Lesson 3: Spiritual Self

Spiritual Versus Religious

Spiritual - is defined as “relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or
physical things.” Religion and spirituality are both paths to God; however, they differ in their approaches
A religious person - is someone who believes in a god or group of gods and consciously adheres to the
beliefs of his/her religion.
A spiritual person - on the other hand, places little importance on beliefs and traditions and is more
concerned with growing and experiencing the Divine.

Quite often, religion takes the approach of fear. It emphasizes sin, guilt, and the concept of a punishing
God. The spiritual approach to God is through the path of love. This is a love where there is no
condemnation and judgment, but where there is mercy and acceptance. Often, religion talks of God who
is high up in the heavens. At times, God is depicted as separate from humanity, who is impartial but
impersonal. Spirituality believes in God who is omnipresent and omniscient, someone who is a living
presence in our hearts. Many religions feel their path is the only way to salvation and that other
religions are wrong. Religious people strongly feel the need to convert others to their faith. On the other
hand, like the analogy, “different paths that lead to the same destination,” spirituality feels all faiths are
valid. Spirituality embraces all the world’s religions, but at the same time it is not constrained by any
religious dogmas or forms.

Why is spirituality important

Sense of meaninglessness and lack of purpose in life can be significant factors in causing anxiety,
depression, and phobias; however, there is a growing body of evidence indicating that spiritual practices
are associated with better health and wellbeing?

Spiritual fellowship - (such as attending church or meditation group) can be a source of social support
that may provide sense of belonging, security, and community. . Strong relationships have been proven
to increase well-being and bolster life expectancy, which is perhaps why one study found a strong
association between church attendance and improved health, mood, and well-being.

Contemplative practice is good for students like you.

Contemplative practice - can be broadly understood as a method to develop concentration, deepen
understanding and insight, and cultivate awareness and compassion. These practices can have a
profound impact on students’ experiences both in college and beyond.
Examples of contemplative practices:
- 1.Meditation - mental exercise (such as focusing on one’s breathing or repeating a mantra) for the
purpose of reaching heightened level of spiritual awareness. It can induce feelings of calm and clear-
headedness, as well as improved concentration and attention.
2. Prayer – a spiritual communion with God (or an object or worship) as in supplication, thanksgiving,
adoration, or confession. Prayers may elicit a relaxation response, along with feelings of hope, gratitude,
and compassion – all of which have a positive effect on overall well-being. There are several types of
prayers. Many of which are rooted in the belief that there is a higher power that has some level of
influence over life. This belief can provide a sense of comfort and support in difficult times. A recent
study found out that clinically-depressed adults who believed their prayers were heard by God (or a
concerned presence) responded much better to treatment than those who did not believe.
3. Yoga – a Hindu spiritual and ascetic disciple. In Hindu theistic philosophy, it teaches the suppression
of all mind and body activity so that the self may realize its distinction from the material world and
attain liberation. In western culture, yoga is a system of physical postures, breathing techniques, and
sometimes meditation to promote physical and emotional well-being.
4. Journaling – is another (but often overlooked) contemplative practice that can help you become more
aware of your inner life and feel more connected to your experience and the world around you. Studies
show that writing during difficult times may help you find meaning in life’s challenges and help you
become more resilient in the face of obstacles. Source: (Lin, Oxford, & Brantmeier, 2013)

RELIGION
A. Nominal Definition
- The term “religion” is said to derive from “re-legere” i.e. to read again, to treat carefully, to be
meticulous, conscientious.
- Perhaps it derives from “relegare” i.e. to bind; we are tied to God.
B. Real Definition
(1) Objective Religion - man’s dependency to God, due to the Divine acts of creation, conservation, and
concurrence. It is belief binding the spiritual nature of man to a Supernatural Being, as involving a
feeling of dependence and responsibility, together with the feelings and practices which naturally flow
from such a belief.
(2) Subjective/Formal Religion - Man’s acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty over him. It is any system
of faith and worship. It is an essential part of a practical test of the spiritual life.

The Practice of Religion: Belief in Supernatural Being and Power

The vast majority of the earth’s more than 7 billion people practice some form of religion. The
number of religions and spiritual traditions that the human population practices is estimated at little
4,000. The reasons and theories of human’s having religion are just as many (if not more).

Religion - is defined as “the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a
personal God or gods” (Oxford University Press, 2017). . It is also a “particular system of faith and
worship” (University of Minnesota Human Rights Center, 2003, 2016). More than its belief and practices,
religion is an experience. Religion, however, may best be understood as a systematic “attribution of
human characteristics or behavior to a god, animal, or object” (read Anthropomorphism). One reason
human attribute human characteristics to some other “entities” is that the world is huge, ambiguous,
and we need to interpret it the best possible way we can.

The Psychology Behind Religious Belief

A 1990 research conducted by Steven Reiss, professor emeritus of psychology at the Ohio State
University, posited a theory on why people are attracted to religion. Religion, he said, attracts so many
followers because it satisfies all 16 basic desires that humans share (The 16 Strivings for God, 2016).
According to Reiss, the 16 basic desires that humans share are:

1. Acceptance
2. Curiosity
3. Eating
4. Family
5. Honor
6. Idealism
7. Independence
8. Order
9. Physical Activity
10. Power
11. Romance
12. Saving
13. Social Contract
14. Status
15. Tranquility
16. Vengeance

Reiss claimed that we all share the same 16 goals, but what makes us different is how much we value
each one. For example, in social contract, religion attracts both the introvert and extrovert. For
extroverts, religion offers fellowship with others. For introverts, religion encourages meditation, private
retreats, and solitude. Another example is that religion also finds ways to deal with vengeance.
According to Reiss, while some other religions preach a God of peace, there are also religions that
preach holy wars. Reiss added that all religious beliefs and practices are designed to meet these 16
desires. Religious beliefs provide people with certain ways of thinking to help them cope with ultimate
questions that cannot be explained in any other way.

The Four Dimensions of Religion

The incredible amount of variation between different religions makes it challenging to decide
upon a concrete definition of religion that implies to all of them. Sociologists noted four dimensions that
seem to present in varying forms and intensities in all types of religion (Dawson & Thiessen, 2014).
These are:
1. Belief - Religious beliefs are a generalized system of ideas and values that shape how members of a
religious group come to understand the world around them. These beliefs are taught to followers by
religious authorities, such as priests, imams, or shamen, through formal creeds and doctrines, as well as
more informal lessons learned through stories, songs, and myths.
2. Ritual - Rituals are the repeated physical gestures or activities, such as prayers and mantras, used to
reinforce religious teachings, elicit spiritual feelings, and connect worshippers with a higher power
(Little, 2016). A common type of ritual is
A rite of passage - which marks a person’s transition from one stage of life to another. Examples of rites
of passage include baptisms and weddings. From a psychological perspective, rituals play an important
role in providing practitioners with access to spiritual “powers” of various sorts. In relieving anxieties,
religious rituals provide a basis of psychological stability when people face uncertainty or chance.
3. Spiritual experience - A third common dimension of various religions is the promise of access to some
form of unique spiritual experience or feeling of immediate connection with a higher power. From this
point of view, religion is not so much about thinking a certain way (i.e., a formal belief system) as about
feeling a certain way. Saint Thomas Aquinas is often quoted to have said, “To one who has faith, no
explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible” – summing up the
experiential dimension of religion.
4. Unique social forms of community - The fourth common dimension of religion is creating unique
social forms of community. Emile Durkheim (1915-1964) emphasized that religious beliefs and practices
“unite in one single community called Church, all those who adhere to them.”

Social dimensions that religions share according to Dawson and Thiessen (2004):
Religion gains credibility when agreed and shared by a group. It is easier to believe in something if
others around you (whom you respect) believe it as well.
• Religion provides an authority that deals specifically with social or moral issues, such as determining
the best way to live life. It provides a basis for ethics and proper behaviors, which establishes the
normative basis of the community.
• Religion acts as a form of social control, and it supports the development of self-control, which are
vital elements of a functional society.
• Places of religious worship function as social hubs within communities, providing a source of
entertainment, socialization, and support.
The Major Religions :
1. Judaism
2. Christianity
3. Islam
4. Buddhism
5. Buddhism

The Jewish Passover ritual - prepares the development of the Christian celebration of the
Mass/Eucharist.

Judaism - encompasses the religion, philosophy, and culture of the Jewish people. It is characterized by
belief in one transcendent God who has revealed Himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets
and by a religious life in accordance with the scriptures and rabbinic traditions. Their sacred text is the
Torah.

Christianity - is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who
serves as the focal point of the Christian faith. For Christians, the word of God is written in the Bible.

TRIVIA
Judaism is the oldest of the Abrahamic religions and the predecessor of Christianity and Islam.
Jews remain faithful to the writings of the Torah, which was believed to have been handed to Moses on
Mt. Sinai, and the Tanakh, the books of the prophets, the kings, and some other religious writings.

Interesting Islam Facts:

• The word “Islam” means submission or surrender.
• The root word of Islam is “Salam,” which means “peace.”
• The word “Islam” in religious terms means “surrender one’s will to the true will of God to achieve
peace.”
• A Muslim is one who surrenders himself to God’s true will.

Islam - is the religious faith of Muslims who worship Allah as the sole deity and believes Muhammad is
His prophet. The holy scriptures of Islam is the Koran.

Interesting Hinduism Facts:

• The word Hindu originates from the Indian Indus River.
• There are more than one billion followers of Hinduism in the world today.
• Hinduism is not a single religion; rather, it is practiced by many different religious groups from India.
• Most of Hinduism’s sacred texts were written in Sanskrit in ancient times.
• The oldest ancient texts of Hinduism are called the Vedas. Vedah means knowledge.
• The Vedas include Rigveda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda, and Atharva-Veda
Hinduism - considered the world’s oldest religion, is still commonly practiced. Hinduism combines the
beliefs, philosophy, and cultural practices of India. Hindu practitioners are guided by Vedic scriptures
and believe in righteousness, the laws of cause and effect, and the cycle of birth and death. Central to
the faith is the belief in reincarnation and one supreme god called Brahman who has multiple
manifestations as either a god or goddess. Gods and goddesses can be spirits, trees, animals, and even
planets.

Buddhism refers to the teachings of Guatama Buddha. Buddha, (originally a follower of the Hindu faith)
experienced enlightenment, or Bodhi, while sitting under a tree. It was in this moment that Buddha was
said to be awakened to the truth of the world, or the Dharma. Buddha, an ordinary man, taught his
followers how to follow the path to Enlightenment. Thus, Buddhism does not believe in a divine realm or
God as a supernatural being, but instead follows the wisdom of their founder.

The Concept of “Dungan,” Spirit, and Sou

In pre-colonial Philippines, our ancestors looked up to a
“babaylan.”- Described as a priestess or shaman, a babaylan acted as a healer, spiritual leader, and
medium.
The babaylan - perform rituals through chants or prayers for spiritual intervention to drive spirits that
cause illness or misfortune.

A babaylan - is usually a woman, but there were some men who were babaylans, too. Male babaylans,
however, were said to have feminine traits.The babaylans explore the world of animism. Animism is the
attribution of a soul to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena. Our ancestors believed that
souls are quasi-physical and can exist outside the body (such as in dreams and in visions) and that they
can transfer from one body to another. They also believe that souls persist after death and become
ghosts, in the same way that modern Filipinos believe in “multo.”

Prior to being converted to a religion (Islam or Catholicism), our ancestors already believed in spirit
beings that dwell in the environment, our deceased ancestral souls, and forces in nature (wind, moon,
stars). Central to the traditions of our ancestors was the belief that animate and inanimate creatures
have a “life force.”

How do “dungan” and “ginhawa” differ?

Alicia P. Magos, an anthropologist and a professor emerita of University of the Philippines
Visayas made a pioneering study on the primeval Visayan concept of “dungan.” According to Magos,
“dungan” was “a life force, an energy, as well as an ethereal entity, a spirit with a will of its own that
resides in the human body and provides the essence of life” (Magos, 1992, pp. 47-50). Under this
concept, everyone has a “dungan.” This is similar to the western concept of “soul”, however, unlike the
soul, the “dungan” can temporarily leave the body when the person is asleep. Once “dungan” returns to
the person’s body, he or she becomes fully conscious again. If any other spirits harm the “dungan” while
it is outside the body and cannot return, the person dies.
Meanwhile, our pre-colonial ancestors also believed that aside from a “dungan,” a vital force also
occupies the body. This vital force was called “ginhawa” (translation: breath of life). “Ginhawa” was said
to be responsible for the heart’s ability to beat. It was believed that if “ginhawa” left the body, the
person also dies.

“Ginhawa” and “dungan” both exist in every person.

Ginhawa - was the breath of life while
dungan - was the conscious intellectual and emotional aspect.

What is the difference between the soul and the spirit of man? The soul and the spirit are the two
primary immaterial aspects ascribed to humanity. There are different shades of meaning between the
idea of the soul and the idea of the spirit from culture to culture and religion to religion.

Here is a brief and general overview of the difference between a soul and a spirit:

Etymology - Old English for “soul” was “sawol” that meant the “spiritual and emotional part of a
person’s animate existence.” Spirit is directly from Latin spiritus “a breathing (respiration, and of the
wind), breath, breath of a god,” hence, “inspiration, breath of life.”

Biblical beliefs - Soul refers to the conscious, the moral, and thinking part of reason. The soul is
immortal; it will go to hell, purgatory, or heaven after the person dies.

Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit, the third part of the Trinity. (In theology, the Spirit is the third person of
the Trinity/Triune God and not just its part.) It is the force of God through which blessings are bestowed
upon his people. As one develops in the faith, he or she is said to be growing spiritually.

In Western Culture
Soul can often be taken to mean someone’s moral consciousness. For example, a cruel killer could be
said to have no soul. Spirit may also refer to ghosts or any other supernatural beings. It is believed that
the souls of people who died with unfinished business wander the earth until their task is fulfilled.

In Eastern Culture
Soul is part of the person that has dharma. In Hinduism, dharma is one’s obligation with respect to
caste, social custom, civil law, and sacred law. Dharma incurs karma. In Hinduism and Buddhism, karma
is the sum of a person’s actions in this and the previous states of existence. The fate of one’s future
existence depends on one’s karma.

Nature and ancestor spirits are common in Taoism.

Shinto - an animistic folk religion from Japan, places an emphasis on shamanism, particularly divination,
spirit possession, and faith healing. Confucianism tolerates the Chinese folk recognition of the existence
of animistic spirits, ghosts, and deities.
The Soul According to some Ethnolinguistic Groups of the Philippines
• Linnawa or “soul of the dead” by the Ifugao.
• Kaduwa of the Isneg - (an Igorot tribe native to Apayao Province in the Philippines’ Cordillera
Administrative Region). The Isneg believes that the dead exists in a realm called the aglalanawan. The
kaduwa (soul) is believed to cross a pond in a ferry piloted by a kutaw (spirit).
• The Kankanaey - (another member of the Igorot people) believes that the human person is composed
of the physical body and the ab-abiik (soul). When spirits summon a person’s ab-abiik he or she
becomes sick. A ritual will be performed to appease the spirit who summoned the ab-abiik to return to
its body, and the person recovers from the illness.
• Kaluluwa - is the Tagalog people’s concept of the soul. However, it refers more to the soul of the
deceased. The soul of a living person is called a “kakambal”. The “kakambal” leaves the physical body at
night to roam, and any bad encounter causes bangungot (nightmare).
• The Ilokano has a four-soul system.
o The kararua - or the soul proper. It is the equivalent of a soul in a Christian concept.
o Karkarma - stands for natural vigor, mind, and reason. It can leave the physical body when one is
frightened. A karkarma can also be stolen. If this soul fails to return to the body, the person becomes
insane. Sacrificial ceremonies may be performed to lure back a lost karkarma.
o Aniwaas - can leave the body during sleep and visits places familiar to the body. If one wakes up while
the aniwaas is visiting these places, he or she may lose the aniwaas and become insane.
o Araria - is the liberated soul of the dead. It visits relatives and friends in the physical world to ask for
prayers. It can also perform a duty it failed to do in life. The howling of dogs mean araria is present. The
soul can make sounds and manipulate physical objects usually relating to what it did in life.

• The Ibanag/Ybanag - (who inhabits the province of Cagayan, Isabel and Nueva Viscaya) has a
distinction between baggi (body) and ikaruruwa (soul). The Ibanag believes that the soul has physical
characteristics. The soul may have color, and the souls of dead babies can reach adulthood in the spirit
realm. The role of the soul is to give direction and wholeness to the man, but the body can survive
without the soul, and even without the body the soul experiences material wants and needs.
• The Hanunoo Mangyan - (of Mindoro) believes in the plurarity of souls. For instance, they have
karaduwa tawu/tawo (human soul), karaduwa manok (chicken soul), karaduwa baboy (pig soul),
karaduwa kuti (cat soul), karaduwa hipon (shrimp soul). A soul can also separate itself from the physical
body. When a person sleeps, the karaduwa roams the world. What the person dreams of are actually
the experiences of the karaduwa while roaming around.
• The Tagbanwa - of central northern Palawan believes that people have one ‘true soul’ kiyaraluwa and
five secondary souls. The kirayaluwa is given at birth by the god Magindusa. The secondary souls are
located in both hands and feet, while there is also on in the head just below the air whorl (alimpuyo).
• The ethnic tribes of Bukidnon believe in the gimukod. According to their custom, there are two types
of gimukod: the one in the right hand and the one in the left hand.
The gimukod in the right hand is the good soul, and the one in the left hand is the bad soul. The right
hand soul is associated with life, health, activity, and joy. The left-hand soul is the cause of lethargy,
pain, and illness.
Rituals and Ceremonies
A ritual - is a ceremony or action performed in customary way. Ritual may be prescribed by the
traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals include not only the worship rites
and sacraments of organized religions and cults, but also rites of passage, atonement and purification
rites, oaths of allegiance, dedication ceremonies, coronations, presidential inaugurations, marriages, and
funerals – perhaps all kinds of human activity
A ceremony - is a formal act or ritual (often se by custom or tradition) performed in observation of an
even or anniversary, e.g., Japanese tea ceremony.

Where does ritual originate?

The general approaches to theories about the nature and origin of rituals are:
1. Origin approach;
2. Functional approach; and
3. History of religions approach.

The origin approach - was the earliest form to explain ritual. The basic premise of this approach is that
ritual behavior was part of the human evolution. Scholars believed that locating the oldest culture and
cults could explain the universal nature of rituals; that if they could discover the origin, then
contemporary human rituals can be explained. Some other scholars turned away from the origin
approach claiming such approach cannot adequately explain human behavior because no one can very
these ideas. Instead, these scholars focused on empirical evidence gathered through actual observation.
The nature of rituals was believed to be defined by its function in society.

The aim of the functional approach - was to explain ritual behavior in terms of individual and social
needs.

The history of religions approach - holds the view that ritual behavior is an expression of the sacred; it is
how the material human connects with the transcendent realm or the ultimate reality. The basic
problem with this approach, however, is that scholars need to agree first that such a transcendent realm
really exists before the theories can be confirmed (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

Classification of Rituals
1. Imitative
2. Positive and Negative
3. Sacrificial
4. Life crisis

The meaning of every ritual is based on some belief system. These are called imitative rituals because
these are patterned after myths, and the ritual repeats the myths or aspects of the myth. For example,
Filipinos make noises at the strike of twelve every New Year. This practice is actually based on Chinese
myth. As the story goes, there was once a monster called nián. Every spring, at midnight on New Year’s
Day, nián would arrive to eat villagers and destroy homes and farms. One new year, nián came while the
villagers were burning bamboo to keep themselves warm. The monster, frightened by the cracking noise
of the burning bamboo, fled. The villagers realized this was how they could defeat the monster. As time
passed by, firecrackers replaced bamboo burning.

Avoidance is the best description for a negative ritual. The word taboo has been applied to those rituals
that concern something should be avoided because it is forbidden. Thus, negative rituals focus on rules
of prohibition, which cover an almost infinite variety of rites and behavior. One characteristic they all
share, however, is that if the person breaks the ritual, it will result in a dramatic change that usually
brings some misfortune. On the other hand, positive rituals are mostly concerned with giving blessing to
an object or to an individual.

Sacrificial rituals - are seen as the earliest form of religion. The significance of sacrifice in the history or
religion is welldocumented. The distinct feature of this type of ritual is the total destruction of the
sacrifice as an offering to a “higher being.” The sacrifice can be a human being, an animal, food crops, or
objects. The destruction could be by burning, dismembering, cutting the sacrifice into small pieces,
eating, or burying it.

The basic characteristic of a life crisis ritual is the transition of one mode or stage of life into another.
This ritual usually defines the life of an individual. For example, it is a Filipino tradition to bury the
placenta right after birth, and it is the father who is tasked to do this. Moreover, for the succeeding
children, it is important to bury the placenta of the siblings together so that they will always love and
care for one another the rest of their lives (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

TRIVIA
YAKAN HONEYMOON RITUALS

The Yakans of Basilan Island observe interesting rituals during the honeymoon period. In the afternoon,
just before the first night the new couple spend together, each of them will be given a separate bath so
that children will not only be born clean throughout life. In their first sexual intercourse, the girl makes
sure that she is accepted as a wife and not as harlot by asking questions about her status. The groom has
to answer adequately that she is his wife. Just before the sexual act, the boy should first step on the
right foot as heavily as he can. This symbolizes strength. The first hand to touch his wife should be the
right one, for strength and long life. The first kiss should be planted on the forehead for oneness of
mind, with eyes opened so that his children will not be born blind. He should breathe lightly so that later
in life he will have fewer problems. The girl want to be assured that her marriage is accepted spiritually
and that she will be his wife even after life. For this reason, the bedding items have to be sanctified and
be named in a liturgical language. Permission is also granted to the groom to own the body of his wife
and also name her anatomical parts in liturgical speech. Any sexual intercourse that is not done
according to the natural way is considered abominable in the eyes of the Yakan and will bring
punishment from God on the culprit and his family
Identify what is being asked in each statement below write your answer before each number.
Spiritual 1. It is defined as “relating to or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or
physical things.”
Meditation 2. It is a mental exercise for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual
awareness.
Rituals 3. They refer to repeated physical gestures or activities, such as prayers and mantras.
Animism 4. It is the attribution of a soul to plants, objects, and natural phenomena.
Dungan 5. It is a vital force that occupies the body which is the conscious intellectual and emotional
aspects.
Ceremony 6. It refers to a formal act performed in observation of an event or anniversary.
Yoga 7. It is a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, which teaches the suppression of all mind and body
activity so that the self may attain liberation.
Prayer 8. It is a spiritual communion with God as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession.

Religion 9. It is defined as “the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a
personal God or gods.”
Journaling 10. Another contemplative practice that can help you become more aware of your inner life
and feel more connected to your experience and the world around you.