It seems to me that many think that a "spiritual life" is living a life focussed on "spiritual things" rather than "material things". In this view reality is divided into spiritual and material things.
Spiritual things are immaterial, invisible, non-physical, intangible things. Such spiritual things might include a person's god or goddess, participation in the corporate worship and other aspects of one's religion, private prayer, reading sacred writings, contemplation, meditation, denying oneself, giving up physical pleasures like sex, eating certain foods, drinking certain liquids, dancing, or playing games. Giving away money and possessions to the weak, poor, sick, and dying might also be included.
Material things are physical, visible, tangible things like our bodies, sex, food, drink, clothing, housing, possessions, cars, money, manual labor, physical exercise, shopping, dancing, playing games, and reading for pleasure. Material things also include the earth, water, wind, plants, and animals.
Those who think a spiritual life is a life focussed on spiritual things and withdrawn from material things tend to think that the more one engages spiritual things and withdraws from material things the more spiritual one's life is. For example, the more individuals withdraw from bodily activities, physical pleasures, work, material possessions, and the world around them and instead engage in worshiping their god or goddess, reading sacred writings and praying, denying themselves and giving to others, then the more spiritual their life is.
It's also thought that the more spiritual one's life is, the more spiritual one is as a person. So, the more a person withdraws from material, physical, earthly and worldly things and instead worships, prays, reads sacred writings, denies oneself and gives to others, then the more spiritual a person is.
Furthermore, it's thought that the more spiritual one is the better a human being one is. In other words, the true value of a person is in how spiritual the person is. The best human beings are the most spiritual and have the least to do with material things.
A Different View
I'd like to propose a different view of living a spiritual life. In my view, reality is not divided into two separate realms, the spiritual and material. Reality is a unified, complex, varied, and interconnected whole. I base my view of reality primarily on my own experience.
In other words, reality is spirited material. It's spirited; that is, animated, organic, dynamic, alive. It breathes. It is constantly moving and changing. Materially, it varies in thickness. Iron is thicker than flesh which is thicker than blood which is thicker than breath which is thicker than thoughts.
Spirit is breath, wind, that which animates, that which makes alive. Spirited is breathy, windy, animated, alive. Spiritual is of or related to spirit-breath, wind, that which makes alive. To be a human being is to be spirited material, of the earth. It is to breathe, be alive, be spirited, and be of or related to spirit; that is, breath, that which animates.
To live a spiritual life, a life of or related to spirit, is simply to live. There is no such thing as living and not being of or related to spirit, that which makes one alive. All life is spirited and therefore spiritual.
Conversely, all that is spirited, breathed, animated, and changing is alive: the earth, streams and seas, crystals and stones, plants and animals, the wind, rain and snow, planets, moons and stars-everyone.
If everyone is alive and therefore spirited and spiritual, everyone is living a spiritual life and by everyone I mean everything that exists. We all are living spiritual lives, animated by that which makes all of us alive. To live is to live a spiritual life.
It seems to follow that the more spirited one is the more spiritual one is. The more animated and alive one is, the more one is of or related to spirit.
It also seems to follow that the more spiritual one is, the more deeply engaged in living one's life in this world one is. In other words, the more spiritual one is the more one embraces breathing, eating, drinking, speaking, walking, running, singing, cooking, dancing, playing, working, fighting, killing, creating, relating with others, having sex, bearing children, raising children, and more. Greatly spirited persons live greatly animated lives.
Many think that living a spiritual life is about withdrawing from material things and focussing on so-called spiritual things. They think that the most spiritual humans are those who are the least engaged in life in this world. Indeed, those who live and promote such spiritual lives often care little about and contribute little to life in this world. Ironically, what they do contribute is often what they themselves do not value or want: material things, money, clothes, shelter, food and drink.
My view is different. In my view living a spiritual life is about living a life of or related to that which animates us, spirit. It's about living a spirited life. The more spirited, the more engaged and productive the life. The more engaged and productive, the greater the life. In my view, those who live great spiritual lives produce and share with others what they themselves enjoy, all the pleasures of life. The most spiritual life is one lived to the fullest in this world.
There is much that stands out in this post, Mark. I agree with your perspective that there are many who separate the spiritual life from the material life. I’d go one step further and say that many also claim to value that separate spiritual life above everyday material life, and see those focused on a material life as somehow less noble. For them, their claims about the spiritual life become the essence of faith, because in truth, there is no proof of any of any life other than this one.
ReplyDeleteThese many ask us to surrender all of the joy of this life in return for the promise of a “better” life at some future point—typically after death. Certainly not an exchange I’m willing to make. I might even look upon this as the true “devil’s bargain”.
For me, the very definition of spirit is all about life. Yes, I find your notion of “that which animates” as a definition to be workable. For me, spirit equals life; equals enlivened. You say it well: “To live a spiritual life…is simply to live.”
And yes, the more spirited I am, the more deeply involved in living my life I am. Your final line says it all, and I couldn’t agree more.
Sara, thanks for your cmments, especially those about taking it a step further. I agree with your comments.
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