Matter and Spirit

Dear Abbot:

It seems to me that you equate 'mental' with 'spiritual.' I do not see how knowledge of the existence of self requires the existence of spirit (or soul).

Costello

Dear Costello:

What distinction are you making between "mental" and "spiritual"? As I understand it, when we are talking about man's non-physical part, the terms "mind," "spirit," and "soul" are interchangable, just as, on the other side of the equation, I could use "physical," "material," or "sensory." Although the meanings are a bit different. When we're down to such distinctions, I suppose I'd see the soul as our emotional being, the spirit as our essence as free willing beings, and the mind as our awareness or consciousness. But any one could be used as the more comprehensive term.

Whether the soul, spirit, or mind are immortal is, though, a separate question.



Dear Abbot:

If reality is entirely mental, why can't we change it to suit ourselves?

Isle of Man


Dear Isle of Man:

To say that our immediate reality is mental is not the same as saying we can control it. As Descartes immediately discovered, he is not the sole creator of his thoughts.

There's a nice little Zen experiment to demonstrate this. Imagine you have a dire illness. There is only one cure. But it only works if, when taking it, you do not think of a monkey.

So far, nobody has been able to take it successfully.