Understanding the self

• Spiritual self


  The inner essence, the part of the self that connects the person to the sacred, the supernatural and the universe
• Spiritual self


  • It enables the person to experience a feeling of oneness with a higher being and the universe, it gives a deeper purpose or meaning of one's life
• The family, school and church play very important role in a child's spiritual development
• Soul (according to the Indigenous Filipino)

  Dungan by the Ilonggos when the person is alive; "kalag" or "detached", "free", when he is dead
• Spirituality


  Taken from the Latin word "spiritus" meaning breath or life force, sensitivity or "attachment to religious values" and "the quality or state of being spiritual", generally refers to a meaning and purpose in one's life, originally developed in early Christianity, Christians use the term "spirit" to describe the Holy Spirit
• How spirituality is being achieved

  • A Protestant claims to be saved at a revival meeting
  • A Catholic seeks communion with God at Mass
  • A Buddhist pursues enlightenment through meditation
  • A Hindu strives for release from the cycle of rebirths through self-denial
• Are all of these on the path to true spirituality?
• Religion


  The history of religion is as old as the history of man himself, Muḥammad, the Buddha, Confucius, and Jesus are considered founders of the major religions but they did not actually originate religion, their teachings grew out of existing religious ideas
• Definition of religion


  • A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural being, such as spirit & gods
  • A focus on the sacred supernatural, where sacred refers to a feeling of reverence and awe
  • The presence of supernatural power or energy that is found on supernatural beings as well as physical beings and objects
  • The performance of ritual activities that involves the manipulation of sacred object to communicate to supernatural beings and/or to influence or control events
  • The articulation of worldview and moral codes through narratives and other means
  • Provide the creation and maintenance of social bonds and mechanism of social control within a community; provide explanation for unknown and a sense of control for individuals
• When Elizabeth came to the throne, England had experienced a series of religious convulsions. It was vital for her to calm everyone down, assuring them that she cared, while avoiding violent reactions
• The Catholics held passionately to the belief in transubstantiation: that the bread and wine at Mass were truly Christ's body and blood
• Three ways in discovering meaning in life

  • Through our actions
  • Through our connections
  • Through our suffering
• Finding meaning through our actions


  We often find meaning through the things we do
• Finding meaning through our connections


  We find meaning through our relationships with a spouse, family, or friends, it can also involve our relationship with God or the sacred
• Finding meaning through our suffering


  Humans can still find meaning in the midst of suffering, when they are unable to engage in much meaningful action or separated from the ones they love
• Types of rituals


  • Ground breaking ceremonies
  • Earth healing ceremonies
  • Space clearing rituals
  • Commercial dedication ceremonies
  • Blessings
  • Healing rituals
  • Fertility rituals
  • Prosperity rituals
  • Marriage rituals
  • Soul retrieval
• Ground breaking ceremonies


  • They honor the earth for the privilege of settling or occupying that space, they tend to improve the outcome of construction, helping to ensure timely schedules, safety to workmen, and successful lives for those living or using the site
• Earth healing ceremonies


  • They attempt to correct geopathic stress and other disturbed earth energies, geopathic stress is a form of noxious energy in the earth which has been implicated in myriad inconveniences, from recurring accidents and minor mishaps to serious problems such as cancer, immune disorders, crib death, infertility, and many more
• Space clearing rituals


  • They are used to clear out old or stagnant energies in built environments, stagnant energy is often implicated in failure to thrive, lack of success, ill health, or bad luck, and may involve predecessor influences (bad luck inherited from the previous tenant or owner), they can also be used against unwanted spiritual forces such as ghosts or elementals
• Commercial dedication ceremonies


  • They are designed to maximize opportunity in the business environment, they can be used to promote prosperity, efficiency, and good management, they are also useful in situations where financial or commercial fortunes are compromised
• Blessings


  • They bring specific powers and consequently, specific influences into our spaces, through the process of blessing it is possible to promote desired results, program a space for a given purpose, or increase the odds for success in particular activities, they are often performed in public and can involve friends, the press, or other such gatherings
• Healing rituals


  • They are meant to propitiate the successful outcome of a healing process, they can be performed directly over the patient or remotely if the patient cannot be reached or moved, the healing space itself can also be cleared and blessed
• Fertility rituals


  • They are meant to help those couples who have had difficulty conceiving
• Prosperity rituals


  • They are propitiatory procedures that can help to increase income, help with career, and help resolve legal or emotional entanglements with money
• Marriage rituals


  • They are used to enhance existing relationships, promote new ones, and help the community by strengthening the love bonds that tie its members, they are seen not in isolation, but as part of larger social mechanisms which include the ancestors and the future generations
• Soul retrieval


  • It is useful when long-standing blocks make it difficult to make changes in our lives, and when it seems that no matter how hard we try, results do not come our way, it is said that our soul can become fragmented by trauma, as portions of our soul or psyche choose to become detached from us rather than suffer, a soul retrieval attempts to gather those parts that have been "lost" and re-integrate them into our identity
• Ritual process


  1. Purification

  2. Invocation

  3. Receiving

  4. Closing
• Purification


  • All rituals begin with purification, it includes not only the participants but also the space within which the ritual is to be performed, it can take many forms, from simple cleansing of the physical body in baths or ablutions, cleansing of the space with incense or sound, to complex meditation practices designed to cleanse the more subtle levels of consciousness
• Invocation


  • It involves the invocation of the powers being petitioned, these include the earth itself, the sky, the four directions, the forces of the mountains, valleys and other sacred land formations, the forces of the sacred rivers, lakes and springs, and other spiritual teachers, including saints, gurus, and elders
• Receiving


  • Once the unseen forces have made themselves present at the sacred ground, it is possible to make use of their power, often it is enough to allow their power to enter our bodies, filling us with strength and blessings
• Closing


  • Once the ritual is done, it is essential to close the ritual process as well as the ritual space, failure to do so is dangerous, as it leaves the ritual space open
• Main forces beseeched in rituals

  • The Earth itself, recognized as the source of physical health and well-being
  • The sky, recognized as the source of inspiration and creation
  • The four directions, also referred to as the four winds, considered to be the embodiment of our bodies (north), feelings (west), mind (east), and spirit (south)
  • The forces of the mountains, valleys and other sacred land formations
  • The forces of the sacred rivers, lakes and springs
  • Other spiritual teachers, including saints, gurus, and elders
• Receiving


  Allow the power of the unseen forces to enter our bodies, filling us with strength and blessings
• Closing


  1. Close the ritual process as well as the ritual space

  2. Failure to do so is dangerous, as it leaves open a channel for opportunistic forces to invade the safety of our ordinary world

  3. It is considered detrimental to create or consecrate a ritual space such as an altar if it is not to be used
• Altars


  • Specialized devices which act as two-way conduits between the realms of the sacred and the profane
  • They act as broadcasters of our desires and intentions, and in return, they bring to us the influence and power of the sacred
  • They include the four basic building blocks of the universe: earth, water, fire, and air
  • These four elements are also related to the four directions and the four aspects of human nature (body, feeling, mind, and spirit)
• Buddhism believes that life is not a bed of roses. Instead, there are suffering, pain, frustrations. When people suffer, they want to experience the goodness of life and avoid disappointments. It becomes a habit known as the reactive cycle of wanting and hating, like and dislike, and craving and aversion. This reactive cycle can be broken through the practice of mediation, acquiring more wisdom and deeper understanding, and acceptance of things as they are.
• Types of Buddhist meditation practices

  • Samatha (mindfulness of breathing and development of loving-kindness (Metta Bhavana))
  • Vipassana (developing insight into reality)
• Ways for Buddhists to acquire wisdom

  • Studying Buddha's teaching
  • The Dharma through the reflection of the Dharma
• Buddhists believe in the non-violence principle.
• Major Buddhist celebrations


  • Parinirvana Day in February
  • Buddha Day (Wesak) in May
  • Dharma Day in July
  • Padmasambhava Day in October
  • Sangha Day in November