The nature of the Self

Tags

love, meditation, self, spirichat, spirit, truth

The first three Sundays of the first month of the new year have taken us on three separate but related journeys in our weekly #SpiritChat twitter chats. We kicked off the year with a call to action – not just action for action sake, but Spirit-based action, or action that is inspired by and flows from our inner core. A few of us made an affirmation which began with the phrase “My actions in 2013 will grow…” – do you remember yours? Would you like to make a new one?

The second Sunday of January in #SpiritChat was a journey towards evolution, involution, and a little bit of revolution. We made an attempt to connect spirit-based action with evolution and involution – but there is more work to be done. The subject of spiritual integrity brought a lot of energy to our weekly discussions on the third Sunday. One question that was left unasked (due to lack of time) was –

If integrity means wholeness, then what is this wholeness that we seek? How can we seek it?

This unasked question brings us to the topic for the final week of the month. We will take a brief journey in to the nature of this wholeness, into the nature of the Self. Let us use “the Self” in the context of a power, greater than us, which infuses all of life. So, having set the context, we can ask – What is the true nature of the Self? What is its connection to our ego? How do we discover the nature of the Self? Can it be discovered through thought? Or, perhaps, the more fundamental question. WHY? Why do we need to know the Self?

Finally, in order to establish a (perhaps tenuous) connection between all our January connections, I leave ou with this proposition – Our spirit-based actions, our evolution (greater growth), our involution (going within) and our journey to a greater integrity (wholeness) – are all of these, in essence, different paths to discovery of the Self?

“Take the great bow of the sacred scriptures, place on it the arrow of devotion. Then draw the bowstring of meditation, and aim at the target – the Self.” – Upanishad

I invite you to join us in #SpiritChat on Sunday January 27th at 9amET to discuss some of these questions, and begin (or continue) a journey to explore the nature of the Self. If you are new to #SpiritChat, please see our FAQ on how to participate in the chat. Thank you!

Kumud

Update:Here are the filtered transcripts for Qs 1 to 8 only. I am also experimenting with a transcript version with no RTs ~ just the answers – Enjoy! Thank you to all who shared!

Here are the questions asked during the live chat. Each question has a link, which will allow you to view the original question, and RT/reply to it on twitter. Please add #SpiritChat to your response if you want the community to see your answer. Thank you!

Here we go. Q1. What does “the nature of our true Self”, mean to you? #SpiritChat View and respond to Q1 on twitter

Q2. WHY do we need to discover the true nature of our Self, our spiritual core? #SpiritChat View and respond to Q2 on twitter

Q3. Are we afraid to try and discover our true Self? Reveal our true Self to others? #SpiritChat View and respond to Q3 on twitter

Q4. What is the relationship between our ego and our true Self? Close siblings? Cousins? #SpiritChat View and respond to Q4 on twitter

Q5. In this search for our Self, we may end up evading “real-world” responsibility. Agree/Disagree? #SpiritChat View and respond to Q5 on twitter

Q6. Is knowledge of the Self, our spiritual core, related to our self-esteem? How? #SpiritChat View and respond to Q6 on twitter

Q7. What steps are needed for us to discover our true Self? Action? Introspection? Or… #SpiritChat View and respond to Q7 on twitter

Final. Q8. What is the next step in our spiritual growth, once we know the nature of our Self? #SpiritChat View and respond to Q8 on twitter

Service and the Spirit

Tags

self, service, spirit, spiritchat

The motto that we wore on our school crest said – “Service Before Self”. It wasn’t until I had graduated from high-school that I truly understood the meaning of those three words, even though we carried them close to our hearts for a long time. We all have read (and perhaps practiced) similar phrases like “the greatest leader is the greatest server” and “it is always better to give than to receive”. However, just like most habits that need regular practice and incorporation into our daily lives, the development of a mindset of service is an ongoing effort for me.

In our daily lives, with our tasks, our agendas, our goals and our missions, we may get so focused on accomplishing what we need in the now that we may lose sight of how our actions truly serve others. Some may posit that it isn’t possible for us to align our day-to-day actions with an attitude of service – unless, perhaps, we happen to be in a service-based industry as part of our jobs. Others may rationalize that as long as we do our own duty with integrity, all else will fall into place – and we need not concern ourselves with serving others.

According to Swami Vivekananda – we need to consider the ability to serve others, as a privilege, that is granted to us. It is an opportunity for us to get in touch with our higher selves as we give away our time, energy, resources, or even attention, to those who may need it. Service is a choice that we make to sacrifice our lower Self to reach the plateau of our higher Self.

The only way of getting our divine nature manifested is by helping others to do the same – Swami Vivekananda (collected works, Vol 6.319)

So, what do you think? Is “Service Before Self” practical in today’s busy world? Does an attitude and/or a choice to Serve without prejudice lead us forward on our spiritual path? Are you engaged in a service-oriented role outside of your profession? If so, how? Who, in your opinion, is an inspiration to you as a model of selfless service? 

I invite you to join the #SpiritChat community on Sunday September 9th at our regular time of 9am ET / 2pm UK / 6:30 India as we explore some of these questions and explore the nature and attitude of Service…

Kumud

Reference: The Spirit of Service – chat held September 11th 2011

Postscript: As we stand on the cusp of the 11th anniversary of September 11th, one would be remiss not to mention the service of those who served the country and gave their all on that day to save the lives of many. Some of them still suffer the long-term after-effects of their service. They cared not whether they lived or died in the cause of their duty. They truly did embody “Service Before Self”. Thank you. You are not forgotten.

Update: Here is the Transcript for chat on Service. Also see the questions asked during the live chat held Sep 9th 2012 at 9am ET. Feel free to answer in the comments or tweet with hashtag #spiritchat to share your answers with the community.

Q1. What does the phrase "spirit of service" mean to you? #SpiritChat 

Q2. What factors prevent us from serving at the levels we know we are capable of? #SpiritChat 

Q3. If service really benefits the server more than the served, is it selfish to serve? Why or why not? #SpiritChat

Q4. What qualities need to develop within us to render meaningful service to others? #SpiritChat

Q5. Service before Self. Is this a realizable ideal in today's world? How? #SpiritChat

Q6. How does engaging in selfless service impact our spirit? The spirit of others? #SpiritChat

Q7. Who are a few (living) role models (people, organizations) of selfless service for you? #SpiritChat

Final Q8. State your service philosophy in seven words. #SpiritChat