VII
DEEP WITHIN US, THERE IS A BODY-SPIRIT STRUGGLE.
Why do human structures cannot
guarantee a direct link or a stepping stone towards proximate communion or deep
friendship?. It seems that between the sharing of events and sharing of
experience there’s a gap that separates the two, in such a way, without a
bridge between them, it’s impossible for an artificial sharing of life's events
to substantially develop into a genuine formation and sharing of experiences.
One cannot say, therefore, that
our friendship is strengthen by our weekly gathering. No, what one can only
rightly say is this: our friendship was strengthened through our weekly
gathering and celebrations. But if the proper term is ‘through’ and not ‘by’,
why is this so? Who or what then cause it?
When our educational standard
goes high, it means that we know many things and how to apply this knowledge
into practice. Most obvious example of this, is our simple knowledge in how to
play basketball. Before we were able to handle and dribble a ball, the first
thing that we see in connection with basketball is the group of boys dribbling,
shooting and passing the ball to their teammates.
Through this simple situation in
our life, we first have a first contact on how to play this game. We try to imitate
this and through constant practice, we learn it at last.
Two elements are mentioned here: we ‘got the knowledge on how to
play’ (theory), and ‘we know how to play (practice)’. A player who was taught
the mechanics of the game, play the game in his own way. In other word, he has
a degree of playing basketball different from the rest. If his skill in playing
basketball truly and absolutely comes from his theoretical knowledge of it,
then why do people of the same age, with the same schedule and constancy of
playing the game, have different level of skills in terms of
basketball. For all of my six years now of almost daily playing
basketball, I am still as ignorant as a level 1 basketball clinic boy? If
knowledge is to be taken into consideration, I myself have so many seminars about
playing the game and even immersed myself in the game itself, more than the
people outside, then still, other people are far better than me.
Do we, then attribute our skill,
much more the degree of our skill to our theoretical knowledge of it? Of
course, there are possible factors for such differences. But my point is, even
identical twins are really different from each other. So how much more those
people who have no twin brother / sister.
Maybe it’s hard to answer this.
But what I know for the moment is this: the two realities are bridged together
in spontaneity. In spontaneity structure is absent. There are no preparations
needed for it; structure is just to set the ambiance of it.
What is present in that realm is
the natural self. It is the unconscious dimension in man. Nothing emerge in
that state, but the real self of an individual. Artificiality, on the other
hand, takes the form of those activities we organize, a situation in life, an
event
one encounters or anything that aids us to attain our objectives.
Man creates human structures to attain a purpose.
In artificiality, an individual
could be happy even if deep within him, he is not. He may be laughing, because
of the events that he encountered, but he is disgraced in his experience. And
yet, we say: "We attain our objective through this and this". I agree
with this as means, not as cause. What, therefore, cause the bridging up
between the artificiality and true but proximate sharing of human experiences?
That is a question to be answered further, yet.
People meet and discuss what
should be done. In the process, they make resolutions and agreements of what
they should do. And the result is, conflict is still around. In my opinion,
this is the main reason why humanity is hindered to its holistic progress.
Their good knowledge does not ensure them right action. What really ensure them
to practice what they plan to do?
A knowledge of skills do not
automatically follow fulfillment. So also with the moral dimension of man. Man’s
knowledge of sin and how to overcome it does not ensure him of the triumph we
expect in his action. The head always suggests what’s good for us. The good it
offers to the subject is really for the betterment of the whole human person.
However, the body, since it is not the head, is irrational; it offers only
what’s good for the body and not necessarily for the good of the whole man.
What’s good for the
body is pleasure, easy life, comfort. What’s bad for it is
suffering, sacrifice, perseverance, and the like.
These goods could also part of
the good that our head offers. But what it points out is more encompassing.
That it even considers suffering, sacrifices and pain, etc. good.
Therefore, resolutions are not
always agreeable to the body when it comes to fulfilling them; for that entails
hardship on its part, but not on the soul, which is symbolized by the head.
The element of the human soul
(which we identify roughly as the head) is rationality and immaterial. What it
always tries to do and offers is reasonable fact. Consequently, it does not try
to entertain things which are irrational, and does not concern itself of the
material. It eventually activates during classes, seminars, conferences, or any
activity which requires reason. From this, it tries to transmits to the body what
it has learned, for application of them. Main reason is: it does not have an
organ to function in practical situation. However, the body is not necessitated
to accomplish all of them. It would only do what is pleasing and easy for
itself. For the body to do what the head learns, it must be pleasurable and comfortable;
or else, the person will find it hard to apply what he had learned in theory.
As for example, a resolution.
Resolution which is first formulated in the mind, entails sacrifice and self-denial
on the part of the person concerned. The body’s first reaction is to rebel
against it. And if the former wins, the person becomes frustrated for he is not
able to fulfill what he had promised to do.
Despite of this, there are some
of us, who in good spirit, are able to overcome their spoiled part of themselves
- the body. The body obeys, no matter how painful it is, to the dictates of
reason he has made. In natural situations, man cannot really do this. But it
does not mean it’s impossible; for there are people who can discipline their
body for their holistic progress.
This ability to discipline our
body for the higher good must not be naturally coming from us. This unnatural
element must be the one that enables us to do this supernatural action. And it
is not part of ourselves. We are weak, but this is strong enough to push us
through. This must be the cause of all that happen to us, all the progress that
we achieved. For alone with ourselves, we can do nothing. And I say
that these are all the working of presence of God in our real
self. I call this the Grace of God.