The Gradual Soul

Nothing in nature is ever completely unique. Everything exists on a spectrum, so that any difference at all is only gradual. It is not possible for anything to exist outside of some gradual spectrum as a unique entity in and of itself with any significantly discrete characteristic. Everything has a direct predecessor and decendent of like kind. And, everything evolves, or changes over time.

This is the most basic teaching of Buddhism called transiency. It is an ancient concept, and it cannot be rationally denied. And yet it is so often ignored and even contradicted for foolish reasons.

For example, people frequently claim that the individual “soul” is uniquely human. This is an error of the gravest sort. It pretends to provide a “spiritual” means for us to experience the oneness of the universe, or to “commune with God”. But, instead all it does is instill a deep sense of separation from the spectrum of consciousness that is the source of our being and our “soul”. It teaches us that we are separate to begin with, and therefore we must find a way back.

But we are not separate to begin with. The appearance of separation from the universe, from each other, and from “God”, is only an illusion. We are perpetually joined to everything through a spectrum of consciousness.

It does not matter how you define the soul. If it exists at all, by any definition, then it exists on a gradual spectrum. And, if humans have a soul then in some form so do all other animals, reptiles, and even insects and germs.

If what you believe cannot account for this graduation of the soul, then it accounts for nothing, and you should demand something better to believe... evolve.