~ ∞ ~ The Fear of Annihilation (Non-Existence) ~ ∞ ~
As mentioned earlier, no matter how we look at it, it does, indeed, seem that one of the biggest fears we humans have is the fear of a total annihilation, or non-existence – we will come back to this in a moment, but first, let us take a look at some of the causes behind it. As much as this is true, that we humans fear non-existence, there is another fear that is much worse – the fear to be who we truly are. Because of this, yet another one surfaces – the fear of rejection. These fears are inseparable and go hand in hand – feeding each other, creating a vicious cycle of worthlessness. Partly this is due to our modern science which holds a view that out of nowhere, for no apparent reason, nothing spontaneously became everything – without any purpose, and without any meaning. Supposedly, according to this view – humans are nothing special in the context of the cosmos – as if the Earth and its inhabitants were just a big “cosmic accident” of some sort.
And it doesn’t stop there, for you see, this same worldview also holds that the entire universe is without any intelligent design whatsoever, and hence without any purpose or meaning. Is it any wonder, then, that the fear of death, the fear of one’s life to be finite, the fear of total annihilation (non-existence) prevails? Is it any wonder, then, that most humans define their own existence as individuals to be an accident based on randomness; that in their ignorance and hubris they believe that there’s not one scintilla of evidence that any other factor was involved in their creation? Is it any wonder, then, that all too many have convinced themselves into thinking that there is no meaning, no significance, no purpose, and no manifest destiny to human life?
In part, this is the result of scientific materialism – a view that physical reality is the only reality there is; that all things are composed of material, and all phenomena (including consciousness) are the result of material interactions; that the brain creates consciousness and that consciousness cannot survive without the brain; that the death of the brain is the death of the individual and the death of consciousness. The lens through which we perceive the world and ourselves has a tremendous effect on us, both individually and collectively. As a result, we begin to formulate a belief that we are only these limited physical bodies and mind. This belief begins to ingrain in us the idea that we are nothing but a product of an amoral, evolutionary process – an accident, if you will – insignificant creatures in a vast cosmos; and because of this, we live in constant fear that the limited self we have identified with – will die, cease to exist, and return to nothing.
If we really stop to think about this, we can see that science is not only a tool we have invented to make sense of life, but also a story, a narrative, through which we try to create permanence for ourselves within an essentially transient world; through which we try to find meaning into our seemingly purposeless lives. In light of our growing mastery over so many aspects of the physical world, it is not unsurprising, then, that many have come to place all their hopes in science, and even to believe that happiness can be achieved by means of what material science can deliver – hoping to find solace in scientific explanations, most of which are based on the unfounded assumptions, models and predictions, claims and promises that very rarely, if ever, come to pass. One might even say that science is useful but dangerous tool that promises to give us purpose and meaning, and in this sense, science is no way different than the numerous religions of the world, which all in their own ways are promising the salvation from ourselves.
As a result, we human beings seem to hold a belief that life is some kind of an accident that just happens to us, rather than something that happens for us. This belief is extremely harmful in more ways than one. You see, as a result, we are accustomed to assume that we only have this one life, and what awaits us after we die – is nothing; thus the saying “You Only Live Once,” or just simply “YOLO.” This kind of thinking encourages moral irresponsibility and material hedonism, which in turn results in nihilism, which denies the existence of genuine moral truths and asserts the ultimate meaninglessness of life or of the universe. So, what about this instead: “We only die once, and we live every day.” This simple change in one’s thinking can bring about lasting change, it can be transformational to say the least. Other than that, this belief that life is some kind of an accident puts us in a victim mentality, in which we believe that we are powerless in the world, and that we have little or no power at all to change things.
If we really stop to think about the aforementioned, we can find that in all actuality, life is something that happens for us, and through us – reflecting everything we believe to be true for us, just like a mirror does, you see? Nevertheless, many people live in a world where they feel they have no control, feeling powerless and abandoned by the world; deep inside they are afraid – especially of death. They constantly search for the meaning of their lives, feeling alienated, vulnerable and all alone. So, if we take the previous into consideration, is it any wonder, then, that we hold a belief that we are born from nothing, and when we die, we mysteriously once again become nothing; and that our entire existence is only a life-span – beginning from the moment we are born, and ending at the moment we die. From this, the question arises: How far have we fallen into ignorance if we are to believe this? The curious thing about this is that when we really start to uncover the real truth about ourselves – we eventually come to realize that we’re not merely the end result of the so-called process of a “big bang,” but rather, we are the ongoing process itself – a living process that is happening all around and within us – here and now, you see?
~ ∞ ~ The Fear of Annihilation (Non-Existence) ~ ∞ ~
One of the most unspoken truths in life is that from the very moment we are born – we start dying. And now, taking that into account, one might go on to say that in this respect, what we call life is not life at all – it is death. Indeed, we have a limited lifespan and healthspan – no matter how difficult it is to bear, this is how it is. Therefore, ultimately, it boils down to perspective on how one chooses to see it. You see, from this very moment onward – from the moment of birth, we have a choice: to grow, ripe and mature, or to wither, decay and perish. It is no wonder, then, that when we observe the world around us, the comings and goings of people, their likes and dislikes, it doesn’t take too long to realize that people have always been fascinated by the mystery of death; and yet, at the same time, people are in a deep denial about their own mortality and suffering. The fascination toward death comes from its incredible contrast to life, but alas, the interest is shallow at best, and thus artificial in nature.
At some point in everyone’s life, there comes a time of reflection and introspection – this natural process leads each of us to the exact same place, where we find ourselves at the crossroads asking ourselves: What have I accomplished, and what legacy will I leave once I’m gone? Here, in this very place, we all start to question our own mortality. It’s in these moments that we find ourselves asking not only the questions relating to why, but also how. Among such questions are: Why are we here? Where will we go, and how will we get there? Why do we exist? What does it mean to exist? Can existence become non-existence? What lies across the threshold between life and death? Yet, we have no consensus – this is because we as the collective human species have created ourselves social structures (civilization) that are ultimately an elaborate, symbolic defense mechanism against the knowledge of our mortality.
These structures of civilization include prevailing ideas, concepts, theories, narratives, assumptions, beliefs, perspectives, and values; it also includes worldviews, philosophies, theologies, ideologies, and even consensus reality – which, in and of itself, is the product of all the aforementioned. These together act as an emotional and intellectual response to our basic survival mechanism, resulting in that we humans seem to be living in a deep state of denial – most notably of our mortality and suffering. It seems that death is a taboo that cannot be explored rationally – even though it is inevitable for all of us. In the Western culture, the acknowledgment of death is often reserved only to those who are directly facing the inevitable experience of death; for others, it is simply a form of entertainment (films, tv-series, games, novels, etc.)
Evidently, death is one of the most harshly pronounced and well-protected taboos that we have in current society – one is not supposed to talk about it, but one is supposed to show empathy and regret, and then move on to a different topic. But why exactly is that? Why does death frighten us so much that we don’t even find it appropriate to talk about it? Well, it goes without saying that the ubiquitous fear of death, the fear of one’s life to be finite, seems to push people towards avoidance with severe consequences. As a result, in our Western culture, we have lost touch with the art of dying, not to say anything about the art of living. To be honest, in our culture, we don’t know how to die properly, but alas, yet we are doing so – dying slowly and gradually, continuously suffering on the way. Culturally, we don’t even have any constructive and beneficial ways of dealing with this wholeness. The honest truth is that it would make everyone’s life much easier if we could only learn to deal with it properly. You see, by allowing the acknowledgement of death into awareness in a respectful, reflective and supported fashion may bear meaningful effects upon one’s life and experience. Bringing this awareness into conscious awareness influences our approach to life, the choices we make, and reminds us that it’s our individual responsibility to create the meaning we desire in our life.
By virtue of the aforementioned with regard to death being used as a form of entertainment, it should be pointed out that we are, indeed, exceedingly so, doing everything we possibly can – to avoid the confrontation with our own impending death. On the other hand, one might say that because the art of dying is almost completely missing from our culture, it is a coping mechanism of sorts. But now the question becomes: Does it do any good for anyone, or does it do more harm than good? If violence, suffering and death, as they are portrayed in popular culture through various mediums – is a coping mechanism, then it is awfully bad one, would you agree? Now, let me ask you this: Isn’t it strange that we are taught to fear and hold off death of anything from the moment we are born? As humans, one of the biggest, if not the greatest, fears relating to death seems not to be dying in itself, but rather the fear of the unknown: What lies across the threshold between life and death? Is there anything beyond that threshold, or nothing at all? Pure nothingness? Total annihilation? Does it all end after crossing that threshold?
Once again, this brings about the question: Why does death frighten us so much? Let us explore. Our fear of death springs from our ignorance of death, it springs from the thought that death is the end of everything, which is due to the “I-am-the-body” idea. Essentially, our fear of death springs from attachment to physical form, from attachment to physical body. Indeed, we are so attached to the kind of life we’re used to living that we cling to it as much as we can, to make sure it won’t flee from us. In other words, our fear of death comes from the fear of ceasing to exist, losing one’s identity and foothold in the world we are familiar with. This, of course, has a huge impact in our lives, limiting our capability to enjoy life. In other words, most of the time, most of the people are so afraid of this natural part of life that eventually the fear of fear itself prevents them from living happy, joyful, and fulfilling life.
That said, it is not only important, but paramount to highlight the truth that spiritually wise individuals are not afraid of death, because their state of being is beyond body-consciousness, or just simply beyond space, time, and form. Since the spiritually wise individuals know that they are neither the body nor the mind, but rather Spirit that transcends the boundaries of material existence – the event of death has no effect on them. When one understands that they cannot be destroyed, one becomes liberated from the fear – this is a great relief because after this realization, one can enjoy life and appreciate it in a whole new way. In other words, our true essence is established in the timeless consciousness, timeless awareness beyond mental limitations and conditioning, which means that the loss of this world of names, ideas, and forms don’t affect those who know deep down in their core that death does not mean non-being, or non-existence, nor total annihilation, you see? In this context, one might say that the ultimate goal of man is to know God, and to know God is to know truth about Life – that it is indeed Eternal, and in turn one can become conscious of their continued existence, whether in the physical realm, the spiritual realm, or whatever stage of development one may be passing from physical life unto spiritual life, you see?
~ ∞ ~ The Existential Paradox - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~
In this chapter, we will take a look at something called the “Existential Paradox,” which serves the role of being a preliminary exploration of what comes up in the following few chapters, dealing with the fear of death, the fear of one’s life to be finite, the fear of total annihilation (non-existence). The purpose behind these following two chapters is to highlight the truth that by definition non-existence doesn’t exist, and therefore existence cannot become non-existence, which goes on to say that death is not the end of life – it is merely the end of the physical body we inhabit in this life. In other words, there is no death “as such,” only a change of worlds, for you see, nothing ultimately ever dies, only changes form – transforms and transcends.
We begin this chapter by defining existence and paradox, although we have already discussed about them in earlier sections and chapters in different context. By giving basic definitions, we will lay the foundation for more in-depth discussion of specific aspects of existence in the context of human life with regard to its paradoxical nature. For you see, we are information, yet we are uncertainty, and paradoxically enough, information is thought to be the resolution of uncertainty. Furthermore, there is no fine line between life and death, living and non-living, animate and inanimate, like we have seen earlier in this section, in the chapter “What Is Life?” We can call this Existential Paradox, or ‘coincidentia oppositorum,’ or just simply Unity of Opposites, which means that a thing is both what it is and what it is not, and yet it somehow escapes contradiction – that’s how the Miracle of Life is possible – see?
The word “existence” comes from the Latin word ‘exsistere,’ meaning “to appear”, “to arise”, “to become”, or “to be”, but literally, it means “to stand out.” So when something is made to appear, or to become visible to the human senses – which can only perceive a very narrow spectrum of light, we are saying that something exists; clearly, this doesn’t mean that ‘something’ isn’t existing if we’re not able to ‘tune-in’ to the vibrational level of it. What it means, though, is that we have collectively agreed upon that we use certain words to explain something that we are able to perceive with our physical senses, or detect through the microscopes and particle accelerators, or through other scientific gadgets and gizmos. And, indeed, if one looks deeper, utilizing the very tools provided by the science itself, namely Quantum Mechanics, it’s just as plausible to argue that consciousness exists before the formation of the brain, and therefore consciousness can exist after the death of the brain. This, then, suggests that there is not only existence, but also pre-existence, as well as post-existence (afterlife).
From this, we can conclude that there is an intimate connection between the mystery of consciousness, the mystery of existence, and the mystery of reality. This triune connection is interesting in more ways than one. You see, reality needs existence, which in turn needs consciousness. Reality cannot be reality without existence, and consciousness cannot take place without awareness of existence. And so we can pose a question: What came first: reality or consciousness of it? After all, reality is experience in our consciousness, is it not? And now, we can ask: What came first: existence or awareness of it? This, indeed, is a mystery. What we know about it, though, is that underlying our consciousness, there is awareness – through which, and by which, we become aware of consciousness, and therefore, of existence, and, of reality, you see?
Now that we have defined “existence,” we can move on to paradox. As regards to our existence as human beings, it is clear that the most profound questions about life and its mysteries cannot be answered without using paradox as a tool, let alone the mystery regarding what lies across the threshold between life and death. In a nutshell, paradox is a statement that contradicts itself, and when investigated might actually be true; paradoxical statements may seem completely self-contradictory, but they can be used to reveal deeper truths. In this sense, paradox can be seen as a method to reveal the interdependence and interconnectedness of all things, and in turn perceive the higher truth directly without intellectualizing filter, you see?
In the context of paradox, it can be said that the logic behind the Western thought is very much classical in nature, which means that there is an underlying belief, according to which every statement becomes false if a contradiction is true. For some reason, it is difficult for us to appreciate anything that goes against the norm, that is, logic and reason as we know and practice them today. Hence, it goes without saying that this is, indeed, a narrow-minded approach. In contrast to the Western approach, some ancient wisdom traditions like Advaita Vedanta, Taoism, and Zen, are dialetheist in nature where non-dualistic thought is used to refer to true contradictions. A paradox which is both true and false at the same time and in the same sense – is called dialetheia; a dialetheia is the view that some statements can be both true and false simultaneously, which goes on to say that there can be a true statement whose negation is also true – such statements are called “true contradictions,” dialetheia, or nondualisms.
Hence, it is worth noting that paradoxes only arise in the dualistic mind, with a dualistic mindset, and with a dualistic belief system – beyond it, there is only Oneness – and yet, Oneness is also a limiting concept, because if there is one – it always implies that there must be many – one cannot be if there isn’t many; it’s only through the experience of the many – from where the One is realized, you see? In spiritual terms, this means that there is a definite difference between the ideas of Oneness, Unity, and Non-Duality (Advaita). Oneness is an idea; Unity is a concept from the realization of the idea of Oneness (a generalization from experience), and finally there is Non-Dual Beingness within that realization, you see? Keeping that in mind, it can be concluded that there are some truths that can only be expressed in contradiction by using paradox as a tool – such truths are existential in nature, most profound questions and answers about life and death – more precisely, the questions concerning consciousness, awareness, and presence, you see?
After the previous chapter, which focused on the Preciousness of Human Life, it is appropriate to pay a homage to the idea of Miracle of Life with respect to the moment it starts, by asking the question: When Does a Human Life Begin? For however small this chapter ends up being, doesn’t matter as much as showing respect to this important area. You see, it is important to bring it up, because in the next chapter, namely “The Existential Paradox,” we approach this same issue with a different set of questions: When does a human life end, or can it end? We can start by bringing up something that was said in the very beginning of this section: “If we cannot create Life in a lab from scratch, with the same building blocks that Life uses to create multitudes of life forms we find on Earth, would it not then mean that the core essence of our being is not found in matter? This leads us to a staggering conclusion: the gift of Life is passed on — this is why we have babies, to continue as a species — see? Against this backdrop, it is reasonable to ask ourselves: What is Life, really?”
From the aforementioned, we can conclude that the parent’s Life Force*1 is temporarily anchored to an egg and a sperm. This happens via morphogenetic field, which is why the egg and a sperm can “survive” outside the body. It is astonishing to realize that Human Life comes into existence in just a fraction of an instant, and yet, there are so many aspects involved in this process that we have only scratched the surface. To this day, it is still a mystery as to when Human Life can be said to begin. As a result, this topic, in and of itself, is also a cause for a heated debate in the world today for obvious reasons. For curiosity’s sake, it is worth mentioning that in the time of Aristotle, it was widely believed that the Human Soul entered the forming body at 40 days (male embryos) or 90 days (female embryos), and quickening was an indication of the presence of a Soul.
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*1 Life Force has many different names in different parts of the world. In China it is called Qi, in Hawaii it is called Mana, in India it is called Prana, in Christianity in the Western world it is called the Holy Spirit.
We have two parent cells, a human egg and a human sperm — their sole purpose in life is to meet each other and fuse to create a one cell human being. The development of a new human being begins at fertilization when a sperm fuses with an ovum to form a zygote. So in this sense, it can be said that Human Life begins when the elements of a potent sperm merge with those of a fertile ovum, but on a deeper level, the answer is not so straightforward. You see, here we arrive at the question of the most profound: What is it that makes you — you? What is it that makes up the whole of who you are? Are you just a bunch of cells put together randomly, nothing more than a collection of cellular tissue, the processing organs, innervating nerves, bones and muscles — or, are you more than that? From the extraordinary moment of fertilization, our bodies form a design unlike any other, through a wondrous process that is both a replication of an ancient blueprint and a uniquely individual expression. These structures from bones to the tensile fiber of muscles, the processing organs, innervating nerves, and the oceanic fluid systems of the body — don’t alone make a human being.
Even though our physical bodies start out as single cells — it is clear that Life is more than chemistry, DNA, RNA, proteins, enzymes, and heredity — Isn’t it? So now, then, the question becomes: What happens in fertilization? What is it that gives birth to a new life? The question of when life begins is essentially one of the moment of ensoulment (the moment at which a human being gains a Soul). Why? Because it is the Soul, whether the vegetable — and lower animal variants, or the Human Soul — that when joined with a material entity possessing a particular potential exclusive to its nature, brings life or animation. This means that just as a lightbulb is useless until it is connected to electricity, the raw substance of our body does not become human until it is infused with the Force of Life (prana, qi, chi). This mysterious Life Force expresses itself through the projection of light from our eyes; it circulates the blood through our hearts and causes the ceaseless cycle of inspiration and expiration. This Life Force also provides us with a blueprint for optimal movement in the form of universal movement patterns that govern all our actions — these patterns organize our intentions into effortless actions.
~ ∞ ~ The Preciousness of Human Life 2/2 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~
By virtue of the aforementioned with regard to the miracle of life, it is worth highlighting the following truth: life really is precious and transient – it is a window of opportunity, and it won’t last forever. To someone who is observant and has a keen eye for detail, it may be impossible to notice that people don’t really understand how precious human life really is – far too many take it for granted, failing to see, recognize, and acknowledge not only the immeasurable value of human life, but also the deeper implications and possibilities that the human life presents us with – those of spiritual in nature, you see? We can see this in the way we humans are going about things – from cradle to grave, people are sleepwalking through their lives. Not only do they have any sense of how unique and precious human life is, but they also have no idea that they are asleep; people are dreaming dreams that are influenced by external stimuli. In this state of enchantment, their minds are open not only to the influence of the will of others, but also to all external circumstances, primal drives and desires that keep the vicious cycle alive – keeping people distracted, keeping their minds focused on anything but the true nature of their existence – preventing them from seeing the true value of their lives.
Now, we should ask the question: What is it, exactly, that makes us precious? Well, some would say that there are as many answers as there are people who ask. While many would like to list various qualities of humans compared to other forms of life, the truth is, though, that those are but attributes of being human – describing appearance rather than the essence, you see? Those who have gone through internal processes of spiritual growth and development, change and transformation – without exception, would agree that what makes us precious is what we hold within – connection to our Inner Being – to our Soul, through which we can connect not only to the deeper aspects of ourselves, but also to the Truth, to Spirit – God, if you will.
It is this same core essence within each of us – the Human Spirit, which ultimately unites us all, and that is what makes us precious – our innate ability to recognize and acknowledge, to be aware of and reflect on this Truth. It is our innate capacity of being able to reflect on the nature of our own thinking and feeling, our own past and future, our own life and death, on the nature of consciousness, and on the nature of awareness itself, which makes self-reflection possible – see? It is our innate ability to recognize that the core essence of another is essentially the very same core essence of oneself – we are all expressions of the same core essence of Infinite Awareness of Living Life, and that is what makes us precious, does it not?
That said, we should reflect on how rare a human birth is. No one knows exactly how many millions of different species there are on Earth, and how many millions more there are to be discovered. Considering the aforementioned, and taking into account how many millions of species have lived on Earth and have then disappeared – it is clear that humans are outnumbered many times over, if not by orders of magnitude. For every human, how many billions of other life forms there are on Earth? What are the odds that you were born as a human instead of any other of those life forms? With such a rare opportunity to experience life, one should appreciate human life – and not just their own life, but others’ as well. Even though we are fundamentally different from each other, we can do well to appreciate our differences. We may be different on the surface, but underneath, at the very core, we are all the same – human, awareness, consciousness – see?
We often think that our human population is huge, when in actuality, it is very small compared to the vast numbers of beings in other forms. That is to say, there are millions upon millions of life forms on, above, and below the Earth and in the oceans. Keeping that in mind, it becomes not only obvious, but crystal clear that a human life is all the more precious for being so difficult to obtain. Therefore, one should truly contemplate the rarity of life in the universe, and then the rarity of intelligent life in the universe. When taken that into account, one should embrace the sheer beauty and marvel of it all – and to top it off with the appreciation that comes from the following: keeping in mind how many other forms of life there are on, above, and below the Earth, what are the odds that you were born as a human, that you exist as the unique you that you are? And so you see, when properly digested, everything does, indeed, start to fall into perspective, doesn’t it?
Let us conclude this chapter with the following thoughts. Would you have the same opportunity to spiritually grow and mature if you were born as an insect or a jellyfish, instead of a human? Would you have the same opportunity to recognize and acknowledge, to be aware of, and to appreciate your very own preciousness if you were born as a frog or a bird, instead of a human? With a little contemplation and reflection, the inevitable and unavoidable realization begins to dawn on you with its adamant presence – in this regard, human beings are, bar none, unparalleled to anything else living on Earth. From this realization arises the appreciation of the preciousness of human existence, for it presents us with a rare opportunity to consciously evolve and grow spiritually. This brings about the question: Of all the people on Earth, how many bother to think about such things at all? A short and concise answer – only a few do; of those who do, only very few contemplate, and even fewer reflect upon it. Now, considering that it is fairly rare these days that someone would go to such lengths, how many of those individuals who think about, contemplate, and reflect upon such things, recognize the cyclic existence of sentient beings? How many of those are willing to create the ground of happiness rather than the ground of suffering? And furthermore, how many of those recognize ignorance and all that arises from it?
~ ∞ ~ The Preciousness of Human Life 1/2 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~
Now that we’ve had discussions on many wide-ranging topics with regard to human beings, it is time to reflect on the preciousness of human life. In this chapter, we will see how closely the miracle of life and the preciousness of human life are connected and linked together. As an opening remark, it is worth noting that not everyone is able to see that human life is precious, not everyone has the capacity to think about and reflect upon such things. It follows, naturally, then, that not everyone has the appreciation for the deeper aspects of the human experience; such appreciation that some curious individuals who are initiated to the mysteries of life would have; such appreciation that some individuals who are involved in with understanding of the same would have. It is, of course, possible to awaken such curiosity within, and with it, the appreciation for the deeper aspects of the human experience, for the miracle of life and the preciousness of human life, you see?
That said, a good way to start the discussion about this topic would probably be through something that evokes a sense of awe and wonder, if not sheer mystery and marvel, don’t you think? As we have learned from the previous chapters, the probability of life existing at all is infinitesimal – the odds against the existence of life on Earth are said to be on the order of 10^10^123 – a figure so large that one could not possibly even write the number down. And yet, amidst all the odds against – here we are. This gives us some perspective with regard to the rarity of intelligent life in the universe. And not only that, but it also gives us the perspective needed to see the preciousness of human life with more clarity. The creation of our fine-tuned universe and intelligent life in it – the two unfathomably rare, if not mystical occurrences, makes it clear that the universe we find ourselves in – has a purpose: to facilitate intelligent life, which makes it a purposeful universe, does it not? Wouldn’t this then suggest that also human beings have a purpose? If we really think about it, wouldn’t the improbable odds of life existing in the cosmos suggest that everything that exists is a result of a miracle?
By now, at this point in the book, it must have become obviously clear that everything that exists is indeed a result of a miracle. Does it not, indeed, require a miracle to have living beings come out of non-living matter? But how can something come out of nothing, how can living beings come out of non-living matter, and how can intelligence, unparalleled to anything else we have come across – intelligence found in nature, emerge from nothing? Well, it can’t – not without a miracle, you see? Does it not, indeed, require the involvement of a Higher Power to initiate, cause, and bring forth such a miracle? In this sense, life is a mystery, one that may not be resolvable by means available to us, that is, by usual, traditional means of logic and reason as we know and practice them today, including, but not limited to, astronomy, mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, and ontology.
By virtue of the aforementioned with regard to the mystery of life, it is worth highlighting the following truth: if one wishes to get a glimpse of this mystery, one would need to aspire to go beyond the thinking mind, to go beyond traditional means of logic and reason; one would need to use their faculty of intelligence to its fullest – to unleash its full potential to cover such aspects as intuition and inner knowing. In so doing, one becomes dissolved in something far more powerful – becoming part of something much greater, beyond ourselves; and in this becoming, one is able to pierce the veil between ordinary life and the mysterious regions of the Soul – into greater Innerstanding, wherein the transcendent nature of Life is experienced. This transcendent part of life can only be experienced through one’s innermost being – it is here – within, where the preciousness of human life crystallizes; it is here – within, where understanding, overstanding, and Innerstanding meet to form a clear, powerful, alive, and vibrant comprehension. And so you see, the answers lie beyond the limits of the known, and the truth lies beyond the narrow limits of conditioned perception.
If we move beyond our preconceptions, transcend beyond limiting beliefs, ideas and concepts that has been handed down to us from previous generations, if we go above cause and beyond effect, above birth and beyond death, above happiness and beyond suffering – we discover what lies beyond the limits of the known. Therein, can we find true knowledge and wisdom, memory and information, universal love, peace and serenity that connects us all; therein, beyond the limits of the known, the mystery reveals itself to those who seek it – see? Furthermore, if one wishes to get a glimpse of what this mystery entails, it requires one to appreciate paradox; accommodating different viewpoints within a broader perspective; seeing the opposites as complementary rather than contradictory – they are, after all, equally important parts of the whole. You see, wisdom and understanding lies in paradox – even if something contradicts itself, it can still be true; some would call this ‘coincidentia oppositorum,’ or just simply Unity of Opposites. A thing is both what it is and what it is not, and yet it somehow escapes contradiction – that’s how the Miracle of Life is possible, that’s how something can come out of nothing, and living beings come out of non-living matter – see?
While one marvels at the extraordinary nature of life, we cannot but conclude that life is, truly, a Living Miracle – something to be cherished and nurtured; to be alive is the greatest gift of all, is it not? Indeed, each of us is a living testament of the miracle called life. Is it not, indeed, a miracle that you exist? Is it not a miracle that you exist as the unique you that you are? Is it not a miracle that you were born as a human instead of, let’s say, an insect, or a jellyfish, a frog, or a bird? Is it not a miracle that you were born with a capacity for intelligence incomparable to any other life forms we are aware of? Is it not a miracle that Intelligent Life can evolve to a level of consciousness, to a point where it can trace back its history to understand its own origin and its true essence? Is it not a miracle that Life can become aware of itself through the vehicle of a living form that has the capacity for self-reflection? You see, as far as we know, human beings are the only form of life that has this capacity of being able to reflect on the nature of its own thinking and feeling, its own past and future, its own life and death, on the nature of consciousness, and on the nature of awareness itself, which makes self-reflection possible.
~ ∞ ~ The False Sense of Self (Human Doing vs. Human Being) – The Essence of Life ~ ∞ ~
In the West, our culture emphasizes the pursuit of happiness through external means. By contrast, in the East, traditional culture emphasizes acceptance of the conditions of existence, positing the idea that happiness is found within. And so it goes that in the West, we live in a consumer-driven society that tries to tell us that money does buy happiness – “the more we buy, the happier we will be,” goes the slogan. In a society where the prevailing worldview is materialistic, values are created by advertisements, which results in that actors, musicians and other “famous” people are followed as though they were gurus, nearly worshipped as modern day avatars or gods. This has a direct effect on the self-image of a consumerist – it is rooted solely in physical appearance, social status and material success. It is this idealized and artificial lifestyle that is then pursued as the principle means to achieving life satisfaction, happiness and contentment or the so-called “good life.” All of the consumerist’s creative and intellectual energy is redirected towards a goal – which is, in essence – an illusion created largely by the commercial interests of corporate and the entertainment industry.
The name of the game here is persuasion. You see, ordinary everyday people are influenced and persuaded by advertising, marketing and the various forms of media to behave and act in certain ways. And so it goes that people in the modern Western world promote the idea that “more is better,” in order to justify their never-ending need for more. With the immense amount of advertising we are bombarded with on a daily basis, it is not unsurprising that there are many things we feel we want and need. Advertising plays on our fears and the need for social acceptance. You see, advertisers exploit our innate drive for fulfillment and unity, our inherent need for social connection and bonding; and not only that, but they also exploit our desires, our sexuality, and our love of pleasure for the marketing and sale of everything from toothpaste to cars. As a result, “hyperspenders” emerge out of all this – they often think that collecting expensive toys will enhance their overall satisfaction with life. Yet, the honest truth is that these material possessions doesn’t seem to bring us inner peace and happiness – or do you beg to differ? Satisfaction in life is not a function of what you can buy in a store – see?
The materialistic worldview has resulted in excessive production of short-lived and disposable items, and thus the Western society has become a “throw-away society” where consumerism is being worshipped. Indeed, we live in a culture of hyperconsumerism where we can, and do buy nearly anything. Sadly, beyond the basic necessities, awful lot is spent on useless things that end up in landfills; in a throwaway culture, even human lives are seen as disposable – see? We take what we need in the form of raw materials and cheap labor to invest in our “culture,” we then feed it back to the world in the form of cheap material possessions, which in turn further the image that we have more and hence somehow better. As long as we keep up the illusion, the gears keep turning. Doesn’t this fit the definition of a parasite? The consumerist-driven capitalist economic system is indeed a parasitic paradigm which is only going to lead to more problems and eventually to self-destruction – one has to be blind not to see it.
However, despite this obvious dichotomy, people seem to hold a belief of an unlimited material progress that is to be achieved through economic and technological growth. It goes without saying that this kind of growth always comes with a price tag. You see, the harsh truth is that materialistic progress is cutting deeply into the natural resources of Earth; it’s also poisoning the environment with its waste products and threatening the ecological equilibrium. And so it goes that in today’s world, nature seems to represent merely a reservoir of resources to exploit – a set of forces and obstacles to channel and tame. We have come to look upon nature as something separate from ourselves, something we could master, control and manipulate to obtain specific benefits for our species. All this because we were taught that our species has been given dominion over all others and over the Earth itself. As a result, people silently give their consent for it to happen. This results in that our increasing wealth is concentrating in the richer countries, and the poorer countries are increasingly becoming more and more indebted to the richer ones. Because of this, there is widespread impoverishment and destruction of indigenous cultures.
And when it comes to scientists who are driving the scientific and materialistic progress; well, their code of ethics seems to be tied to our current paradigm through which we perceive ourselves as separate from everything else. All because of monetary or political interests. The relationship between science and politics has been well established, with the politicization of science becoming increasingly apparent in recent years, having extended into nearly every scientific field, including biology, physics, medicine, and the social sciences. That is to say, we humans are so driven by greed, power and profit that even scientific ethics are largely guided by the commercial interests of corporate industry. The politicization of science has reached a point where even scientists do not examine their own motives very closely. This obviously leaves the question lingering whether there is any code of ethics at all these days.
By virtue of the aforementioned, it is clear that as things stand now, most of what scientists do is not life-furthering and life-preserving, quite the contrary – it is life-destroying more than anything else. You see, physicists design weapons systems that threaten to wipe out life on Earth, chemists are contaminating the environment, and biologists are releasing new and unknown types of microorganisms without knowing the consequences. On top of that, psychologists and other scientists are torturing animals in the name of scientific and materialistic progress. What we have created is a world where not only do we believe that we are individual beings, but that we are separate beings – separated from each other, from our environment, and the very Earth that sustains us. Against this backdrop, it is obvious that the world is in trouble – which is an understatement, to say the least.
On that note, nowadays there are people in the scientific community who have come to the conclusion that maybe we have messed up this planet; but worry not, because these people think that they have a solution. You see, they have suggested that we should go find (or perhaps create) a new one. These people think that with the aid of technology, we could export life from Earth to other planets, and someday perhaps even leave our solar system. Given the underlying motive and incentive, this must be the ultimate delusion of a throwaway society, don’t you think? Even considering such an idea is nothing short of absurd. What does it tell about us, if among other things, we are ready and willing to throw away our home, as well?
Are we really so disconnected from everything that we truly think that the only way to solve our problems is to relocate somewhere else. So that we could mess it up all over again? The reason we are having problems on Earth in the first place is because we have ignored what nature is capable of giving us when we live with nature’s principles rather than against them. Let me ask you this: As things stand, if we relocate, how would it be any different than now? You see, if we relocate, not only are we exporting life from Earth, but also our prevailing culture and lifestyle, including our views, values, customs, traditions, beliefs, morals, ethics, and so on. Considering that these are largely dependent upon the materialist paradigm, which in turn is driven by the capitalist market economy, it is highly probable that we would repeat our mistakes – such is the nature of us humans, it seems.
Now, let me ask you this: If we take into consideration everything we have discussed in this chapter, isn’t it ironic that people buy the things they don’t need, with the money they don’t have – to impress someone they don’t like? And now we can ask the following questions: Why is this? From where does this kind of behavior come from? Where does it spring from? What motivates someone to act in this way? Well, in our deepest core, we all know that we are part of something bigger than ourselves; and because of this, we sense that something is lacking from our lives and we try to fill the void with anything – be it people, money, education, sex, drugs, travel, entertainment, cars, houses, or other material possessions – big or small. Yet, the truth is that satisfaction in life is not a function of what you can buy in a store; happiness in life has little to do, if anything, with what you wear, drive, eat or drink – see?
Upon deeper examination, one finds that the drive for contentment, fulfillment, and unity is innate in every human being – we all have a need to experience a life of meaning and purpose; we all have a need to feel a sense of belonging. It is this drive that is the impelling force behind our desire for love, and emotional, mental, and physical intimacy. However, when it comes to fulfillment – it can only be achieved through a pattern of living in which we focus on two primary spiritual needs: 1.) Continuous growth, 2.) Contributing beyond ourselves in a meaningful way. Out of these two arise other, somewhat deeper spiritual needs, foremost of which is Self-Actualization, and ultimately – Transcendence.
We find contentment when we choose gratitude. It’s when we take a step back and see the beauty of what we have, and choose to focus on everything we already have that we can find happiness. When we look at what’s really important in life and appreciate everything we have, it takes the same circumstances and allows us to see them through new eyes. What’s noteworthy is that these primary spiritual needs can be just as vital to life as food, water, and air. Unless we discover how we can satisfy these needs, we will be off track with unhappiness and emotional distress. You see, if these spiritual needs are not met, a person is spiritually unwell, and therefore struggles with finding meaning and purpose, which is another way of saying that eventually, in the long run, the individual will become emotionally unhappy, tense and anxious, confused, and sometimes even depressed.
Extra Material:Video: Society, A Perpetual Cycle [Alan Watts]. Video description: "Alan Watts talks about how our society conditions children to live with a constant frustration and worry about the future, and never learn how to live in the present."
~ ∞ ~ The False Sense of Self (Human Doing vs. Human Being) – The Essence of Life ~ ∞ ~
In this chapter, we continue our deep dive into humans as we know humans, after which we will shift gears a little and turn our focus on the preciousness of human life, and further along the line, we find ourselves discussing existence itself. But for now, without a further due, let us dive into the topic at hand, shall we? But just before we do that, a quick reminder: as mentioned earlier, it’s going to be a wild ride from here on out, so better brace yourself because the pace is not going to get any slower. So, here we go. We live in times of confusion, disillusion, and ignorance, in a world where being genuine and honest is rare, where inauthenticity and insincerity, immorality and inhumanness is running rampant. If one is observant, they cannot but arrive at the conclusion: it seems as though humanity has become to disintegrate and devolve; people seem to suffer from a spiritual decay, a spiritual disease that is eating them from within – they have become to deteriorate and fragment from within. As a result, people react more and reflect less, do more and accomplish less, talk more and say less, generalize more and specify less.
Any observant individual can see that humans as we know humans today, are blinded by hubris and denial of things obvious – they have become arrogant and selfish, hollow empty shells, wandering through life like a ship lost at sea, drifting farther and farther off course; it’s like there’s no one home, you see? It seems that vast majority of people choose to remain that way. In an age of individualism, people are blinded by the false sense of self, slumbering in an illusory dream; unable or unwilling to wake up, they are driven by the cravings of various sorts – everyone seems to want the same things that others do. Blinded by groupthink, people are like a flock of birds or herd of sheep, nearly all of them running at a given time in the same direction. Isn’t that precisely the epitome of selfishness, the paradox of individualism?
When people are looking outside, they never have to look inside – until one day, something happens that reveals just how asleep they are. Suddenly, they realize that their sense of self, which has been formed and constructed out of their ideas, images, beliefs, assumptions, interpretations, expectations and desires is not really who they are. As this happens, one has to be overwhelmed how much their life has been driven by someone else’s narrative. When we look around us, and pay attention to our surroundings, we can see that no one seems to have any idea what they are doing and everyone is just pretending, which brings us to an important point: as humans, most of us live immersed in our daily lives with little thought of who we are, why we are here, or where we are going. This means that most of us are completely unaware of the fact that real freedom and happiness can never come to us from outside ourselves – they can only be found within, you see? As such, most of us have never realized the True Self – our innate Spiritual Nature, which is the Living Essence beyond name and form, words, ideas and thinking.
Because in the Western culture, people have been accustomed to think in certain ways, it reflects back to us in the way we live, behave and act. This, in turn, governs and shapes our culture, which is a collection of unvoiced agreements of how to be and act as a part of society. And so it goes that our evolvement as a species is keyed to the culture because it directs the way people assume how they ought to think, feel, be, act, and live – see? Identified with mind and body, ignorant of our True Nature, we derive a false sense of self from outside of ourselves – from what we have, what we do, or who we are connected with – our possessions, our social roles, how others see us, and so on and so forth. To a large degree, this is due to the pressure of “fitting in.” You see, our whole lives we are told who we are by our society and our culture – even as babies we are told who we are by our parents and others we come into contact with.
Most parents project expectations onto their offspring and put pressure on their children. While all this may come with good intentions, it is precisely those good intentions that often lead us astray, which is another way of saying that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” as they say. In other words, good intentions, when acted upon, may have unintended consequences. You see, what we learn as children about who we are, or who we are supposed to be – greatly influences how we see ourselves as adults. And so it goes that as we go through life, we may feel the pressure of fulfilling those expectations. Taking into consideration that most of these projections are parents’ own unfulfilled expectations for life, it would be beneficial to learn to identify where the influences are coming from and ask oneself: why it was in these people’s interest to place these expectations on me, and then let them go. It is saddening that some people want their children to be carbon copies of themselves – or do you beg to differ?
Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, and their passion a quotation. ~ Oscar Wilde
Furthermore, as we grow, our parents pass onto us significant beliefs about the world and whether or not we should be wary of it or embraced by it. And so it goes that we are shaped without knowing and conditioned without choosing. Out of all this, we accumulate a fixed perception of the world, that is, a worldview or philosophy of life. Everyone has a worldview that is mostly unconscious – it is a perspective that we have about the things around us. In other words, it is what we believe to be true, or more specifically, what we believe is possible. And so it goes that most of us have a worldview that is arrived at unconsciously – a lens of unquestioned beliefs, through which we view everything. This lens will shape our understanding of who we are and where we came from, how we decide what is good or bad, acceptable or unacceptable, and our concept of perfection and imperfection.
By virtue of the aforementioned with regard to the lens through which we perceive the world and ourselves, it is paramount to highlight the following consequence: as a result, we begin to formulate a belief that we are only these limited physical bodies and mind. This belief begins to ingrain in us the idea that we are nothing but a product of an amoral, evolutionary process – an accident, if you will – insignificant creatures in a vast cosmos; and because of this, we live in constant fear that the limited self we have identified with – will die, cease to exist, and return to nothing. In part, this is the result of scientific materialism – a view that physical reality is the only reality there is; that all things are composed of material, and all phenomena (including consciousness) are the result of material interactions; that the brain creates consciousness and that consciousness cannot survive without the brain; that the death of the brain is the death of the individual and the death of consciousness.
Because this view has spread its roots deep into our collective worldview and belief system, or short, consensus reality, we humans have developed a false sense of self which is dependent on the materialist paradigm – see? Although bringing innumerable benefits to our world, the materialist paradigm has created unprecedented challenges that threaten the continued existence of humankind and the biosphere. This ethos disregards the perils of our present interference with the intricate web of relationships upon which life on Earth depends, which goes a long way to demonstrating how deep our willful blindness and ignorance of the obvious really goes. We are an integral part of this great web of life, and hence it is obvious that we cannot survive without respecting all aspects of it. If we destroy our habitat, whether inadvertently or deliberately by continuing on our present path – we may risk destroying ourselves.
From the aforementioned, it becomes not only clear but self-evident that our sense of self is learned, experienced and defined by the mirror that others reflect back to us and by our own projections onto others. Because our sense of self is learned, we are steeped in a particular perception of ourselves from the moment we are born. Not only is our perception of self skewed, but also our perception of reality, as well; not only is our individual perception of reality biased, but also our collective perception, as well. This we can call ‘the human condition.’ It has colored our perception of reality and molded our beliefs and values to what they are today in ways most of us don’t realize. You see, the disconnection from our true spiritual nature has distorted our perception; everything has been turned upside-down – morally, ethically, spiritually, and logically: the truth has become lies and lies have become truth; light has become darkness and darkness has become light; good has become evil and evil has become good; justice has become injustice and goodness has become wicked.
In a way, the human condition, from which the false sense of self originates and springs – is a collective story, an unstructured narrative we buy into and believe in. This collective condition, or story, if you will – has shaped not only the individuals themselves, but also our culture. You see, stories are the foundation of our lives and character, and because our lives are influenced by the stories we tell, they have the power to create our reality. This is why the stories we tell ourselves can make or break our future. Without awareness, we give our personal power to the story, and in so doing, the story writes itself. But with awareness, we recover the control of our story, and in so doing, we can choose what stories we believe, and in turn we can change the old story to better fit our needs and values.
Unfortunately, the stories we live by today largely come packaged not as spiritual or communal quests but as aspirations for material gain, which results in that we always seem to be wanting more. No matter how much stuff we have, we always seem to want even more. The Western “culture” believes the capitalist idea that the more is better; that to have and own more is somehow better. And so it goes that the master narrative of the modern world is the story of the capitalist market economy, a powerful but deeply problematic story. As a consequence, we live in a culture that is materially rich but spiritually poor, which is another way of saying that we are experiencing the poverty of the Spirit. And so you see, we live in a society that has lost its heart – saddening truth, isn’t it?
Against this backdrop, we can see that we seem to regard material things as paramount to life, and hence we forget that there are far more important and meaningful aspects like knowledge and wisdom; we also seem to forget that our lives are far too valuable to waste chasing possessions. In our hubris, we have lost our perspective about what is good and wholesome; blinded by the false sense of self, we are driven by the cravings of various sorts, and so it goes that we want more money, more wealth, more status, more power, more influence, more excitement, more love, and basically more of everything. Here we should ask ourselves: Why are so many of us driven to accumulate more of everything, without any evidence that they provide us with contentment and fulfillment? We can only arrive at one conclusion: this endless craving of material possessions is our desperate way of trying to alleviate our spiritual thirst for deeper fulfillment, with severe consequences.
We live in a consumer-driven society that tries to tell us that money does buy happiness – “the more we buy, the happier we will be,” goes the slogan. In a society where the prevailing worldview is materialistic, values are created by advertisements, which results in that actors, musicians and other “famous” people are followed as though they were gurus, nearly worshipped as modern day avatars or gods. This has a direct effect on the self-image of a consumerist – it is rooted solely in physical appearance, social status and material success. It is this idealized and artificial lifestyle that is then pursued as the principle means to achieving life satisfaction, happiness and contentment or the so-called “good life.” All of the consumerist’s creative and intellectual energy is redirected towards a goal – which is, in essence – an illusion created largely by the commercial interests of corporate and the entertainment industry.
Extra Material:Video: Society, A Perpetual Cycle [Alan Watts]. Video description: "Alan Watts talks about how our society conditions children to live with a constant frustration and worry about the future, and never learn how to live in the present."
