Living a Spiritual Life: Purpose of life and Soul Dr. Rodney H. Clarken Copyright © 2011.

Living a Spiritual Life:Purpose of life and

Soul

Dr. Rodney H. Clarken

Copyright © 2011

Module Objective

This module discusses how the purpose of life is to live a spiritual life, how spirituality is related to the soul and how we can use the spiritual qualities of the soul to live a spiritual life.

© Rodney H Clarken 2011 2

Write brief answers to these questions.

1. What does the purpose of life have to do with living a spiritual life?

2. How is the soul related to spirituality? To the body? To the mind?

3. How can we develop our souls to be healthier and happier?

Save your answers to compare to the final slide.

© Rodney H Clarken 2009

What is the purpose of life? Read and reflect

Read The Purpose of Life at http://info.bahai.org/article-1-4-0-6.html

Reflect on what the purpose of life has to do with living a spiritual life.


http://info.bahai.org/article-1-4-0-6.html



From your reading and reflection,

Explain how spirituality and the purpose of life are related using the excerpts that follow.


Excerpts from the reading.*

1. Life should be seen as an eternal process of joyous spiritual discovery and growth

2. The evolution or development of the soul and its capacities is the basic purpose of human existence. This evolution is towards God and its motive force is knowledge of God and love for Him.




The purpose of God in creating man hath been, and will ever be, to enable him to know his Creator and to attain His Presence. (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 70)




Bahá'u'lláh teaches that the only true and enduring happiness for human beings lies in the pursuit of spiritual development.

In summary, the spiritual reason for our life on earth is to provide us with a training ground; our life is a period of growth during which we focus on the development of our innate spiritual and intellectual capacities. © Rodney H Clarken 2011 8


Write a short statement.What is the purpose of life?

1.


Possible answers to “What is the purpose of life?”

1. To know and love God.

2. To reflect the attributes of God.

3. Individual and social development.

4. To develop the soul for eternal life.

5. To live a spiritual life, grow spiritually.

6. Other…


What is the essence of humans?

The need is very great, everywhere in the world, in and outside the Faith, for a true spiritual awareness to pervade and motivate peoples' lives. No amount of administrative procedure or adherence to rules can take the place of this soul-characteristic, this spirituality which is the essence of Man.


What is the chief goal?

Its [Bahá'í Faith] chief goal is the development of the individual and society, through the acquisition of spiritual virtues and powers. It is the soul of man which has first to be fed.


What has turning away from religion produced?

“This turning away from religion has been powerfully reinforced by the growth of materialism, and has produced a combination of physical well-being and spiritual aridity that is having catastrophic results, socially and psychologically, on the population.” (Universal House of Justice, 9/1/83)


What is the need for spirituality today?

"Indeed, the chief reason for the evils now rampant in society is the lack of spirituality. The materialistic civilization of our age has so much absorbed the energy and interest of mankind that people in general do no longer feel the necessity of raising themselves above the forces and conditions of their daily material existence.


What is the crisis and spirit of the age?

"The universal crisis affecting mankind is, therefore, essentially spiritual in its causes. The spirit of the age, taken on the whole, is irreligious. Man's outlook on life is too crude and materialistic to enable him to elevate himself into the higher realms of the spirit.


What is a spiritual life?

Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop an individual's inner life; such practices often lead to an experience of connectedness with a larger reality, yielding a more comprehensive self; with other individuals or the human community; with nature or the cosmos; or with the divine realm.[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituality)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituality



What are two phases of spirituality?

Spirituality is also described as a process in two phases: the first on inner growth, and the second on the manifestation of this result daily in the world. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituality)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World




Why live a spiritual life?


Then what does soul mean?

1. The animating and vital principle in humankind credited with the faculties of thought, action and emotion and conceived as forming an immaterial entity.

Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul to read more about soul or search online.


http://www.answers.com/topic/soul

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul

What are the 3 faculties of the soul from the above definition?

1. 2. 3.


What are the faculties of the soul?

1. Thought2. Action 3. Emotion


Reflect and share with others.

How might the faculties of the soul be used to develop a more spiritual life?

Note: There are many ways to answer this question. What is important here is that you take some time to think about it. Answers to this question will be found throughout the course. We will be using the faculties of our souls to develop spirituality. © Rodney H Clarken 2011 22

Some clues on how the faculties of the soul relate to spirituality.Thought: Knowing (Mind)

Thinking Truth Action: Willing (Will)

Doing JusticeEmotion: Loving

(Heart) Feeling Unity© Rodney H Clarken 2009

Using the above faculties and concepts, write a short statement

on how to develop the soul.1.

Share that statement with the class online or with someone else.


For important foundational knowledge of developing

spirituality read Hatcher’s Concept of Spirituality Also, view Clarken’s

Model of Human Development Each of these activities will take over an

hour. Please allow yourself time to absorb these resources.


http://bahai-library.com/hatcher_bw18_spirituality

http://bahai-library.com/hatcher_bw18_spirituality

http://mediasite.nmu.edu/NMUMediasite/Viewer/?peid=d941d792ea654df7953119ca1c3456bb

What is a Bahá'í definition of soul?

The Bahá'í Faith affirms that "the soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men had failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel.[21] Bahá'u'lláh stated that the soul not only continues to live after the physical death of the human body, but is, in fact, immortal.[22]


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bah%C3%A1'%C3%AD_Faith

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bah%C3%A1'u'll%C3%A1h

Heaven can be seen partly as the soul's state of nearness

to God; and hell as a state of remoteness from God. Each state follows as a natural consequence of individual efforts, or the lack thereof, to develop spiritually.[23]

Bahá'u'lláh taught that individuals have no existence prior to their life here on earth and the soul's evolution is always towards God and away from the material world.[23] (source and read more)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul#cite_ref-20










To read more on the Bahai concept of soul, go to:

http://info.bahai.org/article-1-4-5-1.html http://info.bahai.org/article-1-4-0-5.html http://info.bahai.org/article-1-4-6-1.html http://www.investigatereality.org/RealitySo

ul.htm





http://www.investigatereality.org/RealitySoul.htm

http://www.investigatereality.org/RealitySoul.htm

By what means can man acquire these [spiritual] things? How shall he obtain these merciful gifts an

d powers? First, through the knowledge of God. Second, through the love of God. Third, through faith. Fourth, through philanthropic deeds. Fifth, through self-sacrifice. Sixth, through severance from this world. Seventh, through sanctity and holiness. 1











List the 7 qualities given for spirituality or soul development.1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.


List the 7 qualities given for spirituality or soul development.1. knowledge of God.

2. the love of God.

3. faith.

4. philanthropic deeds.

5. self-sacrifice.

6. severance from this world.

7. sanctity and holiness.


How do these 7 qualities relate to the 3 faculties of the soul?

1.


How do these 7 qualities relate to the 3 faculties of the soul?

1. knowledge of God thought (knowing)

2. the love of God emotion (loving)

3. faith knowing + action (willing)

4. philanthropic deeds willing + loving

5. self-sacrifice willing + loving

6. severance from world willing + loving

7. sanctity and holiness willing + loving


What is the relationship of soul and body?

The soul lives on when the body dies and is our true identity and reality.

The body is like a horse and the soul is like the rider. The body (horse) should be cared for as it is a vehicle for the soul (rider), but it can not bring us true happiness.


What is the relationship of soul and body?

“The soul of man is the sun by which his body is illumined, and from which it draweth its sustenance, and should be so regarded.” (Gleanings from Writings of Baha’u’llah, p. 155)


What is the relationship of soul and mind?

“The temple of man is like unto a mirror, his soul is as the sun, and his mental faculties even as the rays that emanate from that source of light.” (Abdu’l-Baha’s Tablet to August Forel, p. 24)


Compare your answers to these question to those given at the

beginning of this module.1. Define spiritual?

2. How is the soul related to spirituality? To the body? To the mind?

3. How can we develop our souls to be healthier and happier?


Living a Spiritual Life: Purpose of life and Soul Dr. Rodney H. Clarken Copyright © 2011.

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