What isn't spiritual?

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dauer

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See above. I figure enough time is spent talking about what is spiritual or sacred or holy or divine. So question for discussion: What isn't spiritual?

-- Dauer
 
"What isn't spiritual?" The question seems to set up a dichotomy - "spiritual" vs "spiritual." How about greater or lesser degrees?

Offhand, I'd say actively trying to destroy the spiritual aspect of life is not so spiritual. I suppose one could argue that this can be a learning experience that ultimately has some spiritual value.
 
It's a matter of perspective or awareness. When one is in a spiritual state of being, everything is spiritual. If one is entirely not, nothing is. In between are all sorts of shades of gray.
 
Netti,

I'm not really intending a dichotomy, just trying to get people talking and thinking. My own view would probably coalesce more with what p_o_o just said. I withhold my own thoughts initially in the hope others will feel more comfortable sharing theirs and hopefully the conversation will cover terrain that it would not had I offered a more concrete starting point.

So for you it is greater and lesser degrees, and degree is measurable in whether or not something is actively trying to destroy the spiritual aspect of life? How do you define the spiritual aspect of life? What aspects of life are not spiritual? How much does the intention, the active destruction, play into the act? What about unintentionally and unwittingly destroying the spiritual aspect of life?

-- Dauer
 
I'm just thinking out loud. If one is said to be in "good spirits" it implies something more than what we normally think of as spiritual. A very wide range of things contribute to the level of one's "spirits." Is there anything within our personal experiences that doesn't impact our spirit in that sense?

Or, where does the impetus for a "spirited defense" of something come from? School spirit? All these things related to our "spirit" makes me wonder what, exactly, spirit is.

I don't know if anything is not spiritual.

Chris
 
China Cat Sunflower said:
I don't know if anything is not spiritual.
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Hi Chris,

Much of what we know about the spirituality arises in a relational context. Being alone is not inherently a bad thing. On the other hand, human relationships can be very unspiritual and unconducive to a G-d revealing life. In Mahayana Buddhism, practitioners are discouraged from seeking connections with other beings . . . . if for no other reason than that they are distracting and reinforce attachment. My term for it is interpersonal dukkha.

Fake relationships, superficial relationships, abusive and irresponsible relationships, using others for one's own selfish purposes rather than with respect for their autonomy, rights and dignity can obviously cause harm to others; such relationships are often of no spiritual value to the individual actor either and may actually be of negative value.

I think one might say that various functional domains have the potential to be either spiritual or not-so-spiritual, depending on our choices. The glory of G-d versus the darkening of the world - we choose.
 
Is going to the toilet spiritual?

What about setting the alarm clock?
 
Bandit said:
Is going to the toilet spiritual?
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Hmm, interesting. We do have spaces dedicated for that purpose {not necessarily sacred--especially if you have kids,} and some people can become rather ritualistic about it...

I suppose some people might consider the purging of the physical to be a spiritual process. :eek:
 
Namaste dauer,

i'm not sure i understand the question... what do you mean by the term "spiritual"?

metta,

~v
 
Netti,

How does one address this question without talking about evil and sin, which may have been discussed already at length?
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Depending on how one uses the word spiritual, quite easily. If a person automatically associates spiritual with what they see as good in the world and not-spiritual with what they see as evil in the world then the discussion will go there for them. If they don't see it quite that way, then it won't. Why did you skip over the questions that I asked you? They were not rhetorical.


Bandit,

Is going to the toilet spiritual?

What about setting the alarm clock?
Click to expand...

A few good questions I think that raises is, what makes an action spiritual? What makes an action not spiritual? Why do we make an association between certain action and either spirituality or non-spirituality? Is spirituality external, internal or a combination of the two?


Vaj,

i'm not sure i understand the question... what do you mean by the term "spiritual"?
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I understand different people would use the word differently. I intentionally didn't define the word so that people can take it as whatever it means to them. As someone who rejects supernaturalism, when I use the word in conversation I'm not implying a separate realm of Spirit, but for some people the word will imply that and I don't want to limit the conversation with my own definitions. This way, people can take it as they understand it and go from there. I think I will go ahead though, since the conversation is going in that direction, and start a thread on what spirit and spiritual mean to individuals.

Tao,

..and what smells like teen spirit?
Click to expand...

I've heard some armpits do.

-- Dauer
 
what isn't spiritual? hmmmm... oh i got it!! bashing babies skulls in. that would definately NOT be spiritual.
 
dauer,

isn't it the wrong thing to do? that's mainly my reason for it not being spiritual. because it is pointless. no one would gain anything by such an act. it would be selfish and immoral and it just wouldn't "feel" right. whenever i do something wrong, i just get this "feeling" like it just isn't right. do you know what i mean? what are your thoughts?
 
Leo,

I'm not asking because I disagree with you, just to draw out the methodology you used to arrive at that conclusion. It sounds like for you, if you find something to be ethically unsound, then it's not spiritual. Additionally it sounds like your experience of the action, the way it makes you feel, plays a large part in whether you think that something is or is not spiritual. Did I get that about right?

-- Dauer
 
dauer said:
Leo,

I'm not asking because I disagree with you, just to draw out the methodology you used to arrive at that conclusion. It sounds like for you, if you find something to be ethically unsound, then it's not spiritual. Additionally it sounds like your experience of the action, the way it makes you feel, plays a large part in whether you think that something is or is not spiritual. Did I get that about right?

-- Dauer
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that is exactly right, my friend. you got me all figured out, don't you?

i would hope that serial killers, rapists, war mongers, psychopaths would have the same feeling to do what is right, but they simply don't. its like they were born for the role. anyways, just my thoughts. i don't want to hijack the thread.
 
Leo,

don't worry. You're not hijacking. I just like to understand other people's perspectives. I like learning the thinking that goes behind an idea.

-- Dauer
 
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