Understanding the Self

GE 9

CHAPTER II
UNPACKING THE SELF

LESSON III: SUPERNATURALS: BELIEVE IT OR NOT?

Lesson Objectives:

1. Identify the various religious practices and beliefs

2. Understand the self in relation with religious beliefs
3. Explain ways of finding the meaning of life

SPIRITUAL SELF
 One of the four constituents of self according to William James.
 It is the most intimate, inner subjective part of self because of the satisfaction experienced when thinking of one’s ability to
argue and discriminate, of one’s moral sensibility and conscience and purer than all other sentiments of satisfaction.

The ability to use moral sensibility and conscience may be seen through the expressions of religion, beliefs and practices. In the same
manner, cultural rituals and ceremonies are some manifestations of what people believe in. Seeking the meaning of life is a journey that
the spiritual self is on.

RELIGION
 Set of cultural beliefs and practices that usually includes some or all the following basic characteristics (Rebecca Stain, 2011)

A. Characteristics of Religion
1. A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural beings such as spirits and gods
2. A focus on the sacred supernatural, where sacred refers to a feeling of reverence or awe.
3. The presence of supernatural power or energy that is found on supernatural beings as well as physical beings and objects.
4. The performance of ritual activities that involves the manipulation of sacred object to communicate to supernatural beings
and/ or to influence or control events
5. The articulation of world view and moral codes through narratives and other means
6. Provides the creation and maintenance of social bonds and mechanism of social control within a community; provide
explanation for unknown and a sense of control for individuals.

RITUAL
 The performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a tradition or sacred law (Britannica)
 It is a specific, observable mode of behavior exhibited by all known societies

A. Characteristics of Ritual
1. A feeling or emotion of respect, awe, fascination, or dread in relation to the sacred
2. Dependence upon a belief system that is usually expressed in the language of myth
3. Symbolic in relation to its reference.

SOME WORLD RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND PRACTICES

I. BUDDHISM
A. Beliefs
- Life is composed of sufferings, pain and frustrations
Reactive Cycle – wanting and hating, like and dislike, craving and aversion
Meditation – needed to break the cycle

B. History
- Founded by Siddhartha Gautama who was born from a noble family, a king and a queen who found enlightenment in
meditation in a fig tree at Gaya for 49 days.

C. Customs and Practices

- Two types of meditation practices
1. Samatha – mindfulness of breathing and development of loving kindness
2. Vipassana – practices aim at developing insight into reality.

D. Celebrations
1. Paninirvana Day (February)
2. Buddha/ Wesak Day (May)
3. Dharma Day (July)
4. Padmasambhava Day (October)
5. Sangha Day (November)
Four Noble Truths in Buddhism
1. Dukkha – the truth of suffering
2. Samudaya – the truth of the cause of suffering
3. Nirodha – the truth of the end of suffering
4. Magga – the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering
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The Eightfold Path or the Middle Way in Buddhism

1. Right View (know the truth)
2. Right Intentions (free your mind of evil)
3. Right Speech (say nothing that hurt others)
4. Right Action (work for the good of others)
5. Right livelihood (respect life)
6. Right Effort (resist in evil)
7. Right Concentration (practice meditation)
8. Right mindfulness (control your thoughts)

II. CHRISTIANITY
A. History (Timeline)
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
63 BCE at Roman Jesus was John the Jesus started Jesus was Christianity Vision of Christianity
the Occupation born in Baptist ministry at arrested, Spread Constantine became the
Kingdom of Bethlehem baptized 30 crucified and official
Judea Jesus resurrected religion of
Rome

B. Beliefs
- Trinitarian God – one God in three personas (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit)
- Holy Bible

C. Customs and Traditions

- Sacrament of Baptism (birth to Christian World)
- Sacrament of Communion (act of remembering Jesus’ sacrificial love)

D. Celebrations
- Christmas
- Resurrection

III. HINDUISM
A. History
- Oldest practicing religion known to human beings (6000 -4000 BCE)
- Started at the Indus-Valley civilization
- Least dogmatic

B. Beliefs
- Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death and rebirth, governed by Karma – a concept where the reincarnated
life will depend on how the past life was spent.
- Vedas are their sacred scriptures

C. Celebrations
1. Diwali (festival of Lights)
2. Navrati (festival of nine nights, celebrating the triumph of good over evil)

D. 6 Basic Hindu Principles

1. Truth is eternal
2. Brahman is Truth and Reality
3. The Vedas are the ultimate authority
4. Everyone should strive to achieve dharma
5. Individual souls are immortal
6. The goal of individual soul is moksha

E. Caste System
- You are born into a caste depending on your karma
Brahman – Priests
Kshatriya – warriors, kings
Vaishya – merchants, landowners
Sudra – commoners, peasants, servants
Untouchable/ Outcaste – street sweepers, latrine cleaners
IV. ISLAM
A. History

Mohammed was born in year 572

Met a Christian in Syria
Visited by Archangel Gabriel in Hira Cave in 610
Had the greatest revelation in 620
Ascends to heaven and descents to earth
Moved in Medina
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GE 9

Return to Mecca and destroyed pagan belief

Muslims grew in number

B. Beliefs
- Muslims believe in Allah who is their “One God”
- Believes in Ummah or a strong sense of community
- Islam means “willing submission to God”
- Quran is their holy book consisting of 114 surahs written and prayed in Arabic

C. Customs and Practices

Five Pillars of Islam
1. Shahadah – statement of faith
“There is no God but the one true God and Mohammed is the messenger”
2. Salat – the prayer that is practiced five times a day
3. Zakat – the monetary offering for the benefit of the poor
4. Hajj – the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca
5. Sawn – the fasting from dawn to sunset during Ramadan

D. Celebrations
1. Eidul – Fitr – celebration at the end of Ramadan
2. Eidul – Adha – celebrated within the completion of Hajj

V. JUDAISM
A. History

Root of Christianity and Islam

Started with Abraham’
Abraham was tested
Sons were circumcised
Abraham left Mesopotamia
People became slaves in Egypt
Pharaoh exiled the Hebrews
Moses was found by Egyptian princess
Moses led the people out of Egypt
10 Commandments
Reached Israel after 40 years
Kingdom was divided into two
Assyrian empire invaded Israel
Babylonian empire destroyed tower of Solomon
40, 000 exiles returned to Jerusalem
Hanukkah tradition

B. Beliefs
- The Jews believe in God of Abraham, the same God that liberated Hebrew slaves from Egypt to Canaan, the Promised
Land through the leadership of Moses
- The Jews believe in the coming of the Messiah the Savior
- The sacred scripture is called the Torah or the Law. It is their guide to the Jewish living

C. Customs and Practices

1. Rosh Hashanah – the New Year
2. Yom Kippur – the day of atonement
3. Pesach – Passover
4. Sukkot-Tabernacles

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.

FINDING AND CREATING THE MEANING OF LIFE

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of
circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Viktor E. Frankl

Basic Concepts of Franklian Psychology

 Life has meanings under all circumstances
 Main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in our life
 Freedom to find meaning

LOGOTHERAPY
 Psychotherapy introduced by Dr. Viktor Frankl
 Believes that “man’s primary motivational force is search for meaning
 Use the philosophy of optimism in the face of tragedy
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GE 9

LOGOTHERAPY ASSUMPTIONS
1. The human being is an entity consisting of body, mind and spirit
2. Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable
3. People have a will to meaning
4. People have freedom under all circumstances to activate the will to find meaning.
5. The individual is unique

FRANKL’s SOURCE OF MEANING

1. Purposeful work. Finding meaning of life starts with holding a future goal.
2. Courage in the face of difficulty.
3. Love. It is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his personality

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Name: __________________________________________ Date: _______________________

RN/Section: ______________________________________ Chapter: ____ Lesson: _______

ACTIVITY NO 7
Supernaturals: Believe it or Not?

General Directions
 Answer the following comprehensively based from what you understood. DO NOT COPY PASTE from the lecture. Copy
paste answers will only be given 1 point.
 Be mindful of spellings.
 You can have your answer in a form of picture or screenshot just make sure that it is readable but if you can pass it in pdf
form, please do so with your name and section as file name.
 The deadline will always be at 11:59 pm of the set date. For circumstances where you can’t pass it on the given date,
please coordinate with your leaders.
 For other questions regarding the course, please coordinate with me.
 Leaders can send me the compiled answers of their members through my g-mail, elmajanemitante08@gmail.com, my
facebook account or our private facebook group.
 Understanding the Self
GE 9

1. Identify and explain one practice of your religion. (5pts)

2. From the five world’s religious beliefs and practices given, which one are you most disapproved of? Explain why or in a very
respectful manner. (5pts)
3. Choose one from Frankl’s sources of meaning of life. Explain how it is true. (5pts)
4. At this point of time, what do you think is the meaning of your life? (5pts)

Note: Please submit on or before 11:59 pm of May 16, Saturday.