THE

HUMAN
PERSON
AS AN
EMBODIED
SPIRIT
 人是一種具體的精神
3 LESSON 3 : THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED SPIRIT
 OBJECTIVES
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

1 2 3 4
TO RECOGNIZE
TO RECOGNIZE TO EVALUATE TO DISTINGUISH
HOW THE
OWN OWN THE LIMITATIONS
HUMAN BODY
LIMITATIONS OR LIMITATIONS AND AND
IMPOSES LIMITS
POSSIBILITIES THE POSSIBILITIES
AND
FOR ONE'S POSSIBILITIES FOR
POSSIBILITIES
TRANSCENDENC FOR ONE'S TRANSCENDENC
FOR
E TRANSCENDENC E
TRANSCENDENC
E
E
 INTRODUCTIO
N
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

What do we exactly mean by “embodied spirit”?

Embodied spirit is the living animating core, within each of us, the driving
force behind all that we think, say, and do.

“Every embodied spirit is
doomed to suffer and enjoy in
solitude”
The most direct connotation that comes to mind when we say something is
“embodied” is that it is being materialized or incarnated. Hence, when we
say “embodied spirit”, we normally thought of a spirit being incarnated.
However, the idea of the human person as an “embodied spirit” does not
necessarily refer to the incarnation or materialization of spirit as an
immaterial entity. The embodiment of the spirit in the context of Christian
philosophy (as is well known, the concept of the embodied spirit is specific
to Christian philosophy) specifically refers to the inseparable union of body
and soul. Thus, when we say “embodied spirit” we mean that the body is
not separate from the soul, just as the soul is not separate from the body.
 INTRODUCTIO
N
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

Transcendence in the Global Age

In philosophy, the adjective transcendental and the noun transcendence

convey the basic ground concept from the word's literal meaning(from
Latin), “of climbing or going beyond .

The freedom of the soul from the body, its imprisonment is transcendence.
Simply put, transcendence is the existence that is present beyond normal
or physical levels.

Transcendence means that: “I am my body, but at the same time I

am more than just my body. The things that I do, all those physical
activities and attributes which are made real through my body,
“There is no other way for us to find who
we are than by finding in ourselves the reveals the person that I am”.
divine image. We have to struggle to
regain spontaneous and vital awareness of
our own spirituality.” - Thomas
Merton(1948)
THE THREE MAIN SPIRITUAL PHILOSOPHIES
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED SPIRIT

HINDUISM BUDDHISM CHRISTIANITY

 印度教
HINDUISM
 HINDUISM
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

Transcendence in Hinduism

Hinduism is one of the oldest Eastern traditions, practiced by hundreds of

millions of people for about 5,000 years. They believe in karma and
reincarnation.

Essential Hinduism is based on the belief in karma and has its first literary
expression in Upanishads. Everything in this life is a consequence of
actions performed in previous existence.
What is karma?
“Karma” is the sum of a person's actions in
For the Jains, there is nothing mightier in the world than karma; karma
this and previous states of existence,
viewed as deciding their fate in future tramples down all powers.
existences.

Hindus generally believe that the soul is eternal, but bound by the law of
Karma(action) to the world of matter.
 HINDUISM
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

“BRAHMAN IS SELF-HOOD”

At the heart of Hinduism lies the idea of human beings' quest for absolute
truth, so that one's soul and the Brahman or Atman(Absolute Soul) might
become one.

Human beings have a dual nature:

1. One is the spiritual and immortal essence(soul)
2. Empirical life and character

“ The existence of the body is considered as nothing more than an illusion

and even an obstacle to an individual's realization of one's real self.”
Brahma is the Hindu Creator god. He is
also known as the Grandfather and as a
later equivalent of Prajapati, the primeval For Hinduism, one's whole duty is to achieve self-knowledge in order to
first god.
achieve self-annihilation and absorbtion into the Great Self.
 HINDUISM
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

“BRAHMAN IS SELF-HOOD”

Transmigration or metempsychosis is a doctrine that adheres to the belief

that a person's soul passes into some other creature, human, or animal.

Moksha is an enlightened state wherein one attains true self-hood and

finds oneself with the One, the Ultimate Reality, the All-Comprehensive
Reality: Brahman.

Samsara is the cycle of life and death; a state of “nothingness.”

The goal of human life is concieved by the different Upanishads is to

overcome congenital ignorance. The Upanishads or sometimes referred to
The Aum
as Vedanta, the concepts of Brahman and Atman(soul and self) are central
The root of the universe and everything
that exists at it continues to hold ideas in all the Upanishads, with “Know your Atman” as their thematic
everything together
focus.
 FOUR PRIMARY VALUES OF HINDUS
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

01 Wealth and Pleasure are worldly values, but

when kept in perspective theyare good and
desirable.
WEALTH PLEASURE
02 The spiritual value of duty, or righteousness,
refers to patience, sincerity,forgiveness, love,
honesty and similar virtues.

03 The spiritual value, though, is enlightenment,

by which one is illuminated andliberated and
most importantly, finds release from the
DUTY ENLIGHTENMENT
wheel of existence.

04
 佛教
BUDDHISM
 BUDDHISM
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

FROM TEARS TO ENLIGHTENMENT

Buddism is a major Eastern tradition contained in the teachings of its

founder, Prince Siddharta Gautama or The Buddha. It is a tradition that
focuses on personal spiritual development, and is famous for its belief in
Nirvana

The teachings of Buddha has been set forth traditionally in the “Four Noble
Truths” leading to the “Eightfold Path” to perfect character or arhatship,
which in turn gave assurance of entrance into Nirvana, or enlightened
wisdom, at death.

“Like stars fading and vanishing at dawn, like Turning away from the Hindu polytheism and palace pleasures, searching
bubbles on a fast moving stream, like morning
dewdrops evaporating on blades of grass, like for answers to the riddle of life's sufferings, disease, old age and death.
candle flickering in a stormy wind, echoes,
Gautama's life was devoted to sharing his "Dharma" or Law of Salvation; a
mirages, and phantoms hallucinations and like
a dream.” - The Buddha presentation of the gospel of inner cultivation or right spiritual attitudes.

THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
Nirvana is the ultimate spiritual
goal of Buddhism, and marks the
soteriological release from the
rebirths in samsara; a place of
perfect peace and happiness.
BUDDHISM
SPIRIT
Transcendence in Buddhism
Nirvana means the state in which one is absolutely free from all forms of
bondage and attachment. It means to overcome and remove the cause of
suffering. The Law and Cause and Effect (Karma) are overcome; the cycle of
rebirth is broken; and one may rest in the calm assurance of having attained a
heavenly bliss that will stretch out into all eternity.
It is also who is unemcumbered from all the fetters that bind a human being in
existence.
The Buddha's silence is due to his awareness that nirvana is a state that
transcends every mundane experience and cannot be talked about. Nirvana is
beyond the sense, language, and thought. This way of life conforms to Buddha's
teaching that wisdom consists in treading the “Middle Way”, avoiding the
extreme of asceticism, inactivity and indifference on the one hand and that of
frantic activity and mindless pursuit of pleasure on the other.
 BUDDHISM
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

Transcendence in Buddhism

The way to salvation, lies through self-abnegation, rigid discipline of mind

and body, a consuming of love for all creatures, and the final achievement
of that state of consciousness which marks an individual's preparation for
entering the Nirvana (enlightened wisdom).

Sangha, or Order of Monks is a Buddhist monastic order composed of four

groups: monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen. With single-heart purpose, this
The Buddhist practice four states brotherhood of believers dedicated itself to a life of self-purification, in
of sublime condition:
total loyalty to the Buddha, The Dharma and Sangha.
love, sorrow of others, joy in the
joy of others andequanimity as
regards one's own joy and
sorrows.
 BUDDHISM
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

Right Mindfulness “THE EIGHTFOLD PATH” Right View

In choosing topics for thought.
Acceptance of the “Fourfold Truth.”

Right Concentration
Right Intention
To the point of complete
For one's self and for others.
absorption in mystic ecstacy.

Right Effort
Right Speech
To direct one's energies towards
To firect no harm to anyone.
wise ends.

Right Livelihood Right Action

Earning one's living by Motivated by goodwill towards all
honourable means. human beings.
 BUDDHISM
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

2
1 Suffering is caused by
Life is full of suffering. passionate desires, lusts,
and cravings

3 4
Such eradication of desire
Only as these are may be accomplished only
obliderated, will suffering by following the Eightfold
cease Path of earnest behavior.
 基督教
CHRISTIANITY
 CHRISTIANITY
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

BIBLICAL GOD AND HUMANITY

Christianity is the religion based upon the teachings and miracles of Jesus
where there is only one God. Suffering leads to the Cross, the symbolof
reality of God's saving love for the human being and Evil is being
disobedient, contradicting the nature of God and distancing to God.

This section looks at the reasonableness of beliefs in God's existence. In

“I am the vine; you are the branches.
If you remain in me and I in you, you
will bear much fruit; apart from me,
you can do nothing.” - John 15:5
doing so, we shall treat the statement “God exists” as a hypothesis, which
is called theistic hypothesis. This means we shall ask whether or not the
existence of God provides the best explanation of the existence of the
world as we know it.
 CHRISTIANITY
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO

For Augustine (354-430 CE), philosophy is amor sapiential, the love of

wisdom; its aim is to produce happiness. Wisdom is not just an abstract
logical construction; but it is substantially existentas the Divine Logos.

Hence, Philosophy is the love of God; It is then religious. Teaching of

Christianity are based of love of God.

“Faith is to believe what you do not
see; the reward of this faith is to see
what you believe.” - Saint Augustine
of Hippo
For Augustine's Christianity, the revelation of the true God, is the only full
and true philosophy. All Knowledge leads to God, so that faith supplements
and enlightens reason thatit may proceed to ever richer and fuller
understanding.
 CHRISTIANITY
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

St. Thomas of Aquinas, another medieval philosopher, of all creatures,

human beings have the unique power to change themselves and the
things for the better.

His philosophy is best grasped in his treatises Summa Contra Gentiles and
Summa Theologica. Considers human as moral agent, the spiritual and
material and that choosing between 'good' or 'evil' is our responsibility.

The Summa Theologiae is the best-known work

of Thomas Aquinas. Although unfinished, the
Summa is "one of the classics of the history of
philosophy and one of the most influential
works of Western literature.”
評估自己的限制和他
們的轉移的可能性
EVALUATE OWN LIMITATIONS AND THE
POSSIBILITIES FOR THEIR TRANSCENDENCE
 EVALUATE OWN LIMITATIONS AND THE POSSIBILITIES
FOR THEIR TRANSCENDENCE
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

A. FORGIVENESS B. THE BEAUTY OF

NATURE
When we forgive, we are freed from our There is perfection in every single flower; this
v v
anger and bitterness because of the is what the three philosophies believed. For a

actions and/or words of another. hug, for every sunrise and sunset, to eat
together as a family, are our miracles.

C. VULNERABILITY
To be invulnerable is somehow inhuman. To be
v
vulnerable is to be human. The experience that
we are contingent, that we are dependent for
our existence on another is frightening.
D. FAILURE
Our failures force us to confront our weaknesses and
limitation. When a relationship fails, when a student
v
fails a subject, when our immediate desires are not
met, we are confronted with the possibility of our plans
and yet, we are forced to surrender to a mystery or
look upon a bigger world.
 EVALUATE OWN LIMITATIONS AND THE POSSIBILITIES
FOR THEIR TRANSCENDENCE
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED
SPIRIT

E. LONELINESS F. LOVE
Our loneliness can be rooted from To love is to experience richness, positivity and
v v
transcendence. Life is full of risks, fears and
our sense of vulnerability and fear of
commitment, pain and sacrificing and giving up
death. thing/s we want for the sake of the one we love.
區分限制和可能性
為了轉移
DISTINGUISH THE LIMITATIONS AND POSSIBILITIES
FOR TRANSCENDENCE
 DISTINGUISH THE LIMITATIONS AND POSSIBILITIES
FOR TRANSCENDENCE
THE HUMAN PERSON AS AN EMBODIED SPIRIT

DISTINGUISH THE LIMITATIONS AND

POSSIBILITIES FOR EVIL AND
TRANSCENDENCE
SUFFERING
Suffering is close to the heart of biblical
faith. In comparison with the Buddha, who
1. It is the spiritual that endures and is ultimately real.
saw life in suffering and tried to control it
instead of cursing it, Job, of the Old
2.
There is the preoccupation with the inner life the road
to enlightenment that stretches not outward but inward. v complain.
Testament, did not just
In, Christianity, suffering leads to the
3.
There is an emphasis on the non-material oneness
of creation. Cross, the symbol of reality of God's saving
love for the human being. Suffering, in
4.
There is the acceptance of direct awareness as the
only way to understand what is real. Buddhism, gives rise to comparison for
suffering humanity.
5.
There is a healthy respect for tradition but never a
slavish commitment to it.
END
謝謝