans enjoy absolutely superior status. With this privileges comes fiduciary relationship other under privileged. Only spirituality can make one aware of such fiduciary relationship n duty with other species. With our kids who are weaker in many ways compared parents for a longer period,parents have fiduciary relationship. Even in animal world ,animals try to protect their children and feel fiduciary relationships in a limited way.

So if one does not like the burden of spiritual obligations, God is very loving n kind to give a specie in our next birth which does not carry all burdens of spirituality. That way he meets the preferences of all and maintains overall equilibrium.

[Busby]

Originally Posted by HITESH SHAH

So if one does not like the burden of spiritual obligations, God is very loving n kind to give a specie in our next birth which does not carry all burdens of spirituality. That way he meets the preferences of all and maintains overall equilibrium.

If I understand rightly you are telling us that some of us can be reborn as animals/insects/even viruses. Or have I misunderstood?
Having a well-thumbed copy of 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead' your input interests me utterly.

Please expand your belief to our goodselves. That bit about equilibrium is also quite fascinating?

[HITESH SHAH]

Originally Posted by Busby

If I understand rightly you are telling us that some of us can be reborn as animals/insects/even viruses. Or have I misunderstood?
Having a well-thumbed copy of 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead' your input interests me utterly.

Please expand your belief to our goodselves. That bit about equilibrium is also quite fascinating?

You have interpreted rightly . Some of us can re-incarnate as animal .
Re-incarnation of souls is the basis on which I which I answer this question.
I understand Tibetan book of the dead is about helping and aiding those dead in further progress of their journey onwards . I dont know much about the book however .

Re-incarnation (and many other happenings in the world ) happens primarily based on following spiritual laws
1. law of attraction /repulsion
2. LAw of justice
3. Law of evolution (different than darvin evolution)
4. Law of universal necessity .

Universe's laws work on auto-pilot mode . Based on properties of our soul , and our deeds , we (our soul ) naturally gravitate towards the parents and species most suited for us after death in some time. God does not intervene arbitrarily as this is and it is acceptable to almost everyone . Despite all privileges of human life , human life too has its share of burdens which other species simply dont have like undergoing education for longer period , search and retaining partner , searching gainful employment , sustaining and nurturing family , abide social/legal norms etc) . So people feeling such burdens naturally develop the liking for a specie which does not have any of these burdens .

Though there are books on after-life in Hinduism also , my knowledge of it is very elementary because religion has to benefit individual and all individuals around now and forever in this life and after life . You can see after-life is just a miniscule portion of religion . So my concentration has been more on other diverse aspects of religion . Minute details like "Tibetan book of dead " may not be available with me and I think you too wont be expecting more detail knowing u & your views on religion .

[hallow]

Humanity's closest living relatives are common chimpanzees and bonobos. These primates share a common ancestor with humans who lived between six and eight million years ago. It is for this reason that chimpanzees and bonobos are viewed as the best available surrogate for this common ancestor. Barbara King argues that while non-human primates are not religious, they do exhibit some traits that would have been necessary for the evolution of religion. These traits include high intelligence, a capacity for symbolic communication, a sense of social norms, realization of "self" of continuity. There is inconclusive evidence that Homo neanderthalensis may have buried their dead which is evidence of the use of ritual. The use of burial rituals is thought to be evidence of religious activity, and there is no other evidence that religion existed in human culture before humans reached behavioral modernity. Other lines of evidence have revealed that Homo neanderthalensis made cave art, which would be a manner of symbolic thinking comparable to the manner required for religious thought.

Elephants demonstrate rituals around their deceased, which include long periods of silence and mourning at the point of death and a process of returning to grave sites and caressing the remains. Some evidence suggests that many species grieve death and loss.

[ayar415]

QUOTE 3 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by hallow

Elephants demonstrate rituals around their deceased, which include long periods of silence and mourning at the point of death and a process of returning to grave sites and caressing the remains. Some evidence suggests that many species grieve death and loss.

You are reading into elephant behavior something you feel in yourself. Anatomically, there is a connection. Emotional bonding is even possible between you and domesticated animals.

Do you think elephants can take leave of their senses and go spiritual like humans do?

[hallow]

Given the information above, add human creativity to that such as art and the ability to write. All of is part of creativity that no other being on earth has besides humans. That probably aided the birth of spiritual thinking. the ability write aided the ability to hand down information to learn from and add to.
It seems that cave painting, the earliest known form of written communication had to take a great deal of creativity, imagination and intelligence. Those may have been a very desirable traits at the time only an extreme few could do. In turn the "natural selection" of life took place and the rest is history.

[Altair]

Category I spirituality: The worship/reverence of nature, the Sun and the Moon, wild animals, trees, and plants as divinities. Being one with nature is the key to happiness.

Category II spirituality: The process of humanizing nature, worship/reverence of half human-animal hybrid deities. The deities are both human-like but also beastly. Category I and II may coexist peacefully.

Category III spirituality: The worship/reverence of exclusive human deities. Obedience to a human-like deity is the key to happiness. The deities are judgemental and heaven is a place of strict law and order, with a managed landscape. Like the human, the deity is a great builder, a mathematician and can feel anger and love. Category I and II are actively discouraged, for the deities are above it and humans should strive to be like the deities.

Category IV spirituality: The worship/reverence of human psychology. Deities are cast aside. Human psychology is the key to happiness. All that exists upon enlightenment is the inner feeling and the human journey is viewed as the crown of spirituality. All previous categories are tolerated but usually rejected as ignorance.