Lesson 3.

The Spiritual Self

The spiritual self is the most intimate, inner subjective part of the self. 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 is purer than all other sentiments of satisfaction. The ability to
use moral sensibility and conscience may be seen through the expressions of the
religion, its beliefs and practices. In the same manner, cultural rituals and ceremonies
are some manifestations what people believe in. moreover, seeking the meaning of life
is a journey that the spiritual self is on.

In search of his identity, man can never do away from considering his spiritual
well- being. For one thing, he is composed of both body and soul. The body points to his
relationship with material world and the soul, his relationship with the spiritual world,
which is the transcendental dimension of life.

What to Expect?

At the end of this lesson, the students is expected to:

1. Articulate ways of finding meaning in life;

2. Explain the Biblical as well as the Filipino understanding of the soul and the spirit;
3. Discuss the significance of the practice of religion in the spiritual life of the
person; and
4. Construct an essay indicating how he/ she could personally and concretely live
the great commandment of love.

The Concept of Spirituality

The spiritual self is our subjective and most intimate self. It is aspect of self which
develops a certain level of spirituality which is deemed as man’s way of seeking as well
as expressing the meaning and purpose of his life. It speaks of the quality of one’s
relationships – with God, self, others, institutions and God’s entire creation, marked by
respect, forgiveness, generous service and prayer. Spirituality leads man to a deeper
communion with the Divine. It is a path of direct and personal connection with the
Divine. It embraces all faiths, social and political ideologies. It aids persons in spiritual,
emotional or physical distress, crisis or discomfort as well as those seeking to make a
significant change in their lives through self-awareness. This can be a healing process
that leads to personal development.

The Spirit and the Soul

These two terms “spirit and soul” are sometimes used interchangeably, they
have distinctions which need to be recognized. The spirit in the Hebrew language is
“ruach or pneuma” in Greek which means breath (esp. the breath of life). The spirit is
described as the disposition of an individual, a person’s habitual attitudes, as man’s
supernatural power which comes from God. Soul on the other hand, is in Hebrew,
“nephesh” or in Greek “psyche”, originally meaning throat or neck, which means “human
life.” In modern psychology, it is described as the “will, mind, the seat of emotion,
conscience.” Both soul and spirit mean life. But soul stands for natural man, while spirit
is the ethical factor which adds the new dimension of relationship with God. Spirit
enables man to serve God and to participate in the supernatural order.

The term used by the Filipinos for spirit is loan word, “espirito or espiritu”, which
is in Visayan term, “ginhawa”, in Tagalog, “hininga”, and in Ilocano, “anges”. The
concept of soul is very familiar to the Filipinos. This is the “nonphysical aspect of the
person”, the complexity of human attributes that manifests as consciousness, thought,
feeling, and will, regarded as distinct from the physical body. In some systems of
religious belief, the soul is the spiritual part of a human being that is believed to continue
to exist after the body dies.

The Filipino Traditional Understanding of Soul

The soul according to the Indigenous Filipino, “kaluluwa, kararwa, kadkadduwa,

all come from the root word “duwa”, which means, two. This is because the soul has two
existences- one physical that is connected to the human body and its life, and the other
spiritual where it exists on its own. The Ilocano “kadkadduwa” is derived from kadduwa,
meaning “companion”. The doubling of “kad” intensifies the nature of companionship.
 The Tagalogs call the soul, “kaluluwa”; the Bagobos, “gimokud”; the Bukidnons,
“makatu”; the Ilokanos, “kadkadduwa or kararwa” (inside the physical body); the
Ilonggos, “dunga” (if person is alive), and “kalag” (if person is dead); and the Visayans,
“dungan” (willpower). For the Cebuanos, the soul is referred to as “kaluha”, and the
Mindoro folks, “karadwa or kalag”. For the Kankanays of Cordillera, “ab-abiik” is the
term used for the spiritual self which is also applicable to trees, stones, rivers, etc.,
which are also believed to have ab-abiik. “Ikararua” for the Ibanag’s soul which has the
role of giving direction and wholeness to the man. When the person is frightened, the
ikararua leaves the body while the body remains alive. A ritual called “mangagakao” is
performed to invite the soul to return to the body. Another involuntary departure of the
soul happens when it is lured or captured by bad spirits or “engkantu”. Sickness is the
effect of temporary loss of the soul and death is the effect of permanent loss.

Finding and Creating Meaning

According to Viktor Emil Frankl, “meaning is something to discover rather than to

invent.” It has the same concept with inner happiness, life satisfaction, self-actualization,
deep spirituality. He believes that in life, there is an “existential vacuum” which means
that life is empty, meaningless, purposeless, aimless, adrift, and so on. Because of this
existential vacuum, we fill our lives with pleasure, eating beyond all necessity, or even
having promiscuous sex.

In Logotheraphy, meaning can be discovered by creating a work or doing a deed,

experiencing something or encountering someone and attitude toward unavoidable
suffering. Logotherapy is a psychotherapy introduced by Dr. Viktor E. Frankl, who is
considered the Father of Logotherapy. The main belief of logotherapy is that “man’s
primary motivational force is search for meaning.” Logotherapy aids individuals to find
personal meaning of life, whatever life situation they may be. It uses the philosophy of
optimism in the face of tragedy, where people are capable of “turning suffering into
human achievement and accomplishment; deriving from guilt the opportunity to change
oneself for the better; and deriving from life’s transitoriness an incentive to take
responsible action.”
 All psychotherapies make philosophical assumptions about the human persons
that cannot be proved with certainty. Viktor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy states the
assumptions of logotherapy, which include the following:

1. The human being is an entity consisting of body, mind, and spirit.

The body and mind are what we have and the spirit is what we are.
2. Life has meaning under all circumstances, even the most miserable.
It is something everyone experiences and it represents an order in a world with
laws that go beyond human laws.
3. People have a will to meaning.
This is our main motivation for living and acting. When we see meaning, we are
ready for any type of suffering.
4. People have freedom under all circumstances to activate the will to find meaning.
This deals with change of attitudes about unavoidable fate
5. Life has a demand quality to which people must respond if decisions are to be
meaningful.
This can be done by following the values of society or by following the voice of
our conscience.
6. The individual is unique.
This is enhanced by the realization that we are irreplaceable.

Three Ways of Discovering Meaning in Life

Viktor Emil Frankl indicates three broad approaches:

a. Experiential Values

This approach involves experiencing something or someone we value. The

most important example of experiential values is the love we feel towards
another- family, relatives, friends, and workmates.

b. Creative Values

This is the traditional existential idea of providing oneself with meaning by

becoming involved in one’s projects, or better, in the project of one’s own life. It
 includes the creativity and passion involved in art, music, writing, inventions, and
works

c. Attitudinal Values

Attitudinal values include practicing virtues such as compassion, bravery, a

good sense of humor, and the like. But Frankl’s most famous example is
achieving meaning by way of suffering. The ultimate goal is self- transcendence,
in the spiritual realm. It is a reference to God, a reference to religion.

Religion

Researches speak of religion as the people’s way of connecting themselves to God

as they search for meaning in life. Rebecca Stein (2011) works on the definition of
“religion” as a set of cultural beliefs and practices that usually includes some or all of
basic characteristics. These characteristics are:

1. A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural being, such as spirit and gods.

2. A focus on the sacred supernatural, where sacred refers to a feeling of reverence
and 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 worldview and moral codes through narratives and other
means.
6. Provide 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.

An individual lives in society where there are many practices of religion. The choice
of religious belief lies within the spiritual self. Although the choice maybe influenced by
the society and its culture.
 a. Ritual

Ritual is the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a tradition or sacred law.

Ritual is a specific, observable mode of behaviour exhibited by all known societies.
Participation to rituals is expressions of religious beliefs. People worldwide engage in
religious rituals that require a considerable amount of time or personal sacrifice. A good
example is the case of the Vegans of Phuket, Thailand who perform various acts of self-
torture, including bathing in hot oil, fire walking, and piercing themselves with sharps
implements during their annual vegetarian festival. Many religions encourage rituals of
pilgrimage, a round trip to a place considered sacred for the purpose of religious
devotion or ritual.

In many cases, sacrifice as the offering of something to the supernatural beings is

performed to please or to express gratitude to such deities. An example of this is the
offering ritual called “harang”, practiced by the Visayan fishing villages. Such ritual is
described as a process of purification (tuob), invocation (pagtawag), entreaty
(pangamuyo), offering (bayad), feast (kan-on), encompassing almost every aspect of
the community’s existence including good or bad harvest, the operation of fishing boats
and cases of illnesses. “Kanyaw” in the Cordillera which is performed as an expression
of thanksgiving to their deities as well as a means to appease them is also noteworthy.
Similarly, the “Buklog” of the Subanens in Aurora, Zamboanga is performed in their
fiesta to honor the spirits and plea for favors. Rituals in this sense have the function of
uniting the people.

b. Magic

Magic is commonly referred to as “tricks” and “illusion” that make impossible things
seem to happen, usually perform as entertainment. It is a special talent or skill; an act
that makes impossible things happen through some sort of trickery or deception, and
thereby manipulating not the supernatural world, but rather human perception.
However, magic, as anthropologists use the term, refers to activities, usually rituals, by
which a person can compel the supernatural to behave in certain ways. It is seen as the
ability which gives somebody control over the forces of nature. It is used in many
cultures for healing, keeping away evil, seeking the truth, and for vengeful purposes. It
is an attempt to make supernatural forces act in specific ways for good or evil purposes
by recourse to certain specified formulas.

c. Witchcraft

Witchcraft, commonly understood as “kulam”, refers to the idea that certain people
have an inborn power to harness spirits or energies for specific purposes. It is an
explanation of events based on the belief that certain individuals possess an innate
psychic power capable of causing harm, including sickness and death. The witch or
sorcerer tends to steal food remnants, hair, nail clippings, or clothes from the victim and
use these objects to inflict harm upon the victim.

Major World Religion

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. 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 practices which are perceived to be
contrary to the practices of other groups.

There are different religions with different beliefs and practices.

A. Buddhism

Buddhism believes that life is not a bed of rose. Instead, there are suffering, pain,
and 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 dislikes, and craving and aversion. The reactive cycle
can be broken through the practice of meditation, acquiring more wisdom and
deeper understanding, and acceptance of things as they are.

Two types of meditation practices:

 1. Samantha – is practiced as mindfulness of breathing and development of
loving- kindness
2. Vipassana – practices aim at developing insight into reality. Acquiring wisdom
is by studying Buddha’s teaching, the Dharma. Through the reflection of
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; andSangha Day in November.

B. Christianity

Christians believe in Trinitarian God. One God in three persona: God the Father
(Creator), God the Son (Savior), and God the Holy Spirit (Sustainer). Eternal life
after death will be achieved through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is, God of
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.

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.

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 (depend on the lunar calendar, sometime in March
or April) celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from Death.

C. Hinduism

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.

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.

D. Islam

Muslims believe in Allah, who is their “One God”. They believe in the unity and
universality ofGod. Muslims also have a strong sense of community or “ummah” and
an awareness of their solidarity with all Muslims worldwide. Islam means “willing
submission to God”.

Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last and final prophet sent by God.
Mohammed was born in Mecca 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.

Muslims believe in the five pillars of Islam, which are the foundation of Muslim
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 comprises 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. Sawn – 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 and Eidul-Adha. Eidul- Fitr is
the celebration at the end of Ramadan, while Eidul- Adha is celebrated within the
completion of the Pilgrimage, the Hajj.

E. Judaism

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 or the Law. The Torah is the
guide of the Jewish living.

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 Sabbathbegins on Friday evening at sunset and is an important

time when families gather for the Sabbath meal.