UTS
INTRODUCTION
Spiritual self is one of the four constituents of the "self" according to William James in his book,
The Principles of Psychology in 1890. The spiritual self is the most intimate, inner subjective part
of self. It is the most intimate version of the self because of the satisfaction experienced when
thinking of one's ability to argue and discriminate, of one's moral sensibility and conscience, and
of our unconquerable will (James 1890) is purer than all other sentiments of satisfaction. (Green
1997)
The ability to use moral sensibility and conscience may be seen through the expressions of
religion, its beliefs and practices. In the same manner, cultural rituals and ceremonies are some
manifestations what people believe in. Moreover, seeking the meaning of life is a journey that
the spiritual self is on.
Religion
Rebecca Stein (Stein 2011) works on the definition of religion "as a set of cultural beliefs and
practices that usually includes some or all of basic characteristics. These characteristics are:
1. A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural being, such as spirit and God.
2. A focus on the sacred supernatural, where sacred refers to a feeling of reverence and awe.
3. The presence of supernatural power or energy that is found on supernatural beings as well as
physical beings and objects.
4. The performance of ritual activities that involves the manipulation of sacred object to
communicate to supernatural beings and/or to influence or control events.
5. The articulation of worldview and moral codes through narratives and other means
6. 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.
*An individual lives in a society where there are many practices of religion.
The choice of religious belief lies within the spiritual self. Although the choice maybe influenced
by the society and its culture.
Ritual
Ritual is the performance of ceremonial acts prescribed by a tradition or sacred law (Britannica
2017). Ritual is a specific, observable mode of behavior exhibited by all known societies. It is thus
possible to view ritual as a way of defining or describing humans.
There are three fundamental characteristics of rituals according to Penner (Britannica 2017).
Ritual has the characteristics of:
1. a feeling or emotion of respect, awe, fascination, or dread in relation to the sacred.
2. dependence upon a belief system that is usually expressed in the language of myth.
3. is symbolic in relation to its reference.
The self can be described as a ritual being who exhibits a striking parallel between their ritual and
verbal behavior. Just as language is a system of symbols that is based upon arbitrary rules, ritual
may be viewed as a system of symbolic acts that is based upon arbitrary rules. Participation to
rituals is expressions of religious beliefs.
SOME WORLD RELIGIOUS AND BELIEFS
*BUDHISM
Beliefs
Buddhism believes that life is not a bed of roses. Instead, there are suffering pain, and
frustrations. When people suffer, they want to experience the goodnes 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 ano deeper understanding, and acceptance of things as they
are.
Customs and Practices
There are two types of meditation practices: samatha and vipassana.
Samatha is practiced as mindfulness of breathing and development of loving kindness (Metta
Bhavana). Vipassana practices aim at developing insight into reality. Acquiring wisdom is by
studying Buddha's teaching, the Dharma. Through the reflection of Dharma, Buddhists can
achieve a deeper understanding of life. Buddhists believe in non-violence principle.
Some of the major Buddhist celebrations are Parinirvana Day in February;
Buddha Day (Wesak) in May; Dharma Day in July; Padmasambhava Day in October; and Sangha
Day in November.
*CHRISTIANS
Beliefs
Christians believe in Trinitarian God! One God in three personas: the Father (Creator), God the
Son (Savior), and God the holy Spirit (Sustain, Eternal life after death will be achieved through
faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Ch Is, God the Son, who came into flesh, to spread the Good News of
Salvation. died on the Cross for the sin of the humanity but resurrected from the death. that
anyone who believes in Him will be saved and have eternal life. The Holy Bible is a selection of
books, which is divided into two, the Old Testament and New Testament.
Customs and Practices
Sacrament of Baptism and Sacrament of
Communion are practiced by Christian churches.
The Sacrament of Baptism symbolizes the birth in Christian World, while the Sacrament of
Communion is an act of remembrance of Jesus Christ's sacrificial love. Jesus Christ teaching in
unconditional love that is expressed in loving the poor, oppressed, and outcast of the society.
Christmas and Resurrection (Easter) are the two major celebrations in Christianity. Christmas,
usually on December 25, commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ while Resurrection Sunday
(depends on the lunar calendar, sometime in March or April) celebrates the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from death.
*HINDUISIM
Beliefs
Hinduism covers a wide range of traditional beliefs and religious groups; thus, there is no single
founder or leader. Hindus believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death and rebirth, governed by
Karma.
Karma is a concept where the reincarnated life will depend on how the past life was spent.
Hindus believe that the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next incarnation is
always dependent on how the previous life was lived. Vedas are sacred scriptures of Hindus.
Mahabharata and Ramayana are two other important texts of the Hindus.
Customs and Practices
Diwali, and Navrati are the most celebrated festivals of the Hindus. Diwali is the Festival of Lights
while Navrati is the festival of nine nights, which celebrate the triumph of good over evil. Hindus
have set dates to honor particular manifestations of God.
*ISLAM
Beliefs
Muslims believe in Allah, who is their "One God." They believe in the unity and universality of
God. Muslims also have a strong sense of community or “ummah" and an awareness of their
solidarity with all Muslims worldwide. Islam means "willing submission to God."
Muslims believe that Mohammed is the last and final prophet sent by God.
Mohammed was born in Mecca in 570 CE and received revelations from Goa through the Angel
Gabriel over a period of 23 years. The Holy Book of Islam is called the Quran, which was taught to
be recited in Arabic because any translation is seen as inadequate.
Customs and Practices
Muslims believe in the five pillars of Istam, which are the foundation of
Muslim life:
1. Shahadah - statement of faith: "There is no God but the one true God and Mohammed is his
messenger."
2. Salat - the prayer that is practiced five times a day.
3. Zakat - the monetary offering for the benefit of the poor. It comprises the 2.5% of a Muslim's
assets.
4. Haji - the yearly pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims who can afford are asked to do the pilgrimage
at least once in their lifetime.
5. Sawm - the fasting. Muslims do fasting, from food, drink, and sexual act, during the
celebration of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The fast is
from dawn to sunset.
Two of the major festivals in Islam are Eidul-Fitr and Eidul-Adha. Eidul-Fitr is the celebration at
the end of Ramadan, while Eidul-Adha is celebrated within the completion of the Pilgrimage, the
Hajj.
*JUDAISM
Beliefs
The Jews believe in the God of Abraham, the same God that liberated.
Hebrew slaves from Egypt to Canaan, the Promised Land through the leadersh of Moses and
later, Joshua.
The Jews believe in the coming of Messiah, the Savior. The sacred scriptu of the Jews is called the
Torah or the Law. The Torah is the guide of the Jewis living. The study and interpretation of Torah
is part of the Jewish culture.
Customs and Practices
There are five major festivals observed by the Jews:
1. Rosh Hashanah - the New Year
2. Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement
3. Pesach - Passover
4. Shavuot - Pentecost
[Link] - Tabernacles. The Jewish Sabbath begins on Friday evening at sunset and is an
important time when families gather for the Shabbat meal.
(Conclusion)
Religious beliefs, rituals, practices, and customs are all part of the expression of the spiritual self.
What to believe and how to manifest the belief is entirely dependent on the individual, to the
self. A person might believe that there is a higher being, a supernatural being, usually termed as
God, but not necessarily wants to be affiliated or identified with a certain religious group. Others
may have religious practices which are perceived to be contrary to the practices of other groups.
Religious beliefs and practices, therefore, are formed relative to its context and culture.
Finding and Creating Meaning of Life-B
Another extensive study of self can be found in the works of Dr. Viktor E. Frankl. The Viktor Frankl
Institute in Vienna was created in 1992. The Institute has a website where there is a synopsis of
his life and works and present programs
The Psychiatrist
Dr. Viktor E. Frankl was born on March 26, 1905 in Vienna, Austria, where famous psychiatrists
Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler lived. At a young age, he wrote a short paper to Freud which was
published after three years. Dr. Frankl graduated with a medical degree from the University of
Vienna in 1930. He was assigned in Vienna Hospital suicide ward and headed the Rothschild
Hospital, eight years later.
*Logotherapy
Logotherapy is a psychotherapy introduced by Dr. Viktor E. Frankl, vin considered the Father of
Logotherapy. The main belief of logotherapy is that ing primary motivational force is search for
meaning." Logotherapy aids individual, find personal meaning of life, whatever life situation they
may be.
In logotherapy, meaning can be discovered by creating a work or doing deed, experiencing
something or encountering someone and the attitude towards unavoidable suffering. According
to the Victor Frank institute of Logotherap (n.d.), it uses the philosophy of optimism in the face of
tragedy, where people are capable of "tuming suffering into human achievement and
accomplishmen deriving from guilt the opportunity to change oneself for the better; and deriving
from life's transitoriness an incentive to take responsible action."
Basic Concepts of Franklian Psychology
The Franklian Psychology has the basic concepts. These are the following:
* Life has meaning under all circumstances.
* Main motivation for living is our will to find meaning in life.
* Freedom to find meaning.
Furthermore, Franklian Psychology aims to:
(1) become aware of spiritua resources,
(2) make conscious spiritual resources, and (3) use "defiant power o" the human spirit" and stand
up against adversity.
