THE

SPIRITUA
L SELF
What is a SPIRITUAL SELF?
• It is pa of an individual that is concerned with meaning,
purpose, and connection to something greater than oneself.
• It involves one's beliefs, values, morals, and experiences that
relate to spirituality or a sense of transcendence.
• It encompasses a connection to the divine, nature, the
universe, or a higher power, and it shapes how an individual
understands their place in the world and relates to others.
• It can be expressed through religious beliefs, meditation,
personal growth, or a sense of interconnectedness with all life.
What is RELIGION?
• A structured set of beliefs, practices, and systems that relate to
the idea of the sacred or divine.
• A way for individuals to connect with the spiritual aspect of
existence, o ering explanations for the purpose of human life,
morality, and the nature of the universe.
• Ninian Sma identi ed the six dimensions of religion:
institutional dimension, narrative dimension, ritual dimension,
social dimension, ethical dimension, and experiential dimension .
• According to Cli ord Gee z, religion is a "system of symbols"
which acts to establish powe ul, pe asive, and long-lasting
moods and motivations in individuals.
Characteristics of Religion
1. A belief in anthropomorphic supernatural beings, such as spirits and gods
2. A focus on the sacred supernatural, where sacred refers to a feeling of
reverence and awe
3. e presence of supernatural power or energy is found in supernatural
beings, physical beings and objects.
4. e pe ormance of ritual activities that involve the manipulation of
sacred objects to communicate with supernatural beings and/or to
in uence or control events
5. An a iculation of a worldview and moral code through narratives and
other means
6. Provides for the creation and maintenance of social bonds and
Five Major Religions
1. Christianity – It is a monotheistic religion centered on the life,
teachings, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Worship in
churches, prayer, sacraments (such as baptism and communion
), and following the teachings of Jesus to live a life of love,
forgiveness, and charity. It is the largest religion globally,
in uencing Western culture, politics, a , and moral systems.
2. Islam – It is also monotheistic, believing Allah as the only God
and Muhammad as His nal prophet. e Qur'an, considered
the word of God as revealed to Muhammad. e Five Pillars of
Islam—faith (Shahada), prayer (Salat), charity (Zakat), fasting
(Sawm), and pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)—guide Muslim life.
3. Secular/Atheist/Agnostic
Secular. It is not inherently about belief in God but rather
about the separation of religious institutions from political,
social, and educational domains.
Atheist. It is characterized by a lack of belief in gods or
deities. Atheists do not accept the existence of a divine being
or beings, often due to the absence of empirical evidence or
because they nd religious explanations unconvincing.
Agnostic. It is the position of being unce ain or non-
committal about the existence of a god or gods. Agnostics
believe that the question of a divine being's existence is either
currently unknowable or inherently unknowable. Agnosticism
can exist alongside atheism or theism.
4. Buddhism – Buddhism was founded by Siddha ha Gautama,
who became the Buddha ("the Enlightened One") in the 5th
centur yBCE. Buddhism, unlike Hinduism, is non-theistic; it
does not center on worship of a god but rather on the
pursuit of enlightenment through understanding the nature
of reality. Buddhist practices focus on meditation, ethical
living, and mental cultivation.
5. Hinduism – Hinduism is a highly diverse and complex
religion that does not have a single founder or a unif ied set
of doctrines. It is polytheistic, with millions of gods and
goddesses representing dif ferent aspects of the divine.
Hindu practices are varied, including rituals, temple worship,
meditation, yoga, and festivals. Hinduism is deeply tied to
the social and cultural structure of India
Di erence between Religiosity and
Spirituality
Religiosity. Religiosity refers Spirituality. It refers to an
to the degree to which an individual's personal and
individual pa icipates in the subjective experience of
formal aspects of religion. It seeking purpose, meaning,
involves adherence to a set and connection, often
of organized beliefs, transcending eve day life. It
doctrines, rituals, and may or may not be linked to
practices related to a a speci c religion or belief
pa icular faith tradition. system.
Why is Spirituality Impo ant?
1. Have meaning and purpose
2. Inner peace and well-being
3. Connecting with others
4. Moral Values and Decision-making
5. Suppo in Time of Di culty
6. Promotion of health
7. Spirituality entails transformation and growth
Di erence between Rituals and
Ceremonies
• Rituals are a set of • Ceremonies are formal,
actions or behaviors that structured events that
are pe ormed according to mark signi cant occasions
a prescribed order, often
with symbolic meaning. or milestones. ey often
ey can be religious, incorporate rituals but
cultural, or personal and focus on the larger event
are typically pe ormed
repetitively over time. or purpose of the
gathering.
Classi cation of Rituals
• Imitative. It also known as • Positive and Negative
sympathetic rituals, is Rituals.
based on the principle of Positive rituals aim to bring
“ like produces like.” T h
ese pa icipants closer to the
rituals involve actions that sacred (e.g., prayer or
worship).
symbolically imitate or Negative rituals are designed
represent the desired to avoid harm or disrespect
outcome. (e.g., avoiding taboo actions).
(e.g., rain dances to bring
Classi cation of Rituals
• Sacrif ic ial. It involves •rites Life – crisis. It is also called
of passage , are pe ormed
o f fe r i n g s o m e t h i n g to mark key transitions in a
valuable (such as animals, person s life, such as bi h,
’
objects, or even symbolic coming death.
of age, marriage, and
ese rituals are meant
of fe rings) to a deity or to guide individuals through
higher power to show impo ant life stages, reinforcing
devotion or seek favor. social bonds and facilitating the
transition from one stage to
another.