Thomas Lunde wrote:
>
>
> RH asks:
>
> Does work serve a purpose to the soul?
>
> TL:
>
> The soul has become a defunct theory in our modern? age. I
> thank you for bringing it up for I still believe in a
> "soul", though perhaps I might not use the Christian word as
> it is very ambigous. Perhaps, in my terms, I might use a
> word such as entity or psyche in the Sethian sense to refer
> to that aspect of us the incarnates and reincarnates for
> purpose. In that sense, "Does work serve a purpose to the
> soul?", I would answer in a general sense no - though there
> are no limits and the psyche may use work to set up
> situations in which the important work which is the
> learnings of values, choices and the development of talents,
> may take place. In our less spiritual time, when character
> has become a value represented by net worth, rather than the
> wisdom that accumulates to an elder or shaman, work in the
> sense of "paid work" has become more valuable than personal
> growth. Our ancestors would surely find this most strange
> and look at us as if we are deranged - and we are.
>
>
Sethian indeed! Shades of the occult, "channeling" and clairvoyance.
The soul may be the spirit in each of us and may well be reflected in
the feeling we get when we excel at something or are the source of a
random act of kindness (for example). It may also be the source of those
nagging feelings of conscience some experience when they do what they
ought not do, or vice versa.
Does work serve a purpose to the soul? Is that the same as asking does
work make us feel good? For many having work (job - is that the same?),
which generates an income, is accompanied by feelings of well-being. But
work can also be very trying (testing our patience and adherence to
values) and that surely is serving a purpose to the soul.
Or, perhaps work is simply being gainfully employed (contributing to
society), paid or not, and that also is probably a source of good
feelings.
While it may be true in some circles that "work in the sense of "paid
work" has become more valuable than personal growth" it begs the
question "Are there circumstances when "paid work" and personal growth
are synonomous?" This probably depends on how one defines "personal
growth" - growth in professional skills, growth in the range of one's
talents, growth in one's world knowledge, etc.
But, regardless of that issue, where has soul gone?
If "the psyche (is that the same as soul?) may use work to set up
situations in which the important work which is the learnings of values,
choices and the development of talents, may take place" then it appears
that the soul can seek its own purpose in work!
Nothing is simple. Complexity seems to be the name of the game. We have
a situation here analogous to that of the fluttering of a butterfly's
wings in China precipitating a tornado in Oklahoma: RH poses a brief
question which generates a whirlwind of responses.
Must be a good question.
--
http://publish.uwo.ca/~mcdaniel/
