The Spiritual Self

Introduction

 The "spiritual self," according to William James in The Principles of Psychology

(1890), is the deepest, most personal part of who we are. It includes our sense
of morality, conscience, and ability to reason. What makes it unique is the sense of
satisfaction and fulfillment we get when reflecting on these abilities—like when
we know we are making the right choices or understanding things deeply.
 Our spiritual self often shows itself through our religious beliefs and
practices, as well as cultural traditions and ceremonies, because these are
ways we express what we believe in. It's also about our journey to
understand the meaning of life. This journey is part of what makes the
spiritual self so important and intimate.
Religion
Rebecca Stein (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
Ritual
 Is the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a
tradition or sacred law (Britannica 2017).
 Ritual is a specific, observable mode of behavior exhibited by
all known societies. It is thus possible to view ritual as a way
of defining or describing humans.
There are three fundamental characteristics of rituals
according to Penner Britannica 2017). Ritual has the
characteristics of

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. is symbolic in relation to its reference

 The self can be described as a ritual being who exhibits a striking parallel
between their ritual and verbal behavior. Just as language is a system of
symbols that is based upon arbitrary rules, ritual may be viewed as a
system of symbolic acts that is based upon arbitrary rules. Participation to
rituals is expressions of religious beliefs.
Some World Religious Beliefs and
Practices
Buddhism
Beliefs
 Buddhism believes that life is not a bed of roses. 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 dislike, and craving and aversion.
 For example, a person may crave success and happiness while despising
failure and sadness. This back-and-forth creates a cycle of
dissatisfaction.
 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:
1. Samatha is practiced as mindfulness of breathing and
development of loving- Kindness (Mette Bhavana).
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 Parininvana Day in
February (is a significant concept in Buddhism, referring to the
final state of Nirvana that is attained upon the death of an
enlightened being, particularly one who has reached full
enlightenment, such as the Buddha.)Buddha Day (Wesak) in May,
Dharma Day in July, Padmasambhava Day in October, and Sangha
Day in November.
Beliefs

 Christians believe in Trinitarian God. One God in three personas: 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 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
 Buddha Day (Wesak) in May, Dharma Day in July, Padmasambhava Day in
October(Padmasambhava Day is a day of reverence and celebration for
Padmasambhava, highlighting his significance in Tibetan Buddhism) and
Sangha Day in November (Sangha is a vital aspect of Buddhism,
representing the community of practitioners committed to following the
teachings of the Buddha).
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 (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.
 The Sacrament of Baptism symbolizes the birth in Christian World,
 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 (depending on the lunar
calendar, sometime in March or April) celebrates the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from death.
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
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.
Islam
 Muslims believe in Allah, who is their "One God." They believe in the unity
and universality of God. 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 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 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. 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.
 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. 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 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.
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. 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 for the Shabbat
meal.