SPIRITUAL LIVING
The Soul
In many religious, philosophical, and mythological traditions, the soul is the incorporeal essence of a living being. In metaphysics, the concept of 'soul' may be equated with that of 'mind' to refer to the consciousness and intellect of the individual that encompasses reason, character, feeling, memory, perception, and thinking. Traditionally, the soul is defined as the spiritual breath of the body. (Source: Wikipedia)
Or to put it simply, the soul is how we understand ourselves, and how we relate to others and our surroundings. It is what makes each of us different from another person.
The Spirit
Not all living beings were created equal. There are differences between a plant, animal, and human being. The plant has a body but is believed to have no "conscious" life, while the animal has a body and a "living soul” (consciousness). Therefore, unlike plants, animals are capable of relating to their surroundings, other animals, and humans. The difference between an animal and a human being is that while the animal has a body and a living soul, the human has more; the human has a body, a living soul, and a "spirit." (See 'Our Threefold Nature,' if you haven’t yet) The essence of the spirit differentiates human beings from other living beings and makes humans capable of operating in a higher realm—the realm of spirit.
Although a human may be complete in the sense of having a body, soul, and spirit, the human’s spiritual nature remains in an unregenerate state until the human becomes aware that he has a spirit, accepts it, and allows the Spirit of his Creator to fill his spirit, regenerate and illuminate his innermost being, and equip and empower his living. The regenerated and illuminated spirit differentiates a human from other humans. It is the well where invaluable spiritual resources such as wisdom, discernment, creativity, and love are found and flow from the inside out—from spirit to soul and all aspects of the physical life of the human. The regenerated and illuminated spirit gives the human a competitive advantage over his fellow humans whose spirits are yet to be regenerated and illuminated.
What is Spiritual Living?
There are a higher reality and more excellent knowledge than that cognizable by the human mind. It divides reality into a realm of spirit and a realm of matter. Some truths go beyond or transcend evidence. These are truths that were “known” but could not be proven with reasoning. These truths were a private experience of faith and conviction.
When a human being realizes that he is also a spiritual being, his soul is awakened to his spiritual magnificence and elevated to the realm of spirit.
Thus, Spiritual Living is the human tuning into the Spirit of his Creator and recognizing the Spirit of his Creator as the source of understanding, intuitive knowing, spiritual discernment, and center of the skill for living. It expands the human’s knowledge of his relationship to his Creator, his authentic self, and his purpose and place in the Universe.
By practicing Spiritual Living, the human makes the vital shift from the plane of living by reason to the higher plane of living by the revelation of the Spirit. The Spirit of the Creator keenly guides his spirit as he practices tuning into the Spirit of the Creator consistently. The human focuses on how to think rather than what to think, and no longer limited to only human cognition. He obtains insights into his authentic self and gains access to the infinite spiritual resources that would transform his being from the inside out and empower his everyday living. It is the inexhaustible supply he needs to create and live an abundant life.
Why is Spiritual Living Beneficial?
Spiritual Laws
Much as the law of gravity exists, there are also spiritual laws at work regardless of how conscious of them we may or may not be. Spiritual laws, like gravity, are something we cannot see that affect our life.
Spiritual Living enables us to work with these laws to reach our desired outcome—the abundant life. While many people may tell us what these laws are and how they work, the only way to know them is to practice working with them, like how you would an experiment. For example, when you practice peace in your life, you see love revealed in you and flows to you and around you. You experience a calm and order that makes your life pleasurable and beautiful. When you practice clinging to hope in the direst of circumstances and won't relent, you eventually reach the end of the dark, treacherous tunnel and emerge victorious into the light. When you revere the path directed by the Spirit of the Creator and practice walking in it steadfastly with courage and persistence, you find meaning and purpose to life, and you reap joy and fulfillment.
It would be wise to be conscious of and work with the spiritual laws present.
Spiritual Needs
Howard Clinebell, a professor in counseling with thirty years of psychological counseling experience under his belt, believed that human beings have Seven Spiritual Needs in common:
All people need to experience regularly the healing and empowerment of love—from others, self, and an ultimate source.
Everyone needs to experience renewing times of transcendence—moments that expand us beyond the immediate sensory spheres.
Everybody needs vital beliefs that give some sense of meaning and hope amid losses, tragedies, and failures.
Every person needs to have values, priorities, and life commitments—usually centered on issues of justice, integrity, and love—that guide us in personally-and-socially-responsible living.
Each human being needs to discover and develop their inner wisdom, creativity, and love of their unique transpersonal or spiritual self.
All people need a deepening awareness of oneness with other people and with the natural world, the wonderful web of all living things.
Every human being needs spiritual resources to help heal the painful wounds of grief, guilt, resentment, unforgiveness, self-rejection, and shame. We also need spiritual resources to deepen our experiences of trust, self-esteem, hope, joy, and love of life.
Mr. Clinebell felt that everybody must pay attention to these needs to feel whole and fulfilled, thus making spirituality central to human well-being.
Conclusion
Spiritual Living elevates our mind and being, and empowers our daily living. Consistent and continuous practice in cultivating and developing a rich inner life, consisted of the spiritual faculties of faith, hope, reverence, prayer, meditation, and worship; and in choosing to follow the Spirit's wise guidance would produce love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—the inner resources required to meet the stifling demands of human life and allow us to thrive in life and live abundantly.