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The pinnacle of evolution 2 of 4 - the book alan watts zen meditation awareness key to happiness

~ ∞ ~ Humanity – The Pinnacle of Evolution? 2/4 – The Essence of Life ~ ∞ ~

From this, the question arises: What is it that really sets humans apart from other animals? Is it our ability to reason? To feel emotions? To communicate by language? To care for others? Or is it our free will? And what does having free will even mean? Wouldn’t it mean that we have the choice to stop and think about the consequences of our choices and actions?

We can begin answering these questions with the following: What sets humans apart from other animals is our ability to reason, plan, assign meaning, and cooperate; other than that, it is our mutual understanding and respect between peoples and societies that really sets humans apart from other animals.

This is where the term ‘spiritual’ comes into play. You see, ultimately, it is our spiritual nature that sets us apart and allows us to express ourselves creatively, with feelings and emotions; to do things such as art, music, sculpture, dance, creative writing etc. It is our spiritual nature that finds us asking the ultimate questions: one’s meaning in life, what happens when we die, is there something more than day-to-day existence?

There is a point, a moment we arrive at where the inevitable strikes us with its adamant presence – this is one of those moments. You see, if we are spiritual in nature, then this life is just one phase of existence and not our final destination. By the same token, if this life is only the first phase, then there is a very good reason for living a virtuous life, is there not? So therefore, maybe the real question we should be asking is: Why is it such a struggle to rise above these bodies and their desires to return to one’s spiritual origins?

Well, as pointed out earlier, we are highly evolved, sophisticated social animals, which brings about its own set of challenges and consequences. You see, most people lack both present moment awareness and sentient awareness, which makes it difficult to practice free will. The weakness of will, combined with ignorance is what gets us in trouble.

Now, let me ask you this: If you don’t have control over your thoughts, feelings and actions, then who does? Who’s in control, then? From this, the question becomes: Do you have free will, and furthermore, do we as humans have free will? Although it is widely believed that all humans have free will, it isn’t so straightforward as one might expect. Why is that? Let us explore this further and see if we can find out, shall we?

The question of free will is deeply profound and intriguing; it is one of the oldest and most enduring questions facing humanity, and hence it is of great importance – not only for its ethical implications, but also because our moral values spring directly from the experience of learning how to live and coexist with other people. Our understanding of free will in relation to ethics will influence the way we think about justice, the way we treat and meet other people, and the way we take care of other people in need of help and so on – see?

It is through our free will that we develop spiritually and refine our ethical faculties; and this is where it gets interesting. You see, the experience of free will is closely connected and related to the experience of self-awareness. The truth is that we can only apply free will to that which we are aware of, to that which we have “control” over; only if we are aware of ourselves, and thus of our actions – is it truly possible to experience that which we call free will.

And so you see, the question of whether humans have free will is not so straightforward as one might expect. Why is that? Well, firstly, we have choices from which to choose, but now the question becomes: If someone or something presents you with a set of choices, does it qualify as free will when you make the choice from the predetermined selection?

Secondly, having ownership over one’s life, health and well-being adds a level of responsibility and accountability that can be hard to get accustomed to. This is why most people prefer to live their lives in ‘autopilot’ mode, or just simply in a voluntary unconscious state. Thirdly, free will only apply to those who truly have it – not all people have the same will. In this sense, free will is a privilege – see?

So this being the case, we should ask ourselves: If most people live their lives in ‘autopilot’ mode, based on the contents and programs that are stored within their subconscious minds, how many conscious choices have they really made throughout their lives? Have they utilized their free will, and if so, to what extent? To what extent then can it properly be said that we have free will?

Keeping all that in mind, it is an understatement to say that there’s a certain irony in that we are searching for the signs of intelligent life in the universe, even though we cannot even recognize other forms of intelligent life here on Earth, let alone recognize and acknowledge the unity of humanity – there’s a huge dichotomy here – don’t you think?

The irony becomes even stronger and more apparent when we consider the fact that we cannot even coexist with other life here on Earth. You see, the irony is that we as human beings are evolved enough to realize that we have a deeper understanding of consciousness than other creatures we recognize, and yet we are not smart enough to realize that we are destroying the very conditions on Earth that make life possible for us.

However, upon deeper examination, it can be seen that maybe we do, indeed, realize that we are destroying our environment; but then it makes the situation even worse, does it not? In our hubris, we have lost our perspective about what is good and wholesome. Driven by the primal fear of death and survival, we are increasingly encroaching on other species and their habitats like savages; no matter how far we have evolved – this seems to be the defining theme that lives on.

From this, the question arises: Is that what intelligent sentient species really do? At this point, some might ask: What is wrong with us humans? Why is human history an endless saga of warfare, conflict, oppression, exploitation, domination and misery?

Well, usually this inherent part of humanity is explained away by our physical animal heritage. When we really think about it, we can realize that for thousands of years we have used it as an excuse to do nothing, to make no progress at all; we have used it as a convenient scapegoat when necessary. Therefore, our divisive behavior which make us fight and compete for food, shelter, territory and a mate – is justified by our savage animal instincts.

Unfortunately, in a similar way, many also turn a blind eye to the aforementioned oppression, exploitation and so on. This is where we go off the rails – big time. You see, all too often we just stand by and watch as these things happen – doing nothing, saying nothing. It is no wonder, then, that history repeats itself, would you agree?

It is our passiveness and ignorance that keeps us segregated, under the rule and influence of others, which in turn makes us frustrated. Our frustration turns to anger, and anger turns to fear that expresses itself as rage, which eventually turns against us. More to the point: every time we try to explain away our destructive, divisive behavior – what we are actually doing is that we are trying to escape the responsibility of our actions.

To be truthfully honest, when we are capable of explaining our actions with excuses – it tells us that we are well aware of what we are doing; justifying our actions with excuses is always a conscious choice – or do you beg to differ? However, as we continue to take a deeper look at ourselves as humans, we can see that we are far off from being truly conscious, rendering our so called free will questionable.

But even more to the point is the fact that we as humans are not acting divisively only because of our animal instincts, habits and behavioral patterns, but also because we choose to do so. This leads us to conclude that humans as we know humans – are like this; the truth is – no matter how difficult it is to bear: underlying all of our marvellous accomplishments in every field imaginable, we humans have also been the most ferocious and malicious beings to have ever lived on Earth.

Just like an animal going in circles and chasing its tail, so do humans – repeating their mistakes. For only through pain, seemingly, do humans grow. Through mistake, or suffering, or difficulty, they seem to realize the error of their ways. It is not to say they cannot learn in a pleasurable and comfortable atmosphere, for they can! But humans as we know humans, cannot believe the obvious, they cannot hear the truth, and they will not do what is good for them – this is why humans learn by their mistakes – see?

___
~ 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: Humanity – The Pinnacle of Evolution? 3/4 – The Essence of Life: Part III ]

Extra Material: Video: Society, A Perpetual Cycle [Alan Watts]. Video description: "Alan Watts talks about how our society conditions children to live with a constant frustration and worry about the future, and never learn how to live in the present."

The pinnacle of evolution 1 of 4 - the book alan watts zen meditation awareness key to joy sutra

~ ∞ ~ Humanity – The Pinnacle of Evolution? 1/4 – The Essence of Life ~ ∞ ~

In the following few chapters, we will take a deep dive into humans as we know humans; each of these chapters build upon each other, gradually adding new layers of depth and complexity to the whole, which in turn gives room for more context to emerge to support the wholeness – and so does the bigger picture emerge, a story of humans as we know humans; their challenges, weaknesses and shortcomings, but also their strengths and opportunities.

In this regard, it can be said to be an unapologetic exploration of the human species, which is struggling with the human condition and all the difficulties and challenges it brings. As such, it goes without saying that if we are to understand why we humans are the way we are, it is essential to investigate the mindset we have developed over time.

Furthermore, if one is to transcend self-imposed limitations, it is paramount to understand from where these limitations originate and what weighs us down. There’s one thing left to say before we dive in – brace yourself because it’s going to be a wild ride from here on out. As they say, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. So, here we go.

Humanity perceives itself to be the most advanced species on Earth, and quite possibly in the whole universe – the pinnacle of evolution, superior to any other life form. Thus, we humans like to believe that we are ‘uniquely unique,’ the most sophisticated creation in all existence – we are, after all, as far as we know, the only intelligent, sentient bipedal species known to exist in this universe; and yet, we are at war with other fellow human beings – quite a dichotomy, don’t you think?

Taking that into account, some would say that humans as we know humans today, are the antithesis of what is meant by “intelligent, sentient being” in its deepest sense – for you see, the activities of such beings certainly would not include causing pain to others with no other object than causing pain.

According to this “superiorist” view, humans have somehow transcended evolution and raised themselves above the survival of the fittest – becoming quite simply, the fittest; and yet, in all actuality, every species alive today is at the pinnacle of the evolutionary process – those that are not, just simply no longer exist.

Granted, maybe we are most evolved to live in suburban areas, but that doesn’t by any means make us the “be-all-end-all” pinnacle of evolution. You see, all species evolve to sustain their determined placement in nature, which means that we humans are not more evolved for ocean life than the great whites, and no more evolved for jungle life than tigers.

In other words, if you drop us into the middle of the ocean, we quickly see that we’re not even close to the pinnacle of evolution for that area – even shrimp are more evolved than we in that situation.

By virtue of the aforementioned with regard to humans as the pinnacle of evolution, it is worth highlighting something that is both paramount and funny at the same time. You see, we humans are ingenious in ways we make something to match our needs or fit our worldview.

In this regard, it’s funny how this works: first we announced that everything on Earth could be separated into two groups – the animate and inanimate; then not only did we place ourselves in the first group, we further insisted on measuring all other life forms on Earth against ourselves. In this respect, we treat ourselves as the “masters of the universe,” making the rules as we go – bending them as we see fit. Convenient, isn’t it?

And now for the paramount part of it: when we compare ourselves to other species in terms of evolution, it is simply preposterous to assume that totally and utterly different species could somehow be compared in the same fashion. The comparison is simply impossible because eventually it all boils down to perspective – life is a spectrum, not something where we can fit different species into strict categories.

And so you see, with different measurement criteria – ants, bats, octopi, dolphins, or even bacteria could very well be seen as the “be-all-end-all” pinnacle of evolution. To put things in perspective, perhaps we would do well to remember that bacteria predate us by billions of years, and are highly likely to outlive our species by billions more.

As for curiosity, humans consists of more microbial cells than human cells, and their genes form an integrated part of whom we are, which is another way of saying that we are more bacteria than we are anything else. This once again brings about the question: Who, and what are we, really?

We are human beings, yes, but what does that really mean? Normally, one might take this to mean that at least on a biological level, we are defined by our own genome. But living in and on the human body is an ecosystem of microorganisms that outnumber our own cells by at least a factor of ten.

As we continue our discussion, it is good to remember that biology defines human beings as animals – the reason for mentioning it should become apparent later. As indicated earlier, we humans like to believe that we are ‘uniquely unique,’ and this is why we think very highly of ourselves. As the only mammal endowed with the gifts of speech and reason, we should be grateful for these gifts and use them wisely.

In the following few paragraphs, these aspects are discussed with respect to how they may impact one’s awareness of themselves. Let us start with language, speech and communication since there are a couple of things worth mentioning in this regard.

Before we move further along, it is paramount to highlight the following: the human ability to speak, reason, and form complex social relations make us unique among species, but in no shape or form does it make us the “be-all-end-all” pinnacle of evolution. Humans have their unique qualities, yes, but so do flowers, animals, trees, insects and so on. Our uniqueness intertwines with everything else’s uniqueness, which is another way of saying that our uniqueness is a relative concept which depends entirely on the observer’s frame of reference.

On that note, complex communication is one of our defining features – yet all too often we dismiss the fact that every species communicates – even single-celled organisms have the ability to communicate; what’s noteworthy is that this communication doesn’t have to be in the form of the spoken word – it could be done through actions, gesticulations, chemicals, sounds, or even dances, you see? This goes on to say that spoken language is our preferred way of communication.

In this sense, there is nothing special about spoken language. You see, speech is the production of sounds that make up words and sentences; communication is the transfer of information (thoughts, ideas, and feelings); language is the method of communication. It’s not to say that spoken language is not a wonderful tool, for it is, it’s just that this form of communication is more often than not, inefficient – precisely because of its complexity – see?

Now, some might want to argue that language has given us a major advantage over other species. Yet, we still don’t know when and how we began using language. Surely, language has given us a way to wonder, ponder and speculate, but the question is: Has it benefited us in any way, and if so, how has it benefited us?

Granted, the creation of language has given us the ability to communicate and express ourselves, but at the same time it has enabled us to conceal not only our true thoughts, opinions and intentions, but also our deepest feelings and emotions, as well. Language is our prime means of communication, and yet the most outstanding characteristic of this communication is that it always falls short of what it aims for. And so you see, it is against this backdrop that we can see the paradox of language: it is futile and yet vital.

Furthermore, in spoken language, much of the meaning is determined by the context; similarly, spoken language tends to convey subjective information, which is problematic in more ways than one. You see, in actuality, language can only convey an idea of what something appears to be, for you see, language cannot ever describe it fully; this, of course, makes spoken language inefficient.

Even though language is a process of free creation – its laws and principles are fixed, and also the interpretation of words are infinitely varied, which only further adds to the inefficiency. More broadly, because language cannot ever describe the true essence of our existence and our experience of it, we are forced to use sounds, signs and symbols in an effort to re-connect with the Life-force that runs through everything.

So in this sense, there’s a certain irony in that we have to use words to explain why language is a limited form of communication. In conclusion, the specialness of language is as much relative as our uniqueness. This brings us to an important point: we should not make the mistake of thinking that we are above other creatures, but sadly we do; and for this very reason, we are more dangerous than any other species.

As such, we place much more importance on ourselves than we do anything else; this is where our pride gets in the way – that is, we consider ourselves to be the masters of the Earth, and to have the ability to adapt our environment to our desires instead of having to adapt to it; and because of this, we abuse and exploit it. In truth – as mentioned so many times before, we are not separate from the Earth – we are interconnected with it and everything on it.

Although some humans consider themselves as spiritual beings – physically, we are still animals, with all the same attributes as any other animal. Unless we accept this truth about ourselves, we will lack self-knowledge of the most basic sort, as we come to learn later. We may be sophisticated social animals, but animals nonetheless.

As such, we have animalistic drives that press for biological survival and sensory pleasure within persons. These include bodily drives such as hunger, thirst, and sleep, but also primal urges such as fear and sex; it is our main primal instinct to spread our seed and reproduce. If you look at any other animal, their whole life purpose is pretty much just to reproduce and multiply. This applies to humans as well, you see, we cannot deny this natural instinct which explains why we think about it so much.

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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: Humanity – The Pinnacle of Evolution? 2/4 – The Essence of Life: Part III ]

Human Species with collective amnesia - the book alan watts zen meditation consciousness key to happiness

~ ∞ ~ A Species with Collective Amnesia (Human Condition) – The Essence of Life ~ ∞ ~

Let us continue, shall we? If we take into consideration everything we discussed in the previous chapter – is it any wonder that the whole of humanity is suffering from a collective condition, better known as ‘the human condition’ – inherent and innate to all human beings?

Traditionally this condition is being described as the unalterable part of humanity, not dependent on factors such as gender, race, culture or class; it includes concerns such as the meaning of life, the search for gratification, the sense of curiosity, and last but certainly not the least, an awareness regarding the inescapability of death – you see, of all living things, only humans suffer an awareness of their own mortality, which is the source of a great deal of emotional stress and pain.

To better understand the profoundness of this condition in our lives, it is necessary to draw the distinction between human nature and the human condition, for the simple reason that all too often they are confused as practically interchangeable terms, when in actuality, they describe two distinctively different aspects of humanity. Let us take a look at human nature first. In its simplest, human nature is an ensemble term used to describe our humanness; in much the same way as a cat has certain characteristics that distinguish it from other animals, so do humans.

Thus, the term is often regarded as capturing what it is to be human, or the essence of humanity; it includes distinguishing characteristics of humans, such as ways of thinking, feeling, and acting – which humans tend to have naturally, independently of the influence of culture. In other words, human nature can be regarded as a source of norms of conduct or ways of life. The branches of contemporary science associated with the study of human nature include anthropology, sociology, sociobiology, and psychology – particularly evolutionary psychology.

The human condition, on the other hand, is one that cannot be fully understood by rational thought or empirical/scientific research, but a part of that condition is that it demands answers to the questions that arise from existence itself; other than that, the human condition can be regarded as presenting obstacles or constraints on living a good life. It is something that has evolved with us through time; it is a product of our inability to properly understand the way in which all life is intrinsically interconnected.

You see, generations of disconnect between the finite human mind and the Infinite Soul, Spirit or God, has resulted in a lack of respect and gratitude for the Gift of Life. It is precisely this very disconnection that is the source of our dysfunctional behavior – see?

Although the human condition is primarily the same for all people, it is still uniquely different experience for each individual due to the different cultural backgrounds – nevertheless, in essence, the core remains the same – the experience of disconnection from the Divine Source, and as an extension of, from True Self, from other fellow human beings, from nature and its creatures – animals and other sentient beings – see?

When we take a look at ourselves as humans – a diverse species with the human condition, it seems almost as if we are suffering from a certain level of collective amnesia, which is another way of saying that people have absolutely no idea who they are, why they are here, whence they came from, or where they are going.

From this, the question arises: Could it be possible that there might have been, and still might be a few individuals around the world who may remember something that most of us have forgotten? And if so, wouldn’t that mean, then, that in so doing, these awakened individuals have continuously done their best in sharing their knowledge and wisdom with the rest of us – in hopes of awakening the remembrance in others as well?

Here it is worth pointing out especially Lao-Tzu – the author of the Tao Te Ching or “The Book of the Way of Virtue,” the Buddha, countless Zen Masters, Mystics, Yogis and Sages.

“All know the Way, but few actually walk it.” ~ Bodhidharma.

Considering all the aforementioned, one should be inclined to ask the following question: Could it be possible that there may have been many advanced civilizations before us? This leads to follow-up questions: How many civilizations came before the current one? Is it possible that these advanced civilizations have been destroyed by some great worldwide catastrophe, the likes of which are described in various religious scriptures and different mythologies around the world?

If that’s the case, then it’s only natural that for each civilization that has died out, another has taken its place with a selected few holding on to the memories and sacred knowledge of the past civilization. In light of that, we can easily draw the conclusion that in our hubris, we often think that we have discovered some of the great truths of science and technology, but the honest truth is that we are only just beginning to rediscover the profound wisdom of past civilizations. And so you see, in many ways, we are like an awakening species with amnesia, yearning to reclaim our forgotten past.

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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: Humanity – The Pinnacle of Evolution? 1/4 – The Essence of Life: Part III ]

The mystery of human life - the book alan-watts zen meditation mindfulness

~ ∞ ~ The Mystery of Human Life – The Essence of Life ~ ∞ ~

As indicated in the earlier chapter, it seems that the story of the human species is one big mystery; it also appears to be the case that we are suffering from a certain level of collective amnesia – these are the topics of our interest in the following few pages.

And so it goes that as we start to unravel the mystery of human life, we find that all the information about our past is fragmented at best, and quite mysterious to say the least; we also find that many of the books written in modern times are mostly author’s interpretations of other books, which indicates that we clearly prefer to write books about books, enriched with the author’s perception of the subject matter.

On top of that, it seems that instead of contributing something new, exciting and useful, we get enjoyment from arguing against anything new or different; criticising and discrediting other authors and their work. In other words, there are huge amounts of books and information out there in the world, but very little substance, quality, or significance.

As the curious individual peels the layers of the mystery, it is revealed that our recorded history reaches only as far back as some 5000 years ago, and yet we find through DNA analysis that the human species can be traced as far back as almost a million years ago. That is to say, there is a huge gap between what has been recorded in the history books and what has actually happened.

There is a saying that history is written by the victors of war, and that history is destined to repeat itself, which raises the question: Can we really trust the written records, or could we find out the truth about ourselves from some other way? Here we should also be asking the following questions: From whose perspective is history told?

And furthermore: Is there any such thing as one history, or are there many histories? For example, we all know that the same story told by two different people will sound very different. Taking that into account, one should be inclined to ask the following question: What does it mean in the context of history if there is bias involved?

By virtue of the aforementioned with regard to many histories, it is important, then, to not only study many different perspectives, but also make wise choices about whose stories of history to read and what to incorporate into one’s view of the world. One must not only study many perspectives, but also progress on one’s inner journey before one can hope to acquire an inkling of the Truth.

It goes without saying that we cannot blindly trust the written word. You see, the one who controls the narrative, controls history; the one who controls history, controls the society, consensus reality, and in turn the world; the one who is capable of telling a story of history and making that history accepted as true by a large part of the population – is the one who holds the power – see?

And so it goes that from that point onwards that particular version of history becomes part of our consensus reality, and then there is very little we can do about it. Let us go a little further with this, shall we?

Needless to say, in today’s fast-paced information age, our history is constantly being written and rewritten, contested and reinterpreted, and thus it would be almost impossible for the average individual to keep up with all that information. This is why the vast majority of people take it as face value without doing research for themselves.

Furthermore, in today’s fast-paced lifestyle, our attention span is quite low, and thus people prefer second- and third-hand information, or even worse – hearsay, rather than finding out for themselves by reading, studying, researching, travelling and experiencing. This, in turn, further reinforces the collective belief about ourselves and the world we live in – all based on the stories we tell each other. But here we should ask ourselves: Whose stories are to be told, and from whose perspective are they to be told?

Another side of the coin is that with all of this information, it is even more difficult to discern what is true. We are spoon-fed half-truths and sugar-coated information all the time – be it political, religious, scientific, medical, economic, or something else. This is nothing new. On the contrary, it has happened many times in the past and still happens today, regardless of the field or area – it is premature at best, and the height of hubris at worst, to assume otherwise.

As an example of how it works: in a science-driven world, these half-truths are presented as unchangeable facts, although they are based on models and predictions that are very much subject to change. These half-truths masked as unchangeable facts are then quite conveniently marketed to us as “discoveries, breakthroughs, and inventions.”

This brings up a whole host of other related issues and questions, the most obvious being: Has anything changed since the dawn of man? Well, times have changed, yes, but humans have remained much the same. You see, there are still wars and conflict, there is a divide between rich and poor, people are still greedy and cruel, and we still have great suffering in the world.

On top of that, we have developed a formidable intellect, science, and technology that we primarily use to build ever more powerful weapons; and not only that, but we have also weaponized information, largely for the same reason people weaponize anything – to win or gain something, shift perception, control narrative, history, society, consensus reality, and in the end, the world, you see?

As such, nations are in endless arms race to not only acquire more and more powerful weapons, but also to develop ever more sophisticated tactics and strategy. Such is the nature of us human beings with the human condition and collective amnesia – the only intelligent, sentient bipedal species known to exist in this universe.

All this leads to only one conclusion: If there’s any mystery at all, it is most certainly we humans ourselves – how did we end up like this? As far as it concerns us human beings, this is, bar none, the greatest mystery of them all. If we can unravel this mystery, then we are able to answer the questions regarding who we are, why we are here, whence we came from, and where are we going.

This presents an interesting conundrum: as things stand, we live in a world where everything has been turned upside-down – morally, ethically, spiritually, and logically: light has become darkness and darkness has become light; good has become evil and evil has become good; justice has become injustice and goodness has become wicked; the truth has become lies and lies have become truth.

On that note, it is imperative to highlight the following: honesty is the beginning of all wisdom – without honesty, no trust is possible, without honesty, no true communication exists, without honesty, no progress could be made, without honesty, no one can better themselves, and certainly, without honesty, no great spirituality can be accomplished – honesty is the first step toward truth.

“Be honest with yourself. The world of men is not honest with you. The world loves hypocrisy. When you are honest with yourself you find the road to inner peace.” ~ Paramahansa Yogananda.

Unfortunately, as it has been in the past, so it is also now – for you see, once in a while, it happens that these lies, half-truths and fallacies are forced upon us to make it the “truth.” The only real solution to this conundrum is to unlearn what one has learned, and then relearn everything from scratch, from ground up; and not only that, but also transcend one’s views and beliefs.

Unfortunately, as is the case with so many other things, more often than not, this process of unlearning, relearning, and transcending is too much for the majority of people, and thus they continue to buy into this deceit of half-truths, biased information, distorted facts and outright lies.

To be blunt – blinded by groupthink, people are like a flock of birds or herd of sheep, nearly all of them running at a given time in the same direction, which brings about the question: If an individual can be ignorant, naive, and short-sighted – taking into account the human condition and collective amnesia, how misguided and lost can a group of people be? Is it any wonder, then, that the mystery of human life continues to prevail?

There is hope, though, for you see, when a curious individual looks deeper into the reality of their surroundings, instead of blindly trusting other people’s stories and interpretations – quite a different picture emerge, and so it goes that the mystery begins to reveal itself to those who seek the Truth.

From the aforementioned discussion, we can easily draw the following conclusions: there is an ongoing invisible war against our Souls – its nature is Spiritual; it is a war of narratives, of ideas, of knowledge – or the lack thereof. The battleground is our minds and hearts – see?

What it comes down to is consciousness, and moreover – awareness, or the lack thereof. We should take heed of this and reflect on it; to be mindful and prepare for our spiritual warfare with a breastplate of faith and love, a helmet of hope and feet shod in peace – if not for any other reason than for the good of ourselves and our loved ones.

___
~ 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: A Species With Collective Amnesia (The Human Condition) – The Essence of Life: Part III ]

In search for the meaning of life 2 of 2 - alan watts the book of zen meditation happiness mindfulness joy

~ ∞ ~ In Search for the Meaning of Life – The Essence of Life ~ ∞ ~

Now, it is reasonable to ask ourselves: Did people seek contentment and fulfillment before the modern times, and did they seek meaning and purpose? Did people really seek to understand their own existence before the modern times, and was that even a necessary endeavour? Were they fulfilled enough living off of the land, being close to nature?

Did they have a deeper connection to their environment and the world around them than we do? Did they have a connection to God that we apparently don’t? One thing is certain, modern day humans are experiencing an existential crisis of epic proportions. Therefore, as a result, modern day humans are seeking answers to the deeper underlying causes behind the collective human condition.

From the previous, it becomes obvious that throughout the history of humanity, we have struggled to find meaning and purpose in an incredible contradiction of our human condition. The agony of being unable to truthfully answer the fundamental question of why we are the way we are – has been the particular burden of human life.

Our endeavours in philosophy, psychology, and biology have failed to provide a truthful, real, fully accountable and genuinely clarifying explanation. And when it comes to scientific contributions, they focus primarily on describing related empirical facts about the universe, exploring the context and parameters concerning the “how” of life – rather than “why.” This raises the question: Have you ever wondered what life is? If you answered yes – then it’s highly probable that you might have also asked the following questions:

What is the origin of life? Where did it all come from? What caused the universe? What happened before the Big Bang? What is the meaning of life? What’s it all about? Who, and what are we, really? Why are we here on Earth? Why do we exist in the first place, and what is the reason for our existence? Is there any specific purpose to life? What is the purpose of one’s life? What is meaningful and valuable in life? What is the value of life? What is the reason to live? What are we living for?

If you considered any of those questions worth thinking about, then you are like most curious human beings. Furthermore, if you considered any of them worth contemplating over, and if you considered answering any of them, then you are unlike most humans, one of those few whose hearts desire is to know themselves – deeply, inside and out.

Broadly speaking, for centuries, people all over the world have been asking these very same questions, eventually arriving at the same conclusion: We just don’t know, do we? So, then, what do we really know? All we know is that we exist and we are aware of it; likewise, all we know about the world is experience (consciousness), and all we know about the experience is that there is that-which-experiences (awareness).

All we know about the experience and the experiencer is that the human body, including the brain – is the instrument through which awareness experiences consciousness. In other words, there is the content of consciousness (experience) as well as the awareness of it. This dynamic between the experience and the experiencer can be called reality.

And now the question becomes: What came first: reality or consciousness of it? This, indeed, is a mystery. What we know about it, though, is that underlying this consciousness, there is awareness – through which, and by which, we become aware of consciousness, and therefore, of reality, you see?

Furthermore, to be honest, how much do we really know about the past and the origins of the human species? When we really think about this – it seems that the story of the human species is one big mystery. As such, it appears that we are suffering from a certain level of collective amnesia. This amnesiac state seems to have an influence on our way of life, to such an extent that we humans also seem to live in a deep state of denial – most notably of our mortality and suffering.

Against this backdrop, it is fascinating to see that we dream of an eternal life, but at the same time we fail to see that most of our lives are filled with suffering – there’s a huge dichotomy here – don’t you think? Despite this obvious dichotomy, most people just leave it there and continue their way of life as before; choosing an endless cycle of craving, frustration and suffering. In spite of that, there is a point, a moment we arrive at where the inevitable strikes us with its adamant presence: If we don’t choose a path of peace, harmony and balance, we plunge deeper into oblivion.

Even though at some point in everyone’s life there comes a time when each person starts to question their mortality and the meaning of it all – only in some rare cases does this natural process lead to a spiritual awakening, which is something that takes place within each of us whenever we are ready to remember our eternal nature.

As it stands, most humans are not ready to awaken or to be awakened, which goes on to say that most people seem to only touch the surface level of Life – by their own volition. As such, it seems to be the case that more often than not, it requires some kind of critical life event to happen that forces us to look at our deepest questions: Who am I? What is this life? Is there more to this life than I’ve already discovered? There is, indeed, more to us than we know, and much more to Life than meets the eye. Let us explore this further.

When we are talking about the spiritual awakening, it is worth pointing out that it is a complete surrender – a process of harsh self-honesty. It’s a path of complete acceptance of the truth – no matter how difficult it is to bear; this is also the main reason why only so few individuals embark on a spiritual journey. That said, it is important to highlight the fact that all spiritual development comes from within the individual, and thus spiritual development is a process like any other.

You see, spiritual development arises from discipline and continuous self-improvement. This means that no one else but the individuals themselves can increase their own spirituality – no one else can do it for us; we ourselves are responsible for our own growth and development. Our growth is solely dependent upon the amount of work we put in; after all, it is the process that counts, you see?

We are all on a journey – some more invested and committed than others; the path we tread is full of ups and downs – and some of them are very steep. Sometimes we may feel that we have lost our way on the river of life; with its many twists and turns we might find ourselves wondering which direction to take. But all is not lost, for you see, if we choose to use our free will to find the strength that dwells within, we find hope – a compass directing us in life.

With patience and persistence we continue to move forward, overcoming any obstacles we may face, and eventually we will prevail, you see? And this is where the wisdom lies – sometimes the obstacle is the path, for every obstacle presents an opportunity to grow and become better, you see? The obstacle can either be a boundary or a horizon; it can be a problem or it can be a solution; it can either be something we run from or something we learn from.

As we navigate the path that life lays out before us – the choice is always ours to make. Remember, it is one thing to talk the talk, and quite another to walk the walk. We can talk the talk without walking the walk; and we can try to walk the walk without talking the talk; but those who both walk the walk and talk the talk – are the ones who succeed – see?

Before we wrap up this chapter, once again, let me ask you this: What is it that most of us are truly seeking? Is it not true that most of us are seeking some kind of happiness, some kind of inner peace and harmony? And is it not also true that beyond it, we seek meaning, purpose, growth, and most of all – we seek connection? But what if, in actuality, there is nothing to seek, and nothing to find? What if, in actuality, there was but one Truth to be found, one Truth to be realized – the great cosmic joke, if you will: that you are what you are seeking?

That there is nothing we must be, do, or have, nothing to achieve, to become, to grow to, or strive for. That we merely discover what we truly are as we unbecome everything we’re not, and in so doing become more of what we are, you see? So, where does the cosmic joke lead us? Plain and simple, back to where we started, but with a completely new and fresh perspective – to the unadulterated pure joy of just being alive, appreciating the Miracle of Life and each day as a precious gift from God.

Taking into consideration all the aforementioned, one should be inclined to ask the following question: Isn’t it intriguing that we all look for happiness, peace, contentment and fulfillment in the things of the world, yet all along, these things are our very nature – our very own center of being, you see?

Now, let us end this chapter with the following words: although life may sometimes seem aimless or random, even absurd, pointless and without meaning – there is purpose in everything; we just need to be aware enough to see it. There is purpose even in the process of realizing the absurdity of life. You see, it is the beginning, not an end, for it fundamentally changes one’s way of living and being, doing and acting, which in turn changes one’s feeling and the ways of thinking and seeing.

It is in these moments where we have an opportunity to gain perspective. These are the moments that allow us to realize that happiness stems from being aware; from being grateful for this moment; from being grateful for what we have. Life is the ultimate blessing – see? So with each morning, why not remind yourself how grateful you are for your health and well-being? For you see, health is not given – it has to be gained and maintained by one’s own efforts; of which being grateful is a big part of the equation. What a marvelous reminder, don’t you think?

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~ ॐ ~ Sambodhi Padmasamadhi ~ ∞ ~

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[ Click » here « to read the next part: The Mystery of Human Life – The Essence of Life: Part III ]

In search for the meaning of life 1 of 2 - alan watts the book of zen meditation happiness mindfulness joy

~ ∞ ~ In Search for the Meaning of Life – The Essence of Life ~ ∞ ~

When we are exploring the Essence of Life, we are inevitably faced with a series of big questions. Therefore, some would say that from the very beginning, people in all corners of the Earth have been trying to find the answers to life-long questions. These questions arise not only because of our curiosity as human beings, but also because we are thirsty, spiritually speaking, you see?

We are curious beings by nature – just as we want to know who we truly are, we also want to know why we are here, and what is the purpose for our existence here on Earth. And these questions, my friend, arise from our unending desire for fulfillment. You see, driven either by lack, desire, or simply thirst – we are constantly searching for more.

By virtue of the aforementioned with regard to our unending desire for fulfillment, one should be inclined to ask the following question: Are we not, through all of our efforts, searching for more – be it more material possessions, more money, more status, more power, more excitement, more love, more knowledge, or something else along those lines? And is it not true, then, that we discover again and again that the latest attainments provide only temporary satisfaction?

You see, eventually the novelty wears off and the inevitable realization sets in: there is nothing in this physical world that can fill the deepest longing of our heart; this void cannot be filled by excitement nor by material things; this thirst cannot be quenched by any water of the world – it can only be quenched by the Water of Life.

So, can we therefore conclude that within each of us, there is, indeed, a search for something permanent, is there not? Indeed, there certainly is. You see, even today, more so than ever before, people are searching for the ultimate answer to life, to love, to health, to happiness, to success, and to freedom.

It is no surprise, then, that in today’s world, we are drowning in self-help books, podcasts, videos, websites, workshops, workouts, lectures, courses and retreats that promise to explain everything, that promise us success, that promise to teach us how become perfect versions of ourselves, and basically promise to fix all our problems for us.

From this, the question arises: What is it that we are seeking? At first, we search for a way to relieve our own suffering; we look everywhere for something that will quell our hunger and quench our thirst. In our exploration we may try many different approaches only to abandon them when they fail to satisfy our basic craving. We do this in hopes of finding some solace, in hopes of finding peace.

The honest truth is, though, that if we are spiritually lost, wandering through life like a ship lost at sea, and therefore cannot be reunited with the source and ground of our being, everything is temporary and fleeting – like sand running through our fingers, even the feeling of peace and solace, you see? Furthermore, if we don’t find our true purpose, we cannot find meaning either, and so it goes that in our search for meaning, we continue the same cycle over and over – craving begets craving, ignorance begets ignorance, and suffering begets suffering, doesn’t it?

Considering all the aforementioned, one should be inclined to ask the following question: What is it that most of us are truly seeking? Well, most of us are seeking some kind of happiness, some kind of inner peace and harmony, are we not? Beyond that, we seek meaning, purpose, growth, and most of all – we seek connection. Do we not, therefore, seek through all of our efforts something permanent, something lasting, something which we call Truth; something which we call True, Real, God? From this, the question arises: How does one go about obtaining all that and perhaps even more – such as Satori, Samadhi, or even Enlightenment?

Well, let us continue by noting that each of us has the potential for growth; potential for greatness that knows no bounds; potential for creativity; potential for a deeper connection with our True Self, Spirit, and the Divine. By the same token, we would do well to remind ourselves of the fact that not all humans are ready to awaken or to be awakened.

Hence, they will never be able to realize their full potential – unless, of course, something sparks the curiosity within. You see, it is one thing to make a conscious choice to pursue personal growth, and quite another to never try at all and just ponder and wonder. It is for this reason why so many unanswered questions arise in the minds of people.

This is why writers, poets, philosophers and thinkers in many fields throughout history have tried to provide answers – many of whom have never actually done the work on themselves. We have searched for the answers everywhere in the world; we have been looking far and wide, high and low, above and beyond, and yet we have failed to see that the answers we seek lie within each and every one of us.

The question of the meaning of life is the most fundamental of the many questions we face about our existence. After all, we are the only intelligent, sentient bipedal species known to exist in this universe – which, in and of itself, is enough to arouse our curiosity to find answers to the deeper questions, isn’t it? The search for life’s meaning has produced much philosophical, scientific, theological and metaphysical speculation throughout history.

The answer to this question as we generally perceive it is derived from philosophical and religious contemplation of, and scientific inquiries about existence, social ties, consciousness, and happiness. Many other issues are also involved, such as symbolic meaning, ontology, value, purpose, ethics, good and evil, free will, the existence of one or multiple gods, conceptions of God, the Soul or Spirit, and the afterlife.

Because of this, for thousands of years, generation after generation, people have sought to find their place in relation to the larger universe. Thus, even today, we often stare up at the heavens and wonder about the extent of the universe, its origin and its meaning – hoping to find an answer to our existence. As a result, we have invented something called philosophy, which aims to fulfill our intellectual craving by which we try to alleviate our spiritual thirst for deeper fulfillment.

This type of inquiry starts with wonder, leads to thinking, and ends up with even more thinking – eventually leading to nowhere at all – it’s like a dog chasing its own tail. And so it goes that in the midst of this, we end up chasing our proverbial tails, which is another way of saying that we lose our perspective and ourselves in the process. For you see, it is one thing to ponder these questions, and quite another to attempt to answer them; it is one thing to speculate, and quite another to provide answers that arise from experience.

And so you see, in search for the meaning and purpose, we easily get carried away and forget what is really and truly important in life, what is here and now, what is within each and every one of us. The honest truth is that we cannot find meaning in this life by filling ourselves with the things of this world. You can have it all and still want more, you can have it all and still have nothing, you can have it all and still be empty – without meaning, without purpose, without contentment and happiness.

It is only through one’s conscious effort, dedication and will, through which one strives towards higher evolution, towards inner transformation, by which inner peace, happiness, contentment and fulfillment is attained and maintained, meaning found, and purpose realized. Are these not the things many people in the world seeks after, alongside with health, happiness, and love? Are these not the reasons why one seeks to develop the self in the first place?

When one experiences oneself as being one with Life, one with Living Consciousness, one with Living Awareness, one with the Totality, one with the Divine, one with God – it gives ultimate meaning to one’s life. In other words, the only thing that truly brings meaning to life is God. And so you see, no matter where you seek – far and wide, high and low, above and beyond.

Ultimately, there is but one Truth to be found, one Truth to be realized: there is but one God to merge with, there is but one all pervading Spirit, and it is called the Truth, by which The Miracle of Life is made possible – it exists in all Creation, it is timeless, universal, and self-existent; there is but one First Cause that has its Being of itself, and on which all other beings depend; there is but one Infinite Being, so there is but One God – see?

Furthermore, considering the aforementioned, one can say that without God, we are hopelessly wandering through life like a ship lost at sea at night without the guiding light from a lighthouse, drifting farther and farther off course, and like a ship lost at sea, we need to find that ray of light to center us back on course.

And so you see, if we choose to use our free will to see that light and find that hope, we will overcome any obstacles we may face; with patience and persistence we will prevail, and in so doing we continue to move forward. With God in our lives, we have hope and peace, but also contentment and meaning; with God in our lives, we have a compass directing us in 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: In Search for the Meaning of Life (2/2) – The Essence of Life: Part II ]

What Is Life? 3 of 3 - All Life Exists in an Interconnected Web - Infinite Quantum Zen, Successful Life

~ ∞ ~ What Is Life? 3/3 – Awaken the Living Awareness Within ~ ∞ ~

Before we move on to the next chapter, we would do well to summarize what this chapter has taught us about life. In this chapter, we have seen how we as human beings are always eager to pin everything down, categorize, label, define, explain, classify, and prescribe that which we don’t understand; and that, of course, we do in the hopes that someday we may understand what we don’t yet understand.

As such, we have traditionally defined life to be just some “physically” organized structures that are able to grow, develop and reproduce – “living” organisms aiming towards evolution. Thus, most scientists seem to agree that all living things share certain basic characteristics like organization, reproduction, growth and development, homeostasis and evolution.

However, we should keep in mind that these, too, are but mental abstractions and approximations – not actuality; which brings us to our first conclusion: in spite of all our efforts and extremely detailed and fine-tuned descriptions – we have failed to define life. This brings about the question: Could the reason be that there was never anything to define in the first place?

Here we should challenge ourselves by asking the question: Does life really exist at all? Is there any such thing as life, or have we just invented it as an abstraction to represent something we don’t quite yet understand? Well, the honest truth is that the mission to define life is in many ways – futile, for the simple reason that the materialistic view is incomplete.

Having said that, it is important to emphasize the following: the scientific definition of life is valid only in its context, which leads us to realize that life is indeed a concept that we invented, and hence it doesn’t reflect the actuality of existence. In other words, what we call “life” is merely our failed attempt to capture the essence of our being, which in its deepest core – is pure awareness.

And so you see, one should not make the mistake of confusing the idea of a thing with the thing itself; or in this case, the appearance with the essence. You see, the Essence of Life is not the same as the description or explanation of it. So, can we therefore conclude that what we call “life” is but a facade?

Against this backdrop, we can see that what constitutes our existence is something beyond words, symbols, numbers, formulas, definitions, descriptions and explanations. The aforementioned methods are essentially tools by which humans convey information to one another, which is another way of saying that all of these methods are extensions of language; and language, in and of itself, always, ultimately, fails to describe the actuality of existence.

So in this sense, there’s a certain irony in that we have to use words to explain why words are so limited; the problem arises when we start to confuse descriptions and explanations with the actuality. And with this, we arrive at an astonishing conclusion: recognizing life as a concept would free us from the old way of seeing and lead us in a direction to discover a completely new way of approaching our existence.

Therefore, when we ask the question, “What Is Life?” we should want to know what Life is at its highest form beyond mere chemistry, DNA, RNA, proteins, enzymes, and heredity. It is well known throughout the world that Life in its deepest core is Spirit, or just simply pure Awareness; it is active, sentient, feeling, thinking, purposive, valuing, social, other-respecting, relating and caring.

Hence, it goes without saying that if we really want to know what Life is, we should start our search within ourselves. It is clear that if we pay close attention, we find that deep within each and every one of us, there is, indeed – a Life Force that permeates everything in the universe. However, this Vital Spark of Life becomes obvious to us only when the organism is imbued with purpose and self-regulation, as is a living plant or a human being.

In this chapter, we have talked about life and concluded that what we call “life” is but a vague definition of a finite. Life – emphasis on the capital letter, on the other hand, is something completely different – it is more like a living Spiritual Organism than anything else: it learns and gains experience by expressing itself through its many emanations – including us human beings.

From this perspective, all of life is essentially one gigantic ocean of life; one gigantic being of all beings; one gigantic Life of all lives. It is only our self-grasping ignorance which cuts up the ocean of life into discrete, independent beings that are somehow separate from one another. In other words, we grasp at self and other as being distinct and separate beings – but in actuality, we are all part of the same Living Life.

One last thing before we move on: considering all the aforementioned, one should be inclined to ask the following question: If life isn’t what we think it is, maybe death isn’t what we imagine it to be, either? Here we should challenge ourselves by asking an intriguing question: What is the opposite of death?

Most people would probably say that it’s life, but when you really see clearly – you cannot help but arrive at the conclusion: the opposite of death is birth; both are gateways through which Life passes in and out of time in physical existence.

Life Force that moves through us is the same Eternal Essence that moves through every living being, including trees and plants – Living Life expressing itself through all life – constantly finding the best and the most efficient ways for life to grow, flourish and thrive. Life Force is beginningless, which means that Life has always been, always is, and always will be.

In other words, death is but a temporary putting away of the physical expression of existence by the Soul or Spirit, which is the real “I” in all of us. This “I” is the center of Life in each and every one of us; it is the unchanging Eternal Truth in us; the real “I” in all of us. When the individual arrives at this realization, their whole perception irrevocably changes.

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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: In Search for the Meaning of Life (1/2) – The Essence of Life: Part II ]