Q: Dr. Guterson, you talk quite a bit about the soul. Can you help me understand what the soul is? A: For the past 14 weeks, we have discussed the features and structure of the soul. Our understanding of the soul starts with the knowledge that human beings (unlike everything else) were created in G-d’s image, that G-d breathed into us His Essence. Therefore, we all have an actual piece of Divinity within us. And that explains our yearning for transcendence, a longing to connect. To put this soul into action so that it affects ourselves and the world, Chassidic philosophy talks about ‘garments’ of the soul. These ‘garments’ are our thoughts, speech, and actions. They are called garments because, like the clothes that we wear, they can be changed. And change they must if one desires to grow spiritually! As life goes on and as we hopefully get more in touch with the purity of our soul, we have the opportunity to refine these ‘garments’: Thought: we think ALL the time, even while we’re sleeping. We simply cannot stop thinking - but we have the power to decide what we want and what we don’t want to enter our mind. Speech: Since speech reveals what one is thinking about, it too is under our control. How much we talk and what we talk about is within our free choice. Action: Except perhaps those who suffer from severe mental illness, Chassidic philosophy says there is no such thing as “I can’t help myself”. Excuses are excuses. We are capable of choosing our response to whatever comes our way. All of this, of course, is incredibly difficult but also incredibly empowering. Our soul is pure goodness because it is Divine; it is immutable. Our garments, meaning our thoughts, speech, and action can change, must change, and become more refined. As such, we are able to navigate the waves of life. We have marriages and families and friendships that are more whole. We live with purpose and help reveal the holy sparks that are all around us. To be continued….
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"Ramblings on the Psych Ward"
Fifteen minutes of fame, of course, ends after fifteen minutes.
An effective life, says Stephen Covey, starts with what’s inside first - and that lasts forever.
Q: Dr. Guterson, you talk quite a bit about the soul. Can you help me understand what the soul is?
A: Our understanding of the soul starts with the knowledge that human beings (unlike everything else) were created in G-d’s image, that G-d breathed into us His Essence.
Therefore, we all have an actual piece of Divinity within us.
And that explains our yearning for transcendence, a longing to connect.
In past weeks we discussed the structure of the soul which consists of ten levels: three intellectual and seven emotional. Recall that intellect drives emotion, which is extremely important to know and live by.
This is our essential makeup, our spiritual DNA.
To put this soul into action, so that it affects ourselves and the world, Chassidic philosophy talks about the ‘garments’ of the soul. These ‘garments’ are our thoughts, speech, and actions. They are called garments because, like the clothes that we wear, they can be changed.
And change they must(!) if one desires to grow spiritually. As life goes on, as we hopefully get more in touch with the purity of our soul, we have the opportunity to refine these ‘garments’, refine our thought, speech, and action.
Many people say, sadly, that “I am who I am and I will never change.” High school yearbooks are filled with friends writing things like: “you are so cool; don’t ever change!” But change we must and change we do - and that is truly being “cool”. The quandary lies in HOW we change. And that’s where the garments of the soul come in.
To be continued….