Theos-Talk Archives (October 1997 Message tl00010)

Great question, JRC.  No one seems to have the same answer,
which is telling in itself.  I find the word "advanced" to be
so reductionistic as to be almost useless.  Using astrology as
my main model for individual differences, I find it very hard
to say one person is advanced further than another on any kind
of scale that would reduce all progress to one linear score.
We are all advanced or retarded in a dozen different ways, and
we can learn from those whose levels vary from our own.  E.g.
at Windows I'm retarded, at canoeing I'm moderately advanced,
etc.  The same applies to spiritual gifts.  So what looks
advanced to us is a reflection of our own particular
configuration, as much as an objective measure of the other
person.

All that said, I've observed that those who tend to be
concerned with "advancement" in Theosophical terms tend to be
judgmental, closedminded, and elitist.  None of which rings my
chimes.  Those who do strike me as having crossed some kind of
threshold are relaxed, empathetic, always open to new ideas,
and skilled at communicating with each person at his/her own
level of knowledge and interests.