Spirit and soul… What is the difference between these two concepts? For the average person, this question remains open. However, it is very important. In different religions and teachings, it is answered ambiguously. To begin with, we need to consider these terms separately. The soul is the intangible essence of the personality that lives in its body. In other words, the "vital engine" of a person. Together with the soul, the body shell begins its life path, which cognizes the environment with its help. Without a soul, there will be no life. The spirit is the highest degree of the essence of personality. He draws and leads man to God. It is the presence of the spirit that distinguishes people as higher beings in the hierarchy of the animal world.
Philosophy and soul
Philosophers from ancient times tried to find the answer to the question of what is spirit and soul, what is their difference and similarity. The concepts of spirit and soul in philosophy designate the layers of perfection of our world and are most thoroughly embodied in people. They are steps between human consciousness and reality. The soul is considered a cumulative value that combines the mental characteristics of the individual, which determine himsociality. All life experiences of a person, his mental states and inclinations find their shelter in the spiritual world. The soul is the link between the inner and the outer. It unites the sphere of social life with the inner qualities of a person, helps the individual to adapt to the surrounding society, interact with other individuals.
Philosophy and spirit
Spirit and soul - what's the difference? Philosophy does not give a specific answer. This science only assumes that the spirit is the highest value-worldview layer. He is the center of human spirituality. The spiritual is not considered only individual, it is a unique combination of morality, art, language, philosophy. The most significant human manifestations, such as love, faith, freedom, belong to the spiritual world. In many philosophical teachings, the terms spirit and soul refer to the world as a whole, and not to a separate individual.
Vedism and soul
Our ancestors believed that the soul was given to a person to work out negative qualities. It is endowed with the possibility of choice, that is, it can develop in a negative or positive direction. It is her business which side to choose, negative or positive. The soul in Vedism is considered a substance of subtle matter and part of the energy shell of the planet. The Vedas said that the soul itself chooses its incarnation, that is, the date and place of birth. At the time of death of a person, the soul tries to return to its original point, that is, to the hometown of the deceased. In Vedism, it is believed that the soul is like a punched tapewith holes. This tape seems to envelop the spiritual grain and can negatively affect the positive impulses of the spirit itself. For this reason, depressive states occur, and the body becomes weaker and more vulnerable.
Vedism and spirit
The ancient Vedas considered a person to be spiritual if he reached a specific energy level. Spirit vs Soul - What's the difference? The Vedic books indicate the belief that the spirit is the original in man. It is given to the personality from the very beginning of its existence. The spirit helps a person to improve, despite the negative influence of the surrounding world. The Vedas said that the spirit sums up the energy of all its incarnations. And if he could not collect enough energy from his past lives, then a person cannot be called soulless, since his spirit is just beginning its path of improvement. Vedism says that a person cannot exist without a spirit, but without a soul, life is quite possible.
Orthodoxy and soul
Spirit and soul - what's the difference? Orthodoxy, as a religion, answers this question in the following way. It is believed that the soul is a thin thread between the personality and the outside world, it connects a person and reality. The Spirit, on the other hand, helps the individual to connect with God. All living beings have a soul, but only the son of God, that is, man, is endowed with a spirit. The body is revived with the help of the soul, and she, in turn, with the help of the spirit. At the moment of a person's birth, a soul is sent to him, but not a spirit. He comes on timerepentance. The spirit is responsible for the mind, and the soul is obliged to control feelings and emotions. A person is able to exercise control over his soul, but he has no power over the spirit. The soul is prone to experiencing physical suffering. The spirit does not have such sensations and is not attached to the body shell. By its nature, the spirit is immaterial, and has a connection only with the soul. The soul, on the other hand, is inextricably linked with the body. The soul can be stained by sinful deeds. But the spirit carries Divine power and cannot be affected by sin.
The Spirit in Islam
Spirit and soul - what's the difference? Islam has been asking this question for a long time. Unlike Orthodoxy, here the concepts of spirit and soul are interpreted somewhat differently. It is believed that the spirit is endowed with an infinite number of qualities and skills. He can distinguish with the help of consciousness, be aware with the mind, be in unity with conscience, listen to the dream, love with the heart. Some abilities of the spirit are manifested through material human organs, others are limited by them. Islam says that the spirit is the law of Allah, which governs the body. Traditionally in the Islamic religion, the human body is denoted by a cage, and the spirit is personified in the form of a bird. Such an allegory gives many reasons for reflection. For example, the body lives and serves the spirit, but the spirit does not owe anything to the body. By increasing the size of the cage, the bird cannot be made larger. The same can be said about physical and spiritual beauty. By decorating the cage, you cannot make the bird itself more beautiful. Also, the physical he alth of a person is notindicates his spiritual development. Islam says that the spirit after the death of the body gains freedom and is freed from the shackles of the shell. Then he himself awaits the Day of Judgment. The spirit takes on a new physical form already in the afterlife.
Soul in Islam
In the religion of Islam, there is also the question of what is spirit and soul, what is the difference between them? The main book of the Quran provides indisputable facts of the existence of the human soul. Islam talks about the origin of the soul as follows. First, a person is formed within one hundred and twenty days in the belly of his mother, then an angel appears who endows the fetus with a soul. At the same time, the angel comes with a specific mission: he writes down the date of birth of a person, the duration of his life and the date of death. Islam says that the soul leaves its physical shell on the fortieth day after the death of a person. The theory of reincarnation in Islam is completely denied. It is believed that after the soul leaves the human body, it goes to the world of souls. The body is buried and becomes part of the earth. After a certain time period has elapsed, according to the religion of Islam, Allah will resurrect the bodies of all the dead and return to each person his own soul. After that, all people will appear before the God of all worlds in order to answer for their sinful deeds.
Fuzzy difference
So, spirit and soul - what is the difference between these concepts? As can be seen from this article, each religion interprets the meaning of these words in its own way. But in the basic ideas about the soul andthe spirit of both religion and philosophy converge. The difference between the spirit and the soul lies in the fact that the soul is inextricably linked with the body, while the spirit, on the contrary, strives only for God, rejecting everything physical and worldly. It is very important to find a fine line between your spirit and soul. Then they can be kept in harmony, because basically the spirit is drawn to high ideals, and the soul is too susceptible to the negative influence of the surrounding world. When a person realizes for himself what is the difference between the spirit and the soul, he will be able to live in peace and enjoy every moment. Of course, this is not an easy task. But those who have patience and endurance will be able to find themselves and establish a harmonious relationship between soul and spirit.
