There is a famous saying that sums up what I am about to discuss. We have all heard the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” This statement is useful for spiritual purposes. Humans make snap judgments of people and situations based on their appearance. These are just surface assessments. They do not represent the total person. What we see about a person through our narrow lens is just the tip of the iceberg. There is much below the surface that we cannot see. It’s difficult for the outsider to see the inner beauty of a person. Our superficial judgments are a hindrance to our spiritual growth. I know this has been said before, but most of us do not realize that we are all beautiful, perfect people on the inside.

The soul is without flaw. Any illness or injury our body carries is not to be found in or on the etheric body. If you suffer from a serious disease such as Lupus, your etheric body will not have it. If you were to leave your body, you would no longer experience the pain associated with that disease. If you have a limb missing, your etheric body will still possess it. The etheric body is very different from its physical counterpart. I will explain why this is important in the next couple of paragraphs.

A person with severe retardation (this may be an archaic term) may seem to us to be very limited. Perhaps that person has trouble doing the ordinary tasks that we take for granted such as making a grocery list. Maybe that person has difficulty with speech. Based on our observations, we might think that this intellectually disabled (as the professionals call this condition) person is missing out on the good experiences in life. We may even think that this person is experiencing very little. That couldn’t be further from the truth. A disabled (I am using the word with a bit of hesitation) person’s experiences are just as intense and enriching as our own. Internally the disabled person is processing valuable experiences that will help in his or her spiritual development. All experiences are valuable. No matter how minor or impressive they may seem. In the afterlife, we realize no experience is better than another. The intellectually disabled person’s experiences are just as worthy as the president’s, or anyone else’s for that matter.

Just as I said the etheric body is free from illness and injury, so it is the same with retardation. The person with a severe intellectual disability in their etheric form is perfect. His or her ability to communicate and function is the same as you or I. The conclusion we come to, is that underneath it all, we are all the same. Yes, we are all special people in our physical form. We have unique personalities. Yet we are inherently equal to one another. We are all perfect beings. We are also perfect on the outside. A person with what we deem to be deformities is truly equal to those that are considered beautiful. Even with our perfection, we are driven to improve. By improving the physical elements of our lives, we are also improving the spiritual aspects. How can one improve on perfection? It’s because there is perfection in change. The transformation from one thing to another is perfection.

This article was inspired by a remarkable boy with tuberous sclerosis.

David Almeida is a Spiritualist and researcher of Rosicrucian philosophy and esoteric knowledge. He is also the author of Illusion of the Body and The First Truth – A Book of Metaphysical Theories. Both books can be purchased at http://Amazon.com. Http://www.bodyaliveprinciple.com

David Almeida is a Spiritualist and researcher of Rosicrucian philosophy and esoteric knowledge. He is also the author of Illusion of the Body and The First Truth – A Book of Metaphysical Theories. Both books can be purchased at http://Amazon.com. Http://www.bodyaliveprinciple.com

Author Bio: David Almeida is a Spiritualist and researcher of Rosicrucian philosophy and esoteric knowledge. He is also the author of Illusion of the Body and The First Truth – A Book of Metaphysical Theories. Both books can be purchased at http://Amazon.com. Http://www.bodyaliveprinciple.com

Category: Religion
Keywords: developmental disability, intellectual disability, retardation, mental retardation, autism