Spiritual
What is spirit? Is it the same as soul? Is it the half of a being, the other half being the physical?
For the most part, i really find that I cannot believe in "the substantial spirit or soul", or what most people call ghosts. Besides, believing in that type of metaphysical theory does nothing for our lives today. It takes our minds from here and now to some distant place somewhere, someday, that may not be there in the first place. I do know that there is such thing as heaven and hell, but golden glorious gate sitting on top of cumulo-nimbus formations, or a jagged landscape of red cliffs and canyons engulfed by flames? I don't think so. And even if the case were like that, how does that help me in my life today? It's like the knowledge that things are made of atoms...okay, but so what? Does that knowledge translate into greater monthly income for me? Does that knowledge even enrich my life? No it doesn't.
So, obviously I'm trying to steer away from a metaphysical elucidation of what the spirit or the soul is, because that's not what I wanted to get at in the first place. My question isn't "what is the spirit?", it's "what is spirit?"
Take all possibly widely known usages of the word spirit..."the Holy Spirit", "spirit of the law", "[s/he] is quite spirited", "spirituality"...and when I think of these things, one thing comes to mind: movement.
They always told us at school that the Holy Spirit is "that thing" which inspires you and you know that it's God. And when you're inspired by God, you just go to lengths you don't normally go to do things you don't normally do, like help little children or visit and listen old lonely people in hospitals. Movement.
Spirit of the law is what the law was, like, "intending". That is, the law is an abstraction of how things ought to be, and this abstraction comes from the fact that how things are and how things ought to be are not the same thing, so man makes laws to get "how things are" closer to "how things ought to be", so there is a movement from how things are to how things ought to be. Movement.
When someone is spirited they're very lively and energetic. Even in the physical domain, the effect is the same. Movement.
And spirituality. Spirituality is how your being moves about in life. In you every day of existence, this is how you move. Spirituality is how your will moves about life.
How about spirits as in liquor? ... I don't drink so I wouldn't know, but as liquor in its early stages of ingestion makes people happy and giddy, and have you seen giddy drunks? Movement.
Spirit is movement.
And how does this relate to the Dao?
The Dao is a certain movement about you. And sometimes this movement takes you with it, it surprises you, pleasantly or otherwise, and you can't do a thing about it. But that doesn't mean it automatically kills you, because if you ride the motion, not only can you survive the Dao, you can even be happy with its motion, and soon enough, if you ride the motion of the Dao you come to know its fluidity and motion, and you follow its motion. So soon your motion is as the motion of the Dao, so when you do something you are unstoppable.
It's just like the Holy Spirit. If you follow the Holy Spirit you end up following the will of God. And your will become's God's will. You work in the direction that God planned, and when things come your way this way you can only be happier.
This is the way.
More important, this is my way.
For the most part, i really find that I cannot believe in "the substantial spirit or soul", or what most people call ghosts. Besides, believing in that type of metaphysical theory does nothing for our lives today. It takes our minds from here and now to some distant place somewhere, someday, that may not be there in the first place. I do know that there is such thing as heaven and hell, but golden glorious gate sitting on top of cumulo-nimbus formations, or a jagged landscape of red cliffs and canyons engulfed by flames? I don't think so. And even if the case were like that, how does that help me in my life today? It's like the knowledge that things are made of atoms...okay, but so what? Does that knowledge translate into greater monthly income for me? Does that knowledge even enrich my life? No it doesn't.
So, obviously I'm trying to steer away from a metaphysical elucidation of what the spirit or the soul is, because that's not what I wanted to get at in the first place. My question isn't "what is the spirit?", it's "what is spirit?"
Take all possibly widely known usages of the word spirit..."the Holy Spirit", "spirit of the law", "[s/he] is quite spirited", "spirituality"...and when I think of these things, one thing comes to mind: movement.
They always told us at school that the Holy Spirit is "that thing" which inspires you and you know that it's God. And when you're inspired by God, you just go to lengths you don't normally go to do things you don't normally do, like help little children or visit and listen old lonely people in hospitals. Movement.
Spirit of the law is what the law was, like, "intending". That is, the law is an abstraction of how things ought to be, and this abstraction comes from the fact that how things are and how things ought to be are not the same thing, so man makes laws to get "how things are" closer to "how things ought to be", so there is a movement from how things are to how things ought to be. Movement.
When someone is spirited they're very lively and energetic. Even in the physical domain, the effect is the same. Movement.
And spirituality. Spirituality is how your being moves about in life. In you every day of existence, this is how you move. Spirituality is how your will moves about life.
How about spirits as in liquor? ... I don't drink so I wouldn't know, but as liquor in its early stages of ingestion makes people happy and giddy, and have you seen giddy drunks? Movement.
Spirit is movement.
And how does this relate to the Dao?
The Dao is a certain movement about you. And sometimes this movement takes you with it, it surprises you, pleasantly or otherwise, and you can't do a thing about it. But that doesn't mean it automatically kills you, because if you ride the motion, not only can you survive the Dao, you can even be happy with its motion, and soon enough, if you ride the motion of the Dao you come to know its fluidity and motion, and you follow its motion. So soon your motion is as the motion of the Dao, so when you do something you are unstoppable.
It's just like the Holy Spirit. If you follow the Holy Spirit you end up following the will of God. And your will become's God's will. You work in the direction that God planned, and when things come your way this way you can only be happier.
This is the way.
More important, this is my way.