Showing posts with label Spiritual question of the month. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spiritual question of the month. Show all posts

Monday, April 5, 2021

Spiritual Question Of The Month, "Am I a body with a soul or a soul with a body?" - The answer changes over the life cycle.


The answer changes over the life cycle

The answer to the question, “Am I a body with a soul or a soul with a body” changes over the course of the human life cycle. When a human being is first born it is innocent and has yet to be socialized and conditioned in the ways of the world. This socialization and conditioning emphasizes the body as new skills are learned to walk, to talk, to feed oneself, to toilet appropriately, and gradually learn further developmental skills. 

In the twenties and thirties, the body has become pre-eminent in mating and procreating to insure the continuation of the species. The sexual peak for most people occurs  between 25 and 40.

As the sexual drive diminishes, the human being begins to become more introspective and in the 50s begin to recognize and acknowledge their mortality.  At this stage of development, in the fifth and sixth decade, people become more spiritual and start to realize that they are not just a body but also a soul and that perhaps the soul is more important. This realization is an important developmental task of the second adulthood, the period of 50 - 80 +. Osho teaches that there is a difference between growing old and growing up. Everyone grows older, but not everyone grows up. Growing up involves a choice. Some people are faster learners than others.

As the body becomes less vital and more fragile, the human being identifies more strongly with the soul and eventually comes to realize that they are soul with a body and not a body with a soul. 

If this brief analysis is accurate, it might lead one to wonder who religion services the function of spiritual maturation.

Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Spiritual Question of the Month - Am I body with a soul or a soul with a body? This is a foundational question for our experience of life.


 Foundational question

The spiritual question of the month of April, 2021, “Are you a body with a soul or a soul with a body?” is a foundational one, because the answer to this question influences, usually unconsciously, how a person experiences their experience and sees the world. In other words the answer to this question is the foundation for a person’s thought system which contributes either to anxiety and depression or to peace and joy.


We live in a very materialistic age in which we all are led to believe, and children in particular are taught, that material things will make them happy. Parents strive to provide their children with material things and say that they want their children to be “successful” which often means that they will become educated and grow up to get a good job that provides a large salary.


Mother Teresa said one time that while the United States might be the richest country in the world, it is also one of the most spiritually impoverished.


And so, we can question our values that we hold dear and those we teach our children and grandchildren. What do we see as most important, their bodies or their souls? How does this focus influence how we behave and treat others? What are the most important values we have in life? What do we tell ourselves and what do we teach others through our behavior? It all comes down to whether we see ourselves as a body with a soul or a soul with a body.


We know when we make the right choice when we become aware of our mood. Am I anxious and depressed or peaceful and joyful?


Monday, March 29, 2021

Spiritual question of the month - April 2021 - Are you a body with a soul or a soul with a body?

 


This month, April 2021, we are beginning a new feature on UU AWOL entitled, “Spiritual Question Of The Month.” Every month we will have a question pertaining to spiritual ideas and concepts that will be a theme for that month. This month the question is Who do you think you are: a soul with a body or a body with a soul?

Please leave  your comments are email me privately to davidgmarkham@gmail.com


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