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Module 2 Lesson 8. Unpacking the Self: The Spiritual Self

Competencies ● Discuss Spirituality and its importance

● Understand the self in relation with religious beliefs
● Explain ways of finding the meaning of life

Discussion Introduction

The spiritual self is the most intimate, inner subjective part of the
self. In William James book, The Principles of Psychology Spiritual self is
one of the four constituents of the “self”. In his famous Sermon on the
Mount, Jesus said: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.”
You probably agree with that statement. People everywhere recognize the
need for spirituality in their life and assume that once found, it will bring
them happiness. It is the most intimate version of the self because of the
satisfaction experienced when thinking of one’s ability to argue and
discriminate, of one’s moral sensibility and conscience, and of our
unconquerable will (James 1890) is purer than all other sentiments of
satisfaction. Moreover, seeking the meaning of life is a journey that the
spiritual self is on.

In Search of Spirituality

One dictionary defines spirituality as “sensitivity or attachment to

religious values” and “the quality or state of being spiritual.” Thus, such
terms as “spirituality,” “being spiritual,” or “being spiritually-minded” are
viewed as synonymous. To clarify the term further, think of this
comparison: An individual who is skillful in commercial affairs is said to
be business-minded. Similarly, someone who keenly values spiritual or
religious interests is called spiritually-minded.

How, then, is true spirituality achieved? Though just about every religion
claims to know the path to spirituality, the directions given are about as
numerous as the religions themselves. A Protestant claims to be saved at
a revival meeting. A Catholic seeks communion with God at Mass. A
Buddhist pursues enlightenment through meditation. A Hindu strives for
release from the cycle of rebirths through self-denial. Are all of these on
the path to true spirituality? Are any?

For many, the answer to those questions is no. They hold that spirituality
means to “believe without belonging,” that is, to believe in a god or a deity
without belonging to a church. Others feel that spirituality refers, not to a
religious experience, but to a desire for inner peace and for meaning in
life. They assert that those seeking spirituality need not look to religion at
all. Rather, they need only to look inwardly to their innermost feelings.
One writer says: “True spirituality is something that is found deep within
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oneself. It is your way of loving, accepting and relating to the world and
people around you. It cannot be found in a church or by believing in a
certain way.”

Clearly, people differ greatly in their ideas about spirituality. Thousands of

books claim to show the way to a spiritual life, yet all too often readers are
left feeling unfulfilled and confused. 

Religion—How Did It Begin?

The history of religion is as old as the history of man himself. That is what
archaeologists and anthropologists tell us. Even among the most
“primitive,” that is to say, undeveloped, civilizations, there is found
evidence of worship of some form. In fact The New Encyclopædia
Britannica says that “as far as scholars have discovered, there has never
existed any people, anywhere, at any time, who were not in some sense
religious.”

Besides its antiquity, religion also exists in great variety. The headhunters
in the jungles of Borneo, the Eskimos in the frozen Arctic, the nomads in
the Sahara Desert, the urban dwellers in the great metropolises of the
world—every people and every nation on earth has its god or gods and its
way of worship. The diversity in religion is truly staggering.

Logically, questions come to mind. From where did all these religions
come? Since there are marked differences as well as similarities among
them, did they start independently, or could they have developed from one
source? In fact we might ask: Why did religion begin at all? And how? The
answers to these questions are of vital importance to all who are
interested in finding the truth about religion and religious beliefs.

Question of Origin

 
When it comes to the question of origin, people of different religions think
of names such as Muḥammad, the Buddha, Confucius, and Jesus. In
almost every religion, we can find a central figure to whom credit is given
for establishing the ‘true faith.’ Some of these were iconoclastic reformers.
Others were moralistic philosophers. Still others were selfless folk heroes.
Many of them have left behind writings or sayings that formed the basis of
a new religion. In time what they said and did was elaborated,
embellished, and given a mystic aura. Some of these leaders were even
deified.

Even though these individuals are considered founders of the major

religions that we are familiar with, it must be noted that they did not
actually originate religion. In most cases, their teachings grew out of
existing religious ideas, even though most of these founders claimed
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divine inspiration as their source. Or they changed and modified existing

religious systems that had become unsatisfactory in one way or another.

For example, as accurately as history can tell us, the Buddha had been a
prince who was appalled by the suffering and deplorable conditions he
found surrounding him in a society dominated by Hinduism. Buddhism
was the result of his search for a solution to life’s agonizing problems.
Similarly, Muhammad was highly disturbed by the idolatry and
immorality he saw in the religious practices around him. He later claimed
to have received special revelations from God, which formed the Qurʼān
and became the basis of a new religious movement, Islām. Protestantism
grew out of Catholicism as a result of the Reformation that began in the
early 16th century, when Martin Luther protested the sale of indulgences
by the Catholic church at that time.

Thus, as far as the religions now in existence are concerned, there is no

lack of information regarding their origin and development, their founders,
their sacred writings, and so on. But what about the religions that existed
before them? And the ones even before those? If we go back far enough in
history, we will sooner or later be confronted with the question: How did
religion begin? Clearly, to find the answer to that question, we must look
beyond the confines of the individual religions.

Different yet Similar

We can get the answer in the same way that linguistic experts got their
answers about the origin of language. By placing the languages side by
side and noting their similarities, an etymologist can trace the various
languages back to their source. Similarly, by placing the religions side by
side, we can examine their doctrines, legends, rituals, ceremonies,
institutions, and so on, and see if there is any underlying thread of
common identity and, if so, to what that thread leads us.

On the surface, the many religions in existence today seem quite different
from one another. However, if we strip them of the things that are mere
embellishments and later additions, or if we remove those distinctions
that are the result of climate, language, peculiar conditions of their native
land, and other factors, it is amazing how similar most of them turn out to
be.

For example, most people would think that there could hardly be any two
religions more different from each other than the Roman Catholic Church
of the West and Buddhism of the East. However, what do we see when we
put aside the differences that could be attributed to language and culture?
If we are objective about it, we have to admit that there is a great deal that
the two have in common. Both Catholicism and Buddhism are steeped in
rituals and ceremonies. These include the use of candles, incense, holy
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water, the rosary, images of saints, chants and prayer books, even the
sign of the cross. Both religions maintain institutions of monks and nuns
and are noted for celibacy of priests, special garb, holy days, special foods.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but it serves to illustrate the point.
The question is, Why do two religions that appear to be so different have
so many things in common?

As enlightening as the comparison of these two religions turns out to be,

the same can be done with other religions. When we do so, we find that
certain teachings and beliefs are almost universal among them. Most of us
are familiar with such doctrines as the immortality of the human soul,
heavenly reward for all good people, eternal torment for the wicked in an
underworld, purgatory, a triune god or a godhead of many gods, and a
mother-of-god or queen-of-heaven goddess. Beyond these, however, there
are many legends and myths that are equally commonplace. For example,
there are legends about man’s fall from divine grace owing to his illicit
attempt to achieve immortality, the need to offer sacrifices to atone for sin,
the search for a tree of life or fountain of youth, gods and demigods who
lived among humans and produced superhuman offspring, and a
catastrophic flood that devastated nearly all of humanity.

What can we conclude from all of this? We note that those who believed in
these myths and legends lived far from one another geographically. Their
culture and traditions were different and distinct. Their social customs
bore no relationship to one another. And yet, when it comes to their
religions, they believed in such similar ideas. Although not every one of
these peoples believed in all the things mentioned, all of them believed in
some of them. The obvious question is, Why? It was as if there was a
common pool from which each religion drew its basic beliefs, some more,
some less. With the passage of time, these basic ideas were embellished
and modified, and other teachings developed from them. But the basic
outline is unmistakable.

Logically, the similarity in the basic concepts of the many religions of the
world is strong evidence that they did not begin each in its own separate
and independent way. Rather, going back far enough, their ideas must
have come from a common origin. What was that origin?

Some World Religious Beliefs & Practices

There are different religions with different beliefs & practices. Some
of the major world religions are Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam
and Judaism.

BUDDHISM
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Beliefs
Buddhism believes that life is not a bed of roses. Instead, there are
suffering, pain, frustrations. When people suffer, they want to experience
the goodness of life and avoid disappointments. It becomes a habit known
as the reactive cycle of wanting and hating, like and dislike, and craving
and aversion. This reactive cycle can be broken through the practice of
mediation, acquiring more wisdom and deeper understanding, and
acceptance of things as they are.
Customs and Practices
There are two types of meditation practices: samatha and vipassana.
Samatha is practiced as mindfulness of breathing and development of
loving- kindness (Metta Bhavana). Vipassana practices aim at developing
insight into reality. Acquiring wisdom is by studying Buddha’s teaching.
The Dharma. Through the reflection of the Dharma.
Buddhists can achieve a deeper understanding of life. Buddhists believe
in non-violence principle.
Some of the major Buddhist celebrations are Parinirvana Day in February;
Buddha Day (Wesak) in May; Dharma Day in July; Padmasambhava Day
in October; and Sangha Day in November.

CHRISTIANITY

Beliefs
Christians believe in Trinitarian God. One God in three personas:
God the Father (Creator), God the Son (Savior), and God the Holy Spirit
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(Sustainer). Eternal life after death will be achieved through faith in Jesus
Christ. Jesus Christ is, God the Son, who came into flesh, to spread the
Good News of Salvation. He died on the Cross for the sin of the humanity
but resurrected from the death, so that anyone who believes in Him will
be saved and have eternal life. The Holy Bible is a selection of books,
which is divided into two, the Old Testament and New Testament.

Customs and Practices

Sacrament of Baptism and Sacrament of Communion are practiced
by Christian churches. The sacrament of Baptism symbolizes the birth in
Christian world, while the sacrament of communion is an act of
remembrance of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial love. Jesus Christ teaching in
unconditional love that is expressed in loving the poor, oppressed, and
outcast of the society.
Christmas and Resurrection (Easter) are the two major celebrations
in Christianity. Christmas, usually on December 25, commemorates the
birth of Jesus Christ while Resurrection Sunday (depends on the lunar
calendar, sometime in March or April) celebrates the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from death.

HINDUISM

Beliefs
Hinduism covers a wide range of traditional beliefs and religious
groups; thus there is no single founder or leader. Hindus believe that
existence is a cycle of birth, death and rebirth, governed by Karma. Karma
is a concept where the reincarnated life will depend on how the past life
was spent. Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of
successive lives and its next incarnation is always dependent on how the
previous life was lived. Vedas are sacred scriptures of Hindus.
Mahabharata and Ramayana are two other important texts of the Hindus.

Customs and Practices

Diwali and Navrati are the most celebrated festivals of the Hindus.
Diwali is the Festival of Lights while Navrati is the festival of nine nights,
which celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Hindus have set dates to
honor particular manifestations of Gods.

ISLAM

Beliefs
Muslims believe in Allah, who is their “One God.” They believe in the
unity and universality of God. Muslims also have a strong sense
community or “ummah” and an awareness of their solidarity with all
Muslims worldwide. Islam means “willing submission to God.”
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Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last and final prophet sent by
God. Mohammed was born in Mecca in 570 CE and received revelations
from God through the Angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years. The Holy
Book of Islam is called the Quran, which was taught to be recited in
Arabic because any translation is seen as inadequate.

Customs and Practices

Muslims believe in the five pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of
Muslims life:

1. Shahadah- statement of faith: “There is no God but the one true

God and Mohammed is his messenger.”
2. Salat- the prayer that is practiced five times a day.
3. Zakat- the monetary offering for the benefit of the poor. It
compromises the 2.5% of a Muslim’s assets.
4. Hajj- the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims who can afford are
asked to do the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
5. Sawm- the fasting. Muslims do fasting, from food, drink and sexual
act, during the celebration of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth
month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The fast is from dawn to
sunset.
Two of the major festivals in Islam are:
Eidul-Fitr is the celebration at the end of Ramadan while
Eidul-Adha is celebrated within the completion of the Pilgrimage, the Hajj.

Hajj, the Pilgrimage to Mecca

JUDDAISM
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Beliefs
The Jews believe in the God of Abraham, the same God that liberated the
Hebrew slaves from Egypt to Canaan, the Promised Land through the
leadership of Moses and later, Joshua.

The Jews believe in the coming of Messiah the Savior. The sacred
scripture of the Jews is called the Torah of the Law. The Torah is the
guide of the Jewish living. The study and interpretation of Torah is part of
the Jewish culture.

Customs and Practices

There are five major festivals observed by the Jews:
1. Rosh Hashanah- the New Year
2. Yom Kippur- the Day of Atonement
3. Pesach- Passover
4. Shavuot- Pentecost
5. Sukkot- Tabernacles. The Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday evening
at sunset and is an important time when families gather to the
Shabbat meal.

Religious beliefs, rituals, practices, and customs are all part of the
expression of the spiritual self. What to believe and how to manifest the
belief is entirely dependent on the individual, to the self. A person might
believe that there is a higher being, a supernatural being, usually termed
as God, but not necessarily wants to be affiliated or identified with a
certain religious group. Others may have religious beliefs and practices
which are perceived to be contrary to the practices of other groups.
Religious beliefs and practices, therefore, are formed relative to its context
and culture.

Shabbat meal Rosh Hashanah Pesach

Religious beliefs, rituals, practices, and customs are all part of the
expression of the spiritual self. What to believe and how to manifest the
belief is entirely dependent on the individual, to the self. A person might
believe that there is a higher being, a supernatural being, usually termed
as God, but not necessarily wants to be affiliated or identified with a
certain religious group. Others may have religious beliefs and practices
which are perceived to be contrary to the practices of other groups.
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Religious beliefs and practices, therefore, are formed relative to its context
and culture.

The Need for Meaning

It is man alone of all earth’s creatures that raises the question, Does life
have any meaning? Every generation has pondered it. If the need for
meaning were not inherent in man, the question would not have haunted
him through the centuries.

If life is so fleeting and followed by a future of oblivion, how could it have

meaning? But the need for meaning and permanence is so great that
doctrines of immortal souls and reincarnations are seized upon. Many feel
the need to make this present life memorable by leaving something of
themselves behind—a book, a painting, a musical composition, an
endowment, a foundation, anything to give some kind of tangible evidence
of their having been here. It seems to help them to feel that there was
some meaning to their existence. Even those who made a name for
themselves fade from memory as they are eclipsed by prominent ones now
living. 
In spite of man’s tininess in universal space, however, and his fleeting
appearance in the stream of time, he still needs to feel his life is
meaningful. This springs from the way he was created. It is an inborn
need. Viktor Frankl, the psychiatrist who originated the psychiatric
school of logotherapy, which he defines as meaning-therapy, says: “The
striving to find a meaning in one’s life is the primary motivational force in
man.”

Making Lives Meaningful

By Setting Goals
“Hitch your wagon to a star,” advises the old saying. Goals of high
purpose give meaningful direction to our life; keep us from drifting,
floundering or stagnating. Human creatures are goal-oriented. Setting
goals aids progress and strengthens purpose. Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl,
in “Man’s Search for Meaning,” writes of the importance of goals even in
Nazi concentration camps: “Any attempt to restore a man’s inner strength
in the camp had first to succeed in showing him some future goal.”
He tells of two men in camp who had decided to commit suicide—
what did they have to live for? But when one realized his adored child was
waiting for him, and the other had a series of scientific books to finish,
both chose to live. “There is nothing in the world; I venture to say,” Frankl
wrote, “that would so effectively help one to survive even the worst
conditions, as the knowledge that there is a meaning in one’s life.”

If this is true in “the worst conditions,” how much more so would

setting goals and striving to reach them help people in their day-to-day
living!
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By Doing Work
Goals in themselves, however, mean little. Only when they are
accompanied by deeds do they have real meaning. A farmer may have as a
goal the harvesting of a certain crop, but to attain that goal he must sow
seed and do all the additional work needed to produce and bring in the
crop. 

Even children benefit from work. Professor Alice Rossi, a sociologist at the
University of Massachusetts, urged parents to give children work in the
home: “To feel needed and useful is as important as to feel loved. Yet our
child-rearing ideas have stressed only love and the child’s need to play,
neglecting the work children can do.”

By Minding Spiritual Things

Purpose and meaning are based in the things of the spirit, not the flesh.
Frankl wrote of the ability to resist the tortures of the concentration
camps because of spiritual strength: “The consciousness of one’s inner
value is anchored in higher, more spiritual things, and cannot be shaken
by camp life.” Why do successful executives, materially well off, change
careers in mid-life? Psychologist Levinson said that they begin to ask: “Is
this all there is? Was it worth all I had to give up along the way? Do I want
to go on like this for the rest of my life?”

It is the awareness of a person’s spiritual need and the fulfilling of that

that brings happiness and meaning to his life. 

By a Right Attitude
Do you work toward a goal with confidence and vigor, not doubting or
drifting willy-nilly? Think negative and get negative results; think positive
to get positive results. Doubts are traitors that make us lose what we
might win if we didn’t fear to try. Think on that which is good.
By Serving Others
We feel useful when we help others. It shows we have something to offer.
Useful lives become meaningful lives, viewed so by others as well as by
ourselves. Serving mankind can in itself become a goal and impart
meaning to a person’s life.
Serving God does much more toward enabling us to view our life as
meaningful, even though we are small in a vast universe and exist only in
a tiny fraction of the stream of time.
By Suffering For Righteousness’ Sake
“Suffering ceases to be suffering in some way at the moment it finds a
meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice,” writes Frankl. “Man is even
ready to suffer, on the condition, to be sure, that his suffering has a
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meaning.” What greater meaning could it have than being for
righteousness’ sake?

References Alata, E.J.P. (2018). Understanding the Self. Quezon City: Rex Book Store
Monila, J. and Ramirez, N. (2018). Understanding the Self. Quezon City: C
& E Publishing, Inc.
Magalona, E. and Evelyn S. Sadsad. (2016). Personal Development.
Manila: Mindshapers Co., Inc.
Omas-as, R.L. et. al. (2003). General Sociology, Society, Culture,
Population Dynamic and Gender Development. Bulacan: Trinitas
Publishing, Inc.