Living a Spiritual Life: 2. The Path Toward Spirituality Rodney H. Clarken Copyright © 2011

Module Objective To further introduce the course, its rationale and framework. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Course Description How to live a spiritual life and attain spirituality is the focus of this online course. It contains several modules and presents six essential requisites for spiritual growth laid down by Baha’u’llah, the manifestation of God for this age. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Goals The students will appreciate, understand and practice the exercises necessary for spiritual growth. Students will validate for themselves the value of these spiritual practices through their own reason and experimentation. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Intended Audience Anyone who desires to become more spiritual, happy, at peace, contented, fulfilled, productive, conscious, energized or otherwise in touch with their true selves. The course uses the Bahai writings as the basis of its investigation. These claims may be compared to and supported by other views, including science. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Text and Materials All text and materials needed are included in online course. Reference to resource materials will be given for further study. There will be links to external material that you may refer to for more information. Also, video and audio clips will be available to assist in you learning and growth. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Course Schedule This course is designed so that it may be done independently or in groups without a set schedule or teacher. It may also be completed with a class with weekly assignments and instruction. If you are taking this course as part of a formal group, instructions will be given as to pacing and requirements. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Course Introduction There are several major question we will be addressing. If you are not interested in any of those questions you may skip them. The key objective of the course is to help you become more spiritual. The first question that we will address is why should anyone want to be spiritual, let alone be more spiritual. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Spirituality? A quick review. As we discussed in the first module, spirituality is the quality or condition of being spiritual. Spiritual is relating to the soul or spirit, usually in contrast to material things. Spirit is the vital force that characterizes a human being as being alive. And soul… 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Some of the faculties that Bahá'u'lláh mentioned as capacities of the soul are the mind, which represents the capacity for rational thought and intellectual investigation; the will, which represents the capacity for self- initiated action; and the "heart," or the capacity for conscious, deliberate, self-sacrificing love (sometimes called altruism). * 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

So, what we will be focusing on are the spiritual faculties of soul: mind, will and heart. We will be using these spiritual faculties of the soul to help us become more spiritual. By participating in this course, your thoughts, intentions and emotions should change, they should grow and develop, become stronger, enabling you to more consciously and effectively utilize them for the benefit of everyone. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Quick review. What is spirituality? What are the three faculties of the soul we will be using in this course? Review the previous three slides for answers. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Role of spirituality in society Spirituality is becoming more accepted and talked about and is becoming the object of scientific study and its value for individual and collective well being and advancement more appreciated. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Scientific study of spirituality is being conducted in various fields from different viewpoints with varying conceptualizations. For example, research in positive psychology has grown dramatically. Learn more about your signature strengths by clicking here. See a very brief overview in the next few slides. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Positive psychology identifies six core virtues derived from the great philosophies and religions of the world: wisdom and knowledge, courage, love and humanity, justice, temperance, spirituality and transcendence. (See M. E. P. Seligman, Authentic Happiness, or website reference on this and following slides) 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

What were the six core virtues? See how well you did by going to the previous slide. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Compare to Abdul-Baha’s 7 spiritual qualities 1. Knowledge of God 2. Love of God 3. Faith 4. Philanthropic deeds 5. Self-Sacrifice 6. Severance from this world 7. Sanctity & Holiness 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Compare to Baha’u’llah’s 7 Valleys 1. Search 2. Love 3. Knowledge 4. Unity 5. Contentment 6. Wonderment 7. True Poverty & Absolute Nothingness 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Compare to Abdul-Baha’s statement Material comforts are only a branch, but the root of the exaltation of man is the good attributes and virtues which are the adornments of his reality. These are the divine appearances, the heavenly bounties, the sublime emotions, the love and knowledge of God; universal wisdom, intellectual perception, (cont.) 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

scientific discoveries, justice, equity, truthfulness, benevolence, natural courage and innate fortitude; the respect for rights and the keeping of agreements and covenants; rectitude in all circumstances; serving the truth under all conditions; the sacrifice of one's life for the good of all people; (cont.) 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

kindness and esteem for all nations; obedience to the teachings of God; service in the Divine Kingdom; the guidance of the people, and the education of the nations and races. This is the prosperity of the human world! (Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 79-80) 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Spirituality and happiness The belief that we can rely on shortcuts to happiness, joy, rapture, comfort, and ecstasy, rather than be entitled to these feelings by the exercise of personal strengths and virtues, leads to legions of people who in the middle of great wealth are starving spiritually. (Seligman, p. 8) 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

And happiness is related to broaden intellectual, physical and social resources, lower blood pressure, strong immune systems, more productivity, richer social lives, greater empathy, higher pain endurance, better decisions, more creativity, quicker thinking, and increased persistence, problem solving, independence, enthusiasm and exploration. (Seligman, p. 8) 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Five Elements of Well-Being Seligman has updated his work in 2011 and identified 5 elements needed for well-being (PERMA): Positive emotion Engagement Relationships Meaning Accomplishment 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

If you Google spirituality, you come up with lots of results, 53,800,000 to be exact (on12/19/10). It seems other people are interested in this topic as well. Wikipedia gives a good summary that you may wish to read (click on highlighted words) . You may browse other sites to see what might be of interest or helpful to you. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

How do the Bahai writings describe spirituality? “Patience, loyalty, trustworthiness, justice, honesty -- such virtues as these constitute the building blocks of character. The virtues named by all sacred traditions as the common elements of spirituality are the reflection of the Divinity in each person.” (Baha'i International Community, 1993 Nov 25, Family in a World Community) 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

This dichotomy between spirituality and materialism is a key to understanding the plight of humankind today. (Baha'i International Community, The Baha'i Statement on Nature) 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Living a spiritual life Is closely related to the purpose of life and of religion, which we will be discussing in our next module. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Why become more spiritual? You must already have some answers to this question, or you would not be here reading this page. On one of the most basic levels, many people believe, and social science supports, that spirituality is positively correlated with happiness and well-being. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Why do some people reject spirituality? They associate it with religion which is viewed as hypocritical, divisive, irrational, corrupted, superstitious and fanatical. They believe happiness comes from material well being, not spiritual. Both are wrong as we will learn. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

“This turning away from religion has been powerfully reinforced by the growth of materialism, and has produced a combination of physical well-being and spiritual aridity that is having catastrophic results, socially and psychologically, on the population.” (Universal House of Justice, 9/1/83) 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Assignment: Read Toward a Scientific Understanding of Happiness, a book review of Authentic Happiness that give some Baha’i perspectives at http://www.aera.net/uploadedFiles/SIGs/Wholistic_Education_(135)/Supplement_2007.pdf 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Assignment: Read and meditate Read and meditate on Baha’u’llah’s “The Seven Valleys” which describes in poetic and lofty language the path of the soul to spirituality at http://info.bahai.org/article-1-3-2-10.html Note: If you find the reading too difficult, you do not need to finish to go on. See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven_Valleys 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Assignment: Read Clarken, R. (1988, April). Highest state of being and knowing.  Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.  To view the paper as it appeared in the Journal of Thought click here (Clarken) 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

Assignment: Do Compare the various elements related to happiness, spirituality and well-being from Baha'u'llah, Abdul-Baha and Seligman using a chart or artistic representation. Share your work with your classmate, teachers or friends for further discussion, insight and inspiration. 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken

When you are ready, you may start the next module 3. The Purpose of Life and Religion 1/1/2019 © Rodney H Clarken