Trey Smith
There is a particular word -- spirituality -- that gets tossed around on this blog and others that, to be frank, I am not all the comfortable with. I will grant that my discomfort emanates from the Christian perspective because spirit tends to be a synonym for soul. I, for one, am not convinced that people have souls.
A spirit or soul is one of those things that, at least to this point in time, neither can be proved nor disproved. Consequently, it would seem to fall into the category of speculation or conjecture. While you are free to speculate that a person has a spirit/soul, I am just as free to speculate that we don't.
If, for example, there is no such thing as spirit, then what would spirituality mean? It would be like trying to define loveliness in a world where there is no love or sweetness in a world devoid of anything sweet.
In my mind's eye, the only way an individual truly can embrace the idea of spirit is if you believe that something comes after this life -- an afterlife. It doesn't really matter how you envision this afterlife; you simply need to envision something or, at least, to accept the general notion.
However, if you're a person like me who accepts the idea that no living person can KNOW if such an afterlife exists or not, then what becomes of this concept of spirit/soul? Does one accept it on a provisional basis only (i.e., I accept it until which time I find out it doesn't exist)? Does one just outright reject it?
While it might seem that I lean towards the latter, I think of my position as being smack dab in the middle. Since I submit there is no way to know for sure if a spirit/soul and afterlife exist, I don't concern myself with either concept. It would seem to me to be an utter waste of time.
If they do or don't exist, I'll find out the truth at the appropriate time OR I will never find out. Either way, spending a lot time thinking about it now won't get me any closer to the answer.
Instead of spending time contemplating those variables and factors that I believe are beyond the realm of human comprehension, I try to focus on those aspects of life that I can observe, discern and comprehend. For me, that's an immense challenge in and of itself.
Something to read with tea.
ReplyDeleteThe God issue: We are all born believers
• 21 March 2012 by Justin L. Barrett
Our minds solve fundamental problems in a way that leaves a god-shaped space just waiting to be filled by religion
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Ps article reference for the above comment:
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www.newscientist.com/article/mg21328562.000-the-god-issue-we-are-all-born-believers.
Eric Weiner, in his book "Man Seeks God" made the quip that Taoists fill that god-shaped hole with a hole-shaped god.
ReplyDeleteSpirituality is not about whether there is or is not a soul; spirituality is how people express their longing for something beyond the material and mechanical: love and peace, truth and beauty, balance and harmony, spirit and soul. Evolutionary biologists' dreary pursuit to give Darwinian/genetic explanations of these things in the name of science certainly raise interesting issues, but do not do much more than describe situations. Whether it's God or Dao, prana or qi, nirvana or union with the mind of Dao, these are the expressions of longing, the expressions of the soul.
ReplyDeleteIn many cases the practices are religious. And religious people can be sincere or hypocritical; some grapple with the issues, some just spout meaningless words (which is what I think Shawn was talking about). The most deeply spiritual and religious people (usually of the mystic persuasion) I know are quite familiar with doubt, and reject certainty. That is the characteristic of faith and hope, and requires constant renewal and dedication.
And as you know, I do not subscribe to the philosophical/religious Daoism distinction, and I find it annoying when people say "I'm spiritual but not religious" (all they really mean is they don't fit in some organized church, are not committed to some established doctrine, which is fine, but I would bet they still do things that might be regarded as "religious" --it's just a religion of one).
I probably should have developed this as a separate post, and I may yet, but just had to get these words down.
The word Spirit has about a dozen meanings. Some spiritual, some not. I find it quite paradoxical how spiritual people obsess over their bodies.
ReplyDeleteAre you referring to practices of Taoists (and Shaloin Buddhists and Hindu yogis, for that matter) who include physical cultivation as part of their overall practice? There is a reason for this, and if you do not understand or appreciate this, then you do not understand Taoism. (Unless you are a so-called "philosophical" Taoist.)
DeleteThat's Shaolin...but I rather like the notion of Shaloin...
DeleteI was generalising so yes it could very well cover them.
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