Surya

Spirit and soul, what is it and what differentiates them?

Recommended Posts

2 minutes ago, BigSkyDiamond said:

Spirit and soul, what is it and what differentiates them?

it depends on the tradition.

For sure, but maybe we could explore some of these views, as well as our personal opinions. One place to begin, for instance, is that close to all european languages has a separate word (and therefor concept, I would assume) for soul and spirit, while french does not. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

i avoid using "spirit" altogether because it has too many secular meanings, and it is redolent of "ghosts" and the astral plane.  i avoid using "soul" because it is for me too imprecise.

 

so i tend to be wordier and more specific along the lines of "the part of the human that is infinte and non-physical" (in contrast to the human body which is physical and finite.  "the part of you that existed before the body was born, and exists after the body dies"

"spark of the Divine"  "not bound by space or time or form"   

 

"immortal" and "eternal" are sometimes used, but at the level of the Divine spark, and at the level of the Divine, there is no time, so "living forever" does not really apply.

 

good thread topic, you are asking good questions.  looking forward to reading more.

Edited by BigSkyDiamond
  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

 

17 minutes ago, Surya said:

… close to all european languages has a separate word (and therefor concept, I would assume) for soul and spirit, while french does not. 

 
imo soul and spirit are synonyms. The word ‘soul’ has Germanic roots; the word ‘spirit has Latin roots. Hence imo French having only the spirit form.

 

 

Edited by Cobie
  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 minutes ago, Cobie said:

 

 
imo soul and spirit are synonyms. The word ‘soul’ has Germanic roots; the word ‘spirit has Latin roots. Hence imo French having only the spirit form. The Germanic languages incorporated much of the Latin words.

 

 

Yes, but germanic languages such as german and the scandinavian ones (dutch and icelandic I am not sure about), also has gesit/ånd meaning spirit, and latin has the terms animus as well as spiritus as well. So, I dont know. But as I see it, they are not the same: soul is present in every living being, while (IMO) spirit is not. Think about the holy ghost (spirit) in christianity for instance: that is not present in everyone, yet soul is.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, Surya said:

:) 

 

imo the mind is part of the body and dies with the body. I am the soul that lives on after death. 

 

 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

 

3 minutes ago, Surya said:

… the holy ghost (spirit) in christianity for instance: that is not present in everyone …

 

 

incorrect, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
3 minutes ago, Cobie said:

 

 

 

incorrect, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent.

I was (and am) under the impression that the holy spirit is what enters you as you experience "second birth." Could you back up your claim, please?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, BigSkyDiamond said:

Spirit and soul, what is it and what differentiates them?

it depends on the tradition.

 

 

and the definitions of the terms 

 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites