Do we have a spirit and, if so, what role does it play in our relationship with God?

[Aupmanyav]

"Do we have a spitit, and if so, what rule does it play in our relationship with God?"

Two suppositions here" Spirit (soul) and God.
I just wake up from sleep, nothing enters me.

"The believer is alive in both worlds."
Welcome back, Tony. One can believe to be alive in a thousand worlds. Belief has no limits, and may not relate to facts.

".. and “assignment” on earth which comes with the package .."
That there is an assignment is a belief and not a proven fact.

"Busy not thyself with this world .."
If not with this world, then which one? What is the evidence for the other world?

 

[otherbrother]

And if not growing wiser, burden himself and other be-ings on.
What did he bring along?

Thanks for joining the discussion. I really liked this comment you made. We take being for granted, assuming it is merely an end product, as opposed to seeing it as a means to fulfill a greater purpose. But even when we try to fulfill a greater purpose we often get too passionate, then too busy and operate only out of action instead of out of the integrity of being (beingness?)

 

[Dhammañāṇa Bhikkhu]

and operate only

Operate, act, for the sake of becoming or not-becoming. Act toward integrity and refined integrity forms the way out of the circle of birth, aging, sickness and death. Focus only on the quality of actions does the way, instead of this or that objectification.

 

[otherbrother]

"Do we have a spitit, and if so, what rule does it play in our relationship with God?"

Two suppositions here" Spirit (soul) and God.
I just wake up from sleep, nothing enters me.

"The believer is alive in both worlds."
Welcome back, Tony. One can believe to be alive in a thousand worlds. Belief has no limits, and may not relate to facts.

".. and “assignment” on earth which comes with the package .."
That there is an assignment is a belief and not a proven fact.

"Busy not thyself with this world .."
If not with this world, then which one? What is the evidence for the other world?

Thanks for joining the discussion. I really liked the comment you made about bringing wisdom into the world. We take being for granted, assuming it is merely an end product, as opposed to seeing it as a means to fulfill a greater purpose, such as growing wisdom for self and others. But even when we try to fulfill a greater purpose we often get too passionate, too “hungry,” allowing it to make us too busy and to try too hard. We end up operating too much out of action instead of out of the integrity and groundedness of being (beingness?).
Intentional being is like deciding to drive one’s being like a car, but this can only be done effectively if one’s being is fully appreciated (as a gift or object of reverence or by other spiritual means) first and throughout whatever purposeful action is attempted. This requires consciousness of being. Consciousness must be the driver, NOT ACTION, because action (“doing”) that exceeds consciousness of being ends up fragmenting one’s being.
This skill of driving being as a vehicle for spiritual growth or other worthwhile purposes is analogous to maintaining a good aerobic base when running, not neglecting to develop and maintain the base and then not exceeding it by running too anaerobically. The lactic acid that builds up when you become anaerobic is analogous to the fragmentation that “doing” can do to well-being. But if one remains receptive of and conscious of one’s being and protecting it as he or she is living, then any purposeful actions enhance rather than fragment one’s being.
If you value growth you must take care of your wellbeing. Otherwise the growth would not be sustainable. And non sustainable growth is not really “growth.” It can even be like a cancer that consumes one’s very being.
I love how you introduced the concept of purpose into this discussion. Are we giving back to life in any meaningful way? That’s something we should often ask ourselves. As long as we protect our wellbeing from overly harsh criticism. We can’t be too hard on ourselves. If we maintain being as a base for doing, we won’t be too hard on ourselves. Intentional being is kind and forgiving of itself. And any person who masters or even approximates this skill or habit tends to be kind and forgiving to others also.
If a person tries too hard to love others but doesn’t maintain his or her own wellbeing, then the love will become like an action that fragments one’s on being and possibly the being of the loved-one. I associate the emotion “peace” with what I am calling “being” (as in Ram Dass’s Be Here Now). I agree with another participant (in other previous threads) that peace is more important than love, because it is a foundation for love.

 

[otherbrother]

That there is an assignment is a belief and not a proven fact.

Very true, but it works for me by getting me to look for purpose. I actually borrowed that belief from New Age beliefs someone shared with me. That one’s spirit accepted an assignment as a prerequisite for incarceration.

 

[otherbrother]

Operate, act, for the sake of becoming or not-becoming. Act toward integrity and refined integrity forms the way out of the circle of birth, aging, sickness and death. Focus only on the quality of actions does the way, instead of this or that objectification.

We seem on the same wavelength here. Loved your advice to “focus only on the quality of actions.” This fits well with my notion that we must develop a consciousness about being if we are to fully be. The “driver” of being must be consciousness. Not action.
So if I follow your advice, I do allow consciousness to guide my actions and to help them align with my wellbeing (and “becoming”) and possibly with the wellbeing and becoming of others.

 

[otherbrother]

Two suppositions here" Spirit (soul) and God.
I just wake up from sleep, nothing enters me.

Yes, suppositions. And another supposition I have is that spirit is rooted in the so-called “other side” that probably is a more interactive and “entangled” (and I believe DEEPER) part of overall reality. I believe “soul” is rooted on this physical “side” but is a gateway or dock for an individual spirit. Other “spirits” may be more collective, like the “Holy Spirit.” The individual spirit would be a gateway or interface between a collective spirit and an individual’s bodily-attached soul. And perhaps the collective spirit can bypass the individual spirit at times? As you say, all suppositions. I choose the beliefs that seem to work best for my wellbeing, growth, and wellbeing of others. We are all working with suppositions I suppose! Choose wisely.

 

[Dhammañāṇa Bhikkhu]

We seem on the same wavelength here. Loved your advice to “focus only on the quality of actions.” This fits well with my notion that we must develop a consciousness about being if we are to fully be. The “driver” of being must be consciousness. Not action.
So if I follow your advice, I do allow consciousness to guide my actions and to help them align with my wellbeing (and “becoming”) and possibly with the wellbeing and becoming of others.

There are six kinds of being aware, conscious, good householder: eye-consciousness, ear-, tongue, nose, body, intellect. Arising, becoming, on deeds, result of actions, and aren't for sure, no refuge. Again, by "simply" focus on the qualities of intention as root of actions, in right way (skillful, harmless: renouncing, harmless, non-conflicting), there related fruits, experience, "being" comes along by it's cause (previous and present deed). And there is even a pattern of deeds leading to an and of deeds (burden, food).

Of course skillful means neither harming others nor oneself.

There are the ten skillful actions: Cunda Kammaraputta Sutta: To Cunda the Silversmith leading to heavens and even beyond.