~ ∞ ~ Success Life Quotes - Infinite Quantum Zen ~ ∞ ~
Create a life that feels good on the inside, not one that just looks good on the outside.
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If one sees the universe as a medium through which information is communicated, shared and exchanged, they can also picture the universe as one enormously big, gigantic cell containing all the information life needs to expand, develop and unfold. What makes it remarkable is that this type of information coded in the fabric of the universe by entropy is a magnificent feat, isn’t it? If one sees the universe as a gigantic process of becoming, of attaining new levels of existence and organization, continually transforming work of art by the master artist, they can easily picture the following: the very fabric of the universe being a canvas of a non-material vibrating energy in which frequency, vibration, consciousness, and awareness express themselves creatively. You see, it is the very nature of life to intelligently seek to expand, develop and unfold — often in surprising and novel ways. Wouldn’t this then suggest that there is a Greater Intelligence at work here? You see, using entropy as a tool to achieve something like the universe we find ourselves in — is nothing short of spectacular, or do you beg to differ?
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Be happy not because everything is good, but because you can see the good in everything.
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One of the most glaring examples of the intersection of the worlds of the Quantum and Zen is to be found in the principle of wave-particle duality, which holds that elementary particles can exhibit the characteristics of both particles and waves, yet can be wholly reduced to neither. Quantum Mechanics recognizes the duality of matter by showing that nature on the smallest subatomic level behaves as both a particle and a wave. A photon, for example, can be a particle, or it can be a wave — or it can be both at the same time. Thus, one can say that Quantum Mechanics reveals the basic unity of the universe. You see, in Quantum Mechanics, subatomic particles exist in probability waves, and are only defined when something conscious observes them — otherwise they are everywhere and nowhere. And here we can find an amazing parallel: in the Zen way of thinking, opposites can exist simultaneously; contradictory things can exist at the same time.
~ ∞ ~ 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?
~ ∞ ~ Success Life Quotes - Infinite Quantum Zen ~ ∞ ~
We must accept the end of something in order to begin building something new.
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In Zen, we find all the philosophy of the East in crystallized form — nevertheless, Zen is not a philosophy in the ordinary sense of the term; Zen is not founded upon logic and intellectual analysis — instead of concepts, Zen deals with living facts of life, which goes on to say that whatever teachings there are in Zen, they come out in one’s own mind. In other words, we teach ourselves — Zen merely points the way, you see? This means that in Zen, there is really nothing that could be taught to a student — every person must discover Zen within oneself. Zen ultimately is, and remains a path that one should follow with a joyous and loving heart, and hence each individual decides how far and how fast they want to progress. That said, it should kept in mind that you alone are your own best master, and thus you should listen to yourself and your inner voice — it alone will lead you to success.
~ ∞ ~ Awaken the Living Awareness Within - Success Life Quotes - Infinite Quantum Zen ~ ∞ ~
The only failure is giving up (Inspiration Vibration).
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And of course this discussion would not be complete without acknowledging those who like to argue that Life’s Intelligence is way beyond our mind’s comprehension. The irony here is that with such an argument we are shooting ourselves in the foot, so to speak. Meaning that we are contradicting ourselves and even outright downplaying our own intelligence. There is some truth to that argument, yes, but at the same time we should acknowledge that there are many more levels to our comprehension — levels that we can currently only dream of; such levels of comprehension we as the collective human species have yet to discover and explore. In the first approach — the one that deals with the superiority complex, we are looking ourselves as being something more than; in contrast, with the second approach, we are looking ourselves as being something less than. Neither one will get us any closer to the Truth, but if we start to see ourselves in a new light — as equals with everything else, then the key fits into the lock — see?
~ ∞ ~ Awaken the Living Awareness Within - Success Life Quotes - Infinite Quantum Zen ~ ∞ ~
Strong people don't put others down, they lift them up.
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As it turns out, the probability of life existing at all has been calculated many times over. It has been said that the odds against the existence of life on Earth are on the order of 10^10^123. That’s so massively unlikely it’s almost impossible to fathom. In other words, the fine-tuning odds are so infinitesimal that fine-tuning cannot be passed off as a mere coincidence, and thus one cannot but arrive at the conclusion that the existence of intelligent life in the universe is so incredibly rare that one should consider that it only happened once, which means that the “accidental” or “coincidental” creation of our universe is an impossibility. And when these two rare occurrences — the creation of our fine-tuned universe and intelligent life in it, happened to happen together makes it clear that the universe we find ourselves in has a purpose — to facilitate intelligent life, which makes it a purposeful universe, doesn’t it?
~ ∞ ~ Awaken the Living Awareness Within - Success Life Quotes - Infinite Quantum Zen ~ ∞ ~
Simplicity Is The Key To Brilliance (Inspiration Vibration).
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To stretch this even further, it can be said that the individuated experience of life could very well be seen as a form of simulacra, in which the existence simulates the possibility of limitation, separation, and ultimately, its crescendo — that of death, where the individuated, finite expression of life is revealed to be part of a larger whole, to be part of the continuity that transcends all concepts and definitions. In this type of simulation, everything would appear to be separate things, but in the very core, would be interconnected expressions of the one and the same consciousness — being the by-product of its own awareness of itself. Thus, everything one would perceive in their subjective reality would be an extension of the One Unity, One Divinity — in its many emanations and expressions — a mirror of sorts, you see? The ancient wisdom traditions in all corners of the Earth have also taught that the world is like a mirror — an extension of ourselves, reflecting everything that is happening on a higher realm or on the deeper levels of reality, you see?
~ ∞ ~ Awaken the Living Awareness Within - Success Life Quotes - Infinite Quantum Zen ~ ∞ ~
Simplicity - The Trademark of Genius.
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As obvious as the crisis of sustainability, so is the case with the current system we have in place. Indeed, there is no doubt about it, the current system we have in place is in full decay — it is on its last legs, simply because it depends heavily on finite resources, and hence it would be an understatement to say that infinite economic growth on a finite Earth is the epitome of unsustainability. As a consequence, a centuries old modern industrial world is coming to an end and a new world is being born. An optimist would say that this may be a blessing in disguise, for we can see that a new world is being born from the ashes of the old. Another way to look at this is to say that the world itself will change as the people on Earth themselves change. There are changes taking place at all levels of society in the world, are there not? Indeed, there are changes happening from education, to medical advancements, to political changes, to weather alterations, to religious and spiritual understandings, to the philosophies, to the theologies, to the social status of individuals, to the supply and demand of goods and services — all are changing.
~ ∞ ~ 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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Live Life Like Someone Left The Gate Open (Inspiration Vibration).
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Let us conclude this chapter with the following thoughts. As we go through this process of transformation, one of the first things we come across on our journey is a new paradigm, which is followed by a new worldview. As indicated earlier, with this transformation comes a new paradigm that will lead us in a direction to discover more sustainable ways of living. The emergence of this new paradigm at this critical juncture in human history is highly significant. You see, this process will inevitably lead us to a completely different kind of worldview — a view where the perspective is shifted from the parts to the whole, while also acknowledging the individual parts as an integral part of the whole. We can already see that a new kind of worldview has slowly begun to emerge — a view that turns out to be closely related to the views of mystics of all ages and traditions. This kind of view can be called a holistic approach — seeing the world as an integrated whole.
~ ∞ ~ Awaken the Living Awareness Within - Success Life Quotes - Infinite Quantum Zen ~ ∞ ~
Now Is Where Love Breathes - Rumi (Inspiration Vibration)
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This is particularly interesting when one considers the fact that in the modern era of laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other gadgets and gizmos of various kinds, the interconnected nature of life has become ever more apparent. And yet, in spite of this, we behave as if we are separate from everything else. Isn’t that precisely the epitome of selfishness, the paradox of individualism? As a result, we tend to think in terms of opposites and polarities, which goes on to say that collectively, we are running old dualistic programs that are based on linear stories of the past, present, and future; either-or choices; 1 or 0; true versus false; you versus me.
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Gratitude is the single most important ingredient to living a successful and fulfilled life.
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From the previous, it becomes clear that philosophy, science, and medicine have done their very best in their combined efforts to peel the layers of the fruit of life. As a result, we are left with a dispirited world, which make us believe in an unliving world. There is not only irony and paradox here, but also an astonishing dichotomy. You see, scientists talk about the natural world, and yet they base all their claims and evidence on a pathological model of the universe. We have been presented with a view of the world based on a gigantic mechanism composed of “dead matter,” in which lifeless universal mechanism had already been grinding along and running down several billion years since its Big Bang. As in any good story, exciting things happen, and so it does here. You see, science is a story, a narrative, and as its offshoot, the Big Bang theory — is also a story. And so it goes that somewhere along the way, some of its non-living matter was accidentally converted into living matter, out of which life is supposed to have arisen. And so it goes that...
~ ∞ ~ 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."
~ ∞ ~ Success Life Quotes - Infinite Quantum Zen ~ ∞ ~
The goal of meditation isn't to control your thoughts, it's to stop letting them control you.
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There is much we can learn from the Eastern view. For instance, the division of nature into separate objects is not fundamental, and therefore all objects have a fluid and ever-changing nature. In other words, all things and events perceived by the senses are interrelated, connected, and are therefore different aspects or manifestations of the same Ultimate Reality. Furthermore, Eastern mysticism emphasizes the basic unity of the universe, which is the central feature of their teachings. In turn, the highest aim is to become aware of this unity and underlying mutual interrelation and interdependence of all things; to transcend the notion of an isolated individual self, and to identify with the Ultimate Reality.
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You Will Not Find Harmony In The Universe Until You Have Established Harmony Within Yourself.
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Apart from the aforementioned, it would help tremendously if the politicization of science would be dismantled altogether as well. You see, the relationship between science and politics has been well established, becoming increasingly apparent in recent years, having extended into nearly every scientific field. It follows, then, that these influences in combination with ignorance and hubris are having a major impact on our lives in so many different ways on so many different levels. Our view of the world profoundly impacts how we live and interact with the world and with each other — it is essential, then, that the scientific knowledge that shapes and limits the contours of our social reality should be expanded to include non-measurable phenomena — such as values, meaning, purposes, and feelings — in other words, subjective inner experiences of the individuals, or short — consciousness and awareness — see?