First, consider a young person who has just discovered something they like and agree with. They may well be - if they are stereotypical :) - enthusiastic and tend to preach of the advantages of this matter to the entire world, not conceiving for a moment that the rest of the world may well have already discovered and considered the matter, with some finding it compatible, useful and having refined it beyond the dreams of the person concerned, and others finding it genuinely incompatible, no matter how they work at it. (Actually, this applies to most people irrespective of age ... )
Someone who has a more mature attitude to anything which is new that they have come across will be aware that others are quite likely to have found this before, and that, due to the natural and valid variation in the world, some will not find the matter useful, and others are simply at a point in their lives where they do not have an interest in the matter - and that is OK, even if the matter concerned could be of benefit to them owing to their right to free will.
The mature person is more likely to discuss such matters calmly, with equanimity as my Guides would say :) , whereas the young person wishes only to push their point of view, and seek converts to their point of view. (Oddly enough, I have observed that the need for converts often reflects an inner doubt ... )
If someone has an immature view on a matter for a very, very long time, they may develop what I call an "old" attitude: they have become rigidly fixated on their point of view, and have locked out the possibility of change. That rigid fixation could also involve seeking converts.
To me, much of Christianity (not all of it - the Metropolitan Community Church is one example I would give of a form of Christianity that is NOT old, as it is more inclusive and responsive to change than other versions of Christianity; I used to consider Anglicanism more mature than old, but that is changing now over the refusal to accept same sex attracted priests) seems to have what I would call an "old" attitude towards spirituality: their view is the only acceptable viewpoint, and they need to actively acquire converts to reassure them that they are on the correct path. I consider the Roman Catholic Church to generally have a "old" attitude, but some parts of it do not - for example, in South America, and some of the recent pronouncements of their Pope.
On the other hand, much of paganism and some of Buddhism in Asia seems to me to fit more into the category of having a "mature" attitude towards spirituality. Converts are not required to be actively sought, although Buddhism in the West seems to have taken on the unsavoury practice amongst some of its Western adherents of doing exactly that (the attitudes of recent converts to Buddhism is one of the things which turned me against that form of spiritual expression: I came across to many people who were studying this for the head knowledge, not changing themselves or applying it in their everyday life - and one particularly obnoxious person I came across when organising a conference on queer spirituality sealed my poor opinion of many of these people), and debates may be more open - certainly I have found that in parts of paganism (e.g. the Witches' Voice website debates and points of view, which cover a reasonable range and allow quite a few people a chance to have a say [including me], although the Wild Hunt blog probably covers more controversial aspects), and there have been unsavoury aspects of this in Buddhism, such as the Dalai Lama's banning of the Dorje Shugden sect.
Some of my main affirmations are around me having, manifesting and facilitating more peace, love, joy, respect and honour in the world: these day I ALWAYS qualify that to be the mature version of those characteristics, not the naive, unduly enthusiastic, proselytising versions that have, for instance, tainted too much the New Age movement.
Finally, as another example of "old" vs. mature, I used to do a little judo when I was younger. Whenever people ask me what colour belt I attained, I say "grey" - a very, very, very OLD white belt :)
Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr
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Tags: maturity, spirituality, love, peace, joy, honour, respect, affirmations, chant,
First published: Sunnudagr, 13th February, 2011
Last edited: Sunday, 13th February, 2011
