March 19, 2013
-
We Are Creatures of the Spirit
Human beings, as creatures of the flesh, are limited, to a greater or lesser degree, by their physical body. We can, of course, try to keep our body in good shape. In the end, however, we are only capable of a limited strength, jumping so high, traveling so fast, and living so long as that package of meat and bones allows. We need food, shelter and water to keep that body alive, and are vulnerable to illness, injury and death. Men and women need each other, to satisfy their sexual appetites and to produce children who will carry their genes, and hopefully some of their ideas and values, into the future. Children need their parents, to protect them from danger, and teach them what is expected of them in the society in which they live. Luckily, we do not exist only as creatures of the flesh, but as creatures of the spirit.
Our spirit, unlike our body, is capable of anything. Some believe the spirit is the soul, separate entirely from the body, and even separate from the mind. Personally, I believe mind and spirit are one and the same. In our mind, we can travel to the most distant areas on the Earth, to other planets, and even to worlds existing only in our own minds. We are capable of experiencing great depths of sadness and great heights of joy and pleasure. Both Love and Hate can be indulged to their fullest. All hunger, lust and other passions can be satisfied, without us suffering any consequences. We can take a terrible revenge on those who have done us wrong, if we choose, or create a reality in which no harm is done to anyone, ever. We can cure any disease, and bring back loved ones who are no longer with us in this world. Even after our death, a part of our spirit lives on in the memories of those among the living whose lives we have touched. I don't know if the spirit carries on in another form after this life is over, although of course it would make the idea of death far less terrifying.
The spirit can be wounded too, of course, but it has a great capacity for dealing with wounds and carrying on with life. We can choose to live in pain and regret, or we can choose to try to be the best person we can, and love others. The latter is a lot more likely to let us live a happy, fulfilling life.
Comments (31)
With due respect, I think your line of thinking is quite dangerous.
Saint Thomas Aquinas once wrote that because man was subject to sin, "he is unable to apply his mind to that which is spiritual."
Human beings have no idea what spirituality is. Only God can reveal God. That makes sense doesn't it?
Consequently, for all our efforts, we are only developing our body, our mind and our ability to direct our will.
Those things aren't spiritual. They are purely human faculties.
If a man thinks he is spiritual, he becomes arrogant because he attributing to himself, that which only God can bestow.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - I appreciate your viewpoint; thanks for reading and commenting!
I choose life. Which really means, I choose to love as much as I can, as many people as I can, as openly as I can.
@opticalnoise - Me, too!
@lonelywanderer2 - I spent some time in an ashram subjecting myself to Vedantic Hindu spirituality.
OMGosh! But that was so hard to recover from.
And we were making all the right moves: Meditation, satsang, total dedication to service, strick vegetarian (vegan) diet, celebacy, poverty, chastity and obedience.
This is a nice post. I'm actually going through some shit right now, just found out my mother's bf just got his sorry ass out of jail and is living up here, not doing anything. I was hoping someone would kill him in jail or at least my mother not allow him back in the house, but that wasn't the case.
I'm fortunate to have the ability to allow my mind to think of ways to harming those I hate. I know its negative, but with the way my reality has been living in this fucking house for nearly a year, anything would satisfy me with the death of that sorry ass.
@LoBornlytesThoughtPalace - That is awesome! @Illegally_Invited - I hope everything turns out well for you and your mother.
I have found first hand how even when it is crushed over and over on a regular basis the human spirit can triumph1 It's a wonderful thing!
P.S. Good to read your posts again!
@prayingmom43 - HUGS
Beautiful words for such a complex and controversial subject. Spirituality is too often tethered to religion, in my opinion. I'm a very spiritual and connected person, but I don't believe in one true god or heaven or hell, and to hear you put human spirit in that context was refreshing and lovely.
I have had visits from my parents who have passed on at times in visions and dreams. I think you are dead on in your thinking.Thank You for sharing.
beautiful, thoughtful post.
@lonelywanderer2 - I'm not counting on it...all she's gonna do is treat him like a king while he lays there, spend all of her money and make my life a living hell, while she's suffering and not doing anything to help herself.
What do you think of Out of Body Experiences?
Very interesting, i'm not sure what I think just yet. Do you think religion is involved in the spirit or not at all relevant?
@Dirigible_Plums - I think religion is merely the way many address matters of the spirit.
We are spirits and after we die, we still live on, but just not in the physical sense. There is really a lot more I could say, but I'll stop there. Good post
You don't KNOW any of this.
It's nothing but wishful thinking mumbo-jumbo.
This is very interesting... I was thinking of something similar this morning a bit different. But, this is a unique perspective... I hope I can just live...
@lonelywanderer2 - I so agree!
This is interesting, I like your site!
Very well wriiten. No denying our abilities to allow the imagination and the spirit to gain flight on the wings of love.
@In_Reason_I_Trust - I'm curious. What part of our spirit consisting of our mind (in other words, our thoughts and feelings), and after we are gone, our spirit continuing to exist in the memories of those whose lives we affected, do you not believe?
Very optimistic. Well written.
I love this post. Only the person who experiences the flights of the spiritual can understand the subtleties of the mind.
I am with Ikwa. I have been there and have felt the presence of my father.
Equating the spirit with the mind makes sense.
The imagination has no substance.
As for surviving death in some way, we each have to just wait and see, or not as the case may be.
I love it. I was thinking along very similar lines this past week.
@Aryan_Buddha - I am fascinated by out-of-body-experiences. I tried astral projection when I was young, but with absolutely no training, or success.
@ZSA_MD - Thank you for your insight! My parents often come to me in my dreams.
i dont even know what to say, but I adore this.
We are creatures of the spirit, having an experience of the spirit through kind of fragile and not so durable human bodies. It's interesting although frustrating when you get arthritic, or you get tired more often, you need reading glasses, and your memory starts getting patchy, and that other thing I can't recall, but whatever... my fingers aren't working too well, and I need to get to bed...
Comments are closed.