By the end of this lesson, you are expected

to:

1. Recognize one’s limitations and

WHAT ARE possibilities

MY 2. Evaluate one’s limitations and the

possibilities for their transcendence

GOALS? 3. Recognize how the human body imposes

limits and possibilities for transcendence

4. Distinguish the limitations and

possibilities for transcendence.
LOOK A PAIR! AND SHARE!
Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper or in
your notebook and share it to your pair.
1. We have a limited life span.
2. We cannot choose our biological family.
3. We cannot teleport instantly to another location in an instant.
4. Words limit our communication with each other.
5. We cannot be in two places at the same time.
6. We cannot change our past decisions.
7. We face certain death in the future.
8. We are bound by space and time.
9. We cannot choose our race, age, and birthdate
THE HUMAN
PERSON AS
AN
EMBODIED
SPIRIT
 What is Embodied Spirit?
• is the living animating core within each of us, the
driving force behind all that we think, say and do.
• Sometimes these are feelings, insights, and fancies –
all these are private.
Human Composition of Man
What are the difference of the following terms?
Man
Person
Human Nature
Limitations of Human Person as an Embodied Spirit
Facticity
Spatial-Temporal Being
The Body as Intermediary
 HUMAN
COMPOSITION
OF MAN
 Man
• It is the general term commonly used to refer to the
entire human race.
• Other related terms, humanity, mankind, and
humankind
 Human
• Refers to man as species – HOMO SAPIENS or
MODERN HUMAN BEINGS.
• The term human being is also used to differentiate
man from other animals.
 Person
• The personality of a human being so called “SELF”.
• Refers to a human being granted recognition of certain
rights, protection, responsibilities and dignity above all.
• Philosopher refers to the human person as the totality of an
individual, possessing awareness, self-determination and
capacity to interact with others and with himself/herself.
 Human Nature
• Defines as the nature of humans especially the
fundamental characters and traits of humans.
• It refers to the characteristics that distinguish
humans from all other creatures.
What is the human person?
 Self-awareness
• refers to the person having a clear perception
of oneself, including his thoughts, emotions,
identity and act
Try saying these!
● I am a person.
● I am alive.
● I exist.
● I am here. I am present.
● I am living
Let’s examine!

Little Jose is playing in the living room while his

mom is in the kitchen. He accidentally bumps into
a table, causing a vase to fall. Upon hearing, his
mom went to the living room and saw him,
standing near the broken vase. She asked, “Did
you break the vase?” What do you think Jose‘s
answer will be?
What is the human person?
Self-determination
•refers to the capability of persons to
make choices and decisions based on
their own preferences, monitor and
regulate their actions, and be goal-
oriental and self-directed.
 Consequence
• The result or effect of an action or condition.
• Philosophers believe that a person acts freely
and with due regard for the consequences of his
actions
What is the human person?
 Externality
• refers to the capability
of a person to reach
out and interact with
others and the world.
What is the human person?
 Dignity
•refers to the innate right to be
valued and respected.
•Philosophers consider all humans
as having an inherent worth or
value. “
Limitations of the
Human
Human persons are naturally
deficient beings. This means
that we are not prepared with
the best physical aspects
among all the beings.
LIMITATIONS CAN
LEAD TO
POSSIBILITIES
 the ability to change, be
dynamic, and continually
redefining one’s self
Transcendence
which works with our
facticity to create
change.
 • According to Thomas Merton (1948),
there is no other way to find who we are
than by finding in ourselves the divine
image.
• We have to struggle to regain
spontaneous and vital awareness of our
Transcendence own spirituality.
• Transcendental and transcendence
convey the basic ground concept from the
words’ literal meaning (from Latin), of
climbing or going beyond, with varying
connotations in its different historical and
cultural stages.
Three Main Spiritual
Philosophies on
Transcendence
 • At the heart of Hinduism lies the idea of
human beings’ quest for absolute truth, so
that one’s soul and the Brahman or Atman
(Absolute Soul) might become one.
• Human beings have dual nature: the
spiritual and immortal essence (soul) which
is considered real; and the empirical life
HINDUISM and character.
• Hindus generally believe that the soul is
eternal but is bound by the law of Karma
(action) to the world of matter, which it can
escape only after spiritual progress through
an endless series of births.
 • Humanity’s basic goal in life is the liberation
(moksha) of spirit (jiva).
• Hinduism holds that humanity’s life is a
continuous cycle (samsara) where the body
goes through a transmigratory series of birth
and death, even though the spirit is neither
born nor dies.
HINDUISM • Unless the individual exerts real efforts to
break away or liberate one’s spirit from the
monotonous cycle, there will be no end to the
cycle.
• Ultimate liberation, that is, freedom from
rebirth, is achieved the moment the individual
attains the stage of life emancipation.
 • Also common to all Hindu thought are
the four primary values: wealth,
pleasure, duty, and enlightenment.
• To understand enlightenment, one must
HINDUISM understand the law of karma, the law of
sowing and reaping.
• The wheel of existence turns until we
achieve enlightenment.
 • Another major Eastern tradition which
sprang from the life experience and
teaching of Siddhartha Gautama or the
Buddha.
• Gautama’s life was devoted to sharing
BUDDHISM his “Dharma” or Law of Salvation – a
simple presentation of the gospel of
inner cultivation of right spiritual
attitudes, coupled with a self-imposed
discipline whereby bodily desires would
be channeled in the right directions.
 • The teaching of Buddha has been set
forth traditionally in the “Four Noble
Truths” leading to the “Eightfold Path”
to perfect character or arhatship, which
in turn gave assurance of entrance into
Nirvana at death.
BUDDHISM • Four Noble Truths
• Life is full of suffering.
• Suffering is caused by passionate
desires, lusts, cravings.
• There is an end to suffering.
• The end to suffering is contained in
the Eight Fold Path
 • Eradication of desire may be
accomplished only by following the
BUDDHISM Eightfold Path of earnest endeavor.
 • The eightfold path enjoins us to develop
wisdom, urges us to practice virtue and
avoid vice, and tells us to practice
meditation.
• The way to salvation lies through self-
BUDDHISM abnegation, rigid discipline of mind and
body, a consuming love for all living
creatures, and the final achievement of
that state of consciousness which marks
an individual’s full preparation for
entering the Nirvana (enlightened
wisdom) of complete selflessness.
 • Achieving nirvana is to make
earthly feelings like suffering and
desire disappear.
• On the other hand, if you're a
Buddhist monk, it may take you
BUDDHISM years of meditating to reach
nirvana.
 • In the beginning, Christians do not see
the need to prove God’s existence.
• Looks at the reasonableness of belief in
God’s existence.
• Asks whether or not the existence of
God provides the best explanation of the
CHRISTIANITY existence of the world, as we know it.
• Later, Christian missionaries felt the
need to argue philosophically for the
existence of God when they were
confronted by various naturalistic
philosophy.
 • For Augustine (354–430 CE),
philosophy is amor sapiential (the love
of wisdom) whose aim is to produce
happiness.
• For Augustine, Christianity, as
CHRISTIANITY presenting the full revelation of the true
God, is the only full and true
philosophy.
• Knowledge of God begins with faith and
is made perfect by understanding.
• Faith supplements and enlightens reason
that it may proceed to ever richer and
 • In short, a human person can
achieve transcendence by knowing
God, one achieves a state of
transcendent reality, for God is the
ultimate transcendent reality.
CHRISTIANITY • Many achieve self-transcendence
through their faith in God.
• This faith or spirituality can help
individuals find the meaning that
will fulfill them and propel them to
transcendence.
Limitations and Possibilities for
Transcendence
Forgiveness
• It frees us from our anger and bitterness caused by the
actions and/or words of another.
• On the other hand, the hardness of our heart is reinforced
by whole series of rational arguments.
Beauty and Nature
• There is perfection in every single flower.
• A hug, sunrise and sunset, eating together as a family are
experiences of miracles which can be truly moments of
grace that touch us deeply and spontaneously lift our
hearts.
Vulnerability
• To be vulnerable is to be human.
• We need to acknowledge the help of other people in our
lives if we want to be true with ourselves and live with
meaning and direction.
Failure
• Failures force us to confront our weaknesses and
limitations and to surrender to a mystery or look upon a
bigger world.
• Acceptance of our failures makes us hope and trust that
all can be brought into good.
Loneliness
• It is our choice to live in an impossible world where we are
always “happy” or to accept a life where solitude and
companionship have a part.
• Our experience of loneliness can help us realize that our
dependence on other people or gadgets is a possessiveness that
we can be free from.
Love
• To love is to experience richness, positivity, and
transcendence.
• Love can open in us something which takes us beyond
ourselves.
 Answer the processing questions
1. Compare the Hindu’s concept of Karma to the Filipino’s concept of
Karma.
2. Based on the eightfold path, which is the most important for you to
cultivate in your life at present?
3. Relate to the class an experience that you were able to go beyond your
limitation.
4. Share with your classmate a moment in your life that you faced failures.
Guide Questions:
a. How do you view suffering (as a blessing or a curse)?
b. How do you acknowledge the help of others?
c. How can forgiveness free us from anger?