Infinite Quantum Zen

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~ ∞ ~ The Mystery of Consciousness 1/2 - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

In this section, we dive deeper into the topic of consciousness and its relation to awareness (which has its own dedicated section following this one). A good way to start would be to say that as we begin to shed the layers of the human condition that blinds our perception of our Infinite Being, we come across the idea of consciousness. It is something that underlies everything we know and everything we do, it is present in our daily life, and yet we know so little about it.

And so it can be said that consciousness is one of the biggest mysteries there is. Indeed, if one takes a moment to investigate, one arrives at the conclusion that consciousness has been one of the most profound mysteries of our existence from the very beginning. We talk about it all the time, and we know about it through our experiences – and yet, nobody agrees on what consciousness is – be it science, philosophy, mysticism, or religion; there are as many answers as there are people, you see?

In the previous sections, through many chapters, we have already discussed a fair amount about this topic. As such, the purpose of this section is to crystallize some of the main aspects of it, and pose questions more than give answers. Among some of the deep questions we ask in this section are: What is consciousness? Is it dependent on, independent of, or interdependent with physical reality?

Why do non-Western wisdom traditions and Western scientific perspectives disagree so completely in their ideas about it? Do animals have consciousness? Do plants? What do experiences such as dreams, intuition, creativity, spiritual and near-death events tell us about the malleability and the range of consciousness, its elusiveness and transcendental nature? How does one study consciousness? How does one better understand consciousness?

When we ask the question: What is consciousness, we arrive at the conclusion that there is no definitive, all-encompassing definition or description about consciousness, although the emerging field of consciousness studies seeks to arrive at one.

One such definition, favored by Western science, relies on materialist theories which argue that consciousness is constituted by the physiological structure of the brain, and hence it can be reduced to its neural activity, or that it is an emergent product of complex neural networks. Mainstream scientists like to say, argue – and even insist, that the brain creates consciousness and that consciousness cannot survive without the brain.

But if one looks deeper, utilizing the very tools provided by the science itself, namely Quantum Mechanics, it is 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. What an astonishing dichotomy, isn’t it? By contrast, non-Western traditions see consciousness as ontologically primary to physical matter, an idea that underlies most of the world’s wisdom traditions, including Zen, Taoism, Buddhism, Vedanta, and Yoga.

From the previous, we can see that the idea of consciousness has been used in many ways throughout the history of humanity. The Western approach with its materialist ideas, definitions and descriptions being the youngest, and hence the most partial and incomplete. Considering how far we have come as a species, with all the discoveries in science, engineering and technology – including astronomy, biology, chemistry, medicine, psychology, sociology, and philosophy, among many other fields, it is simply astonishing how little we have discovered about consciousness.

Although we don’t understand what consciousness is, we have some thoughts on what it might be, and hence there are a plethora of theories and hypothesis around it. Interestingly, none of these theories really answers to the primary question of what consciousness is, but rather, most, if not all, focus explaining what consciousness does.

Consciousness is generally described to be a state or quality of awareness; besides being an aspect or quality of awareness, sometimes it has been defined also as qualia, sentience, subjectivity, or the ability to experience or to feel. Other descriptions of consciousness include wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind; some go even so far as to say that consciousness is the same as life; ancient wisdom traditions all over the world has called it simply Spirit.

All the above-mentioned descriptions mean that consciousness in human form is something that conceives, governs, constructs, and eventually becomes the activity of the body. When we investigate consciousness more deeply by utilizing our innate ability of being aware of our own consciousness, we can find that consciousness is also something bigger than us – something much more than just the quality of our awareness, and the ability of being aware of our individuated self.

Isn’t it intriguing that everyone seems to have their opinions about consciousness, but so little true understanding about it; isn’t it intriguing that we sure do like to speculate, but we put very little, if any, effort in understanding consciousness better. It goes without saying that understanding both consciousness and awareness – defining characteristics of sentience, should be our primary goal above all else, or at the very least, considered as being of great importance as they are playing a key role in determining the course of human happiness and suffering.

These varying opinions about consciousness comes from the individual perspective of one’s own subjective experience of life, and yet we have no agreement on what consciousness truly and really is. As such, it can be said that understanding consciousness appears to be more difficult than anything we have ever encountered to this day.

The biggest problems in answering the many questions about consciousness, its nature and its extent arises out of the fact that humans have always started their explorations from the external world, rather than within the inner world, you see?

One of these problems is deeply rooted in the way in which we acquire information – the importance is often placed on the mind and the linear, rational, and logical thinking; this type of information gathering and processing is valued over the heart-based wisdom (science vs. intuition). 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.

This brings us face to face with the difficulty on studying consciousness – our modern contemporary methods of studying consciousness are linear, whereas consciousness is very much a non-linear phenomenon. Also the modern science has its very own core problems (assumptions of and about the world) in their scientific methods – the biggest being the way of seeing the world: as if everything would be separate from ourselves.

As such, understanding the nature of consciousness is one of the grand outstanding scientific challenges. The fundamental methodological problem is how phenomenal first person experience can be accounted for in a third person verifiable form, while the conceptual challenge is to both define its function and physical realization.

Consciousness is something that cannot be observed in the way that material objects can – it cannot be weighed, measured, or otherwise pinned down. From this, it becomes clear that science can only go so far – or at least the science we know today, which means that the only viable way to study consciousness is through direct experience, exploring and sharing these experiences by discussing about them, and in so doing learning about them – see?

Many ancient wisdom traditions explore consciousness through direct experience, which is achieved through contemplative practices such as Qi-gong, Zen meditation, and Yoga; these practices teach the practitioner to achieve a state of mental quiescence or stillness in order to comprehend reality in its non-physical manifestations, and in so doing, achieve a state of unity with the ultimate ground of being.

There are three classical paths that lead towards being more aware, towards higher consciousness, towards better understanding of consciousness: meditation, concentration, and contemplation. Even though each path is different, each of them can help one to better understand consciousness; when followed and practiced consistently, they all lead to the same final goal or destination – absorption of Self into the Ultimate Reality.

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony

[ Click » here « to read the next part: The Mystery of Consciousness 2/2 ]

Change is the only constant - alan watts the book of zen meditation, the key to happiness joy harmony

~ ∞ ~ Change Is the Only Constant - Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

If there’s anything certain in this world, it is the truth that everything in life is fleeting and impermanent; everything changes and nothing ever stays the same. Everything is in a constant flux of change, which goes on to say that pleasurable conditions, favorable circumstances, our relationships with those we hold dear, and even our health and well-being – any sense of comfort and security we derive from these things is continually threatened by life’s flux and uncertainty; and ultimately, by death – the most profound change of all.

If there’s something absolute, it is the truth that there’s nothing absolute in the world, which means that everything is relative, conditioned and impermanent. Thus, is it not, indeed so, what has been said long ago, in the Bible (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8), and is it not, indeed so, that it holds true even today – that there is a time for everything?

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

The undeniable truth of the material world is the truth of change or impermanence; the world changes all the time, and the more we try to hold onto the good times – the more we suffer; the same is the case for the bad times as well – the more we fight against, resist and reject – the more we suffer.

People’s ignorance over the nature of change is the ultimate cause of suffering. We desire to hold on to what we value, and we suffer when life’s inevitable process of change separates us from those things.

Even though we like to hold on to things, to own and possess as many things as possible – the inevitable truth is that nothing is ours to keep, which goes on to say that when the time comes for us to leave this physical world, we take nothing with us; we leave everything behind us, including our own bodies. The more we learn to accept and embrace this truth, the more peace we will feel in our hearts, and the easier it will become for us to deal with life’s many changes and challenges.

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony

[ Click » here « to read the next part: The Mystery of Consciousness ]

~ ∞ ~ The Fear of Annihilation (Non-Existence) ~ ∞ ~

So now, then, if we consider the idea of non-existence, we would find that by definition, non-existence doesn’t exist, and therefore existence cannot become non-existence. In other words, that which exists cannot become that which does not exist – simply because there is no such thing as non-existence in existence.

Of course we can talk about it and think that we are talking about non-existence, but in all actuality, we are not, for you see, the very term ‘non-existence’ exists within existence, and hence ‘non-existence’ in all of its essence is made out of existence itself. Furthermore, existence has only one quality – to exist; that is its fundamental state, you see?

Because we as individuals are an aspect, a reflection of existence – therefore it is our fundamental state as well. We exist, because we do, and we are here, because we exist. Even though this may seem profoundly simple, for most people – it isn’t.

Now, let us explore this in the context of science in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration, shall we? One doesn’t have to look very far to see that what we call life is the combination of ever-changing physical and mental energies; and that energy is eternal – meaning that we are infinite on a quantum scale, are we not?

According to Quantum Physics, everything already exists in a ‘pre-extant’ state, or simply in ‘pre-existence,’ out of which everything comes into manifestation through form (pattern, order, quality) into substance (matter, structure, quantity) when that something is being observed.

When we combine this with the mass–energy equivalence, or simply E=mc2 equation (which states that energy equals matter, thus being interchangeable; mass=energy and energy=mass), it gets pretty interesting. You see, Einstein’s law of conservation dictates that Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

Now, what does that mean? Well, you do the math. Considering that Light is the Origin – the Source of everything that comes into being, the Source of everything we term as “real, concrete, tangible, material, physical.” Considering that Light is Energy, and matter is densified Light Energy.

Considering that just in the same way as water, steam, and ice are all the same one thing, same substance vibrating at different frequencies, so in the same way matter and energy are the same substance vibrating at different frequencies. Considering that all “things” are essentially the same one thing – vibrating at different rates or frequency. Considering that reality is not composed of discrete building blocks, but rather webs of relationships that are interrelated and interdependent.

Considering all that, and taking into account that most of us believe in the idea of a Soul or Spirit – the formless and timeless part of us that makes us who we are – the essence that is often compared to Light – it does add up, doesn’t it? That everything is made up of Light, of photons in different arrangement, of energy, of consciousness, of awareness. So now, then, what does that say about us human beings? Well, you do the math.

What’s fascinating about this is that if we break down matter over and over, we end up with octaves of light energy that breaks down into octaves of consciousness, which goes on to say that ultimately the light in every reality membrane is consciousness. In other words, all things are Spirit vibrating at different frequencies. Matter is therefore solidified energy; Spiritual energy vibrating at a slower frequency.

This means that our bodies are solidified Spirit, crystallized Spirit, you see? Considering the fact that physical and mental energies that constitute the so-called being have within themselves the power to take a new form, grow gradually and gather force to the full – does it not, indeed, mean that with the physical death, our energy only transforms, and we disperse back to the universe? Our cells, every fiber of us – from atoms to the tiniest particle; the very essence of us being made of the same composition of the cosmos – goes back to whence it once came.

And now, let us explore this from another perspective. If one can comprehend the aforementioned, then it should not be difficult to comprehend the following either. Just in the same way as the aforementioned physical and mental energies that constitute the so-called being disperse back to whence they once came, so in the same way does our Souls.

Even though the identity that we have constructed during our life might come to an end – it does not mean that the underlying consciousness and its purest form – Living Awareness, our Spiritual Essence would cease to exist. Like a river flowing into the sea, the Soul or Self eventually returns to its Source, becoming one with the Ultimate Truth, leading to the final goal or destination – absorption of Soul or Self into the Ultimate Reality, you see?

As you can imagine, there are many paths to take, and countless ways to tread the path, which brings us to the next aspect of the same. You see, when the physical body is no more capable of functioning – energies and consciousness don’t die with it, but instead, they propagate through various levels of existence, and eventually continue to take some other shape or form that some would call “another life.” One might call this transition from existence to post-existence, “afterlife.”

Upon deeper examination, one finds that every moment we are born and die, but still we continue. Life, therefore, is an unbroken series that continues but changes every moment – this movement is like a flame that burns through the night: it’s not the same flame nor is it another.

This brings us to conclude that both, birth and death – are gateways through which Life passes in and out of time in physical existence, which goes on to say that the difference between death and birth is only a thought-moment: the last thought-moment in this life conditions the first thought-moment in the so-called “next life,” which is the continuity of the same series, you see?

Considering everything that was discussed and brought to light in this chapter, the question remains: Why can’t we see death as a natural part of life – as a continuation and transformation rather than annihilation? After all, in death, we only become more of what we already are as spiritual beings, but on a more deeper level – see?

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony

[ Click » here « to read the next part: Change Is the Only Constant – The Existential Paradox: Part III ]

~ ∞ ~ 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?

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony

[ Click » here « to read the next part: The Fear of Annihilation (Non-Existence) 3/3 – The Existential Paradox: Part II ]

~ ∞ ~ 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?

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony

[ Click » here « to read the next part: The Fear of Annihilation (Non-Existence) 2/3 – The Existential Paradox: Part II ]

The existential paradox - alan watts the book of zen mindfulness awareness meditation

~ ∞ ~ 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?

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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[ Click » here « to read the next part: The Fear of Annihilation 1/3 – The Existential Paradox: Part II ]

When Does A Human Life Begin? All Life Exists in an Interconnected Web

~ ∞ ~ What Is Life? – The Essence of Life ~ ∞ ~

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.

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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Preciousness of human life 2 of 2 - alan watts the book of zen meditation

~ ∞ ~ 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?

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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[ Click » here « to read the next part: When Does a Human Life Begin? – The Preciousness of Human Life: Part II ]

The preciousness of human life 1 of 2 - alan watts the book of zen meditation, the key to happiness and joy

~ ∞ ~ 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.

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

Get the Book: Awaken the Living Awareness Within – Discover the Keys to Happiness, Inner Peace & Harmony

[ Click » here « to read the next part: The Preciousness of Human Life 2/2 ]