"Love is something you and I must have. We must have it because our spirit feeds upon it. We must have it because without it we become weak and faint. Without love our self-esteem weakens. Without it our courage fails. Without love we can no longer look out confidently at the world. We turn inward and begin to feed upon our own personalities, and little by little we destroy ourselves.
With it we are creative. With it we march tirelessly. With it, and with it alone, we are able to sacrifice for others," Chief Dan George
At this time in the US we live in deep division and strife. We are divided and strive against each other on moral, cultural, religious, economic, political matters and more. Public and private expressions of hatred are common place. Such division and strife nourishes more of the same.
Some choose apathy and depression instead of expressions of hatred . Perhaps more accurately, some of us turn our hatred inward. This feeds apathy and depression. Apathy and depression lead to victimization and breed more of the same.
I find deep wisdom in the words of Chief Dan George. His words ring true in my heart. We must have love. Our spirit is nourished by love. When our spirits lack love and are malnourished we become weak, our self-esteem weakens, our courage fails, we lose our confidence, turn inward, feed on ourselves, and in the end destroy ourselves.
When our spirits are nourished with love, we grow strong, esteem ourselves, have courage and confidence, we have strength and endurance, create beauty, and are able to pour ourselves out for great accomplishments.
What nourishes spirit? Love. What helps a spirit grow strong? Love. What heals a broken or wounded spirit? Love. Yes, we must have love. We must receive it from and give it to ourselves and others.
What is true for our human spirit is true for all spirits- the spirits of all other animals, the spirits of all plants, all the spirits of this earth. Every spirit needs love.
Showing posts with label greatness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label greatness. Show all posts
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
A Different View of "Spiritual Life"
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)