Adhikari-bheda: Understanding the doctrine from Indian philosophy

Adhikari-bheda is a marvelous concept from Indian philosophy, formed by adding two Sanskrit words –

Adhikari: Qualified

Bheda: Distinction

It refers to the fact that different individuals have different capabilities of comprehending the same idea.

It allows the interpretation or understanding of the same truth from different viewpoints, instead of giving same prescription for all.

Not everyone is at the same level in their spiritual journey, and it takes a while before reaching the highest ideals. Adhikari Bheda recognizes that everyone is has a gradual and distinct spiritual path to follow, hence it does not a prescribe a uniform method for everyone.

Teachings of classical text like Upanishad, Gita are based around this, as it acknowledges that learning are for people who will be at various stages of their journey.

And the beauty of these ancient learnings is, they are ever so relevant. We all aim for the highest, but it is always a journey. We are at various stages of traversing our own path, and our understand of the same concepts change are as progress. Both the priority and the interpretation of same ideas change as we move along.